Chevening Oxford Center for Islamic Studies Fellowship in the UK

If you are a mid-career academic applicant or professional willing to promote academic activities that include and encourage more understanding of Islamic culture and civilization, you can apply to Chevening Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) Fellowships. This fellowship is provided at the Chevening Oxford Center for Islamic Studies to support individuals financially in doing independent research at the research center.

The following two fellowship programs are offered:

• Chevening OCIS Fellowship
• Chevening OCIS Abdullah Gül Fellowship (for Turkish citizens)

Fellows will undertake a five-month self-directed research period at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS), concentrating on their individual projects related to the culture and civilization of Islam and modern Muslim societies in a global framework. Fellows will gain from interacting with a diverse group of scholars who focus on the Islamic world and will have the chance to establish connections with relevant individuals, discuss various topics pertaining to the Islamic world, including Islamic history, classical Islamic sciences, economics and Islamic finance, public health, science and technology within the Muslim world, and the study of Muslims in Western contexts. Fellows will play a role in advancing the Centre’s goal of fostering and promoting ongoing dialogue and collaboration within the global academic community regarding the culture and civilization of Islam and contemporary Muslim societies. OCIS serves as an institution for the advanced study of Islam and the Muslim world and acts as a convergence point for Western and Islamic academic traditions. Before arriving in the UK, fellows must formulate their own research project to work on during their fellowship. Fellows are required to reside in Oxford for the entirety of their award. Upon selection, OCIS can provide details about accommodation possibilities in Oxford.

Key Details of Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) Fellowship

Location: United Kingdom

Institution: Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) of the University of Oxford

Start of Application Submission: 5 August 2026

Deadline to Apply: 6 October 2026

Reading Committee assessments: Mid-November to December 2026

Duration: 6 months

Second Interview: May 2027

Result Announcement: June 2027

Start of the Program: October 2027
End of the program: March 2028

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Benefits of OCIS Fellowship

Fellows will benefit from the Chevening Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) Fellowships as follows:

• Five-month research at OCIS
• Living expenses throughout the fellowship period
• Return economy flight ticket from the home country to the UK
• Research Allowance
• Access to cultural events and activities by the FCDO and the Chevening Secretariat.
• Meeting and connecting a multi-disciplinary group of scholars concentrated on the Islamic world.
• Opportunity to discuss and find a solution for the Muslim world issues

Who can apply?

Applicants who meet the following requirements can apply for this OCIS Fellowship:

• Have the potential of leadership and influence
• Demonstrate the personal, intellectual, and interpersonal characteristics reflecting this potential
• Have the citizenship of a country listed below
• Return to the home country after the program completion
• Obtained a postgraduate degree, professional training, or experience at the time of application
• The applicant must have more than 5 years of professional and or academic research experience
• Providing a minimum English language requirement, the ability to pass the interview
• Not holding British or dual British citizenship
• Not be employed, or relatives of the employees of the UK government, the British Council, DFID, MOD, BEIS, UKTI, UKBA.
• The previous recipients of His Majesty’s Government (HMG) funded scholarship or fellowship are eligible after 5 years of the first award completion.

Eligible Countries

The Chevening OCIS Abdullah Gül Fellowship is available to applicants from Turkey.

Applicants from the following countries can apply:

Afghanistan*, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Senegal, Sudan*, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, or Uzbekistan .

*Please note: Under recent UK Government legislation, Afghanistan and Sudan citizens are unable to obtain a Study Visa to enter the UK; however, this does not affect fellowship visa routes. Afghanistan and Sudan citizens are still eligible to apply for the Chevening OCIS Fellowship. For the most up-to-date information, please visit the UK Government website. We are unable to provide any further guidance beyond what is published there.

Application Guidelines

Applicants can apply online for “Chevening Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) Fellowships”  before the deadline. Applicants are required to prepare a short proposal outlining the academic research area.

Apply Online

Please visit the official website of Chevening for detailed information about the Chevening Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) Fellowships or read the FAQs.

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