Scholarship: Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships - University of Leeds (Deadline: 01.12.2025)

The School of Music at the University of Leeds invites expressions of interest for the 2026 Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship scheme. These awards offer opportunities for outstanding early career researchers to strengthen their experience of research and teaching in a university environment. Full details of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, can be found on the Leverhulme Trust website<https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/early-career-fellowships>.

The School of Music at Leeds represents one of the largest collections of music researchers in the UK. Our primary research aim is to explore the interaction of music with people, cultures and technologies, and disseminate knowledge created through this work to advocate for the historic and continued significance of music in society. Our expertise includes the cultural and historical study of music, music analysis, aesthetics, composition, music technology, music psychology, music and wellbeing, and music pedagogy.

Research in the School of Music is organised into four clusters: Music as Culture; Music, Science and Technology; Making Music, and Pedagogic Research in Music. In the last REF, 93% of our research activity was rated as 'world leading' or internationally excellent', and 100% of our research impact was rated as 'world leading' or internationally excellent'.

Within the University we are one of nine schools in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures, through which we participate in the Leeds Arts and Humanities Research Institute. The Institute provides creates opportunities for collaborative, inclusive, interdisciplinary working for researchers at every career stage.

Those interested in applying for a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship are invited to submit expressions of interest in the form of an outline proposal to the Director of Research and Innovation, Professor Alinka Greasley a.e.greasley[at]leeds[dot]ac[dot]uk by 1 December 2025. Proposals should include the following elements:

  1.  A summary of the planned project specifying research questions, context, methods and outcomes (maximum one page)
  2.  A CV including relevant publications (maximum two pages)
  3.  Evidence of agreement from a School researcher who will act as your mentor with an indication of the way in which the project intersects with research at the School of Music (maximum one page).

Outline proposals will be subject to an internal competition within the School of Music. Applicants who are successful at this stage will receive support from the Faculty Research Office to complete the full application process to the Leverhulme Trust before the application deadline in February 2026.