Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships

Find out about when and how to apply for the Leverhulme Trust Early Careers Fellowship.

Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships 2026

For early career researchers, with a research record but who have not yet held a full-time permanent academic post, to undertake a significant piece of publishable work. These are 3 year fellowships, that provide 100% salary for year one (max £56k) and 50% salary for years 2 and 3 (up to a maximum of £28k per year) and up to £6k in research expenses per year. It is anticipated that approximately 145 Fellowships will be available across the UK.

When to apply

  • The internal application process is now open - the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences is looking to support up to 10 candidates.
  • Applications to the scheme open on the Leverhulme website on 1st January 2026 and closes 19th February 2026.
  • Apply within four years of getting your PhD, career breaks can be taken into account.
  • To apply, you must have a research record but will not yet have held a full-time permanent academic post.
  • See the call webpage for full details

How to apply through the University of Bristol

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Law is carrying out an internal selection process for this scheme:

  1. Potential applicants to identify a potential mentor and make contact with them.
  2. Potential applicants request a blank template of the Leverhulme ECF outline form via this link (if you have any problems accessing the link, please contact rdo-rduk@bristol.ac.uk). Applicants to draft their internal application with the support of their mentor. This outline application is to be submitted, along with a two-page combined CV/publication list, to the relevant School Research Director by Monday 12 November, 10am.
  3. Schools to review drafts and make nominations by Wednesday 19 November, 10 am.
    • Most Schools can nominate up to two candidates to Faculty. The School of Humanities and UoB Business School may nominate three candidates each. Schools will only nominate their maximum number of applications where all applicants are especially strong and an excellent fit to the scheme.
    • Schools to send their nomination forms along with the internal application forms and 2 page CV/publication list of nominated candidates to alss-research@bristol.ac.uk.
  4. Faculty selection panel to take place. The Faculty will select a maximum of ten applications to take forward. Up to six will be in research strategy priority areas:
    • social justice and inequalities;
    • socio-digital transformation including the ethics and governance of artificial intelligence;
    • creative and cultural industries;
    • policy evaluation and intervention.
    • The Faculty will cover the balance of salary costs for successful applicants in these priority areas, and for other successful applicants the Faculty will co-fund these costs together with host Schools.
  5. Decisions about selected candidates to be communicated to School Research Directors and DREI by Tuesday 2 December 2025.
  6. Schools/SRDs will notify their own candidates of outcomes as soon as possible.
  7. DREI will contact successful candidates to invite them to a workshop on the scheme to take place on Wednesday 10 December, as such, please keep this blocked out in your diary.
  8. DREI Research development will provide additional support and copies of successful bids to the final selected candidates only.
  9. Thursday 1 January 2026 Leverhulme call opens.
  10. Funder deadline Thursday 19 February 2026. NOTE: applicants will be required to submit the application internally one week before the deadline.

Eligibility and further details

All applicants should read the full eligibility notes on the Leverhulme website.

School Research Directors (SRDs)