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 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

Types of awards

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

     

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 awards

 

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!

Distribution of funds 2010

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%

Application processes

  

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

Other success rates

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

Disciplinary spread of awards

Evolution of portfolio of responsive mode grants

Sciences Humanities Social sciences 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Special attention is given to…

 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

To sum up…

  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

Common errors…..

    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 person – avoid jargon!

– where you are requested to do use language for the lay Lack of clear definition of the precise research idea, why it is of interest, why and how the applicant is qualified

Recent grants

   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

Contact details

1 Pemberton Row London EC4A 3BG Tel: 020 7042 9888 www.leverhulme.ac.uk

https://twitter.com/LeverhulmeTrust