Maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption leave policy

Effective for maternity leave started in January 2017 and onwards.

Doctoral students

Doctoral students are governed by the policies and rules of the institution where they are registered, but subject to these the Trust allows students to take maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption leave. Where appropriate, the Trust will consider requests, on a case by case basis, to pay for the provision of additional stipend.

• Students may be entitled to up to 26 weeks of maternity leave on full stipend and a further 26 weeks of unpaid maternity leave.
• Partners may be entitled to up to 10 days paid ordinary paternity leave on full stipend.
• Partners may be entitled to up to 50 weeks of shared parental leave; this may include paid and unpaid leave, any paid leave being at full stipend.
• There is no qualifying period for maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave, i.e. students can take leave regardless of when they commenced their studies.
• Students may opt to study part-time provided it is at least 50%.
• There is no limit to the number of periods of maternity, ordinary paternity, shared parental or adoption leave that can be taken during a studentship.

Research Project Grants, Research Leadership Awards and Research Centres

The Trust allows Research Assistants to take maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption leave, subject to their employing institution’s own policies and rules.

• After a research award has started, the duration may be extended at no additional cost by an overall total of up to 12 months, subject to prior written approval, to enable work to be completed following delays due to maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave. 
• Requests for extensions should be made to the Trust once the required duration is known and before the grant ends.  
• The grant-holding organisation will be compensated at the end of the grant to cover any additional net costs, which cannot be met within the staffing budget, of paid maternity, paternity, adoption and parental leave for research staff directly funded by the Trust, if they fulfil the relevant qualifying conditions of the employing institution.
• Grant funds, within the agreed budget, may be used to meet the costs of making a substitute appointment and/or extending the grant to cover a period of maternity, paternity, adoption or parental leave for staff (excluding the principal and co-investigators).
• Leverhulme Trust funds may be used to meet the costs of paid maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave only to the extent that it is taken during the original period of the grant or any agreed extension. 
• The employing institution will be responsible for any liability for maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave pay for staff supported by the grant outside the agreed period of the grant. 

Early Career Fellowships

• Early Career Fellows are entitled to take maternity, paternity, adoption or parental leave in accordance with the terms and conditions of the fellow’s employment.
• The Leverhulme Trust will reimburse the university for 50% of the additional net costs incurred during the period of leave.
• Consideration will be given to requests to continue the Fellowship on a part-time basis.
• Requests for extensions should be made to the Trust once the required duration is known.