Apply for Churchill Fellowship Programme (United Kingdom)

Deadline: 20-Oct-2026

The Churchill Fellowship Programme supports UK citizens aged 18 and over to spend 4–8 weeks learning from leading practitioners and global best practices. Fellows use international learning to develop practical solutions to pressing issues in UK society and bring their findings back to benefit communities, professional sectors, or the wider public. The Fellowship provides financial support for eligible travel and living costs and can also cover expenses such as interpreters, visas, vaccinations, and support workers where required. Fellows also receive planning support, opportunities to share knowledge, access to a network of previous Fellows, and potential post-learning grants for dissemination activities. What Is the Churchill Fellowship? The Churchill Fellowship is designed for people who have an idea, concern, or solution that could create positive change in the UK and who need to learn from international experience to develop it. Rather than focusing solely on academic research, the Fellowship emphasizes practical learning and real-world impact.

Fellows are encouraged to:

- Identify an important issue affecting UK society. - Find international experts who are addressing similar challenges. - Learn directly from leading practitioners. - Explore successful approaches used overseas. - Adapt relevant ideas to the UK context. - Implement or influence practical change after returning home. - Share their learning with others. How Long Is the Fellowship? The international learning period lasts between: - 4 weeks and 8 weeks. The proposed learning journey should be achievable within this period. Applicants should therefore develop a focused plan rather than attempting to investigate an excessively broad issue. What Does the Fellowship Fund? The Fellowship provides funding for reasonable costs associated with the international learning period.

Support can include:

- International and relevant travel costs. - Living expenses during the learning period. - Interpreter costs. - Visa costs. - Vaccinations. - Support worker costs where needed. The Fellowship is intended to make international learning accessible to people who may otherwise be unable to undertake such an experience. Additional Support for Fellows Financial support is only one part of the Churchill Fellowship.

Fellows can also receive:

- Advice on planning the learning journey. - Assistance with developing the project. - Support for knowledge sharing. - Access to a network of Churchill Fellows. - Opportunities to disseminate learning. - Potential post-learning grants for dissemination activities. This creates a longer-term support structure beyond the international learning period. Who Can Apply? The Fellowship is open to UK citizens aged 18 or over. Applicants do not need to meet a specific academic qualification requirement.

The program is open regardless of:

- Educational qualifications. - Professional background. - Age, provided the applicant is at least 18. - Career sector. The emphasis is on the applicant’s passion, potential, and ability to inspire positive change. What Does the Fellowship Look For? Applicants should demonstrate that their proposed project has the potential to generate meaningful benefits for UK society.

A strong application should explain:

- What issue or challenge exists in UK society. - Why the issue matters. - What the applicant wants to learn. - Why international learning is necessary. - Which overseas locations or practitioners can provide relevant insight. - How the learning will be translated into action in the UK. - Who will benefit from the resulting work. Identifying a UK Issue The starting point should be a clear need, problem, or opportunity in UK society. The issue could relate to a community, professional sector, public service, social challenge, or another area where international learning could help generate improvement. Applicants should avoid framing the project solely around personal development. Instead, they should demonstrate how their learning can ultimately contribute to wider public or societal benefit. Why Learn From Overseas? Applicants need to explain why international learning is important to their project. The proposal should identify specific countries, organizations, practitioners, experts, or approaches that could provide valuable insights.

The key question is:

What can the applicant learn abroad that will help address the identified issue in the UK? A strong proposal should demonstrate a clear connection between the overseas learning and the proposed UK outcome. Turning International Learning Into UK Action The Fellowship expects applicants to explain how they will use their findings after returning to the UK.

Potential outcomes could include:

- Improving professional practice. - Developing new services. - Influencing policy. - Supporting communities. - Sharing best practices. - Developing practical tools. - Creating new approaches to existing challenges. - Strengthening organizations or professional sectors. Applicants should identify realistic steps for translating international learning into meaningful action. Who Is the Fellowship Particularly Designed to Support? The Churchill Fellowship prioritizes people who have had limited opportunities to learn from overseas. It also prioritizes applicants who may be less likely to receive international learning funding from other sources. This means applicants should consider explaining any barriers that have previously limited their access to international opportunities, where relevant. What Projects Are Not Eligible? The Fellowship is designed for projects with a clear benefit to UK society. Applications are not accepted for projects that: - Benefit only the applicant. - Are submitted by teams rather than an individual Fellow. - Already have multiple funders. - Are primarily academic studies. - Are student grants. - Are internships. - Are gap-year activities. - Are art projects without wider public benefit. -