AHRC Fellowship Scheme

On 29^th January 2009 the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) launches a new Fellowship scheme with an initial annual budget allocation of £8 million.

Based upon a very extensive consultation with the UK’s arts and humanities research community, the new AHRC Fellowship scheme represents a reaffirmation of the AHRC’s commitment to fund the time needed by researchers to undertake world-leading research with impact and to support the career development of outstanding researchers in the arts and humanities.

 The new scheme allows for:

• highly flexible funding for researchers seeking to devote between 50% and 100% of their time over periods of up to nine months to undertake research in any areas within the AHRC’s remit.
• a route for early career researchers, which will provide for mentoring and career development support.
• funding of up to £120,000 (100% FEC) to include research costs and communication, dissemination and knowledge transfer activities to maximise the impact of the research outcomes.

The new scheme replaces the current Research Leave scheme, the last round of which closes on 5th March 2009. The Fellowships scheme will offer more flexible provision designed to add value to QR-funded time and institutional support for research career development, and to complement other fellowship schemes available to UK arts and humanities researchers. The scheme will be decoupled from institutional leave, and so will enable award holders to take up their Fellowship when the research needs to be done, rather than when leave happens to be due.

The new scheme will have a rolling open deadline. The first applications will be accepted from the 1st September 2009 with the first Fellowships expected to start in autumn 2010.

Full details of the new Fellowship scheme will be posted on the AHRC website: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/News/Latest/Pages/NewFellowshipScheme.aspx

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Studentship Competition 2009

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Studentship Competition for 2009 has been announced and the University of Worcester is entitled to submit up to 5 applications for this competition.

The AHRC funds research in a wide range of subjects, from traditional humanities such as history and English, to archaeology through to creative and performing arts such as drama, dance, music, art and design.

The studentship competition includes:

• Doctoral studentships – provides support for students undertaking a PhD.
• Research Preparation Master’s studentships – provides support for students intending to proceed to doctoral study, who are undertaking a Master’s course which will prepare them for doctoral study. The scheme provides support for students in the creative and performing arts who are intending to proceed to doctoral study or to a career in research in the higher education sector, who are undertaking a Master’s course that will prepare them for doctoral study or a research career.
• Professional Preparation Master’s studentships – provides support for students intending to proceed to a career in professional practice, who are undertaking a Master’s course that will prepare them specifically for that professional practice.

Details of all aspects of the scheme, including their value (maintenance + fees), may be found at: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/StudentshipCompetition.aspx.

Please note that these studentships must normally be taken up in autumn of this year, i.e. September/October 2009.

Students who wish to apply for an AHRC studentship for a PhD or Masters at Worcester are advised in the first instance to contact John-Paul Wilson (j.wilson@worc.ac.uk ).

All applications must be made jointly with the University of Worcester.  This means that the student must have been accepted on to a relevant programme.  In the case of a PhD, you may already have begun your study.

Potential applicants will be asked to make a Case for Support, details of which are here, which must be submitted to me by Monday March 9^th 2009.

As noted, the University can only submit a maximum of 5 applications to the AHRC through this competition.  Only high quality applications where the student meets the eligibility criteria will be allowed to go forward to the AHRC.

The applicants who are successful at this initial stage must then go on to complete a full application to the AHRC using the Joint Electronic Submission system.

Please note that full applications for the Studentship Competition must be submitted electronically to the AHRC by Thursday May 7^th 2009.

 Members of staff are asked to circulate this information to students who they think may be interested in this competition.

Taking Liberties Study Day at the British Library, Monday 2 February, 10:00 – 16:00

Join leading historians, social scientists, politicians, campaigners and writers for a day of lively discussion and debate through exploring issues raised in our Taking Liberties exhibition. The study day will offer seminars and lectures which will consider changing constitutional and philosophical issues in human rights, the freedom of expression, subversion and the idea of ‘Britishness’ and identity as well as offering an opportunity to visit the exhibition itself.

 

Key speakers and participants will include Lord Lester QC who is advising the British and Irish governments on the Bills of Rights, Professor Barbara Taylor who is a leading expert on women’s cultural social and intellectual history, campaigner for freedom of expression Dr Kenan Malik and the active human rights campaigner and writer Peter Tatchell.

 

To find out more about the exhibition please visit – http://www.bl.uk/takingliberties

 

To book a place on the study day please contact our box office; http://boxoffice.bl.uk/

Tel: +44 (0)1937 546546      

Email: boxoffice@bl.uk

 

£25/£15 concessions / British Library Conference Centre

AHRC-funded doctoral training scheme, CEDAR (Collaborative Digital Research in the Humanities)

 

The Universities of Aberystwyth and Bangor are running a series of training sessions funded by the AHRC in the use of hypermedia tools. Attendance is free, and a limited number of travel bursaries are available.  See the flyer below for more details.

CEDAR

CEDAR-registration

SRA – Critical Appraisal of Research Findings: The Challenges of Interpretation and Explanation

The contribution of research findings, whether quantitative or qualitative, to the development of scientific knowledge about the social world depends on the quality of their interpretation and explanation. Interpretation and explanation of research findings are, in turn, largely dependent on an understanding of the philosophical foundations of social research. This intensive and highly interactive two-day course, run by the Social Research Association, will introduce participants to alternative philosophical viewpoints, key issues and debates and the resulting challenging questions for the interpretation and explanation of research findings.

Further details can be found at http://www.the-sra.org.uk/training/training1213022009b.htm