The Leverhulme Trust has announced the launch of a new £10 million initiative, which will fund 150 doctoral scholarships at UK universities.
The new Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships scheme was launched by the Leverhulme Trust Board in January 2014 as a means to support the future generation of researchers in progressing to doctoral study. At a time of growing undergraduate debt, the Board wishes to ensure that increased indebtedness does not discourage graduates from going on to study for a doctorate.
The scheme will make ten awards worth £1 million to UK universities. Each award will fund 15 Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships at that institution, with five scholarships to be offered in each year of the three-year award. The awards are offered in any subject area in the humanities, sciences and social sciences that applicant universities have identified as a research priority.
Each scholarship is for a fixed sum of £70,000 over 36 months of full-time doctoral study, which will cover maintenance (at research council levels), tuition fees and other research and training expenses. Gordon Marshall, Director of the Leverhulme Trust said: ‘My conversations with senior figures in the higher education and grant-making sectors suggest that the scheme will be warmly welcomed by UK universities. It is to be hoped that it also acts as a stimulus to further investment in the coming generations of researchers by other interested parties.’
The Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships scheme opens to applications in March 2014, with a closing date in September 2014. Successful applicants will be notified in December 2014, allowing recruitment for the first cohort of Leverhulme Doctoral Scholars to begin their studies in autumn 2015.
Full details of the scheme will be available from 7 March 2014.