Visiting Professorships - Leverhulme Trust
Visiting Professorships support UK institutions hosting eminent overseas professors to share novel expertise in underrepresented research areas and strengthen the skills of academic staff and students.
Funder: Leverhulme Trust
Due Dates: October 2, 2027 (Closing date, 4pm UK time)
Funding Amounts: £10,000–£150,000 for 3–12 months of visits, potentially spread over up to two years
Summary: Supports UK institutions hosting eminent overseas professors to share novel expertise and strengthen staff and student skills in underrepresented research areas.
Key Information: The UK host academic must apply; the visiting professor cannot submit the application.
Description
The Leverhulme Trust’s Visiting Professorships support UK institutions inviting eminent senior professors from overseas to bring genuinely novel expertise to research areas underrepresented in the UK. The aim is to enhance the skills and knowledge of academic staff and students through expertise not otherwise available within the UK research base. Collaborative research alone is insufficient: the central purpose is the diffusion of skills and expertise.
Priority goes to new or recent collaborations and visits involving a variety of activities beyond research. Proposals should set out a specific, systematic programme that demonstrates the visitor’s academic standing and potential contribution to the host institution. Visiting professors are expected to deliver a short course of Leverhulme Lectures during their residence. The Trust prioritises fundamental investigations rather than research aimed principally at immediate commercial or medical applications.
