Horizons Academy Crucible Programme
The Horizons Academy Global Crucible programme has been designed to bring researchers from different universities and disciplines together to collaborate beyond their current networks.
Participants are encouraged to engage with each other, in small groups and one-to-one, to encounter new ideas, ways of thinking and different approaches, and to develop new research directions and collaborations.
This will be the fourth and final round of the Global Crucible programme supported by a generous donation from David Fine.
For this final round, our in-person lab will be taking place in Johannesburg rather than Leeds. This is because the focus will be with our partner, the University of Witwatersrand.
In addition, some colleagues may want to attend the South African Chemical Institutes 45th National Convention which immediately follows lab 2. David Fine, the sponsor of this programme, will be the Entrepreneur Keynote Speaker.
What is the Crucible Programme?
The Global Crucible is a programme of activities enabling researchers to develop their interdisciplinary skills and understanding, build new networks, develop innovative interdisciplinary ideas and research directions, and improve the visibility of their profile and research. This takes place over three workshops (called labs) over the period of several months.
There are a range of additional optional activities available to participants at the end of the lab part of the programme, participants can apply:
- For pump priming to support the development of their ideas and newly forming collaborations
- To join our interdisciplinary mentoring programme to support their ongoing development
- For exchange visit funding to spend a week in a partner institution to further build collaborations
The first and last labs will be held online. The second lab will bring all participants together for several days at University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. Participants are expected to attend all three labs.
The labs offer a mix of activities such as
- talks
- experiential activities
- facilitated sessions
- dedicated collaboration opportunities
They have been designed to provide participants with time and space, away from their usual work environment, to explore new ways of thinking about their research, consider approaches to research by different disciplines and opportunities to meet similarly-motivated researchers.
At the end of the programme, participants can expect to have developed their understanding of interdisciplinary research, will have built confidence in engaging with researchers from different disciplines while expanding their network, and will have new perspectives and ideas to take forward.
Who is it for?
The Crucible Programme is open to researchers across early and mid-career stages who want to build their professional networks, work with researchers in other disciplines and explore interdisciplinary approaches to their research.
We are looking to recruit researchers from all disciplines who have an interest in interdisciplinary research. Reciprocal and mutual learning are essential to the Crucible Programme. Participants should be open to transforming their discipline and ways of working through collaboration with those from outside their discipline.
We’re looking for participants who are interested in developing their research leadership and collaboration skills and who are enthusiastic about developing novel research by integrating methods, approaches, and datasets in new and innovative ways.
To be eligible to apply you should:
- Have at least three years post-doctoral experience
- Be employed by your host university until July 2026 (eligible host universities are: University of Ghana, University of Leeds, University of Pretoria, University of Witwatersrand)
- Be able to attend all three of the labs (exact dates are provided below)
How we define early- and mid-career researchers
We define an early-career academic as someone who is either:
- Within eight years of their PhD award, or equivalent professional training
- Within six years of their first academic appointment (the first full or part time paid employment contract that lists research or teaching as the primary functions)
We define a mid-career academic as someone who is either:
- Within 15 years of their PhD award, or equivalent professional training
- Within 15 years of their first academic appointment
What the Crucible Programme looks like
The Crucible Programme runs over three dates in a mix of online and in person labs.
Participants should attend all three of the labs. Please do not apply to the Crucible Programme if you cannot attend all three labs as places are limited and attending all three ensures maximum benefit to all participants.
The dates for these are:
- Lab 1 (online): Tuesday 21 October 2025 (10am – 3pm GMT+1)
- Lab 2 (in person, in South Africa): Tuesday 25 to Friday 28 November 2025
- Lab 3 (online): Tuesday 13 January 2026 (9am – 2pm GMT)
The optional additional activities of mentoring, pump priming and exchange visits will be available after the third lab. Their details and requirements will be communicated to participants during the third lab in January.
What are the costs?
We anticipate there being no costs to participants from attending the online labs 1 and 3.
The Horizons Institute will cover the following travel and subsistence expenses for all participants relating to the in-person lab 2 in South Africa in November 2025, including:
- Economy-class flight fare / train fare to South Africa (for University of Leeds and University of Ghana participants)
- Local transport costs within South Africa
- Accommodation for up to 7 days (for University of Leeds and University of Ghana participants)
- Accommodation for 2 nights for University of Witwatersrand and University of Pretoria participants)
- Costs associated with visa applications
- Travel Insurance if that is not provided by your own institution as routine
- Costs of food not provided with accommodation, or during the lab, and local transport such as taxis
The benefits of taking part
In addition to the opportunity to meet new researchers while building their network, participants can expect to:
- Strengthen their understanding of interdisciplinary research
- Develop new insights into different research areas and new approaches to research
- Develop new ideas and directions for their research, and potentially win pump-priming funding to develop these to the next stage
Previous Crucible participants have reported the following benefits from participation:
- Increased confidence in talking about their research with non-experts and those from other disciplines
- New collaborations and connections – both within their own institution and with others taking part in the Crucible Programme
- New ideas and increased confidence about running workshops as a research methodology or to generate ideas
- Improved communication skills with a wide range of interested parties
- New ideas for group working, collaboration and to accommodate different working styles
- Dedicated time and space to explore issues in more depth, and discuss methods and approaches
As part of our ongoing network building, there will be continued contact with the Horizons Institute and previous cohorts of Crucible Participants. There will also be dedicated networking opportunities with Horizons Platform participants (our sister programme to Crucible) during lab 2.
Optional parts of the Horzons Academy Global Crucible programme
All participants can apply to the Horizons Institute’s Mentoring Programme. This is based upon an award-winning mentoring scheme and provides interdisciplinary mentoring over a period of 12-15 months for participants to continue to build their skills, networks and experience.
All participants who have taken part in all three labs will be eligible to apply for Pump Prime Funding to take ideas and collaborations developed as part of the Global Crucible to the next stage of the R&I pipeline.
Please note, eligibility to receive Pump Prime funding may be slightly different from the eligibility to take part in Crucible. We cannot award funds to participants whose contract comes to an end before the end of the Pump Prime projects.
Participants can also apply for exchange funding, to continue to build collaborations developed as part of the Crucible labs.
Details of all optional parts will be provided to participants during labs 2 and 3.
Information sessions and how to apply
In addition to the information provided here, you can attend an online information session to find out more about the Crucible Programme and ask any questions you may have.
There are two possible dates for you to attend online:
- Thursday 26 June, 1 – 2pm (GMT+1)
- Monday 7 July, 11am – 12pm (GMT+1)
To attend one of these, please email the Horizons Institute team via horizons@leeds.ac.uk stating which of the sessions you wish to attend.
To apply to become a Crucible Programme participant, please email the Horizons Institute team via horizons@leeds.ac.uk to request an application form. All applications forms will be reviewed by a panel and selections will be made to ensure a balanced mix of disciplines and experience, and to ensure those taking part will get most benefit from taking part.
Please complete and submit the application form to Horizons Institute by 11.59pm (GMT+1) Wednesday 20 August 2025.
If you have any further questions, please email the Horizons Institute team via horizons@leeds.ac.uk.