Chevening Europe Defence and Security Fellowship 2027: Eligibility, Benefits & How to Apply

Chevening

Fellowships
UK
September 9, 2026

The Chevening Europe Defence and Security Fellowship 2027 is a six-week professional development programme in the United Kingdom for experienced professionals working in defence, security, government, law enforcement, intelligence, resilience and related fields.

The fellowship is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and delivered by Cranfield University at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in Shrivenham. The programme combines teaching, practical exercises, research, institutional visits, simulations and professional networking.

Applications are open until 27 September 2026 at 11:00 UTC. The programme has two cohorts in 2027: 25 January–5 March 2027 and 15 March–23 April 2027.

Important: This is not a general Chevening fellowship open to applicants from all countries. The Europe Defence and Security Fellowship is specifically restricted to citizens and residents of a defined group of European countries.

Opportunity Overview

Detail	Information
Fellowship	Chevening Europe Defence and Security Fellowship
Host Country	United Kingdom
Host Institution	Cranfield University
Host Location	Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham
Funding Organisation	UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
Programme Type	Professional development fellowship
Duration	Six weeks
Cohort 1	25 January – 5 March 2027
Cohort 2	15 March – 23 April 2027
Target Applicants	Mid-career defence and security professionals
Application Deadline	27 September 2026, 11:00 UTC
Funding	Programme fees, living expenses and return economy airfare
Application	Online through Chevening

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The fellowship is designed for professionals who already have significant experience and responsibilities in security, defence or closely related areas.

What Is the Chevening Europe Defence and Security Fellowship?

The Chevening Europe Defence and Security Fellowship is a specialised programme for mid-career professionals who work in environments connected to national or international security.

Rather than being a traditional university degree, the fellowship provides an intensive six-week learning and professional development experience.

Participants will examine issues affecting modern security organisations, including:

Strategic leadership
Organisational resilience
Governance
Cyber resilience
Artificial intelligence
Emerging technologies
Strategic decision-making
Human behaviour and organisational culture
International cooperation

The programme also includes individual research. Fellows will develop a research project addressing a relevant policy, leadership, organisational or security challenge and will present their findings to the FCDO in London at the end of the fellowship.

This makes the programme particularly suitable for professionals who want to improve their ability to influence policy, strategy, organisational capability or operational effectiveness.

Programme Themes

The programme is organised around six major themes:

1. Global Leadership in an Era of Complexity

Participants examine how leaders can respond to rapidly changing international and organisational environments.

2. Understanding People, Culture and Organisations

This area explores how human behaviour, organisational culture and governance affect institutional performance and resilience.

3. Cyber Resilience and Information Threats

Fellows examine modern cyber risks and the importance of organisational resilience in an increasingly digital environment.

4. Artificial Intelligence, Governance and Emerging Technology

Participants consider both the opportunities and risks associated with artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

5. Strategic Decision-Making Under Pressure

The programme develops approaches for making strategic decisions when information is incomplete and pressures are high.

6. Building Resilience and Future Leadership

The final theme focuses on developing leaders who can help organisations prepare for future challenges.

Benefits and Funding

The Chevening Europe Defence and Security Fellowship provides substantial financial support.

According to the programme information, each fellowship includes:

Full programme fees
Living expenses for the duration of the fellowship
Return economy airfare
Participation in the six-week professional programme
Academic and professional learning activities
Research support
UK institutional visits
Professional networking opportunities

The official programme information does not provide a specific cash amount for the living expenses, so applicants should not assume a particular monthly stipend.

Chevening describes its fellowships as opportunities for mid-career professionals to undertake tailored training, research or professional placements in the UK.

Is This Fellowship Fully Funded?

The programme provides full programme fees, living expenses for the fellowship period and return economy airfare.

For practical purposes, this represents comprehensive financial support for the main fellowship programme. However, applicants should carefully review the official terms and conditions for details about covered and excluded expenses.

Who Can Apply?

The most important eligibility condition is nationality and residency.

Applicants must be citizens of and residents in one of the following countries or territories at the time of application:

Andorra
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Holy See
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
San Marino
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland

If an applicant lives in a European overseas territory, they may apply through the relevant Chevening award scheme for the European country of which they are a citizen.

Additional Eligibility Requirements

In addition to the nationality and residency requirement, applicants must satisfy the programme-specific and general Chevening Fellowship requirements.

For this fellowship, applicants must:

Hold a postgraduate qualification, or equivalent professional training or experience in a relevant field.
Have at least five years of relevant professional experience.
Be a mid-career professional working in a relevant security or defence environment.
Have responsibilities connected to national or international security.
Work in government, the public or private sector, academia, defence, security, law enforcement, intelligence, civil protection, resilience or an international organisation.
Have the potential to influence organisational capability, policy, strategy or operational effectiveness.
Demonstrate leadership potential.
Show a commitment to using the knowledge and professional networks gained from the fellowship after returning home.

Chevening’s general fellowship rules also require applicants to demonstrate leadership potential and return to their country of citizenship for at least one year after the fellowship.

Chevening states that fellowship applicants normally need at least five years of relevant work experience, equivalent to 7,200 hours for fellowships requiring five years. Eligible experience can include full-time employment, part-time work, voluntary work and paid or unpaid internships.

Is This Fellowship Suitable for Afghan Applicants?

No, not for the Europe Defence and Security Fellowship.

Afghanistan is not included in the eligible-country list for this specific fellowship.

This is important because some Chevening fellowships have different country eligibility rules. For example, the Chevening Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Fellowship currently lists Afghanistan among its eligible countries. Therefore, Afghan professionals should not assume that eligibility for one Chevening fellowship automatically applies to another.

Afghan applicants interested in Chevening should check the individual fellowship programme rather than relying only on the general Chevening website.

Eligible Professional Backgrounds

The fellowship is particularly relevant to professionals working in areas such as:

National security
Defence
Government
Law enforcement
Intelligence
Cybersecurity
Civil protection
Organisational resilience
Security policy
International organisations
Academia related to security and defence

The programme is intended for people who are already established in their careers rather than applicants who are just beginning their professional journey.

What Will Fellows Do During the Programme?

The six-week programme uses several different learning methods.

Fellows can expect a combination of:

Lectures
Workshops
Discussions
Practical exercises
Simulations
Practitioner presentations
Research activities
UK institutional visits
Collaborative learning
Individual research

The programme also provides an opportunity to build professional relationships with participants from different countries and professional backgrounds.

These networks can be particularly useful for professionals working on international security issues because many modern security challenges cross national borders.

Research Project

An important part of the fellowship is the individual research project.

Fellows will work on a research topic related to a relevant:

Policy challenge
Leadership issue
Organisational challenge
Security problem

Participants receive academic support while developing their research.

At the end of the programme, fellows will present their findings to the FCDO in London.

This element makes the fellowship more than a short training course because participants are expected to connect their professional experience with a practical research question.

Required Documents

The exact application system should be checked before submission because document requirements can change.

Applicants should be prepared to provide information and supporting evidence related to:

Academic qualifications
Professional experience
Employment history
Leadership experience
Professional responsibilities
Motivation for applying
Career objectives
Security or defence experience
Relevant professional achievements

Practical advice: Start collecting evidence of your professional experience early. Because this fellowship requires substantial relevant experience, applicants should be able to clearly explain their career progression and current responsibilities.

Do not submit documents that exaggerate your responsibilities or professional experience.

How to Apply

Eligible applicants should apply through the official Chevening application system.

Step 1: Confirm your nationality and residency

Before spending time on the application, check that you are a citizen of and resident in one of the eligible European countries.

Step 2: Check the professional requirements

Make sure you have the required postgraduate qualification or equivalent relevant training/experience and at least five years of relevant professional experience.

Step 3: Review the leadership requirement

Think about specific examples showing how your work has influenced people, organisations, policies, strategies or operations.

Step 4: Prepare your application

Provide accurate information about your education, employment, professional responsibilities and leadership experience.

Step 5: Explain your future impact

Applicants should be able to explain how the fellowship will help them contribute to their organisation or country after returning home.

Step 6: Submit before the deadline

Complete and submit the application before:

27 September 2026 at 11:00 UTC

Applicants should avoid waiting until the final hours because technical problems or incomplete information could prevent a successful submission.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for the Chevening Europe Defence and Security Fellowship 2027 is:

27 September 2026 at 11:00 UTC

The programme has two planned cohorts:

Cohort 1: 25 January – 5 March 2027
Cohort 2: 15 March – 23 April 2027

The programme therefore provides two possible six-week periods in early 2027.

Important Tips for Applicants

Check eligibility before preparing the full application

The nationality and residency condition is one of the most important requirements. If your country is not listed, this particular fellowship is not suitable for you.

Focus on professional impact

This is a mid-career fellowship. Your application should demonstrate what you have already done professionally, not only what you hope to do in the future.

Use specific examples

Instead of simply saying that you are a leader, explain situations in which you led a team, influenced a decision, improved an organisation or contributed to a security-related project.

Connect your experience with the programme

Explain why subjects such as cyber resilience, AI, governance, strategic decision-making or organisational resilience are relevant to your professional work.

Prepare your research interests early

Because fellows undertake an individual research project, applicants should think about a relevant policy, leadership, organisational or security issue that they would like to investigate.

Do not confuse Chevening fellowships

Different Chevening fellowships have different eligible countries and requirements. Always check the individual fellowship page before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Chevening Europe Defence and Security Fellowship fully funded?

The fellowship provides full programme fees, living expenses during the fellowship and return economy airfare.

Who can apply for this fellowship?

It is designed for mid-career professionals from the specified eligible European countries who work in defence, security, government, law enforcement, intelligence, civil protection, resilience or related areas.

Can Afghan citizens apply?

No. Afghanistan is not included in the eligible-country list for the Europe Defence and Security Fellowship.

However, Afghan professionals may be eligible for other Chevening fellowship programmes with different country lists. For example, Afghanistan is currently listed for the Chevening Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Fellowship.

What is the duration of the fellowship?

The programme lasts six weeks.

There are two cohorts in 2027: 25 January–5 March and 15 March–23 April.

Where is the fellowship held?

The programme is delivered by Cranfield University at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in Shrivenham.

How much professional experience is required?

This fellowship requires at least five years of relevant professional experience. Chevening states that five years corresponds to 7,200 hours for its fellowship work-experience calculation.

What are the main areas covered?

The six themes include global leadership, people and organisational culture, cyber resilience, artificial intelligence and emerging technology, strategic decision-making and future leadership/resilience.

What is the application deadline?

Applications close on 27 September 2026 at 11:00 UTC.

Final Thoughts

The Chevening Europe Defence and Security Fellowship 2027 is a specialised professional development opportunity for experienced European professionals working in defence and security-related fields.

Its six-week structure combines leadership development, security policy, cyber resilience, artificial intelligence, strategic decision-making, research and international networking. The programme is particularly relevant to professionals who already hold responsibilities that can influence policy, organisational capability or operational effectiveness.

However, country eligibility is essential. This programme is limited to citizens and residents of the specified European countries, so it is not available to Afghan citizens under the current rules.

Professionals who meet the nationality, residency, academic, work-experience and leadership requirements should review the official Chevening information carefully and submit their application before the 27 September 2026 deadline.

Official Application

Applicants should use the official Chevening application system and confirm the fellowship programme and eligibility requirements before submitting their application.

Official Chevening application page

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