Deadline: October 16, 2026
The Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships 2026 is now open. Apply to spend time at Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) as a salaried fellow from September 2027 to May 2028.
The Isaac Newton Trust will match the Leverhulme award in support of individuals who successfully apply for Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships to be held at the University of Cambridge starting between 1 September 2027 and 1 May 2028. There will be an internal competition within Cambridge to determine which applications can be supported with match-funding from the Trust. Applicants should also read the guidance provided by the Isaac Newton Trust.
Eligibility
Before applying, candidates must ensure they meet the following criteria:
- A doctorate must be completed by the start of the Fellowship, with the doctoral thesis submitted for viva voce by the Leverhulme deadline (likely to be early/mid-February 2027). Applicants must not be registered for any other degree or qualification when starting the Fellowship, and their thesis submission date must not be earlier than four years before the Leverhulme deadline (likely to be early/mid February 2023), unless a career break due to exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated.
- Applicants must either hold a degree from a UK university or have been in a UK academic position (e.g., fixed-term lectureship) for at least four months before the deadline. Those who began their academic post after October 2024 or have been employed for less than four months prior to the deadline are not eligible unless they meet continuous employment criteria.
- Applicants with three or more years of postdoctoral research experience focusing on independent research are not eligible.
- Candidates must not have previously held a full-time permanent academic position at a UK university or equivalent institution, nor can they hold such a post during the Early Career Fellowship. The Trust will consider candidates with permanent roles that do not involve research. Additionally, individuals receiving a stipendiary Fellowship cannot hold it alongside the Early Career Fellowship.
The full details of the Leverhulme Trust’s eligibility rules and application procedure should be consulted before applying.
Applications
Applications are invited from candidates wishing to hold a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship at one of the following Centres within CRASSH:
- Centre for Geopolitics
- Cambridge Digital Humanities
- Centre for Pandemic Risk Management
Please note that CRASSH will be supporting applicants through these Centres. Applicants should submit the following materials through the online application system by 12:00 noon on Friday 16 October 2026:
- A completed cover sheet (download).
- A brief CV (maximum two pages).
- A draft of the three items required for the Leverhulme application:
- A list of your major publications (maximum one side).
- A statement of your current research (maximum 250 words).
- A detailed research proposal (maximum two sides, including references).
We also require two letters of reference, at least one of which should come from outside Cambridge. These letters should come from two of the three referees who will support your eventual application to the Leverhulme Trust if you are selected. Referees should upload their letters directly through the online application system by 17:00 on Friday 16 October 2026.
Applicants should specify which participating CRASSH Centre they wish to be hosted by in the following ways:
- Listing their chosen Centre as their proposed host within CRASSH on the cover sheet.
- Naming their proposed mentor and the mentor’s department in the “Proposed academic host” section.
It is possible for applicants to have a mentor based in another Department or Faculty while holding their fellowship within one of the participating CRASSH Centres; the mentor does not need to have an existing affiliation with that Centre.
Successful applications clearly articulate why the chosen Centre provides the ideal research environment for the proposed project, highlighting its expertise, interdisciplinary strengths, and how the fellowship would benefit from being based there.
Please note that overlength applications will not be considered.
For more information, visit CRASSH.
