The three-year fellowship will focus on Apologies, Armed Struggle, and the Transition from Violence, and will commence in September 2023.

These awards are designed to allow distinguished scholars in the social sciences and humanities time to complete a major piece of original research.

Commenting on the award Professor McEvoy said: “I am very pleased to have received this award. With other colleagues here at Queen’s, I have spent significant time and effort in recent years working on various transitional justice related research and impact related programs of work, often operating across several big projects at once. This Leverhulme award will allow time to focus exclusively on apologies and political violence.

“The dissemination component of the grant includes ‘road testing’ some of the ideas through short visiting fellowships at Columbia University, New York and Australia National University, Canberra.

“The plan is to produce a book on the subject as well as a few pieces of work which will hopefully have possible practical impact in framing how armed groups can better address their responsibilities for past human rights and humanitarian law violations. I am looking forward to getting stuck in.”

Professor Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s said: “I warmly congratulate my highly esteemed colleague Professor McEvoy on this prestigious Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship which will allow him to carry out this vital research. Through his work, Professor McEvoy is making a difference to many societies throughout the world which are struggling with a legacy of conflict and violence. I wish him all the best with the research.”