Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships 2026 round

If you’re an early‑career researcher aiming to transition into an independent academic career, the prestigious Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships (2026 round) are now open for applications — offering a three‑year funded post for a significant piece of original research. Here's everything you need to know.

🎓 Leverhulme Trust  Fellowship Summary

• Location: United Kingdom

• Host institution: UK university or comparable UK institution, with research‑degree awarding powers.

• Programme level: Fellowship (post‑doctoral / early‑career academic stage)

• Target group: Researchers who hold a doctorate (or equivalent research experience), within four years of thesis submission (unless career break applies), and who have not held a full‑time permanent academic post in a UK university.

• Fields of focus: All fields (humanities, social sciences, sciences) — the key is originality, significance and cross‑disciplinary relevance.

• Value & coverage: In 2026 onward the Trust contributes 100 % of the Fellow’s salary (up to £56,000) in year one; in years two and three the Trust contributes 50 % of salary (up to £28,000) and the host institution provides the rest. The Fellow may also request up to £6,000 per annum for research expenses.

• Duration: Three years full time (or part‑time by arrangement for health/disability/childcare) and must commence between 1 September 2026 and 1 May 2027.

• Application deadline: The national funder deadline is 4 pm on Thursday 19 February 2026.

  
  

📚 Fellowship Overview

The Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship scheme is designed to support early career researchers in the UK to conduct a “significant piece of publishable work” — a self‑standing research project distinct from their doctoral work — and to help them move into a more permanent academic position.

The key features of the programme are:

• Originality & Significance: The research must go beyond incremental advances in a single discipline, and should have relevance beyond that discipline, exciting scholars across fields.

• Quality and Merit: Strong research design and methodology, and the suitability of both the applicant and the institution are crucial.

• Host institution partnership: The host institution must agree to match funding for years 2 and 3; moreover, applicants who have not moved institution before must either nominate a new host or clearly justify staying.

• Structure of funding: In 2026 the Trust will cover 100 % of salary costs in year 1 (up to £56k), years 2–3 50 % (up to £28k) with host covering the rest; research expenses allowance up to £6k/year.

🎁 Benefits of the Fellowship

• Full‑time post for 3 years (or a part‑time equivalent) giving dedicated time to pursue an independent research agenda.

• Competitive salary support (with first year fully funded by the Trust) and research expenses up to £6,000 per annum.

• The prestige of a Leverhulme Trust award — enhances career profile and supports transition to a permanent academic post.

• Opportunity to develop a publishable, high‑impact research project that demonstrates independence beyond the doctoral phase.

• Flexibility: part‑time tenure is permitted for reasons of health, disability or childcare commitments.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the 2026 scheme you must meet all of the following:

• Hold a doctorate (PhD or equivalent) or have comparable research experience by the time you take up the Fellowship.

• If you submitted a doctoral thesis, this must have been submitted no more than four years before the closing date (unless you had a recognised career break such as maternity, illness, other exceptional circumstance).

• You must not have held a full‑time permanent academic post in a UK university (or comparable UK institution), nor hold such a post concurrently with the Fellowship.

• You must either hold a degree from a UK higher‑education institution at the time of application, or at the time of application hold an academic position in the UK (e.g., fixed‑term lectureship/fellowship) which commenced at least 4 months before the closing date.

• Applicants with an existing funding award of the equivalent duration of the Fellowship (3 years) are ineligible.

• Applicants whose current or previous appointment is a 3‑year post‑doctoral research project (where they were PI) may be ineligible.

• During the application, you must secure the support of a host institution (and they must guarantee funding matching for years 2‑3) and you must identify a mentor in the host department.

📝 Application Procedure

1. Identify a suitable UK host institution (department with research‑degree awarding powers) and a mentor in that department. Begin discussions early.

2. Ensure your project meets the scope: distinct from doctoral work, publishable outcome, original, significant in its field and beyond.

3. Prepare required application materials (typically via the Leverhulme Trust online portal once opened) including:

   • Project proposal / case for support (objectives, methodology, timeline, expected outputs)

   • Curriculum Vitae (often 2 pages) and publication record.

   • Statement from your proposed mentor.

   • Host institution’s confirmation of funding match for years 2‑3 (or clear guarantee) and any host office forms required.

   • Referee names (often at least two, with one external to the host institution).

4. Submit through your institution’s internal process (often an “expression of interest” followed by internal short‑listing) before your institution’s deadline; then external submission to the Trust by the national deadline (4 pm UK time, Thursday 19 February 2026) for 2026 round.

5. Wait for review and decision. Outcomes are typically communicated several months after submission.

ℹ️ Extra Information & Tips

• The competition is highly competitive: for example, at Isaac Newton Trust (University of Cambridge) they report about 6 applications for each internal matched‑funding offer.

• Make sure your proposed project is distinct from your doctoral research — continuation of the same work may be rejected.

• Applicants who have taken career breaks (maternity, illness, etc.) may be eligible for extension of the eligibility window (beyond the 4‑year rule) — you may need to justify this in your application.

• Because host institutions must provide matched funding and space/mentor support, early engagement with your department is key. Internal deadlines (at departments/universities) often precede the Trust’s external deadline by months (e.g., December 2025 for institutional short‑listing).

• Ensure you check and follow your institution’s internal process (internal calls for expressions of interest, internal short‑listing, peer review) which may have earlier deadlines than the Trust’s external one.

✨ Why This Opportunity Matters

For early career researchers in the UK, the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship offers more than just funding: it provides a protected period to build an independent research profile, establish a strong publication record, strengthen your academic network and position yourself for a permanent academic role. Because the Trust places emphasis on originality, importance of the research, and significance across disciplines, this scheme is ideal for researchers who are ready to think beyond their doctoral project and develop new research trajectories.

🔗 Apply Now

🔗 Official Website

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