Proposal for shared institutional funding for LECF 2020 in Sciences & Technology
We are aware that PIs and Host Institutions already make substantial commitments to the research costs of LECFs, but we now need to seek your help, so far as possible, to help share the cost of salaries. Trustees are asking PIs and Host Institutions in the Science and Technology Schools to tell us whether the host PI or Host Institution has access to funds that they would be willing to COMMIT to their candidate’s salary support should (s)he be successful at the national level.
Why are we asking this?
The cost to the Trust has risen from £200k per annum to more than £1.5m p.a. over the past 13 years and now ties up more than three-quarters of our annual income. Most of the increase is due to astounding results in recent years in science and technology: this year, Cambridge received 12 of the 34 science awards made nationally by the Leverhulme Trust. Please see data sheet which has been compiled from publicly-available data on the INT and Leverhulme Trust websites and makes the need to share costs very evident.
Will it affect my candidate’s chances if I can/cannot offer financial support?
No. The science & technology selection panels will assess the candidates on academic grounds only; they will not have access to financial information. This information will be available only to the Trustees and only at the point of finally deciding how far down the list of the candidates ranked on academic grounds the Trustees can go in making offers of support for the national competition.
Please note that, if a candidate has been is successful at the national level and you have offered to share some of the salary costs, the INT will depend on you to follow through with the promise and cannot replace your offer from our own funds.
What if I can afford the whole cost (up to £75k over 3 years) of the institutional share?
You may submit your candidate to the Leverhulme national competition without coming through the internal competition. It would, however, be very helpful if you could inform us of any such candidates so that we have a compete record of Cambridge applications.
If you have any other questions about this proposal, please do not hesitate to contact the Director.