The LEGO Foundation Fellowship 2027 offers a significant opportunity for researchers focused on children’s well-being. This fellowship provides substantial funding and a supportive community for early- and mid-career scholars. It aims to advance the understanding of how children thrive in various global contexts.
About the LEGO Foundation Fellowship
The LEGO Foundation Fellowship is a global initiative designed to support researchers. Its goal is to deepen the understanding of how children learn, grow, and thrive in complex and changing environments. This program aligns with the LEGO Foundation’s ongoing commitment to improving children’s lives through education, creativity, play-based learning, well-being, and inclusive development. The fellowship is being launched during the LEGO Foundation’s 40th anniversary and addresses pressing global issues affecting children. These include humanitarian crises, displacement, mental health challenges, educational inequalities, neurodivergence, the rise of artificial intelligence, and social disconnection. The fellowship aims to empower researchers to produce evidence that can influence policy, practice, and systems to better support children worldwide.
Fellowship Funding and Benefits
Selected fellows will receive comprehensive support over a three-year period. This support includes USD 300,000 in flexible research funding, which covers indirect costs. The funding can be used for various research-related expenses, such as personnel, travel, equipment, data collection, dissemination, and trainee support. Beyond financial aid, fellows become part of a global, interdisciplinary network of researchers dedicated to children’s thriving. This community offers opportunities for collaboration, research exchange, peer learning, and dialogue across disciplines. The fellowship also includes annual meetings and virtual cohort sessions for research sharing and engagement with practitioners and policymakers. Fellows gain international visibility through the LEGO Foundation network and media opportunities, along with support for disseminating their research outputs. The program is also designed to foster long-term career advancement by strengthening leadership capacity and building interdisciplinary partnerships.
Research Themes for the Fellowship
Applicants must align their proposed research with one of the fellowship’s three core themes.
Theme 1: The Youngest Children in Crisis and Conflict Settings
This theme focuses on children from birth to age eight who are living in crisis, displacement, or humanitarian settings. Research areas include exploring the mechanisms of resilience and pathways to thriving for these children. It also covers strengthening caregiving and family environments, and research on scaling and sustaining effective interventions for child development and mental health. Additionally, the theme encourages studies on translating evidence into practice within humanitarian settings. The program welcomes research involving refugee children, internally displaced children, children in humanitarian emergencies, and vulnerable host community children.
Theme 2: Inclusion and Wellbeing of Neurodivergent Children
This theme specifically addresses neurodivergent children, with a focus on autism and ADHD. Research may explore support for these children before diagnosis, strengthening family environments through home routines and caregiving, and creating inclusive learning environments in education systems. It also covers research on transitions and the continuity of support during developmental changes, as well as the role of enabling tools, such as digital technologies, in reducing barriers to communication and learning.
Theme 3: Children’s Learning and Development in an AI-Enabled World
This theme examines how artificial intelligence is changing children’s experiences and development. Research topics include understanding how AI influences adult-child connections, its impact on social-emotional development and help-seeking behaviors, and its effect on persistence and engagement in learning. The theme also investigates whether AI reduces or deepens educational inequalities. While play can be included if relevant to the research proposal, it is not a mandatory component for eligibility.
Who Can Apply?
The fellowship is open to early- and mid-career researchers globally. Applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent research doctorate by July 31, 2026, and have received it no earlier than January 1, 2016. They must be employed by a university or research institute and submit an individual application. The proposed research must align with at least one fellowship theme, and the applicant’s institution must have the capacity to administer the grant. The program acknowledges documented career breaks, such as parental leave, caregiving responsibilities, illness, displacement, or other research interruptions. Eligible disciplines are broad, including education, psychology, public health, sociology, neuroscience, economics, data science, disability studies, humanitarian studies, child development, human-computer interaction, and implementation science. Applicants from all countries are welcome, except those subject to EU or US sanctions. Up to 10 fellowships will be awarded for a duration of three years, from February 1, 2027, to December 31, 2029.
Application Process and Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on several key criteria. These include the alignment of the research with the fellowship themes, the clarity and strength of the proposed work, and the applicant’s readiness, demonstrated through research accomplishments and leadership potential. The feasibility and quality of the research, including methodology and ethical considerations, are also important. The proposed work’s contribution to the field and its fit with the fellowship program are also assessed. The application process involves a two-stage evaluation. The first stage involves review by international childhood development specialists and multidisciplinary reviewers. The second stage consists of final selections made by a LEGO Foundation review committee. Applicants will be notified of the results in November 2026.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the LEGO Foundation Fellowship 2027?
It’s a global program offering funding and community support for early- and mid-career researchers studying children’s well-being and development.
How much funding does the fellowship provide?
Selected fellows receive USD 300,000 in flexible research funding over a three-year period.
What are the main research themes for the fellowship?
The themes are: children in crisis and conflict settings, inclusion and well-being of neurodivergent children, and children’s learning and development in an AI-enabled world.
Who is eligible to apply for the fellowship?
Early- and mid-career researchers with a PhD (obtained between Jan 1, 2016, and July 31, 2026) employed by a university or research institute are eligible.
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