Bodleian Visiting Fellowships in Special Collections 2027–28 – Apply by 27 November 2026
The Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford are inviting applications for the Bodleian Visiting Fellowships in Special Collections for 2027–28. The programme offers researchers an opportunity to undertake independent research using the Bodleian Libraries’ extensive archival, manuscript and rare book collections in Oxford.
Applications are open to eligible researchers from around the world, including both academically affiliated and independent scholars working at postdoctoral level. The application deadline is 27 November 2026 at 5:00pm GMT.
About the Bodleian Visiting Fellowships
The fellowships are designed to support research projects that require access to the Bodleian Libraries’ special collections. Successful applicants will undertake research in Oxford, primarily using collections held at the Weston Library and other relevant Bodleian resources.
Visiting Fellows may also be invited to present their research during their stay, either formally or informally, to members of the University of Oxford or the Bodleian Libraries. Fellows are also encouraged to consider publishing their findings in the Bodleian Library Record. Research visits must normally last at least one month.
Fellowships Available
The 2027–28 programme includes a wide range of specialist fellowships covering different disciplines, historical periods and geographical areas.
The African Studies Visiting Fellowship, for example, is open to scholars currently affiliated with a university in Sub-Saharan Africa. It supports research into the history of the region using the Bodleian’s extensive African and Commonwealth collections, including colonial archives and records relating to agriculture, education, medicine, engineering and missionary activity.
Other opportunities include fellowships in music, women’s history, Persian and Islamic studies, the history of science and technology, English literature, early modern history, medieval manuscripts, Polish studies, South Asian and Black history, Hebraica and Judaica, and printed ephemera.
There is also a Lewis Carroll Visiting Fellowship, supporting research connected to Lewis Carroll and his interests, including children’s literature, literary illustration, nineteenth-century photography, Oxford history and the cultural impact of mathematics.
Who Can Apply?
Applications are welcomed from academically affiliated and independent scholars pursuing academic research at postdoctoral level. Researchers employed by libraries, museums, archives or other institutions holding collections may also be eligible.
Current doctoral students can apply only if they have submitted their thesis before the fellowship application deadline and will have been awarded their doctorate before taking up the fellowship. Priority will generally be given to applicants residing outside Oxford and those who have not recently completed an Oxford degree.
Applicants should demonstrate a clear need to consult specific materials held within the Bodleian special collections. The selection committee will also consider the applicant’s potential contribution to the research culture of the University and Bodleian Libraries, opportunities for future collaboration, and the potential benefits of the fellowship to the applicant’s research career.
What Funding Is Available?
Unless a particular fellowship has different terms, successful applicants can receive up to £2,200 per month to support eligible costs associated with their research visit. Applicants should note that the funds may be subject to UK tax and National Insurance depending on the method of payment and the fellow’s UK tax status.
The fellowship year runs from 1 August to 31 July, and approved research visits must take place within this period.
Applicants are responsible for arranging any required UK visa and securing accommodation. The Bodleian Libraries can provide guidance on local accommodation listings, although applicants should be aware that accommodation costs in Oxford can
