The Alan Pearsall Bequest - Pearsall Fellowship

Pearsall Fellowship

You will receive approximately 47,800 EUR (£40,914) to cover your living costs for 12 months whilst conducting research into naval and maritime history at the Institute of Historical Research in London. The year begins in October. In addition to the funding, you will be assigned a mentor from the Institute, receive career coaching, mock interviews, support with job applications and scholarship applications, as well as free access to the Wohl Library and the Institute’s seminar programme. The Alan Pearsall Legacy and the Institute of Historical Research fund two of these fellowships each year.

Who can apply

• Level: You have recently completed your PhD in History or will be submitting your thesis for examination by 1 October of the scholarship year. This deadline is binding.
• Field: Your work deals with any aspect of naval or maritime history, covering any period from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the present day, and set in any part of the world.
• Your project: You are proposing a new research project or public engagement project, not simply a continuation of your completed dissertation.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply, and your PhD may have been obtained in any country.
• Early career: Since completing your PhD, you have not yet held a paid research post that lasted a full year.
• No double funding: This grant cannot be claimed at the same time as any other major cost-of-living allowance or an employment contract.
• Based in London: You can now work at the institute in person and attend its seminars. If you do not yet have a residence and study permit for the UK, a visa can be applied for on your behalf.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online via the Institute’s application system. The deadline for applications is 31 January. A panel of historians will draw up a shortlist, and shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview before the final decision is made.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is highly exclusive: only two are awarded each year, and applicants must have completed, or be on the verge of completing, a PhD in history, as well as have a promising new project in the field of naval or maritime history. This keeps the pool of applicants small, but the candidates are of a very high calibre, so competition remains fierce. If your project is original, your timeline is realistic and you have not yet held a long-term postdoctoral position, your chances are good.