Visiting Scholars


The Department has a number of visitors and affiliated faculty each year. Appointments are intended to help us to invite academics in other institutions to conduct research, or be involved in other activities which will benefit the Department. We would particularly like to encourage applications from people whose work explores the Department’s current priority research themes which can be found on our Research page. 

Visiting Fellows: how to apply

We will be considering new applications at the beginning of the new academic year 2023-24, deadline for application will be 2nd October 2023.

The Visiting Fellow programme refers to 'visiting academics', which are unfunded positions. Applicants for postdoctoral positions for which you already have funding (or know where you want to apply for funding) must apply a minimum of one term in advance.

If you are interested in applying to visit the Department of Gender Studies in any of the visiting categories, please contact Kate Steward in the first instance. You will then be required to supply a full CV and an outline of the programme of work you wish to undertake during your visit, situating your work in relation to that of the Department (faculty/ research programmes). Please also specify your preferred dates of visit.

Thereafter our research committee, representing all our interdisciplinary interests, will meet twice a year to considers all applications for places from all visiting academics and will recommend affiliation to the School on the basis that a member of faculty will 'sponsor' the applicant.  The offer of a visiting fellowship will come from the School itself and our panel meets two weeks before the LSE deadlines. Hazel will be able to advise on dates.   

Potential applicants should note that while visitors will be welcomed into the research community wholeheartedly, they cannot be assured of desk space, administrative support or PC use, however, due to limited resources.  At the moment we are only able to offer a very limited hotdesking arrangement.  They will, however, be granted full library and IT access during the period of fellowship tenure.

Please apply under one of the following schemes, which grant status to individuals from outside the School associated with School departments, Institutes or Centres.

Visiting Fellows

The Visiting Fellow Scheme is aimed at scholars (pre-Major Review equivalent/or early post-doctoral status), persons/practitioners of equivalent standing in an appropriate profession/occupation, and researchers in the early stages of their career.  The status of Visiting Fellow given to those intending to seek external research, is in itself non contractual and unremunerated, and confers no special privileges, excepting those usually granted to Visiting Fellows. Please note postdoctoral fellows must have already been awarded their doctorate at the time of application.  VF visits are usually for one term.

Visiting Senior Fellows

The Visiting Senior Fellow Scheme is aimed at scholars who are of Lecturer (post-Major Review equivalent), Senior Lecturer, or Reader level, and professionals at a broadly comparable level in their profession.  The title of Visiting Senior Fellow is given to individuals from outside the School associated with School Departments/Institutes/Centres. The status is intended to apply to scholars who have already published work of distinction, as well as recognising the contribution from those in government service, in professional practice, in the private sector, or in other appropriate fields, to research and other Departmental/Institute/Centre activities.  VSF visits are usually for one term.

Visiting Professors

The School may confer the title of Visiting Professor for a defined but renewable period on persons of appropriate distinction whose connections with the School are appropriate to the visiting title. It includes individuals with a non-academic background who may have achieved prominence in public life, or who have attained distinction in their profession. 

LSE100 Fellows: how to apply

For information on how to apply to be an LSE100 Fellow for the 2023/24 academic year, please contact Dr Kate Steward: k.steward@lse.ac.uk. This scheme is only open to teachers on the LSE100 course.

Post-doctoral Opportunities: how to apply

Although we do not award post-doctoral fellowships (other than LSE Fellows), we do regularly support applicants for such awards from other bodies (e.g., the British Academy, ESRC, AHRC).  The competition for such places is fierce, all applications are vetted, and not all will be supported. At the moment we are not able to support awards with an expectation for matching funds, so please do check that.

Applications from post-doctoral candidates wishing to be hosted in the Department are considered by the Department’s Research Committee.  Applicants should first approach a prospective mentor within the Department who will liaise with the Committee and assist with the application process.  

ESRC post-doctoral fellowships

Applicants are encouraged to be in communication with their prospective mentors early, with a deadline of 1pm on Friday February 24, 2023, for the Expression of Interest stage. This does not necessarily amount to departmental ‘approval’, and will be subject to an internal review process as we will only be able to support a maximum of two candidates. 

Any department queries should firstly be addressed to Dr Kate Steward at k.steward@lse.ac.uk but all queries about the Scheme should go to https://info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/phd-academy/esrc-doctoral-training-partnership/postdoctoral-fellowships.

Visiting Doctoral Researchers (PhD): how to apply

Information on how to apply to be a Visiting Doctoral Researcher for the 2023/24 academic year is available here. Please check the information on this page first then contact Kate Steward if you have any questions.