Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship 2027–2028 | Fully Funded Fellowship in the UK

The Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship 2027–2028 is now open for applications for eligible mid-career professionals from Egypt, Palestine, and Sudan with a strong interest in Coptic manuscript heritage, cultural collections, and research.

Hosted by the British Library in the United Kingdom, this 12-month fellowship provides an opportunity to undertake a research project focused on Coptic manuscript collections, catalogue development, provenance research, and public and community engagement.

Applications for the Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship are open until 27 October 2026 at 12:00 UTC.

ALSO READ: Central European University Global Invisible University Fellowships 2027/28 | €2,600 Monthly Stipend

Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship 2027–2028 Overview

The Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship is co-funded by the British Library and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The fellowship is designed for experienced professionals and researchers who have relevant expertise in Coptic manuscript heritage and cultural collections.

The fellowship will be based at the British Library in London, UK, where the successful fellow will work closely with Dr. Michael Erdman, Head of Asian and African Studies (interim), to lead a research project.

Fellowship Details

• Fellowship: Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship
• Host institution: British Library
• Location: United Kingdom
• Duration: 12 months
• Start: September 2027
• End: September 2028
• Eligible nationalities: Egypt, Palestine, and Sudan
• Application deadline: 27 October 2026 at 12:00 UTC
• Level: Mid-career professional/research fellowship
• Field: Coptic manuscripts, cultural heritage, collections, provenance research and public engagement

About the British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship

The British Library holds one of the world’s significant collections of Coptic manuscripts. Its holdings include hundreds of complete and fragmentary codices together with papyrus, parchment and paper fragments documenting more than 1,500 years of Coptic history, theology and literary culture.

The collection provides important insights into Christianity, Egyptian cultural heritage, manuscript production and scholarly traditions.

However, many parts of the collection remain difficult to discover because a comprehensive overview of the holdings has never been produced.

The Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship gives an experienced professional or researcher the opportunity to help address this challenge by documenting, interpreting and promoting these manuscripts.

What Will the Chevening Coptic Collections Fellow Do?

The successful fellow will use their language skills, subject expertise and professional experience to survey the British Library’s Coptic holdings.

The fellowship project will involve several areas of collections and heritage work.

1. Survey Coptic Collections

The fellow will survey the British Library’s Coptic collections and identify gaps in existing cataloguing and documentation.

2. Improve Catalogue Records

The fellow will create and enhance catalogue records using manuscript evidence and existing metadata.

This work can help make important Coptic manuscripts easier for researchers and other users to discover.

3. Conduct Provenance Research

The fellowship includes researching, documenting and analysing manuscript provenance.

This work will contribute to a broader programme of provenance research aimed at improving understanding of the history and acquisition of the collections.

4. Support Community Engagement

The fellow will organise and contribute to events involving Coptic community members and researchers.

The fellowship also provides opportunities to work with the London Diocese of the Coptic Orthodox Church and develop new approaches to sharing knowledge about Coptic heritage.

5. Produce Research Outputs

Fellows will produce blogs, reports and other outputs designed to raise awareness of the British Library’s Coptic collections.

6. Promote Wider Access to Coptic Heritage

The fellow will contribute to public engagement activities that promote wider access to and understanding of Coptic heritage.

Who Is the Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship Suitable For?

The Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship is particularly suitable for experienced professionals, researchers and academics with a strong background in Coptic studies, manuscripts, cultural heritage or related areas.

Applicants should have significant professional and/or academic research experience and be able to demonstrate relevant knowledge and practical experience.

This fellowship may be particularly relevant to professionals working in:

• Coptic studies
• Manuscript research
• Library and information science
• Cultural heritage
• Archival collections
• Museum collections
• Provenance research
• Historical research
• Heritage documentation
• Community engagement
• Academic research

Eligibility Criteria for the Fellowship

In addition to meeting the standard Chevening Fellowship eligibility criteria, applicants for the Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship must meet the specific requirements for this opportunity.

Applicants must:

• Be citizens of Egypt, Sudan or Palestine.
• Normally be resident in one of these countries.
• Citizens residing elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa region in Chevening-eligible ODA-eligible countries may also apply, including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.
• Demonstrate a clear intention to return to and contribute to their country of citizenship after the fellowship.
• Return to their country of citizenship for at least one year after the fellowship ends.
• Hold a postgraduate-level qualification or equivalent professional training or experience in a relevant area at the time of application.
• Have at least five years of significant professional and/or academic research experience.
• Be currently employed or enrolled as a PhD candidate.
• If enrolled in a PhD, the PhD must not be with a UK, EU or USA university.
• Have excellent knowledge of Coptic, specifically Sahidic or Bohairic.
• Have knowledge of Arabic and/or Greek as a desirable additional skill.
• Have good written and spoken English.
• Be able to communicate research findings effectively.
• Have experience cataloguing and handling manuscript collections.
• Have knowledge of manuscript description standards.
• Have experience in provenance research and documentation, or demonstrate a strong interest in this area.
• Have experience working with heritage communities or delivering engagement activities related to cultural heritage collections.

Required Experience for the Chevening Coptic Fellowship

Experience is particularly important for this fellowship because it is aimed at mid-career professionals rather than early-career applicants.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate at least five years of significant professional and/or academic research experience.

Relevant experience may include manuscript cataloguing, collections documentation, provenance research, heritage research, academic research or public engagement involving cultural heritage collections.

Strong Coptic language skills are also an important requirement.

JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

Fellowship Duration and Location

The Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship lasts for 12 months.

The fellowship is scheduled to begin in September 2027 and end in September 2028.

The fellowship will take place at the British Library in the United Kingdom, allowing the successful fellow to work directly with the Library’s Coptic collections and relevant research teams.

Funding and Benefits

The Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship provides financial support and project-related benefits.

Each fellowship includes:

• A 12-month period of project-based activity at the British Library.
• Living expenses for the duration of the fellowship.
• Return economy airfare.
• An allowance package for fellowship-related activities.
• Up to £1,000 for approved project-related expenses.

These benefits make the fellowship an attractive opportunity for eligible professionals seeking international research and cultural heritage experience in the UK.

Important Travel Information

Applicants should carefully note that the FCDO states that it is unable to assist with arranging or facilitating travel to the UK, including from Palestine.

Successful fellows will therefore need to arrange their own travel to the UK, potentially through third countries.

What Will Fellows Gain?

The Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship offers professional and academic development in an internationally recognised research library.

Successful fellows will gain:

International Research Experience

Fellows will have experience working with one of the world’s leading research libraries and cultural heritage institutions.

Specialist Manuscript Skills

The fellowship provides specialist experience in manuscript cataloguing, provenance research and collections documentation.

International Professional Profile

The programme offers opportunities to increase the fellow’s international academic and professional profile.

Heritage Engagement Experience

Fellows will gain practical experience planning and delivering community and public engagement activities around heritage collections.

Contribution to Global Heritage

The fellow will contribute to the future accessibility and interpretation of a globally significant Coptic manuscript collection.

How Competitive Is the Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship?

The Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship is likely to be highly specialised because the eligibility requirements combine several areas of expertise.

Applicants need relevant professional or academic research experience, advanced Coptic knowledge, manuscript collections experience and an understanding of provenance research or a demonstrable interest in it.

Applicants should therefore focus on clearly demonstrating how their previous work connects with the fellowship’s research and collections objectives.

How to Prepare a Strong Application

A strong application should clearly connect your professional experience with the objectives of the Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship.

When preparing your application, consider highlighting:

• Your postgraduate qualification or equivalent professional experience.
• At least five years of relevant professional and/or academic research experience.
• Your Coptic language abilities, including Sahidic or Bohairic knowledge.
• Your manuscript cataloguing experience.
• Your experience handling manuscript collections.
• Your knowledge of manuscript description standards.
• Your provenance research experience or demonstrated interest.
• Your cultural heritage community engagement experience.
• Examples of research findings you have communicated through publications, reports, blogs, presentations or other outputs.
• How your proposed contribution could improve access to and understanding of the British Library’s Coptic collections.
• How you intend to return and contribute to your country of citizenship after the fellowship.

CV Preparation Tips for the Chevening Fellowship

Your CV should make your relevant expertise easy to identify.

Give particular attention to experience related to:

Coptic studies → Manuscripts → Cataloguing → Provenance → Heritage → Research → Community engagement → Publications and outputs

Avoid presenting unrelated experience as the main focus of your CV. Instead, make your manuscript, research, language and cultural heritage experience prominent.

Common Mistakes Applicants Should Avoid

Applicants for the Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship should avoid:

• Applying without checking the nationality requirements.
• Failing to demonstrate the required research experience.
• Not clearly explaining Coptic language expertise.
• Providing limited evidence of manuscript collections experience.
• Ignoring the provenance research component.
• Failing to demonstrate heritage community engagement experience.
• Submitting a CV that does not clearly show relevant professional development.
• Overlooking the requirement to return to the country of citizenship after the fellowship.
• Waiting until the final hours before the application deadline.

Career Paths After the Fellowship

The experience gained through the Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship could support professional development in areas such as:

• Manuscript research
• Cultural heritage management
• Archival research
• Library and information services
• Museum collections
• Provenance research
• Coptic studies
• Academic research
• Heritage documentation
• Public and community engagement
• International cultural heritage programmes

The fellowship’s combination of research, collections documentation and community engagement experience can provide a strong foundation for professionals working with cultural heritage.

Similar Fellowship and Research Opportunities

Professionals interested in the Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship may also wish to explore opportunities related to:

• Chevening Fellowships
• Manuscript research fellowships
• Cultural heritage fellowships
• Museum and library fellowships
• Archival research opportunities
• Coptic studies research
• Humanities fellowships
• International cultural heritage programmes
• Provenance research opportunities

Applicants should always check the specific eligibility requirements of each programme before applying.

Official Application Information

Applications for the Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship 2027–2028 are open until:

27 October 2026 at 12:00 UTC

The fellowship is hosted by the British Library and is co-funded by the British Library and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Eligible applicants should review the official fellowship information and standard Chevening Fellowship eligibility criteria before submitting an application.

Final Thoughts

The Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship 2027–2028 is a specialised opportunity for experienced professionals from Egypt, Palestine and Sudan who have expertise or significant experience in Coptic studies, manuscripts, cultural heritage and research.

With a 12-month placement at the British Library, fellows will have the opportunity to work with an internationally significant collection of Coptic manuscripts while contributing to cataloguing, provenance research, research outputs and public engagement.

For eligible mid-career professionals, the Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship offers an opportunity to develop specialist expertise, strengthen an international professional profile and contribute to the preservation and interpretation of Coptic heritage.

Application deadline: 27 October 2026 at 12:00 UTC.