Leverhulme Early Career Scholarship 2026 in UK

Leverhulme Early Career Scholarship 2026 fellowships are competitive awards for researchers seeking to hold an Early Career Fellowship at the University of Cambridge; CRASSH runs an internal competition to support applications. The focus is on applicants who will start the Fellowship between 1 September 2027 and 1 May 2028.

The Leverhulme Trust funds the Early Career Fellowships and the Isaac Newton Trust will match the Leverhulme award for successful Cambridge applicants. CRASSH invites applications to be hosted within participating Centres and provides guidance and an internal application route.

Leverhulme Early Career Benefits

• The Isaac Newton Trust will match the Leverhulme award in support of individuals who successfully apply for Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships to be held at the University of Cambridge
• Fellowships to be held at the University of Cambridge starting between 1 September 2027 and 1 May 2028
• Successful applicants will normally be placed on Scale Point 41, progressing one point up the scale each year of their Fellowship

Eligibility Criteria for the Leverhulme Early Career Scholarship 2026

• A doctorate must be completed by the start of the Fellowship, with the doctoral thesis submitted for viva voce by the Leverhulme deadline (likely to be early/mid-February 2027). Applicants must not be registered for any other degree or qualification when starting the Fellowship, and their thesis submission date must not be earlier than four years before the Leverhulme deadline (likely to be early/mid February 2023), unless a career break due to exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated.
• Applicants must either hold a degree from a UK university or have been in a UK academic position (e.g., fixed-term lectureship) for at least four months before the deadline. Those who began their academic post after October 2024 or have been employed for less than four months prior to the deadline are not eligible unless they meet continuous employment criteria.
• Applicants with three or more years of postdoctoral research experience focusing on independent research are not eligible.
• Candidates must not have previously held a full-time permanent academic position at a UK university or equivalent institution, nor can they hold such a post during the Early Career Fellowship. The Trust will consider candidates with permanent roles that do not involve research. Additionally, individuals receiving a stipendiary Fellowship cannot hold it alongside the Early Career Fellowship.

How to Apply for the Leverhulme Early Career Scholarship 2026

• Submit materials through the online application system by 12:00 noon on Friday 16 October 2026
• Provide a completed cover sheet (download link provided on CRASSH page)
• Include a brief CV (maximum two pages)
• Include a draft of the three items required for the Leverhulme application: list of major publications (max one side); statement of current research (max 250 words); detailed research proposal (max two sides, including references)
• Two letters of reference required, at least one from outside Cambridge; referees should upload directly through the online application system by 17:00 on Friday 16 October 2026
• Specify chosen CRASSH Centre as proposed host on the cover sheet and name proposed mentor and mentor’s department in the ‘Proposed academic host’ section
• Click the Apply button on the CRASSH page to access the online application system (Apply link provided)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are the most frequently asked questions about the Leverhulme Early Career Scholarship. These answers cover eligibility, submission limits, referees, internal deadlines and how many applications CRASSH typically supports.