Arts and humanities have been given a real boost at the University of Warwick after four researchers were awarded Major Research Fellowships totalling £509,219 by the Leverhulme Trust.

The four researchers from Warwick represent more than ten percent of the national awardees, with arts taking up three of the four awards made to Warwick.

Chair of Warwick’s Faculty of Arts, Professor Stella Bruzzi and Professor Steve Hindle, current head of the University’s History department, have both been given two years funding while French Studies academic Dr Ingrid de Smet and Professor Stephen Houlgate, Philosophy, have both received funding for three-year projects.

Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowships enable well-established and distinguished researchers to devote themselves to a single research project of outstanding originality and significance. The grants will support replacement teaching staff at Warwick while the awardees complete their work.

All four researchers begin their projects in October 2011.

Professor Bruzzi, who works at Warwick’s Film and TV Studies department, which is highly rated by the government’s Research Assessment Exercise, was delighted that arts and humanities at Warwick was being given such a huge boost.

She said: “I am delighted to have personally been selected for a research grant and as Chair of the Faculty of Arts am even more proud that my colleagues are also being recognised for their dedicated work and pioneering research.”

University of Warwick’s Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Mark Smith added: “Warwick has long been recognised as one of the top ten leading research universities in the UK, with the Arts Faculty having a genuinely leading international reputation, and these four prestigious awards further underline its standing.

“I am delighted that these colleagues are being honoured with Leverhulme Major Research Fellowships.”

The four Major Research Fellowships come hot on the heels of a clutch of young researchers from the University of Warwick have been awarded research grants from the Leverhulme Trust.

Dr Giorgio Riello, of the University’s History department, has been awarded a Philip Leverhulme Prize – one of only 25 young academics in the country to be handed the honour.

And a further eight academics have been granted Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships – more than ten percent of the national awardees.

Notes to Editors

The Leverhulme Trust was established in 1925 under the Will of the first Viscount Leverhulme. It is one of the largest all-subject providers of research funding in the UK, distributing funds of some £50 million every year. For further information about the schemes that the Leverhulme Trust fund visit their website at www.leverhulme.ac.uk

For more information or interview opportunities contact Luke Hamer, Assistant Press Officer, University of Warwick, on 02476 575601, or on 07824 541142. Alternatively email l.hamer@warwick.ac.uk.