Pulling the Leverhulme’s levers

The Leverhulme Trust may have a towering reputation, but do not be daunted, says Phil Ward, you just need to know how it works before bidding.

Early-career researchers fresh from their PhDs will quickly clock one thing during funding conversations: academics tend to love the Leverhulme Trust.

Other funders may be bigger, bolder or more ambitious, but Leverhulme seems to sing the song that academics want to hear: it funds blue-sky research without the layers of political varnish. The work doesn’t have to fit a particular discipline or be a collaboration. Grantees don’t have to link with industry or focus on capacity building.