Applications Are Now Open for UKRI What Works Innovation Fellowship 2026 – What Works to Prevent VAWG (Hosted by the Youth Endowment Fund)

Application Deadline: September 8, 2026 (16:00)

About the Fellowship

Spend 18 months as one of three What Works Innovation Fellows, generating and championing evidence that helps transform how the UK tackles violence against women and girls. Each fellowship is funded by UKRI’s Research & Development Missions Accelerator Programme and will be hosted by one of three Government-backed What Works Centres: Foundations (the What Works Centre for Children & Families); the What Works Centre for Crime Reduction at the College of Policing; and the Youth Endowment Fund. Fellows will: deliver research and innovation projects within their host What Works Centre, generating and championing rigorous, actionable evidence to prevent or reduce violence against women and girls; and play a leading role in the launch of a National What Works Programme on tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), working in partnership with the other Fellows and organisations including the Cabinet Office, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), VAWG sector support services, universities, and other What Works Centres.

About the YEF Fellowship

The Fellowship will support the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) in developing the evidence on what works to prevent VAWG perpetration among young people, as part of the mission to prevent children and young people’s involvement in violence.

Depending on your skills, experience and capacity, the work could include:

• Leading specific research projects to fill gaps in the evidence on what works to prevent VAWG, with a particular interest in online harms and tech-facilitated VAWG affecting young people
• Working with the Data and Insight team to develop YEF’s annual Child Vulnerability and Violence survey and analysing existing data to address VAWG-relevant questions
• Supporting the Toolkit team to review and summarise the best available research on approaches to preventing violence affecting young people
• Reviewing VAWG prevention practice across England and Wales to inform programme development and evaluation design
• Managing or supporting forthcoming YEF-commissioned secondary data analysis projects on VAWG

The Fellow will also be supported to spend dedicated time participating in the development of a national What Works Programme to tackle violence against women and girls, for example through collaborative activities with the wider What Works Innovation Fellowship cohort, the Cabinet Office Evaluation Task Force, and the UKRI R&D Missions Accelerator Programme’s VAWG Challenge.

Why This Fellowship Matters

Violence against women and girls is a pervasive issue in the UK, and effective prevention requires rigorous evidence to inform policy and practice. The What Works Innovation Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for researchers to generate and champion actionable evidence that can transform how the UK tackles VAWG.

For researchers with a PhD or equivalent experience who are based at a UKRI-eligible organisation, this 18-month fellowship offers:

• The opportunity to lead research and innovation projects on VAWG prevention
• A role in launching a national What Works Programme on tackling VAWG
• Collaboration with leading organisations including the Cabinet Office, UKRI, and What Works Centres
• A platform to generate and champion evidence that can drive real change

Fellowship Details

• Duration: 18 months
• Start Date: January 4, 2027
• Location: London (hybrid)
• Closing Date: September 8, 2026 (16:00)
• Interview Dates: Week commencing September 28, 2026

Who Can Apply

You must be based at a UK employing organisation eligible for UKRI funding. Check if your employing organisation is eligible. This funding opportunity is open to researchers who hold a PhD or equivalent research experience as well as relevant subject matter or methodological expertise. This fellowship is open to applicants of all career stages.

How to Apply

To apply for the YEF Fellowship, please submit your CV and Application Statement (max three pages each, six pages total) via the YEF careers page.

The application statement should respond to the following questions:

• Vision: What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed fellowship?
• Applicant capability to deliver: Why are you the right individual to deliver the objectives of this fellowship? Please refer to the fellowship requirements
• Approach: How are you going to approach the co-design of the fellowship with your host What Works Centre?

Contact: If you have any questions specifically about the YEF Fellowship, please contact us at recruitment@youthendowmentfund.org.uk

For More Information: Visit the Official Youth Endowment Fund Careers Page