NEWS
Beyond Text Small Grants and Student-Led Initiatives: FAQs
2 April 2009
Student-Led Initiatives
Please note these FAQs do not replace the AHRC's full guidance on SLIS found here: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Documents/guidance%20BT%20Student-Led%20Inititatives.pdf
What is the deadline for applications for Student-Led Initatives?
The deadline for applications is Thursday 9 April 2009.
How much are SLIs worth and how many will be granted?
The Beyond Text Student-Led Initiative scheme will provide between 10 and 15 awards of up to £2000 towards the costs of setting up a training project, activity or event.
Who is eligible for this scheme?
Applications can be made in this scheme by postgraduate students in the arts and humanities attending a Research Organisation (RO) in the UK, directly funded by HEFCE, DEL, HEFCW or SFC. Applications should be submitted by a lead student.
What kind of research trainingwill be funded?
The aim of this scheme is to support the establishment of innovative collaborative research training programmes, originated by and run for postgraduate doctoral students. The funds are to support institutions in establishing new, or enhancing existing, specialist research training provision for doctoral students in the arts and humanities, in collaboration with at least one other institution. Examples of possible intitiatives are: conferences, research networks, round table events, showcases, knowledge transfer events.
How will applications be assessed?
Some of the main criteria on which applications will be assessed are: fit to programme, intellectual quality, nature of collaboration, benefit to research students, evidence of development to be gained, evidence of support from host institution etc. Please refer to full guidance document.
How do I apply?
Application forms can be downloaded from the AHRC website: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/Student-LedInitiatives-BeyondText.aspx
When will the results of these applications be known?
Outcomes will be announced week commencing 4 May 2009.
Small Research Grants
Please note these FAQs do not replace the AHRC's full guidance on Small Research Grants found here: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Documents/Small%20Grants%20BT.pdf
What is the deadline for applications for Small Research Grants?
The deadline for the receipt of proposals to the Beyond Text Small Research
Grants scheme is 4pm on Thursday 7 May 2009.
How much is a Small Grant worth and how many will be granted?
Funding is available for approximately 10 Small Research Grant projects (depending on the value), at full economic costing of between £20,000 and £150,000 and for a maximum duration of 18 months.
Who is eligible for this scheme?
The call is open to members of the academic and academic-related staff of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) directly funded by HEFCE, DEL, HEFCW and SFC, and AHRC-recognised Independent Research Organisations (IROs). A list of eligible IROs can be found on the AHRC website at: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/IndependentResearchOrganis
ations.aspx
Small Research Grants awards are intended to enable individual researchers to
collaborate with, and bring benefits to, other individuals and organisations through the
conduct of research. This collaboration may involve a Principal Investigator and Co-
Investigator(s), a Principal Investigator and Research Assistant(s) or a Principal
Investigator, Co-investigator(s) and Research Assistants(s) and may involve a single
organisation or a combination of organisations. The collaboration may also involve
people from different research areas, both between disciplines within the arts and
humanities and social sciences, or between arts and humanities / social sciences
disciplines and another subject area. It may involve researchers collaborating with
researchers overseas or with colleagues within other sectors.
What kind of research will be funded?
The Beyond Text Small Research Grants round is focussed on proposals that will help meet the following objectives of the Beyond Text Programme:
• to create an arena for shared debate both within and beyond the academic community on how to use evidence, approaches and methods to generate new questions and issues for those working with performances, sounds, images and objects.
• to develop a body of theory, methods, approaches and case studies which allow for a comparative analysis of issues concerning these questions and themes across time and place.
• to inform and inflect public policy in this field.
To achieve these objectives we would like to encourage proposals that use practice as the primary method of inquiry and investigation; proposals that deal with questions and themes that have a strong historical nature; and proposals that address issues of technological change with a relevance for policy makers.
What makes a good proposal? see details here
- Quality of proposed research
- Significance and importance of the project and the contribution it will make
- Appropriateness, effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed research methods
- A realistic timetable
- Ability of researcher to bring the project to completion
- Dissemination methods
- Will the outputs and outcomes be highly valued and widely exploited?
How will applications be assessed?
Attention to the Beyond Text Programme’s aims, objectives and themes, and overall
quality, will be deciding factors in the assessment of proposals. The AHRC is committed to assessment by process of peer review. At the point of submission, each proposal will be assessed on the following criteria in reference to eligibility and assessment requirements for the Beyond Text Small Research Grants scheme:
• All proposal documents must be eligible under the scheme requirements
• All applicants and named staff must be eligible under the scheme requirements
• The proposal must meet the aims and criteria of the scheme to which it has been submitted
You will be given the right of reply to the reviews received. The PI Response allows you to correct any factual errors or conceptual misunderstandings, or to respond to any queries highlighted in the comments from the peer reviewers. There is a fixed deadline for the PI Response under the Beyond Text Small Research Grants scheme. PI response will take place during the week commencing 27 July 2009. Principle Investigators should ensure that they are available to undertake their right of reply during that week.
All paperwork associated with your proposal will be reviewed by the Beyond Text Commissioning Panel - http://www.beyondtext.ac.uk/commissioning.shtml. The Commissioning Panel will determine a grade for each proposal based on the peer reviews (including technical reviews), PI response and their own assessment of the proposal, and will rank proposals in order of priority for funding. Final funding recommendations will be made by the Commissioning Panel.
How do I apply?
All proposals must be completed and submitted via the Research Councils’ Joint
Electronic Submission System which may be accessed at www.je-s.rcuk.ac.uk. To
submit proposals using Je-S both individual applicants and the submitting
Research Organisation (the one that will hold the award) must be registered on
the system. If you have a query regarding the JeS system or completing the
proposal form, please contact the JeS helpdesk at JeSHelp@rcuk.ac.uk
When will the results of these applications be known?
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their proposal in October 2009.
Further questions?
Any enquiries about the academic content of the Beyond Text Programme, its aims and
themes, should be directed to the Programme Director, Professor Evelyn Welch.
For procedural enquiries about eligibility and the proposal process, please contact the
AHRC.
