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)

The Leverhulme Trust Board

Clearly defined by the WillNine members of Unilever senior management from diverse, international backgroundsDecisive discussion: meeting four times a yearExperience of spotting potential and quality

Fashion resistantReliance 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

Types of awards

Types of awards

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

Types of awardsAcademic 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!

Distribution of funds 2010

18%

56%

6%

7%

4%

2%

4%

3%

RAAC Awards

Research P roject Awards

P rogrammes

Major Research Fellowships

Arts Bursaries

Academy fellowships

Visiting P rofessorships andFellowships

P hilip Leverhulme P rizes

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)

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

Application processes

Other success rates

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Research

Fellowships

Study Abroad

Fellowships

Study Abroad

Studentships

Emeritus Fellowships Early Career

Fellowships

Philip Leverhulme

Prizes

Visiting

Professorships

Major Research

Fellowships

% s

ucc

ess

rate

2008

2009

2010

Disciplinary spread of awards

Evolution of portfolio of responsive mode grants

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2000 2001 2002 2003 3004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

aw

ard

s m

ad

e (

%)

Sciences

Humanities

Social sciences

The originality of the proposed work beyond incremental development and beyond the immediate subject

The removal of barriers between disciplinesProviding 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

Special attention is given to…

Excellence of the project and vision of the applicant Clarity of expression and methodology, clear

strategy for outcomes/dissemination Why the Leverhulme Trust? Could this work be

funded elsewhere? Importance, excitement, quality of the research Original, creative research transcending traditional

boundaries Respect and reliance on 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

To sum up…

The claim to status or significance measured purely in metrics/”impact”/H-indices

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!

Clear definition of the precise research idea, why it is of interest, why and how the applicant is qualified

Applicant pathologies

Recent grants

Anoxia tolerance in turtle hearts Electronic energy quenching via non-adiabatic pathways Does diesel pollution compromise an insect’s ability to

smell a flower’s scent? Slugs of the British Isles: a guide to species and a

screening of the fauna Sustainable development in African sport: interventions

in Ghana and Tanzania Fine phonetic variation and sound change: a real-time

study of Glaswegian Hollywood and the baby boom: a social history Birmingham Contemporary Music Group: composer in

residence

1 Pemberton Row

London

EC4A 3BG

Tel: 020 7042 9888

www.leverhulme.ac.uk

https://twitter.com/LeverhulmeTrust

Contact details