Jean Cater, Assistant Director

…. scholarships for the purpose of education and research…..
Annual expenditure in
2011 = c. £55M across some 15 funding schemes, largely funding research in the
UK higher education sector, funding people and their direct research costs, not overheads/FEC
William Hesketh Lever (1851-1925)

 Clearly defined by the Will
 Nine members of Unilever senior management from diverse, international backgrounds
 The Trust is, however, independent and autonomous
 Decisive discussion: meeting four times a year
 Experience of spotting potential and quality
 Fashion resistant
 Reliance on expert peer review

Research Grants:
 Research Programmes: up to £1.75M, 2 or 3 themes chosen: Patronage, Conspiracies, Value – for periods up to 5 years for research teams
 Research Project Grants: normally up to £250k over 2 or 3 years, with the possibility to bid for up to
£500k for up to 5 years
= At least 75% for research staff salaries (research assistants, postgraduate students) and up to 25% on associated costs

Fellowships:
 Study Abroad Studentships: 1 or 2 years for postgraduate study/research abroad
 Early Career: 3 years only , recent (up to 5 years) postdocs, matching funding with host institution
 Research: up to 2 years for established researchers,
£45,000, replacement costs/research expenses
 Study Abroad: up to 1 year for academic staff,
£22,000, replacement costs/research expenses
 Major Research: 2 or 3 years, for distinguished researchers in humanities/social sciences, funding a replacement post during the award
 Emeritus: up to 2 years for retired academics,
£22,000, research expenses

Academic Collaboration:
 International Networks: normally up to £125k and up to 3 years. Explicit justification for why a network is the best mechanism for addressing the chosen research theme
 Visiting Professorships: 3-10 months for distinguished overseas academics to enhance the skills of the UK host institution
Other schemes:
 Philip Leverhulme Prizes: six subject areas, up to
£70k for outstanding early-mid career scholars
 Arts Portfolio: Bursaries, Innovative Teaching, Arts and Technology, Artists in Residence (contrasting disciplines)
 Occasional exceptional awards: Research Leadership to be launched again!

4%
7%
2%
4%
3%
6%
18%
RA A C A wards
Research P ro ject A wards
P ro grammes
M ajo r Research Fello wships
A rts B ursaries
A cademy fello wships
Visiting P ro fesso rships and
Fello wships
P hilip Leverhulme P rizes
56%

 Two-stage process for Research Project Grants,
International Networks, Arts Portfolio awards - c. 1000
Outline Applications received p.a. → peer review decision = c. 12 weeks (c. 50% success rate)
 Positive recommendation → invitation to submit a
Detailed Application (3 deadlines p.a. – September,
December, March)
 Detailed applications submitted to peer review
(nominated and independent referees) → decisions by
Trust Board (c. 50% success rate)
 All other schemes have a one-stage application process, normally annually, with decisions delegated to expert panels
See www.leverhulme.ac.uk
for exact timings

60
50
40
30
2008
2009
2010
20
10
0
Resear ch
Fellowships
St udy Abr oad
Fellowships
St udy Abr oad
St udent ships
Emer it us Fellowships Ear ly Car eer
Fellowships
Philip Lever hulme
Pr izes
Visit ing
Pr of essor ships
Major Resear ch
Fellowships

Evolution of portfolio of responsive mode grants
Sciences
Humanities
Social sciences
40
30
20
10
0
60
50
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

 The originality of the proposed work beyond incremental development and beyond the immediate subject
 The removal of barriers between disciplines
 Providing support for the gifted individual : outstanding talent, vision, intellectual curiosity, and the willingness to take appropriate risks
 A refreshing departure from existing working patterns of the applicant or discipline: fresh direction
 The responsive mode: the choice of topic lying with the applicant in the vast majority of cases

 Quality: excellence of the project and the applicant
 Clarity of expression and methodology, clear strategy for outcomes/dissemination
 Why the Leverhulme Trust? Could/would/should this work be funded elsewhere?
 Importance and excitement of the research
 Original, creative research transcending traditional boundaries
 Respect and reliance on robust peer review: choose referees wisely!
 All disciplines are eligible, but the Trust avoids assuming the tasks of other specialist agencies, e.g. medicine and Government
 Responsive mode – 90% plus

 The claim to status or significance measured purely in metrics/”impact”/H-indices/institutional standing
 The supposition of a hidden agenda/quota system – all eligible subjects are considered equally valid
 A disinclination to address the research topic/question in transparent terminology – where you are requested to do use language for the lay person – avoid jargon!
 Lack of clear definition of the precise research idea, why it is of interest, why and how the applicant is qualified

 Insights from snakes into vertebrate visual evolution
 Towards detecting Earth-like alien worlds
 Women’s poetry 1400-1800 in English, Gaelic, Scots,
Scots Gaelic and Welsh
 The creation of a Europeanized elite in Russia
 Culture and time: a history of the calendar in Japan before 1900
 Kant and the laws of nature
 Causes, health impacts and the mitigation of saline intrusion in Bangladesh
 Kinetics of entangled-photon generation

1 Pemberton Row
London
EC4A 3BG
Tel: 020 7042 9888 www.leverhulme.ac.uk
https://twitter.com/LeverhulmeTrust