ACU Fellowships 2027: Up to £5,000 for Cross-Commonwealth University Collaboration
The Association of Commonwealth Universities will offer three 2027 fellowships of up to £5,000 for academic or professional services staff at member universities to develop a six-month collaboration with a partner institution elsewhere in the Commonwealth.
ACU Fellowships 2027: Up to £5,000 for Cross-Commonwealth University Collaboration
The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) has announced a 2027 fellowship round for staff at its member universities who want to build a substantive international collaboration. The programme lists three awards of up to £5,000 each: one Accountancy Fellowship supported by the Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and two Hong Kong Inbound and Outbound Fellowships supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Applications are scheduled to open on 31 March 2027 and close on 26 May 2027 at 15:00 UTC. The proposed work must cover at least six months between September 2027 and the end of July 2028. This is best understood as seed funding for a cross-border project or research visit, not as a complete budget for a large programme or a guaranteed salary replacement. The ACU’s own FAQ says that the applicant’s university or partner university may need to meet costs beyond the £5,000 maximum.
That distinction makes the fellowship particularly relevant to university staff who already have a credible partner, a defined piece of work, and institutional support to contribute time or additional resources. It is less suitable for someone who is still looking for a host, needs full doctoral funding, or wants to fund an international trip without a collaborative project behind it.
Key details
| Detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Provider | Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) |
| 2027 application window | Opens 31 March 2027; closes 26 May 2027 at 15:00 UTC |
| Fellowship period | At least six months, from September 2027 through the end of July 2028 |
| Award structure | One Accountancy Fellowship; two Hong Kong Inbound and Outbound Fellowships |
| Award amount | Up to £5,000 per fellowship |
| Eligible applicants | Academic or professional services staff at ACU member universities |
| Collaboration requirement | A partner at an ACU member university in a different country from the applicant’s employing institution |
| Mobility expectation | The fellowship is intended to enable a visit to the partner institution |
| Payment and shortfall | The award is seed funding; a university may need to cover additional costs |
| Application route | Online application through the ACU’s MyACU system |
| Official guidance | ACU Fellowships application guidance |
The dates and award categories are taken from the ACU’s fellowship page. If the organisation changes the timetable or updates the guidance before the window opens, the live ACU page should take precedence over this guide.
What the 2027 fellowships support
The ACU describes its fellowships as a way to facilitate collaboration and create new partnerships between member universities across the Commonwealth. The collaboration can involve a research visit lasting from one to six months, while the overall project must run for a minimum of six months. The FAQ clarifies that the six-month requirement refers to the duration of the overall collaboration or project, not necessarily six months spent physically at the host university.
The Accountancy Fellowship has a defined subject focus. It is intended for work that strengthens financial sustainability in higher education, including higher-education finance, research-to-policy engagement, and sustainable or innovative funding models. A suitable project could compare institutional funding practices, test a framework for connecting research evidence to finance decisions, or develop practical guidance for improving the financial resilience of universities. The application still needs to explain the actual work rather than relying on the broad label of “higher-education finance.”
The two Hong Kong fellowships support mobility between Hong Kong institutions and institutions elsewhere in the Commonwealth. One is for inbound travel to Hong Kong and one for outbound travel from Hong Kong. The ACU page does not present these as unrestricted travel bursaries. They are fellowships for collaboration, so the proposed visit should be tied to a project, a named institutional partner, outputs, and a reason that the cross-border relationship matters.
The funding can contribute to costs such as flights and accommodation for a research visit. Because the maximum is £5,000 for the full grant period, applicants should treat it as a catalytic contribution. A realistic budget might combine the ACU award with staff time, facilities, data access, or other support already available through one or both universities.
Who is likely to fit
The baseline eligibility requirement is employment as an academic or professional services staff member at an ACU member university. The ACU’s general grants FAQ says that all staff at member universities can apply for ACU grants, subject to the more specific requirements on the relevant scheme page. Before developing a proposal, confirm that your employing institution is on the ACU member list and that your employment status fits the fellowship wording.
You also need a collaborator at an ACU member university in a country other than the country where you are employed. The applicant is responsible for finding and approaching that partner. The host institution can be any ACU member university, but the ACU will not match applicants with hosts for you. A cold application built around an institution that has not agreed to participate is therefore unlikely to be credible, even if the idea itself is strong.
The fellowship is a good fit when the two institutions bring complementary expertise, data, policy experience, facilities, or implementation access. For example, the Accountancy Fellowship could suit a university finance professional working with a counterpart who has a different model for financial planning or research funding. A Hong Kong fellowship could suit an academic team that needs to compare methods, conduct joint field or archival work, develop a shared training resource, or establish a durable research relationship.
It is not a substitute for a degree scholarship. It does not appear to fund tuition for a full-time postgraduate course, and the ACU page does not promise a personal maintenance stipend. It is also not a general conference grant or a simple exchange visit. The proposal must show a collaborative project and explain the benefit of choosing that particular partner.
What the application must contain
The ACU application guidance identifies the core information applicants will be asked to provide. You should prepare a concise project summary that explains what will happen during the fellowship and how working with the partner institution will benefit the project. The guidance specifically asks applicants to explain why they chose that collaborator rather than another institution. That is an important assessment point: the partnership needs to be part of the logic of the work, not an afterthought added to justify travel.
The application also asks for the projected impact of the fellowship work, the expected professional-development benefit, and a list of planned outputs. Outputs could be a jointly authored paper, a policy briefing, a comparative dataset, a toolkit, a training activity, a new research protocol, or another concrete product that fits the track. Do not promise every possible output. Choose a small number that can be delivered within the six-month minimum project period and explain who will use them.
You must include a time plan covering at least six months between September 2027 and the end of July 2028. Build the plan around stages such as joint scoping, the research visit or mobility component, analysis or development, partner review, and dissemination. Make the sequence realistic for academic calendars, visa processing, ethics review, procurement, data agreements, and any internal approvals that apply to your project.
The budget section can include staff time, consumables, internet access and data, equipment, research data management, travel, impact and engagement, and open-access costs. The guidance does not mean every cost will be funded automatically. It means these are examples of costs that can be relevant to the fellowship. Show which expenses are essential, which institution will pay them, and how the £5,000 contribution fits into the wider project budget.
Two support statements are required: a letter or email from the applicant’s head of department at the home institution and a letter or email from the collaborator at the proposed partner institution. The ACU FAQ says that a senior university leader, such as a head of department or higher, should provide institutional support for grant applications. Request these statements early, because a technically excellent application can fail to progress if the endorsements arrive late or do not confirm the partnership.
How to prepare before applications open
The application window does not open until March 2027, but the partner conversation should happen much sooner. Start by checking the ACU member directory and identifying a small number of institutions whose expertise is genuinely complementary. Contact a prospective collaborator with a one-page outline containing the problem, the proposed division of work, the likely visit or mobility component, and the expected output. Ask whether they can support a six-month project beginning in the 2027/28 academic year rather than asking only whether they can host a visit.
For the Accountancy Fellowship, gather evidence that the work addresses a real higher-education finance or funding question. This might include a documented planning challenge, a gap in existing policy practice, a comparison that the two institutions can conduct, or a decision that university leaders need to make. For the Hong Kong fellowships, explain the value of the direction of travel: why the project needs an inbound or outbound relationship involving Hong Kong, and what the partner institution contributes that cannot be replicated through an online meeting.
Ask both institutions about permissions and practical constraints. Confirm whether the proposed staff member can take part, whether a host department can provide workspace or supervision, whether the project needs ethics or data approvals, and whether the finance office can administer an external grant. The ACU FAQ says grants are paid to the awardee’s university of employment, so the home finance team should understand the likely process before an award is made.
Create a simple budget in pounds sterling and include a contingency. The award maximum is modest relative to international travel, especially if the project requires more than one visit or a long stay. Separate the ACU-funded items from institutional contributions and state what happens if a travel quote rises. A budget that depends on every expense being reimbursed gives reviewers a reason to doubt deliverability.
How reviewers are likely to read the proposal
The ACU does not publish a detailed numerical scoring rubric on the fellowship page. The guidance nevertheless points to the questions a reviewer will need answered: Is the project clear? Does the partner add real value? Is there a credible impact? Will the fellow develop professionally? Are the outputs and timetable achievable? Is there evidence of support from both institutions?
Make the first paragraph operational. Name the shared problem, the two institutions, the work to be completed, and the result that will exist at the end. Then show why the partner is necessary. “International collaboration is valuable” is too general; explain the specific expertise, data, institutional setting, policy relationship, or facilities that make this partnership the right one.
Keep impact proportional to the award. A £5,000 seed fellowship can establish a relationship, produce an initial comparative study, develop a pilot resource, or prepare a larger bid. It is not credible to claim that a small mobility grant will transform an entire national higher-education system within six months. Describe the immediate beneficiaries and the next decision or funding step that the project will enable.
Professional development should also be specific. Link the fellowship to skills the applicant will actually gain: comparative financial analysis, research-policy translation, data management, collaborative methods, specialist training, or experience working across institutional systems. Explain how those skills will be used after the fellowship and how the partner benefits from the exchange rather than presenting the arrangement as one-way training.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most obvious mistake is applying before securing a partner. The ACU requires applicants to identify and approach a collaborator, and the guidance asks why that institution was selected. Treat the partner’s support letter as evidence of a working relationship, not as a formality.
Another mistake is confusing the project duration with the amount of time spent abroad. The overall collaboration must last at least six months, but the FAQ says that does not mean a six-month physical stay at the host institution. State clearly how the visit, remote work, analysis, and dissemination fit together.
Do not build the budget around the assumption that £5,000 covers everything. The ACU calls this seed funding and expects the applicant or partner university to cover additional costs. Identify those contributions openly. Do not hide staff time, visa costs, insurance, data access, or internal administration if they affect delivery.
Avoid a generic “exchange of knowledge” proposal. The application should have a question, work plan, outputs, and users. Also avoid selecting a track because the amount is attractive. Accountancy Fellowship proposals need to connect to higher-education finance, research-to-policy engagement, or sustainable funding models. Hong Kong fellowship proposals need to explain the relevant mobility and institutional relationship.
Finally, do not leave the MyACU submission to the last day. The ACU’s FAQ says applications must be submitted through the online system before the stated deadline and that late or emailed applications are not accepted. Save a copy of the final text, confirm that both support statements are attached, and verify the deadline in UTC before submitting.
Timeline and next steps
The published timeline gives applicants a useful preparation sequence:
- Now through early 2027: Confirm ACU membership, choose the appropriate fellowship track, identify a partner, and agree on the project scope.
- Before 31 March 2027: Obtain departmental and partner support, build the budget, check permissions, and prepare a six-month work plan.
- 31 March 2027: Applications are scheduled to open through the ACU process.
- 26 May 2027 at 15:00 UTC: Submit the completed online application. The ACU page does not state a separate extension process.
- September 2027 onward: The proposed fellowship activity begins within the stated September 2027 to end-July 2028 period.
- Within one month after the project: ACU grant conditions say grantees must submit a final report and share project outputs so they can be made available to ACU members.
The exact award-notification date is not stated on the fellowship page reviewed for this guide. That means applicants should not book non-refundable travel or treat the award as confirmed until they receive the ACU’s formal decision and agree the project arrangements with both universities.
Frequently asked questions
Can a staff member apply without a collaborator?
No practical application route is described for an unpartnered applicant. The ACU requires the applicant to have or identify and approach a collaborator at an ACU member university in another country. Find and involve that collaborator before submitting.
Does the fellowship pay a salary?
The published benefit is a grant of up to £5,000 per fellowship. The ACU does not describe it as a salary or a personal maintenance award. Discuss staff time and employment arrangements with your university.
Must the fellow spend six months at the host university?
No. The ACU FAQ says the six-month period refers to the overall collaboration or project. The fellowship is nevertheless intended to enable mobility, so the proposal should include a meaningful visit or other approved mobility element.
Can the grant fund flights and accommodation?
Yes. The ACU FAQ says the £5,000 grant can cover research-visit expenses such as flights and accommodation. It also says the grant is seed funding, so additional institutional support may be necessary.
Can this fund part of a larger project?
Yes, provided the ACU funding is used for the international collaboration aspect of the larger project. Make the funded component and its outputs distinct in the application.
Where can I ask a question?
Use the ACU’s official contact route if the application guidance does not answer your question. The fellowship page and guidance page should be checked again when the 2027 form opens, because the online form may add track-specific instructions.
Official links
- ACU Fellowships 2027 — award tracks, eligibility, dates, and application route.
- ACU Fellowships Application Guidance — required project information, budget categories, timeline, and support letters.
- ACU Grants FAQs — partner, mobility, funding shortfall, payment, and reporting guidance.
The strongest next step is to turn the fellowship into a real two-institution project before the application window opens. Confirm the partner, write down the work that will happen during the six-month period, and ask both universities what support they can provide beyond the £5,000 award. That preparation will make it easier to complete the MyACU form quickly and will give reviewers evidence that the collaboration can continue after the funded period ends.