The IHR invites applications for a 12-month Applied History & Policy Fellowship in memory of Dr. Robert Mcintosh.
Born in Glasgow in 1951 to working-class parents, Robert Mcintosh understood the power of education to transform lives. He was a historian by training with a degree in Modern History, Economic History and Politics from Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, an MA in South African studies from SOAS, and a PhD on ‘State policies in rural South Africa c.1948 to c.1960' (SOAS, 1999). He became a member of the IHR in 1994.
Dr Mcintosh dedicated his career to making a difference first through adult education and secondly through local politics. He did outreach work in the London Borough of Newham in the 1990s and worked at the Mary Ward (adult education) Centre, London, where he taught ESL, and specialised in teaching students with special educational needs. This commitment to education was also his motivation for embarking on a political career and he became a passionate campaigner and advocate for his community. Having settled near Brighton and Hove, Dr Mcintosh was elected Councillor in the by-election for Rottingdean Coastal Ward in 2022. Sadly, Dr Mcintosh passed away the following year. He is remembered by all who knew him as a generous individual who worked tirelessly for the causes he believed in.
The Applied History & Policy Fellowship reflects Dr Mcintosh’s commitment to education as a social good. It will support an early career researcher to develop their impact and engagement profile; to make history matter within public and policy contexts. It will be housed within History & Policy, which is based at the IHR, and the Fellow will be supported to develop policy-focused skills and outputs related to their PhD research. H&P will also help the Fellow to establish networks and collaborations for their future career-development.
H&P is a national network of 500+ academic historians and an independent forum for the expression of historical perspectives on today’s policy issues. It publishes high-quality historical research freely accessible online and creates opportunities for historians, policy makers and journalists to connect and learn from each other. Its fundamental purpose is to promote better public policy through a greater understanding of history. H&P has advocated for the value of applied history throughout its twenty three year existence.
The Mcintosh Fellowship will enable the successful applicant to develop a programme of activities exploring various ways in which the insights and skills gained over the course of their doctorial research might be of benefit to policy-makers at national, regional or local-government level, or to organisations seeking to shape policy. Policy-engagement activities as part of the programme might include publications, podcasts and online and in-person seminars and workshops. Towards the end of the fellowship, the successful candidate will be invited to write-up their findings as a 4000-word H&P policy-engagement case study. There will be an opportunity to submit a proposal to the H&P/University of London Press short monographs series for a more detailed piece of work based on the case study. Approximately two-thirds of the Fellowship will be focused on policy-engagement work allied to the Fellow’s own research interests and publication plans. The remaining third will be spent gaining wider skills and training in applied history by assisting with H&P’s broader range of activities.
The Mcintosh Fellowship is part of the IHRs new suite of Applied History Fellowships that provide financial and practical support for historians wishing to develop the wider impact and application of their academic work. This initiative responds to three pressing challenges: a) the need to build sustainable bridges across different parts of the history community b) the deeply challenging academic job market c) the need to advocate for the utility of history beyond the HE sector. Applied History Fellowships are intended to expand the range of futures open to early career historians and to enhance the applied skills of those who do pursue a university career.
The Robert Mcintosh Applied History & Policy Fellowship is available to historians who have:
• expertise in the British and Irish History of the Modern World (post 1500)
• submitted, or will have submitted, their PhD to a UK University between 31st January 2025 and 31st January 2026.
• a right to work that extends for the duration of the fellowship.
• not previously held another IHR Fellowship.
The Fellowship offers a bursary of £24,000. All additional agreed costs such as travel which are incurred as part of the placement will be covered by the IHR. The Fellowship will be held between April 2026 and March 2027.
Applicants will be asked for a 400-word statement explaining their motivation for wishing to work with History & Policy, and an additional 800-word outline of their proposed programme of activities, identifying potential beneficiaries in the policy-making community.
The closing date is 31st January 2026.
IHR Robert Mcintosh Applied History & Policy Fellowship
The IHR invites applications for a 12-month Applied History & Policy Fellowship in memory of Dr. Robert Mcintosh.
Born in Glasgow in 1951 to working-class parents, Robert Mcintosh understood the power of education to transform lives. He was a historian by training with a degree in Modern History, Economic History and Politics from Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, an MA in South African studies from SOAS, and a PhD on ‘State policies in rural South Africa c.1948 to c.1960' (SOAS, 1999). He became a member of the IHR in 1994.
Dr Mcintosh dedicated his career to making a difference first through adult education and secondly through local politics. He did outreach work in the London Borough of Newham in the 1990s and worked at the Mary Ward (adult education) Centre, London, where he taught ESL, and specialised in teaching students with special educational needs. This commitment to education was also his motivation for embarking on a political career and he became a passionate campaigner and advocate for his community. Having settled near Brighton and Hove, Dr Mcintosh was elected Councillor in the by-election for Rottingdean Coastal Ward in 2022. Sadly, Dr Mcintosh passed away the following year. He is remembered by all who knew him as a generous individual who worked tirelessly for the causes he believed in.
The Applied History & Policy Fellowship reflects Dr Mcintosh’s commitment to education as a social good. It will support an early career researcher to develop their impact and engagement profile; to make history matter within public and policy contexts. It will be housed within History & Policy, which is based at the IHR, and the Fellow will be supported to develop policy-focused skills and outputs related to their PhD research. H&P will also help the Fellow to establish networks and collaborations for their future career-development.
H&P is a national network of 500+ academic historians and an independent forum for the expression of historical perspectives on today’s policy issues. It publishes high-quality historical research freely accessible online and creates opportunities for historians, policy makers and journalists to connect and learn from each other. Its fundamental purpose is to promote better public policy through a greater understanding of history. H&P has advocated for the value of applied history throughout its twenty three year existence.
The Mcintosh Fellowship will enable the successful applicant to develop a programme of activities exploring various ways in which the insights and skills gained over the course of their doctorial research might be of benefit to policy-makers at national, regional or local-government level, or to organisations seeking to shape policy. Policy-engagement activities as part of the programme might include publications, podcasts and online and in-person seminars and workshops. Towards the end of the fellowship, the successful candidate will be invited to write-up their findings as a 4000-word H&P policy-engagement case study. There will be an opportunity to submit a proposal to the H&P/University of London Press short monographs series for a more detailed piece of work based on the case study. Approximately two-thirds of the Fellowship will be focused on policy-engagement work allied to the Fellow’s own research interests and publication plans. The remaining third will be spent gaining wider skills and training in applied history by assisting with H&P’s broader range of activities.
The Mcintosh Fellowship is part of the IHRs new suite of Applied History Fellowships that provide financial and practical support for historians wishing to develop the wider impact and application of their academic work. This initiative responds to three pressing challenges: a) the need to build sustainable bridges across different parts of the history community b) the deeply challenging academic job market c) the need to advocate for the utility of history beyond the HE sector. Applied History Fellowships are intended to expand the range of futures open to early career historians and to enhance the applied skills of those who do pursue a university career.
The Robert Mcintosh Applied History & Policy Fellowship is available to historians who have:
• expertise in the British and Irish History of the Modern World (post 1500)
• submitted, or will have submitted, their PhD to a UK University between 31st January 2025 and 31st January 2026.
• a right to work that extends for the duration of the fellowship.
• not previously held another IHR Fellowship.
The Fellowship offers a bursary of £24,000. All additional agreed costs such as travel which are incurred as part of the placement will be covered by the IHR. The Fellowship will be held between April 2026 and March 2027.
Applicants will be asked for a 400-word statement explaining their motivation for wishing to work with History & Policy, and an additional 800-word outline of their proposed programme of activities, identifying potential beneficiaries in the policy-making community.
The closing date is 31st January 2026.