Thoughts on BA Small Grants & Fellowships

Jack Carswell in action last week

Last week we hosted a visit by Jack Caswell the Assistant Head of Research Awards at the British Academy. The BA plays an important part in the research funding ecosystem: with the demise of smaller grants from the ESRC and AHRC, the BA is one of the few places where those working in the humanities and social sciences can turn if they want to undertake riskier, explorative research.

This may come as a surprise to many. The BA has something of a reputation as a fusty, traditional funder, a kind of Piccadilly gentlemen's club with an academic veneer. An unfair reputation, perhaps, but one that I've duly exploited for humourous ends in the past.

Grants Factory and Early Career Researcher Network 2016-17

We've finalised the Grants Factory and Early Career Researcher Network workshops for 2016/17. Below is the full list. Events are free, open to all, and refreshments are provided. However, spaces are limited, and offered on a first come, first served basis. If you want to come to any of these sessions, contact me. 

Applying for European Research Funding in the Humanities

Monday 5 December 11.00 -12.30 followed by lunch

One to one sessions available 14.00-16.00

Dr Giancarlo Pichillo

EU funding is a process. At its heart, you need a good team and a powerful network. Above all, you need a compelling idea. Innovativeness, originality, impact, research excellence, feasibility: no EU-funded proposal will lack these basic characteristics. This is a challenge that researchers and scholars engaged with social sciences and humanities need to tackle in order to let our disciplines survive in the current historical context.

Led by Dr Giancarlo Pichillo from the University of Sienna this session will specifically help you develop EU funding applications but also help you to construct better, more confident funding applications in general. Giancarlo has extensive experience of writing EU funding proposals (for example, Horizon 2020, FP7, Creative Europe etc) and project managing EU-funded projects. He is currently, the project manager of "Playing Identities, Performing Heritage", funded by the Creative Europe Programme (Small Scale Cultural Cooperation Projects), coordinated by the University of Siena.

If you are interested in attending the workshop and/or meeting Giancarlo for a one to one session, please contact Lynne Bennett.

Costing a Proposal: what can I include?

Sometimes costing a grant application can seem like a dark art, full of unfamiliar terms, complex algorithms, and strange exclusions. The next Grants Factory session aims to demystify the process, clearly setting out what you can and cannot apply for, how the calculations are made, and how Research Services can help.

It will be led by Dr Andrew Massoura and Dr Jane Benstead. Andrew heads the Contracts Team within Research Services, previously worked at the University of Oxford and has a doctorate in biomedicine. Jane’s background is also in the life sciences, and has been supporting colleagues for the past seven years, in particular those in EDA, KLS, KBS, Economics and SSPSSR. Thus, they understand the pressures and demands of those working in research, and have a huge amount of experience in supporting them to secure the necessary funding for their projects and fellowships.  

The session is free and open to all, and a light lunch will be provided. However, space is limited, so do let me know if you plan to come along.

What's in a Name?

Rotwang in his earlier days

In September the Royal Society announced it would be introducing a new grant application system. Now read on.

A marble-lined room in 6-9 Carlton House Terrace. A liveried footman is serving drinks to members of the Grant Application System Naming Sub-committee Working Group. 

Prof Rotwang (male) [looks at his pocket watch]: Well, we don't seem to be making much progress.
Prof Honeydew (male): I'm afraid not, Rotwang. No names seem to capture the modernity, the thrusting 'now-ness' of the Society.
Prof Banner (male): How about...the Newton System?
Everyone groans. 
Prof Rotwang (male): Yes, thank you, Banner. But I fear that going back 500 years might not speak to many of modernity.
Prof Banner (male): But he was rather good.
Prof Rotwang (male): That's as may be. But I think we've exploited him somewhat excessively already for naming things.
Prof Banner (male): Yes, I suppose so.
Silence.

Grants Factory 2016/17: Essential Elements of a Successful Application

Prof Mick Tuite

We’ve almost finalised the programme of Grants Factory and Early Career Researcher Network events for 2016/17.  More details will be available soon, and a full listing will be in Research Active, which will go out in mid-October.

The first event will look at the ‘essential elements of a successful application’. Everyone’s research is different, but successful funding proposals share a number of common elements. Mastering these is essential if your application is going to get the consideration it deserves, no matter how good your underlying research idea is. This session will look at these, and will provide insights into how to get them right.