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 ( )

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

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

 Two-stage process for Research Project Grants, International Networks, Arts Portfolio awards - c 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 for exact timingswww.leverhulme.ac.uk Application processes

Other success rates

Disciplinary spread of awards

 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 Special attention is given to…

 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 To sum up…

 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 Common errors…..

Recent grants  Insights from snakes into vertebrate visual evolution  Towards detecting Earth-like alien worlds  Women’s poetry 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

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