Visiting Scholars Programme

Durham Law School welcomes applications to its Visiting Scholars Programme. The School is widely-acknowledged to be one of the leading Law Schools in the UK and is a recognised centre of international excellence in legal scholarship and research. It has particular research strengths in the following areas: human rights; commercial law; criminal law and justice; European Union law; gender and legal theory; medical law and bioethics as supported by the numerous research centres and groups.

Visiting Scholars will be based at Durham for a period from a week to a year. We give preference to applications for visits of up to three months, though we will consider applications for longer stays in order to allow Scholars to engage in research with academics working in related fields. Scholars are expected to pursue a specific research project while within the School and both to deliver and participate in research seminars. Shared office space, a computer terminal and access to our library facilities may be available depending on resource constraints.

During teaching periods, Scholars may if they wish, and where appropriate, attend courses taught within the School.  It may in addition be possible to arrange for Scholars to contribute to the teaching of specified modules.

The School does not provide financial support for travel, accommodation or subsistence. Scholars are responsible for ensuring that they have the correct travel documentation, including visas.

Admissions Criteria

Because of the large number of applications we receive each year, Durham Law School is unable to accommodate all those who express interest in visiting for research purposes. In selecting applicants for Visiting Scholar status, the School Research Committee considers the nature of the applicant's proposal (including the anticipated research output(s)), the expected duration of their research, prior academic experience and the contribution that the visit will make to the research environment of the Law School. Applicants are also expected to be affiliated with an university, research institute or governmental programme in their home country.

Applications are considered on a rolling basis. Every attempt will be made to provide a decision within six to eight weeks of submission of the application. We strongly recommend you apply well in advance of your proposed visit dates.

Please see our Policy and Procedure (link on the left) pages for detailed guidelines on how to apply.