The LEGO Foundation invites applications for the LEGO Foundation Fellowship, a global research fellowship for early- and mid-career researchers whose work can strengthen understanding of how children thrive across diverse contexts.

The fellowship provides flexible support over a three-year period for researchers pursuing ambitious, rigorous, and practically relevant work. We are looking for fellows with strong research potential, clear ideas for the next phase of their work, and a commitment to building evidence that can inform action for children.

We welcome applications from researchers across disciplines, methods, and geographies. Relevant fields may include, but are not limited to, education, psychology, child development, public health, economics, sociology, neuroscience, data science, humanitarian studies, disability studies, human-computer interaction, and implementation science.

About the fellowship

The LEGO Foundation Fellowship supports researchers with a clear line of inquiry related to children’s thriving. Applicants should describe the work they are ready to advance during the fellowship period, how it builds on their existing research, and why this is the right moment for fellowship support.

The fellowship provides flexible support over three years. Funds are awarded to and administered by the fellow’s institution and may be used, consistent with program guidelines, to support the fellow’s effort and the broader costs of carrying out the research. Allowable costs include research personnel, professional travel, and equipment.

Fellows will also join a cohort of researchers working across the fellowship themes. The program will create opportunities for exchange, feedback, and sharing evidence with relevant research, policy, and practice audiences.

Research themes

The LEGO Foundation Fellowship welcomes research proposals that advance understanding of children’s thriving through one of the following three themes: the youngest children in crisis and conflict settings; inclusion and wellbeing of neurodivergent children; and children’s learning and development in an AI-enabled world. Applicants may explore the role of play where it is relevant to the research question. The consideration of play is optional and not a condition of eligibility.

Who can apply

The fellowship is open to early- and mid-career researchers from around the world who are employed by a university or research institute and have received their PhD or equivalent research doctorate within the past 10 years.

Applicants should demonstrate:

• A strong record of research accomplishment relative to career stage.
• A clear and original research agenda related to one or more fellowship themes.
• Strong methodological grounding and a feasible plan for the fellowship period.
• Potential to contribute to evidence that can inform action for children.
• Interest in engaging with an interdisciplinary fellowship cohort.

Applicants must:

• Hold a PhD or equivalent research doctorate by July 31, 2026.
• Have received their PhD no earlier than January 1, 2016, subject to any approved career-break policy.
• Be employed by a university or research institute at the start of the fellowship.
• Be able to have fellowship funds administered by their host institution.
• Submit an individual application.
• Propose work that aligns with one or more fellowship themes.

Applicants from any country are welcome to apply, with the exception of countries subject to EU or US sanctions. If your country is not on either sanctions list, you are eligible to apply regardless of your location.

Selection criteria

Applications will be reviewed against the following criteria:

• Alignment with the fellowship themes: The proposed work clearly aligns with one of the three fellowship themes and shows how it would advance understanding of children’s thriving.
   
• Clarity and strength of the proposed work: The application presents a clear question, problem, or area of inquiry. It explains why the work matters, what gap it addresses, and what can be meaningfully advanced during the fellowship period.
   
• Applicant readiness: The applicant demonstrates the experience, judgment, and capacity to carry the work forward. Reviewers will consider the applicant’s achievements and potential relative to career stage, context, and opportunity.
• Approach and feasibility: The proposed approach is appropriate to the question, context, and population. The application shows a realistic understanding of the work involved, including anticipated challenges and how they may be addressed.
• Research quality: The proposed work is rigorous, methodologically sound, and can be meaningfully advanced during the fellowship period. The applicant presents a realistic plan for the fellowship period, including methods, partnerships, timeline, ethics, and risks.
• Field context and contribution: The application situates the proposed work in relation to relevant research, debates, communities, or areas of practice. It explains what the work could contribute to others working on related questions.
• Fellowship fit and cohort contribution: The applicant explains why this fellowship is timely for their work, how participation could strengthen the proposed research, and how they would contribute to exchange with other fellows.