Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships 2027: Three-Year Co-Funded Research Fellowships for Early-Career Academics at UK Universities

Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships 2027: Three-Year Co-Funded Research Fellowships for Early-Career Academics at UK Universities

The Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship supports an early-career researcher with a proven research record to undertake a substantial, publishable research project. Fellowships are held at UK universities with research degree-awarding powers and run for three years. The programme expects a project to make a clear contribution beyond the candidate’s doctoral work and to provide protected time to develop an independent research programme.

The 2027 competition has been announced. The application system opens on 1 January 2027 and the Trust’s national closing time is 4pm on 18 February 2027. At the time this page was checked, the portal was not yet open. Applicants should begin with a potential host university: departments often select candidates internally and set their own earlier deadlines. The Trust’s scheme page is the authoritative source for the live application form and guidance; it returned HTTP 403 during this check, so the current cycle facts below have been cross-checked against universities’ 2027 applicant information and the Trust’s published scheme criteria.

Key details

The salary figures are maximum contributions from the Trust, not a promised personal salary. The host university employs the Fellow, sets the salary under its employment arrangements, and must cover the balance in years two and three. It must also cover salary costs above the Trust’s annual caps. The host’s matching funds have to be secured and allocated to the candidate before submission. Research expenses are a separate allowance for direct costs that support the approved project.

What the fellowship supports

A Fellow undertakes a significant research project over three years, normally full-time. The Trust can consider part-time requests over a proportionately longer period for health-related reasons, disability or childcare commitments. A part-time Fellow may not undertake other employment during the award. The project should be ambitious enough to produce substantial, publishable work while remaining feasible in the time available. It should show originality, sound methods and importance to inquiry beyond a narrow specialist audience.

The salary arrangement is shared between the Trust and host. In year one, the Trust contributes 100% of total salary costs up to £56,000. In years two and three, its contribution is 50% up to £28,000 a year, with the host paying the remainder and any amount above the cap. Normal pay awards and increments may be reflected within the stated annual maximums, and the Trust’s maximum contribution is pro-rated for part-time awards. Before supporting an application, the host department needs to identify the balance from generally available funds and commit it specifically to the applicant; another grant cannot be used as the matching contribution.

Applicants may request up to £6,000 per year in research expenses. A budget should relate each requested item to the work plan—for example, necessary fieldwork, travel, archive access, research materials or other direct project costs. Consult the Trust’s current budget guidance before including costs, since the expense allowance is not an unrestricted departmental fund and some costs are ineligible. The host should explain the facilities, intellectual setting and practical support that make the project achievable.

Eligibility for the 2027 competition

The scheme is intended for researchers who have not yet held a full-time permanent academic post in a UK university or comparable institution. Applicants cannot hold such a post concurrently with the Fellowship. The Trust will consider an applicant whose permanent post contains no research, but other rules still apply. A candidate receiving a stipendiary Fellowship cannot hold it at the same time as this award. Applicants with existing funding in place for a period equivalent to or longer than the Early Career Fellowship should not apply.

Candidates must hold a doctorate, or equivalent research experience, by the time the Fellowship begins. Anyone who is or has ever been registered for a doctorate must have submitted the thesis for viva voce examination by the national deadline. For a doctorate-holder, thesis submission must normally fall no more than four years before the closing date. Career breaks for maternity, family commitments, illness or other exceptional circumstances may be considered; time spent working outside academia by itself does not count as a career break. Applicants should explain any break and ask the prospective host to check a borderline eligibility calculation before investing in a full application. At the Fellowship start, the candidate must not be registered for or intending to register for another degree, professional or vocational qualification.

A UK connection is also required. An applicant must hold a degree from a UK higher education institution by the time the Fellowship begins, or hold an academic position in the UK at the application deadline that began at least four months earlier. The Trust’s current guidance also describes consideration for candidates without a UK degree who began a UK academic post after October 2026 if they have remained in continuous UK academic employment for more than four months before the deadline. Because this provision depends on exact dates and continuity, candidates in this situation should have their eligibility confirmed with the host and consult the live Trust guidance when applications open.

The Trust excludes research on disease, illness or disability in humans or animals, and research intended to inform clinical practice or the development of medical applications. Applicants should check the detailed remit and frame their proposal accurately; a project can be ineligible even if its methods or host department sit within a broad academic discipline. The Fellowship is for a candidate’s own research and development. Candidates who have been, or are currently, a Principal Investigator on a three-year postdoctoral research project, or who have held or hold a comparable three-year postdoctoral position to pursue their own research, are not eligible.

The Trust expects a candidate to consider whether moving institution would benefit their academic development. Applicants who have not moved institution during their academic career should normally identify a new host. Those proposing to stay at the same institution need to explain clear academic or personal reasons, such as access to specialist equipment or a distinctive research team. Each candidate may submit only one application in a year; a previously unsuccessful candidate may reapply. The scheme cannot be combined in the same year with a Study Abroad Studentship, and prior holders of a Leverhulme Study Abroad Studentship for postdoctoral research are not eligible for an Early Career Fellowship.

How to apply

Start by identifying a suitable UK host department and a staff member who can act as mentor. Discuss the project’s fit, the department’s ability to provide an appropriate research environment, and whether the university can commit the required salary match. This conversation should happen well before the national deadline. Departments set their own expression-of-interest, shortlisting and approval dates, and some accept only a limited number of institutional applications. Those local timetables are not Trust deadlines, so ask the chosen host or research office for its instructions as soon as possible.

The candidate and mentor develop the research proposal together. The proposal should state the research question, explain its significance and originality, set out methods and a realistic schedule, and identify outputs that can be completed during the award. It should make the case that the work is more than a direct extension of the doctorate. Candidates should prepare a CV and research record, project budget and host information using the current Trust application requirements. Referees may need to provide reports through the online system; follow the live instructions and contact referees early enough for them to respond.

The Trust application form is expected to open online on 1 January 2027. The application must be submitted through the Grants Management System by 4pm on 18 February 2027, with the required host-department and institutional approvals. The host must have secured its matching funds before the deadline. Do not leave submission to the final hours: the university needs time to review the application, approve its financial commitment and complete its own sign-off. The exact form fields, reference requirements and attachment specifications should be checked in the Trust’s current guidance when the portal opens.

Preparing the proposal and budget

A strong application gives a reader outside the candidate’s immediate specialty enough context to understand why the research matters, while retaining the detail needed to assess its methods. Explain what is already known, what the project will establish, and how its approach differs from the doctoral work. Break the three-year plan into stages with credible milestones, access to sources or equipment, and a clear account of foreseeable constraints. Describe the intended outputs without promising more than the proposed time and resources can deliver.

The host statement should be specific to the applicant. It should identify the mentor’s contribution, the relevant colleagues and facilities, the employment context and how the department will support the work. It must also make clear that the university has secured the required salary contribution from generally available funds. Applicants should coordinate the research budget with the host’s finance or research office so that the requested expenses are allowable, correctly costed and connected to the project. Career-break explanations and eligibility dates should be consistent across the application and CV.

Timeline and status

The next national competition is the 2027 round. The online application system is due to open on 1 January 2027, and applications are due by 4pm on 18 February 2027. Successful Fellowships are expected to start within the published window from 1 September 2027 to 1 May 2028. Institutional selection happens earlier and varies by university. A candidate who wants to apply should contact a prospective host now, while checking that host’s local process and asking whether it can sponsor the application and matching salary.

This page’s external link points to the Trust’s Early Career Fellowships scheme page. During research for this update, the page returned HTTP 403, so it could not be read directly. The cycle deadline, opening date, value, eligibility and start window were cross-checked against 2027 guidance published by UK host universities that direct applicants to the Trust’s own scheme materials. Applicants should read the Trust page and current help notes once accessible, since the live guidance and application form govern if details change.

Frequently asked questions

Can I submit an application without a university? No. The award is held at an eligible UK university, and the host must support the application and secure the required salary contribution. A mentor and the department’s internal selection process are part of the route.

Does the Trust pay the whole salary? It contributes all salary costs up to £56,000 in year one, then half of salary costs up to £28,000 per year in each of years two and three. The university must meet the remaining amount and any costs above the caps.

Is the application portal open now? No. The 2027 online system opens on 1 January 2027. Applicants can use the lead time to find a host, check eligibility and meet internal university deadlines.

What is the national deadline? 4pm on 18 February 2027. A university may set an earlier internal deadline, so applicants should contact the host department directly.

Where should I confirm final requirements? Consult the Leverhulme Trust’s official Early Career Fellowships page and its current application help notes. The Trust’s instructions take precedence over summaries prepared by host universities.