Early Career Fellowships
Early Career Fellowships support early career researchers at UK universities to undertake significant, publishable research beyond their doctoral work and develop their academic careers.
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Funder: Leverhulme Trust
Due Dates: February 18, 2027, 4pm UK time (Closing date) | September 1, 2027–May 1, 2028 (Fellowship start window)
Funding Amounts: Three years: salary support up to £56,000 in year one and £28,000 annually thereafter, plus £6,000 annually for research
Summary: Supports early career researchers at UK universities to undertake significant publishable research beyond their doctoral work.
Key Information: Host universities must secure individually allocated matching funding from generally available funds before the closing date.
Description
The Leverhulme Trust’s Early Career Fellowships support researchers with a research record who have not yet held a full-time permanent academic post. Fellows undertake a significant piece of publishable research at a UK university with research degree awarding powers. The proposed project must represent meaningful progression beyond doctoral work, rather than a reworking or mere extension, and be achievable within the Fellowship.
The scheme supports fundamental investigations across a broad range of subjects, excluding applied medical research and other specified project types. Alongside salary support, research expenses enable activities such as conferences, research travel, research assistance and laboratory work. The Fellowships aim to develop academic careers, with the hope that recipients progress to permanent positions at the same or another university. Research remains the primary focus; any teaching must relate to the Fellow’s research interests and not hinder the project.
