Leverhulme Trust International Professorships Now Open to Applications

This funding scheme enables universities in the UK to recruit outstanding research leaders of any nationality and currently working outside the UK, in order to fill strategically important positions.

Established in 1925, the Leverhulme Trust makes awards for the support of research and education in any subject area, with a particular focus on the arts, humanities and social sciences.

The Leverhulme Trust International Professorships are intended to help maintain the UK’s international standing as a desirable research destination that is open to talented researchers from across the world.

Applications are encouraged from universities seeking to recruit excellent research leaders of any nationality, currently working outside the UK, in order to fill strategically important positions. It is expected that the university will offer:

• Permanent appointments to the professorial candidate and, where possible, to staff appointed on the grants; and
• An ongoing package of support after the end of the grant.

Universities are expected to be actively engaged in the recruitment process at the time of the grant (ie where an employment contract has already been signed, the candidate cannot be considered).

Professorial candidates must conduct research of outstanding originality and quality, and contribute significantly to the university’s strategic aims and objectives. This may be an appointment to consolidate or reshape an existing area or field of study or to allow the university to branch out into new areas or disciplines. Applicants are therefore encouraged to be bold in compiling their bids.

Proposals are welcome in most research areas (excluding studies of disease, illness and disabilities in humans and animals and/or research that is intended to inform clinical practice or the development of medical applications).

Applications may only be made by UK-based universities. Applications must be completed by the responsible academic in the UK host institution. The UK host applicant is expected to take responsibility for the administration of the grant and provide annual progress reports. Each UK university is permitted to make only one bid per round.

There are no restrictions on the nationality of the professorial candidate but they must be working outside the UK at the time of application.

Grants are for a period of five years and up to £5 million is available (up to £1 million per year) for staff salaries (at least 75% of the resources requested) and associated costs (up to 25% of the total budget).

Applications must be submitted by the deadline of 27 May 2022 (12:00).

(This report was the subject of a RESEARCHconnect Newsflash.)