Appointment of academic visitors

The Department of Government welcomes academic visitors, including qualified academics or practitioners whose interests intersect with the Department’s research interests.

Academic visitors to the Department fall under three main categories:

• Visiting Fellow: post-doctoral/early career researchers or academics at Assistant Professor level or equivalent.
• Visiting Senior Fellow: academics at Associate Professor level, or non-academic professions of equivalent standing.
• Visiting Professor: Full Professors, or non-academics who have achieved prominence in public life, or who have attained distinction in their profession.

Academic applicants should have a completed PhD by the start date of their fellowship.

Doctoral candidates interested in visiting the Department before completing their PhD are normally expected to apply for the status of Visiting Research Student in Government through LSE's Application System (application code M1EG).

Visiting appointments are typically offered for a period of up to three years. In exceptional cases, such as multi-year postdoctoral fellowships funded by research agencies and foundations, a longer period may be agreed.

Benefits of affiliation

Visitors can attend department research seminars and events, as well as meet with staff within the Department and elsewhere at LSE. Visitors can also attend many other seminars and events that are held across the School.

Nearly all research seminars and events take place during the three LSE academic terms, and applicants are urged to take the term dates into account when indicating the preferred start and end date of their visit.

Visitors are provided with an LSE IT account and email address, as well as access to the LSE Library. The Department offers open-plan hot-desking space for visitors to use if required.

Visitors are able to use their visitor title, eg LSE Visiting Fellow, when referring to their LSE affiliation. The “Visiting” status must be made explicit in all circumstances.

Visiting appointments are unpaid and non-contractual. We are not able to provide financial support for visitors (including for travel or accommodation), nor are we able to assist with travel administration such as visa support or sourcing travel/accommodation.

Expectation of visitors

Visitors are expected to play an active part in the research and intellectual life of the Department. This could include (but is not limited to): participating in our research cluster seminars; giving a public lecture; contributing a written piece for our website/blog; or meeting PhD and MSc students to discuss their thesis or dissertation projects.

All visitors must be sponsored by a member of Faculty, who is responsible for integrating them into the life of the Department.

More information is also available on the Academic Visitors application form.

How to request appointment

Secure an academic sponsor from our faculty (please note only assistant professors, associate professors or professors can sponsor academic visitors)

Complete sections 1 - 2E of the application form and email it to your academic sponsor with a copy of your CV (in English). Your academic sponsor should then complete section 2F of the form and send the application form and your CV to gov.research@lse.ac.uk by the following deadlines of each year:

No visit can commence before the official notification is issued.