Expressions of Interest: Research Fellowships at Northumbria

Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (2025 Competition)

Northumbria University is inviting expressions of interest for Research Fellowships from early-career researchers to collaborate on original, exciting, and high-quality research through the Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship (ECF) 2025 competition.

The scheme offers funding for outstanding early-career researchers who have not held a full-time permanent post in a UK university. Fellowships are funded for three years, with research expenses of up to £6,000 p.a.Our collegiate research environment supports a thriving cohort of early career academics, including those who have been supported by Leverhulme and are currently carrying out original research on an array of topics. The university has been awarded over £2.5M from Leverhulme since 2018 and we are looking to support new applications across our Academic Departments.

Applicants should contact a member of staff to establish whether their research aligns with specific areas of expertise within a chosen dept (search staff profiles in our Research Portal). Applicants need to clearly state the innovative aspects of their research and its relevance to the chosen department.

Important - Leverhulme do not fund studies of disease, illness and disabilities in humans and animals, research that is intended to inform clinical practice, or the development of medical or commercial applications. Research where advocacy is an explicit component or policy-driven research where the principal objective is to assemble an evidence base for policy initiatives, is also ineligible.

Eligibility

Full criteria is available on Leverhulme’s homepage; applicants should read this carefully as strict conditions apply, including:

• applicants must hold a doctorate or have equivalent research experience by the time they take up the Fellowship and must not yet have held a full-time permanent academic post in a UK university.
• applicants must hold a degree (any degree) from a UK higher education institution at the time of taking up the Fellowship or hold an academic position in the UK which commenced no less than 4 months prior to application closing date.
• applications from those with a doctorate must have submitted their doctoral thesis for viva voce examination by 4pm on 20 February 2025. 
• applicants who formally submitted their doctoral thesis for viva voce examination before 20 February 2021 are not eligible to apply unless they have since had a career break.

Expression of Interest

EOIs should be submitted by email with the subject header “LVH-ECR 2025, Surname, Forename” to rm.research.development@northumbria.ac.uk by 18:00 on Friday, 15th November 2024

Applications should be sent as a single, combined PDF document, and include:

• a summary (1 page) outlining past and current research, fit to department, and confirmation of discussions with your proposed mentor. 
• a detailed statement (2 page) outlining your proposed research, including objectives, methodology, and intended outcomes (bibliographic references/citations should be included within the 2 page limit). Ensure your proposal aligns with Leverhulme’s assessment criteria. 
• a CV (2 page), including details of any major publications. Your CV should clearly indicate that you meet the eligibility requirements.

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted in late December 2024 to work on a final application with support from our Research and Innovation Services team and a departmental research mentor before the submission deadline of 20 February 2025.

Northumbria University is committed to creating an inclusive culture where we take pride in, and value, the diversity of our staff. We encourage and welcome applications from all members of the community. 

Any queries re process outlined above, please contact the Research Development Team at rm.research.development@northumbria.ac.uk

Best of luck!