Leverhulme Trust: Early Career Fellowships Grant

Leverhulme Trust: Early Career Fellowships Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Leverhulme Trust
Amount: Up to £6,000
Last Updated: February 23, 2026

Summary

The Leverhulme Trust's Early Career Fellowships support emerging researchers in the UK who lack permanent academic positions. These fellowships allow recipients to undertake substantial, publishable research over three years, with the Trust covering 50% of salary costs up to £28,000 annually. Additionally, fellows may access up to £6,000 per year for research expenses. This initiative aims to foster career development and facilitate the transition into permanent academic roles.

Overview

Early Career Fellowships For early career researchers, with a research record but who have not yet held a full-time permanent academic post, to undertake a significant piece of publishable work. Fellowships can be held at universities or at other institutions of higher education in the UK.  The Fellowships are intended to assist those at a relatively early stage of their academic careers, and it is hoped that the appointment would lead to a more permanent position for the individual, either within the same or another institution. Value The scheme is based on a pattern of joint support whereby the Leverhulme Trust will contribute 50% of the Fellow’s total salary costs (including National Insurance, superannuation and London allowance, where applicable) up to a maximum of £28,000 in each year of the award, and the balance is to be contributed by the host university. The Trust’s contribution in subsequent years will normally increase in line with pay awards and normal increments up to the annual maximum of £28,000. The Trust’s maximum annual contribution will be pro-rated if the Fellowship is held on a part-time basis. The Fellow may request up to £6,000 per annum in research expenses to further his or her research activities. Duration Fellowships are tenable for 3 years on a full-time basis. The Trust will support requests to hold the award part-time over a proportionately longer period for health related reasons, disability or childcare commitments.Those holding the Fellowship part time may not undertake any other employment during the period of the award. Research funds In recognition of the prestige of these awards and to enable the Fellow's research, up to £6,000 a year will be available for research expenses. The following are examples, rather than an exclusive list, of possible research expenditure: conference attendance, conference organisation (in the UK only), travel and subsistence for research trips in the UK or overseas, research assistance, laboratory consumables. For UK and overseas subsistence (including accommodation) the Trust can contribute up to the HMRC maximum daily allowance for the fellow’s destination. For visits over 21 days it is expected that the daily rate used will be lower than the maximum. Capital items: essential items of equipment, including computer hardware items, up to £2500 each are eligible (please note, the Trust expects the host department to provide standard computing equipment e.g. a desktop computer). You must justify each item, explaining its function and necessity for your research. Essential book purchases up to £1000 per year are eligible. It is not possible to claim more than £6000 in year one, but any funds not used or claimed can be carried over or claimed in later years (e.g. if you use £5000 in year one, up to £7000 will be available in year two).

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Employment and funding statusApplicants must not yet have held a full-time permanent academic post in a UK university or comparable UK institution, nor may Fellows hold such a post concurrently with the Early Career Fellowship.The Trust will consider applications from candidates whose permanent post does not include any research.Academic statusAll candidates must hold a doctorate by the time they take up the Fellowship. Those who are or have been registered for a doctorate at any time may apply only if they have submitted their doctoral thesis by 4pm on the closing dateCandidates must not be registered for degrees, professional or vocational qualifications at the time of commencing the Fellowship.All candidates must have submitted their doctoral thesis for viva voce examination not more than four years prior to the application closing date. Hence those who formally submitted their doctoral thesis for viva voce examination before 20 February 2021 are not eligible unless they have since had a career break. Those wishing to make a case for a career break should present the case for interruption by a period of maternity leave, family commitments, illness, or other exceptional circumstances. Please note that time spent working outside academia does not qualify as a career break.Applicants must either hold a degree from a UK higher education institution at the time of taking up the Fellowship or at the time of the application deadline must hold an academic position in the UK (e.g. fixed-term lectureship, fellowship) which commenced no less than 4 months prior to the closing date. Hence, those who do not hold a UK degree and whose UK academic position commenced after October 2024 are not eligible.The Trust will consider candidates without a UK degree whose UK academic post commenced after October 2024 if they have been in continuous UK academic employment for more than 4 months prior to the deadline.The intention is to support the career development of those building an academic career within the UK.Host institutionThe Fellowships are tenable in any university or institution of higher education in the UK.Fellows are employees of the institution at which they hold their award and subject to that institution's terms and conditions of employment.The Trust believes that the development of an academic career is best served by gaining experience at different institutions. Applicants who have not already moved institutions in the course of their academic career (i.e. between their undergraduate university and proposed host institution) should nominate a new host institution, or otherwise demonstrate clear evidence of the academic and/or personal reasons for remaining at the same institution, such as access to highly specialist equipment or a highly specialised research team.Requests to transferOnce awarded a Fellowship, a request to transfer the place of tenure will normally only be considered where there is clear evidence of career development opportunities and such requests are very unlikely to be approved unless the Fellow has been in post for at least one year at the time of the request. Requests to transfer an award prior to take-up of a post will not be considered.Matching fundingIt is a condition that the host department has identified and secured the source of the matching funding for an applicant by the closing date, and that this is specifically allocated to the individual concerned. The matching funding contributed by the host institution must be drawn from generally available funds and must not be associated with any other grants received by the institution.Applications that do not meet these conditions are ineligible and will be rejected.Other applicationsA candidate may submit only one application per year. Previously unsuccessful applicants may reapply.Topic and fields of studyThe objective is for Fellows to undertake a significant piece of publishable research during the tenure of the award, and the project put forward should therefore not be a reworking or mere extension of the candidate’s doctoral research project.

Ineligibility

Employment and funding statusThose in receipt of a stipendiary Fellowship may not hold this at the same time as an Early Career Fellowship. Applicants who have existing funding in place for a duration equivalent to or greater than the duration of the Early Career Fellowship should not apply.Academic StatusCandidates who have been, or are currently a Principal Investigator on a three-year post-doctoral research project, or have held or currently hold a comparable three-year post-doctoral position to pursue their own research are not eligible to apply.Other ApplicationsCandidates may not apply for both an Early Career Fellowship and a Leverhulme Trust Study Abroad Studentship in the same year.Candidates who have held a Leverhulme Study Abroad Studentship for postdoctoral research are not eligible to apply for an Early Career Fellowship. Candidates should consider carefully which of these two schemes best suit their requirements. Please note, this only applies to the 2019 award schemes onwards; candidates who currently hold a Leverhulme Study Abroad Studentship for postdoctoral research are eligible to apply for an Early Career Fellowship.Topic and fields of studyApplications will be considered in all subject areas except:Studies of disease, illness and disabilities in humans and animalsResearch that is intended to inform clinical practice or the development of medical applicationsThe Trust excludes these areas because substantial funding is available from other sources for applied medical research, and the Trust’s priority is to support investigations of a fundamental nature.