Develop leadership skills and drive social change: the Cumberland Lodge Fellowship is a unique opportunity for doctoral students and early career professionals.
What is the Cumberland Lodge Fellowship?
Cumberland Lodge has re-launched its two-year fellowship scheme in 2025, offering 10 places each year for emerging leaders. Whether you’re a PhD candidate or an early career professional, this programme will enhance your skills in public engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, leadership, and policy dialogue – building your networks and helping you become a changemaker in your field.
Why apply for the Cumberland Lodge Fellowship?
This UK leadership fellowship is designed to fit around your research or career while providing:
- networking opportunities with policymakers, academic experts, and industry leaders;
- increased understanding of key societal and political issues facing the world today, particularly the causes and impacts of social division and conflict;
- capacity-building workshops to enhance public engagement and social impact;
- mentorship from senior figures via our partnership with Windsor Leadership;
- a £300 personal development grant to fund projects promoting social cohesion.
Ideal for:
- doctoral students seeking leadership skills beyond academia
- early career professionals, particularly those in tech, AI, finance, charities, or creative industries, looking to drive social change.
About Cumberland Lodge: developing future leaders
Founded in 1947 as an educational charity in the aftermath of the Second World War, Cumberland Lodge is developing the next generation of leaders to:
- drive meaningful change towards more just and inclusive communities
- understand the root causes of social division and conflict
- develop practical skills to advocate for peaceful solutions.
Our unique approach combines:
Transformative dialogue
- residential workshops and conferences at our historic Lodge in Windsor Great Park
- intergenerational conversations tackling pressing societal challenges
- safe spaces for debate across political and cultural divides.
Leadership development
- skills training in public engagement and leadership
- opportunities to facilitate discussions and shape policy dialogues
- mentoring from senior figures across sectors.
Network building
- connecting doctoral researchers with industry professionals
- fostering long-term collaborations through our alumni community
- cross-sector partnerships with organisations like St George’s House.
Our current Programme themes
Fellows join a global network of alumni working for fairer, more inclusive societies. We focus on five key areas addressing contemporary challenges:
- Youth & Democracy
- The Rule of Law
- Freedom of Religion and Belief
- Intergenerational Dialogue – our Gen Z and the City partnership with St Paul’s Cathedral
- Exploring Ethics
Who can apply for the Cumberland Lodge Fellowship?
Doctoral Fellows:
- Currently enrolled in a PhD programme at a London university, and
- passionate about bridging research and real-world impact.
Industry Fellows:
- Early career professionals (within five years of graduation). We are open to all fields but would encourage applications from tech and AI, finance, charity sector, and/or the creative industries.
- Must be London-based to participate in events.
Selection criteria: Leadership potential, alignment with our themes, and commitment to social cohesion.
We want to encourage as much contact with the Cumberland Lodge programme as possible during the two-year Fellowship, and for this reason we ask that applicants be resident in the Greater London region.
Fellowship structure and benefits
First year:
- Fellows’ Retreat (September)
- Workshops/conferences at Cumberland Lodge or St George’s House
- Blogging/writing for our newsletter/community engagement via our platform, Circle
Second year:
- Create a webinar/podcast (Dialogue & Debate series)
- Life Beyond the PhD conference (mandatory for doctoral fellows)
- Mentorship and networking with senior leaders
Additional perks:
- Free access to our events (e.g. Cumberland Conversations, London Dialogue)
- Travel expenses covered for London-based activities
- Discounted use of Cumberland Lodge facilities
Fellowship alumni and ambassadorial role
By becoming a Cumberland Lodge Fellow, you’ll join our growing international network of leaders working across academia, industry, and civil society. This intergenerational community is united by a shared commitment to:
- strengthening social cohesion through dialogue;
- addressing causes of social division; and
- building sustainable partnerships for positive change.
As part of your Fellowship, we ask you to represent Cumberland Lodge in your professional networks; share insights from our programmes with your communities; and identify partnership opportunities that align with our mission
This role is supported through our annual Fellows’ Retreat (September) – a chance to reconnect with peers and meet new Fellows.
Our partners in leadership development
We work with leading organisations to enhance your Fellowship experience:
Council for at-risk academics (Cara)
- Special nomination for one fellow annually
- Supports academics facing persecution worldwide
St George’s House
- Opportunities to participate in policy dialogues
- Develop leadership skills in practice
Windsor Leadership Trust
- Access to senior leadership mentoring
- Cross-sector professional development
How to apply for the Cumberland Lodge Fellowship
Download the full information pack:
Submit your CV and a completed application form:
Email to:
programmeteam@cumberlandlodge.ac.uk
Deadline: Friday 30 May 2025
Shortlist notification: Friday 13 June 2025
Interviews: Wednesday 25/Thursday 26 June 2025 (online via Teams)