The award recognises his research on the economic sociology of austerity, welfare states and international financial institutions. He is one of 30 researchers in the UK to receive this year’s prize.
Professor Thomas Stubbs, from Royal Holloway’s Department of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy, has been awarded a 2026 Philip Leverhulme Prize. The prizes are open to researchers who received their doctorate within the last ten years.
The Leverhulme Trust gives the prizes to researchers whose work already has international recognition and whose future careers are exceptionally promising. This year’s 30 winners were chosen from more than 400 nominations across six subject areas. Professor Stubbs is one of five winners in Sociology and Social Policy.
His prize recognises his work on the economic sociology of austerity, welfare states, social protection and international financial institutions. His research looks at how decisions made by global lenders and national governments affect the social protections people rely on.
Each prize is worth £100,000 over two to three years. Winners can use the money for any purpose that advances their research.
Professor Stubbs said: “I'm delighted to receive this prize, which is a wonderful recognition of the research I've undertaken with colleagues over the past decade. Much of that work has examined how the policies of international financial institutions, particularly the IMF, shape public spending, inequality, and social protection. These decisions can seem remote and technical, but they have profound consequences for people's everyday lives. Understanding those consequences is especially important at a time when many countries face mounting debt pressures and renewed demands for austerity.
“The prize will allow me to take this research in a new direction, moving beyond the policies themselves to examine how economic adjustment reshapes societies. Through fieldwork in Ghana and Kenya, I'll investigate how households cope with economic hardship, how communities and civil society organisations provide support, and how public institutions respond. Ultimately, I hope to develop a better understanding of how people and societies navigate economic crises, and the forms of social protection that emerge in response.”
The Philip Leverhulme Prizes are now in their 25th year. The scheme commemorates Philip, Third Viscount Leverhulme, grandson of the Trust’s founder William Lever. The Trust will publish detailed citations for each winner on its website in due course.
