The UK-Ireland Digital Humanities Association is looking to appoint one funded Advocacy & Engagement Fellow for a period of 12 months to assist in the development of its advocacy plan. This year’s theme is Openness and Transparency.

The Advocacy & Engagement Fellow works to develop the Advocacy strand of the Association’s activities, as part of our ongoing aims to ensure that the organisation’s advocacy for Digital Humanities matches the evolving landscape of institutional and policy drivers. Fellows will work closely with the Association’s leadership Collective and support staff at the School of Advanced Study, University of London.

We invite applications from individuals with an interest in Digital Humanities and experience conducting research. We welcome interest from researchers, digital practitioners, technical professionals, and galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM) professionals seeking to establish a greater role in the UK and Ireland’s Digital Humanities community. We also encourage applications from those traditionally underrepresented in Digital Humanities. We will also consider joint applications if 2 people would like to undertake the fellowships together (i.e. a job share). 

Please note, applicants must be resident in Ireland or the UK. 

About

The theme of this year’s fellowship is Openness and Transparency. We would particularly welcome projects interested in exploring advocacy: 

1. To support cross-sector collaboration with non-HEI organisations and communities, or
2. For Digital Humanities at a policy level with funders, national bodies and institutions. 

Potential projects could focus on but are not limited to:

• • Developing best practice guidance, collaborative tools or training to support cross-sector partnerships.
  • Projects to improve research culture, e.g. contextualising the different practices between Ireland and the UK (REF, UKRI, Research Ireland, Impact 2030, etc.)
  • Improving public and open access to digital scholarship across Ireland and the UK, highlighting existing barriers.
  • Developing a value proposition for Digital Humanities for researchers to utilize in policy or funding contexts to demonstrate the significance of their work.

The fellow will be expected to:

• • Undertake research into the Digital Humanities in Ireland and the UK. 
  • Based on the fellow’s experience and interest, this could include: 
    • • Desk research
      • Surveying the DH community
      • Direct engagement with stakeholders through interviews, focus groups or other forms of interaction  
      • A workshop at the Association’s in-person events 
      • Develop a set of value propositions based on the mapping and engagement activities. 
  • Contribute to wider community engagement around advocacy as it relates to transparency and openness.

Shortlisted candidates will be notified the week commencing 31 August 2026 and interviews will take place the week commencing 7 September 2026. We expect the fellowship to begin in early October 2026, with the exact date to be agreed with the fellow.

Key dates

• Application deadline: Monday 17 August at 23.59 (BST). Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.
• Short-listed candidates will be notified the week commencing 31 August 2026. 
• Interviews will take place the week commencing 7 September 2026.
• We expect the fellowship to begin in early October 2026, with the exact date to be agreed with the fellow.

Informal queries regarding the fellowships may be directed to Jenny McHugh at uk-ie.digitalhumanities@sas.ac.uk.

Value & duration

The fellowship will be for 12 months’ duration, commencing in October 2026. We expect the fellow to commit approximately 10 hours a month to fellowship-related activities, with exact details to be agreed upon before the fellowship commences. We want to be flexible with how the fellow arranges their time and so are happy to discuss potential adjustments including a late start date, early completion date, or other changes. If you would like to discuss this before submitting an application, please get in touch at uk-ie.digitalhumanities@sas.ac.uk

The fellow will be remunerated £4,000, paid in three instalments across the year. Payment can be made directly to the fellow or, if the fellow is employed by another organisation, to that organisation to cover a portion of the fellow’s time (i.e. a buyout). 

There will also be £1,000 to support fellowship activities such as travel, catering for events, or other expenses accrued that are in line with the fellowship. There may be additional funds available to attend key DH events, but this is subject to approval by the Association’s Collective.

Outputs

The fellow will produce appropriate outputs and supporting documentation at the end of the stakeholder mapping and engagement activities. This could include a written report, podcasts, videos, or other media forms. Please note all outcomes need to be shared openly with the DH community.

All projects must include a proposed implementation plan. We also encourage the fellow to contribute a session to an in-person event, such as the forthcoming regional meetings.

How to apply

To apply, you will need to submit 

• A completed application form (incl. contact details for a reference);
• A CV outlining your relevant experience (max. 2 pages long); 
• A proposal (1000 words max) outlining your interest in the fellowship, the research area you will focus on and intended outputs. You should also demonstrate your ability to pursue the work outlined;
• An implementation plan outlining how you will achieve your aims within the 12-month period (500 words max). If you wish to, you can add a Gantt chart to supplement your plan, but this is not a requirement.
• A letter of support, if applicable (see below); 
• An equality and diversity form (optional). Please attach this as a separate PDF. 

All application materials should be submitted as a PDF to uk-ie.digitalhumanities@sas.ac.uk. 

If you are currently enrolled as a student or employed by an organisation, you will also need to submit a letter of support from your manager or academic supervisor. This letter should recognise that a portion of your time, estimated at approximately 10 hours per month, will be dedicated to this work for the duration of the fellowship. 

If submitting a joint application, applicants should submit a single application form and statement of interest outlining how they intend to work together on the project. They should submit individual CVs, letters of support (if applicable), and equality and diversity forms (optional). 

Further information

Please download the full call for more information about the selection criteria, financial arrangements and facilities available to you as a fellow.