Information Event: Leverhulme Centres – 14 Sept 2023

The University of Kent is hosting a webinar on Leverhulme Research Centres and has extended the invitation to academic and professional services staff across the Eastern Arc.

Speakers confirmed include, Dr. Stephen Cave, Director of the Centre for the Future of Intelligence (Cambridge) and Dr. Adriana Ford, Centre Manager for Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society (Imperial).

Leverhulme’s flagship funding scheme offers up to £10m over 10 years for UK universities to set up a Research Centre for … “outstanding original research aspiring to achieve a step-change in scholarship.” The choice of research topic is open – with the usual exclusion of studies of disease, illness and disabilities in humans and animals; and research intended to inform clinical or medical practice. The chosen area should be sufficiently large-scale to support an ambitious but realistic research agenda for 10 years; and Centres may be single-site (one university) or multi-site (hub and spokes) – including international universities, where appropriate.

The Leverhulme Research Centre competition does not run to a fixed schedule. However, historically there has been a call approximately every three years. The previous invitation for applications took place in 2021. We are therefore anticipating a call launching late in 2023, with a deadline in 2024.

The universities of Eastern Arc have a strong tradition of interdisciplinary research that should appeal to Leverhulme. Previous attempts at securing Centre funding, however, have been unsuccessful. At this event, we will hear from existing Centres about their experiences of applying for, and running as, a Leverhulme Centre. There will be opportunities to ask questions of the panel and to brainstorm potential Centre ideas.

We hope you will be able to join us for what should be an interesting and useful session.  To do so, please first register via the eventbrite page HERE. Sarah will send a link to the meeting nearer the date.

Do get in touch with Sarah if you have any queries about the event ( s.r.tetley-8@kent.ac.uk )