Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity 2027–28: Fully Funded Fellowship at LSE for Social-Change Leaders

Applications are now open for the 2027–28 Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity (AFSEE) Fellowship, an innovative, fully funded fellowship programme for experienced social-change leaders working to challenge and address social and economic inequalities.

Based at the International Inequalities Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the AFSEE programme brings together policymakers, researchers, activists, practitioners, artists and movement-builders from around the world. The fellowship is designed for people who are already engaged in efforts to tackle inequality and who want to strengthen their knowledge, skills, networks and capacity to create meaningful social change.

For the 2027–28 cohort, AFSEE is particularly seeking mid-career social-change leaders with at least seven years of experience challenging inequalities. The programme accepts applicants working across a wide range of fields connected to social and economic equity.

The application deadline is 5:00 PM GMT on 11 January 2027. Late applications will not be accepted.

What Is the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity Fellowship?

The Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity (AFSEE) is a fellowship programme based at the International Inequalities Institute at LSE. It is focused specifically on people working to understand, challenge and transform social and economic inequalities.

Rather than being designed primarily as an academic scholarship, AFSEE brings together academic learning, practical experience, leadership development, reflection, community-building and social-change work.

The programme provides Fellows with time and space to step back from their day-to-day work, examine the inequalities they are confronting, develop new perspectives and strategies, strengthen their skills, and build relationships with other people working toward social and economic justice.

AFSEE is currently recruiting its eleventh cohort. The programme was launched in 2016 and will celebrate its tenth anniversary during the 2026–27 period. Its long-term ambition is to build a community of approximately 400 Fellows over two decades. During its first ten cohorts, the programme brought together more than 160 social-change leaders from 60 countries.

The fellowship therefore provides not only an active fellowship year but also an opportunity to become part of a growing international community of people working on inequality and social justice.

Who Is the AFSEE Fellowship Designed For?

The 2027–28 AFSEE Fellowship is aimed at mid-career social-change leaders with at least seven years of experience challenging inequalities.

The programme is intentionally interdisciplinary. Applicants do not have to come from one particular academic discipline or professional sector. Instead, the key focus is the applicant’s demonstrated engagement with social and economic inequality and their commitment to creating change.

Potential applicants may include:

• Policymakers
• Researchers
• Activists
• Social-change practitioners
• Community organisers
• Artists
• Movement-builders
• Civil society professionals
• Advocates
• Leaders working on social and economic justice

The programme recognizes that inequality can be addressed through many different forms of work and therefore welcomes applicants whose approaches extend beyond traditional academic or policy settings.

Areas of Work Covered by the Fellowship

AFSEE accepts applications from individuals working across a broad range of social and economic equity issues.

These include, but are not limited to:

1. Economic and social rights
2. Sustainability and environmental justice
3. Tax justice and alternative economic models
4. Women’s rights
5. Minority rights
6. Disability rights
7. Education rights
8. Public policy
9. Housing and urban inequalities
10. Labour rights
11. Community organising
12. Arts and culture
13. Peacebuilding
14. Transitional justice

This broad scope makes AFSEE relevant to professionals and change-makers approaching inequality from different perspectives.

For example, someone working on environmental justice may approach inequality through the unequal distribution of environmental harms, while someone working in education may focus on unequal access to educational opportunities. Similarly, a community organiser may work directly with marginalized communities, while a policymaker may seek to influence institutions and public policy.

The common thread is a commitment to addressing social and/or economic inequalities.

A Fully Funded Fellowship Focused on Social Change

One of the major features of AFSEE is that it is described by the programme as a fully funded fellowship.

The programme is structured to give Fellows an intensive period of learning, reflection and skills development while connecting them with an international community of people working on inequality.

The fellowship takes place within the research-rich environment of the London School of Economics and Political Science and is informed by dialogic pedagogy and co-creation.

This means that learning is not simply presented as a one-way transfer of information. The programme creates space for Fellows to engage with one another, academics, practitioners, campaigners and civil society professionals and to bring their own experiences into discussions about inequality.

Two Fellowship Tracks: Residential and Non-Residential

A distinctive feature of AFSEE is that applicants can participate through either a Residential or Non-Residential track.

The two tracks provide different ways of participating in the active fellowship year.

Residential Track

Fellows on the Residential track spend one year in London.

During this period, they undertake the MSc in Inequalities and Social Science at LSE while also participating in four bespoke AFSEE fellowship modules.

This track provides Fellows with an opportunity to combine formal postgraduate study with fellowship-specific learning, professional development and engagement with other social-change leaders.

The four bespoke fellowship modules focus on:

• Foundations of social and economic inequalities
• Policy for equity
• Challenging and transforming inequality
• Debates around inequality

The modules draw on contributions from a diverse range of people, including:

• Academics
• Practitioners
• Campaigners
• Civil society professionals

This approach allows Fellows to examine inequality through both theoretical and practical perspectives.

Non-Residential Track

The Non-Residential track provides an alternative for Fellows who remain in their home countries and existing work contexts during the active fellowship year.

Rather than relocating to London for the year, Non-Residential Fellows develop a practice-based project connected to their work and participate in the fellowship modules alongside Residential Fellows through online and in-person engagement.

Successful Non-Residential Fellows receive a Postgraduate Certificate in Social and Economic Equity upon completion of the active fellowship year.

This track can therefore provide an opportunity for experienced change-makers to continue working within their existing communities and professional environments while participating in AFSEE’s learning and fellowship community.

What Happens During the Active Fellowship Year?

The active fellowship year is intended to be an intensive period of learning, reflection and skills-building.

Fellows are given the opportunity to step away, at least in part, from their normal routines and critically examine their existing work and approaches to inequality.

The programme can help Fellows:

• Reflect on their existing social-change work.
• Develop new knowledge and perspectives.
• Strengthen professional and leadership skills.
• Explore different approaches to addressing inequality.
• Develop relationships with people working on similar issues.
• Connect local experiences to broader global structures.
• Develop or strengthen practice-based initiatives.
• Exchange knowledge with academics, campaigners, practitioners and civil society professionals.
• Build an international network of people working toward greater social and economic equity.

The programme is therefore designed not only to provide formal learning but also to create the conditions for Fellows to rethink, strengthen and potentially expand their approaches to social change.

Learning at the London School of Economics

For Residential Fellows, the programme provides access to an intensive academic environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The MSc in Inequalities and Social Science provides the formal academic component of the Residential track, while the bespoke AFSEE modules complement that academic experience by bringing together different perspectives on inequality.

The combination is particularly relevant for social-change leaders who want to connect academic thinking with practical approaches to social and economic justice.

Rather than treating inequality as an issue that can be understood from only one discipline, the programme encourages engagement with the complexities and different dimensions of inequality.

A Fellowship Built Around Reflection and Strategy

A major value of the AFSEE model is the opportunity for Fellows to have dedicated time to reflect on their work.

Social-change leaders often operate in demanding environments where there is little opportunity to step back and examine broader questions about strategy, impact and long-term direction.

AFSEE is designed to provide that space.

The programme gives Fellows an opportunity to consider questions such as:

• What forms of inequality is my work trying to address?
• What structures contribute to the inequality I am confronting?
• What approaches have been successful?
• Where have existing approaches been insufficient?
• How can evidence, policy, community action and advocacy work together?
• How can local experiences inform broader conversations about inequality?
• What new strategies could strengthen my future impact?
• How can collaboration with other change-makers increase the effectiveness of my work?

This reflective dimension is particularly relevant to mid-career professionals who have already developed substantial experience but are looking for new perspectives and approaches.

Becoming Part of a Global Community

The AFSEE experience extends beyond the active fellowship year.

The programme is structured as a lifelong fellowship. After completing the active fellowship year, participants begin their journey as Senior Fellows.

As Senior Fellows, members can access a range of opportunities designed to support continued professional development, learning and collaboration.

These may include:

• Funding opportunities
• Initiatives
• Collaborative projects
• Professional development
• Learning and knowledge exchange
• Networking opportunities
• Engagement with other Atlantic Fellows

Senior Fellows also become part of the wider Atlantic Fellows community, which brings together members from seven Atlantic Fellows programmes around the world.

The wider community provides an additional platform for Fellows to connect with people working on social change in different contexts and across different thematic areas.

Senior Fellows are also supported by the Atlantic Institute, based at the Rhodes Trust in Oxford.

Why the AFSEE Network Matters

One of the strongest aspects of the fellowship is the opportunity to develop relationships beyond one’s immediate professional environment.

Inequality is rarely produced or sustained by one institution, one policy or one community alone. It is often connected to broader political, economic, social and institutional structures.

A global network of change-makers can therefore provide opportunities to:

• Exchange experiences across countries.
• Compare approaches to similar challenges.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration.
• Learn from different social movements.
• Build cross-border partnerships.
• Share knowledge and practical strategies.
• Develop new ideas for addressing inequality.

The history of the programme demonstrates the international nature of this network. During its first ten cohorts, AFSEE brought together more than 160 change-makers from 60 countries.

What Makes AFSEE Different?

AFSEE combines several dimensions that are often separated in traditional educational or professional programmes.

First, it is focused specifically on social and economic inequality.

Second, it is designed for people who already have substantial experience working toward social change.

Third, it combines academic learning with practical experience.

Fourth, it provides both Residential and Non-Residential participation options.

Finally, it continues beyond the active fellowship year through its Senior Fellowship model and connection to the wider Atlantic Fellows community.

This combination makes the programme particularly relevant to experienced practitioners who want to deepen both their intellectual understanding and practical capacity to address inequality.

International and Interdisciplinary Opportunity

The AFSEE Fellowship is international in scope. The programme welcomes social-change leaders from around the world and has previously brought together Fellows from 60 countries.

It is also interdisciplinary.

An applicant does not need to work exclusively in what might traditionally be called “human rights” or “development.” The programme explicitly encompasses areas such as environmental justice, taxation, disability rights, public policy, housing, labour, education, community organising, arts and culture, peacebuilding and transitional justice.

This means that inequality can be approached through different professional and intellectual pathways.

Application Deadline for the 2027–28 Cohort

Applications for the 2027–28 Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity cohort close at:

5:00 PM GMT on 11 January 2027

The programme explicitly states that late applications will not be accepted.

Applicants should therefore avoid waiting until the final day to prepare and submit their applications.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should review the full AFSEE application requirements and submit their application through the official programme application page.

Official application page:
https://afsee.atlanticfellows.lse.ac.uk/en-gb/apply

Applicants should carefully review the programme information before beginning their application and ensure that their professional experience, social-change work and commitment to addressing inequality are clearly demonstrated.

Important Points for Prospective Applicants

Before applying, prospective Fellows should consider the following:

• Do you have at least seven years of experience challenging inequalities?
• Can you clearly demonstrate your contribution to social change?
• Is your work connected to social and/or economic equity?
• Can you explain the inequalities your work seeks to address?
• Can you demonstrate meaningful professional or community impact?
• Would a period of intensive learning and reflection strengthen your future work?
• Would you benefit from an international network of social-change leaders?
• Which track is more appropriate for your circumstances: Residential or Non-Residential?
• If considering the Residential track, are you prepared for a year based in London?
• If considering the Non-Residential track, can you develop a meaningful practice-based project while remaining in your home country and work context?

Thinking carefully about these questions can help applicants determine whether AFSEE aligns with their professional trajectory and long-term goals.

Visit HERE to learn more about the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity 2027–28.

Conclusion

The Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity 2027–28 Fellowship offers an opportunity for experienced social-change leaders to deepen their knowledge, strengthen their skills, develop new strategies and become part of an international community working to challenge social and economic inequality.

With a focus on mid-career leaders who have at least seven years of experience tackling inequalities, the programme brings together people from diverse professional and geographical backgrounds, including policymakers, researchers, activists, practitioners, artists and movement-builders.

The two-track structure provides flexibility: Residential Fellows spend a year in London undertaking the MSc in Inequalities and Social Science at LSE alongside bespoke fellowship learning, while Non-Residential Fellows remain in their home countries and work contexts while developing a practice-based project and participating in the fellowship community.

Importantly, the relationship with AFSEE does not end when the active fellowship year concludes. Fellows become part of a lifelong Senior Fellowship and gain access to continuing opportunities for funding, collaboration, professional development, learning and knowledge exchange through the wider Atlantic Fellows community.

For social-change leaders committed to addressing inequality and looking for the time, knowledge, networks and support to strengthen their future impact, AFSEE represents a significant international fellowship opportunity.

Applications for the 2027–28 cohort close at 5:00 PM GMT on 11 January 2027, and late applications will not be accepted.

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