Chatham House Richard and Susan Hayden Academy Fellowship 2026/2027 for mid-career professionals (Fully Funded to UK with monthly stipend of £2,365)

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Application Deadline: 7 April 2026.

Applications are now open for the 2026/2027 Chatham House Richard and Susan Hayden Academy Fellowship. This fellowship is a joint initiative with Richard and Susan Hayden. It offers candidates at the early-to-mid-stage of their career the opportunity to spend ten months at Chatham House working on an individual research project of their choosing.

Fellows take part in the core work of the Institute, developing their skills through the leadership programme, and furthering their professional network in the field of international affairs.

Requirements

Citizenship

The fellowship is open to all nationalities.

Education

Applicants must hold a completed BA degree or equivalent and have experience with conducting research.

Career

The ideal candidate should be at the early-to-mid-stage of their career and come from one of the following fields or work: academia, NGO, business, government departments, civil society or the media. All applicants should possess knowledge of, and an interest in, international affairs, their chosen area of research, and Chatham House’s mission and research.

Age restrictions

No age restriction

Duration

Academy Fellows spend ten months at Chatham House between October 2026 and July 2027.

Location

Fellows are based full-time at Chatham House, London with hybrid working also possible.

Remuneration and benefits

The fellow receives a monthly stipend of £2,365 which covers London living costs, including accommodation, utilities, food, transport and other basic expenses.

The Academy covers reasonable costs related to:

• Relocation e.g., flights, train, other transportation to and from the UK, three nights of accommodation, visas, extra cases or boxes, etc.;
   
• Payment of the UK’s Immigration Healthcare Surcharge which allows access to the UK National Health Service (Note: you may be required to pay for dental and optical treatments and medicines prescribed by a doctor); and
   
• Research, outreach and dissemination costs e.g., fieldwork, travel, conferences, publication, roundtables, events, etc.
   

Following the successful completion of their fellowship alumni benefit from access to:

• The Academy faculty and alumni; and
• Five-year Chatham House membership.

Programme Details

A fellow’s time is split between three key areas: 

• Completing a personal research project: the fellow chooses and design an individual project to undertake with the guidance of a Chatham House expert (approximately 60%).
• Contributing to the ongoing research activities: working with their host research team and other Chatham House teams as appropriate, fellows contribute to existing research priorities in line with the Chatham House mission (approximately 20%).
• Leadership Masterclass Programme: it is a key part of all fellowships. It aims to develop fellows’ knowledge, network, self-awareness and to equip them with important skills on which they can draw in their future careers as leaders in their field (approximately 20%).

Leadership Masterclass Programme

All fellows participate in and contribute to the Leadership Programme which encompasses the following components:

• Intensive induction week
  Academy fellowships begin with an intensive five-day induction week to become familiarized with the elements of the fellowships, meet their host research programme and have their first personal development coaching session.
• Thematic sessions
  In these sessions, fellows meet and discuss current international affairs challenges with subject matter experts from Chatham House and beyond. The sessions cover the principal substantive and skills-based areas vital for informed and effective international leadership. Fellows usually chair these sessions and are expected to contribute to and learn from one another’s experience.
• Leadership skills workshops
  Fellows participate in half-day workshops focusing on specific aspects of leadership such as achieving policy impact, stakeholder mapping, crisis management and negotiation skills.
• Leadership Briefings 
  Fellows engage in discussions with a diverse group of global leaders from government, business, media, and the non-profit sector. In these informal sessions, leaders share their leadership visions and strategies, along with personal insights from their own leadership journeys. The sessions feature members of the Academy’s faculty among other speakers.
• Project presentations
  Fellows present updates on their research projects to help develop presentation skills, provide a forum for peer-review and to analyse issues outside their own area of expertise.
• Personal development coaching
  Fellows have access to one-on-one sessions with a dedicated coach as a way to grow their self-awareness. Fellows work with the coach to set personal development objectives which they work to meet during their fellowship and beyond.
• Media training
  Fellows learn effective interview skills needed for television and radio culminating in a mock interview from which they receive feedback on style and any areas of improvement.
• Career mentoring (optional)
  Fellows’ development is facilitated and supported by partnering them with mentors to enhance their career perspective and path.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Chatham House Richard and Susan Hayden Academy Fellowship