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 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

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) 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

Disciplinary spread of awards

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… 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

Applicant pathologies 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

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

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