Philip Leverhulme Prize - 2025 coordinated bid prize

The Philip Leverhulme Prize (https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/philip-leverhulme-prizes) is aimed at researchers at an early stage of their careers whose work has had international impact and whose future research career is exceptionally promising. The Prizes are designed to recognise and facilitate the work of outstanding research scholars of proven achievement, who have made and are continuing to make original and significant contributions to knowledge in their particular field.

Each Prize is £100k per awardee, and full eligibility criteria can be found on the Leverhulme Trust website: https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/philip-leverhulme-prizes   

Each year Oxford can submit a limited number of candidates to certain subject areas.

For 2025, the University can submit up to 3 candidates to each of the subject areas. Due to the institutional cap, the MPLS divisional office is coordinating an internal selection process for the Chemistry and Engineering subject areas. Please note, in line with guidance from the Leverhulme Trust, subject areas are intentionally broad and nominations will be considered irrespective of a nominee's departmental affiliation.

Please also note that when considering if your research is within the Leverhulme's remit for Chemistry and Engineering, the below two research areas are always excluded:

• studies of disease, illness and disabilities in humans and animals
• research that is intended to inform clinical practice or the development of medical applications

Candidates must register their interest in applying with their departmental research facilitation team who will select up to 3 candidates to put forward for the internal selection process. 

Departmental research facilitation teams must inform the MPLS research support team at research@mpls.ox.ac.uk if they intend to submit candidates to the internal selection process by Wednesday 12th February (12 noon).

Please note, if at this stage candidates are only put forward from a single department per subject area, the internal selection process will be managed within departments.

Departments are capped at submitting up to 3 candidates to the internal selection process. If selected by their department to apply, candidates must submit the below paperwork to research@mpls.ox.ac.uk by Wednesday 12th March (12 noon):

• 2-page career history (details of awards, grants and prizes, academic or professional activities, membership of professional bodies, teaching, supervision, keynote conference presentations, etc.).
• 2-page publications list, identifying the four most significant.
• 250-word abstract for each of the four most significant publications. These abstracts should mention how the publication contributes to the candidate’s discipline.
• 400 words on significant research achievements to date.
• 400 words on future research plans.
• 400 words on how the Prize funds would be used and what the funds would enable the candidate to achieve that current funding does not allow.

Decisions will be made by a multi-departmental panel (if needed), and shortlisting outcomes are expected to be communicated to candidates within two weeks of the above deadline.

The deadline to then submit an institutionally approved external application to the Philip Leverhulme Prize will be Thursday 14th May (4pm).

For queries, please contact research@mpls.ox.ac.uk