How a PhD student followed the learning curve to win a Leakey Foundation grant
Top tips
- Treat reviewers’ comments as input to improve your submission.
- Stress how your bid matches the funder’s remit, especially in parts that do not align superficially.
- Highlight previous work showing that you are uniquely positioned to undertake the project.
- Ask for feedback from collaborators, peers and colleagues.
The Leakey Foundation is a California-based not-for-profit organisation that funds research related to human origins and evolution. Its research grants offer doctoral students up to $15,000, rising to $25,000 for postdoctoral or senior researchers, to cover research expenses directly related and essential to projects. The foundation issues a call twice a year, with the next deadlines on 10 January and 15 July 2021. Researchers affiliated with an academic or research institution anywhere in the world may apply.