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AHRC Research Fellowships

Phil Ward Research Funding Manager October 2009. AHRC Research Fellowships. Background. AHRC Established as AHRB in 1998 Became a Council in 2005 ‘Individual Scholarship’ Previously covered by ‘Research Leave’ Scheme Most popular of AHRC’s schemes But outlived its usefulness?

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AHRC Research Fellowships

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  1. Phil Ward Research Funding Manager October 2009 AHRC Research Fellowships

  2. Background • AHRC • Established as AHRB in 1998 • Became a Council in 2005 • ‘Individual Scholarship’ • Previously covered by ‘Research Leave’ Scheme • Most popular of AHRC’s schemes • But outlived its usefulness? • Originally intended to encourage participation • But funding work which should come under block grant • High level of non-completion • Need to be distinctive from BA, Leverhulme and others • AHRC more strategic than AHRB • Review 2007-08: ‘Individual Scholarship Working Group’ • Considered several options, including early career fellowships, travelling fellowships, research development grants, research completion grants • Consultation meetings broadly encouraged a more flexible scheme

  3. Fellowship Scheme - Introduction • Announced in Jan 2009 • Same funding as for RLS: £8m • Last RLS March 2009 (NB Success rate 19%) • Guidance published end of May • JeS form available mid-June; open deadline from 1 Sept • First Fellowships due to start in autumn 2010

  4. Fellowship Scheme – Basic Details • Up to £120,000 (100% FEC) • Flexibility, to cover 50-100% of time • 3 - 9 months • A route for early career researchers, to incl. mentoring and career development support • Submit anytime • Assessment 30 weeks • Earliest start date 9 months after submission • No later than 18 months after submission • 4 panel meetings a year; budget split equally

  5. Fellowship Scheme – Early Career • Same upper limit and duration and assessment time • But can also request ‘mentor’ costs • Success rate ‘slightly higher’ than standard route • But funding not ringfenced • Aim ‘to work in partnership with institutions to support career development’ • ‘mentor statement’ • Eligibility: • NB Funding Guide wrong: don’t have to have completed probationary period • <8 yrs of the award of PhD or equivalent, or: • <6 yrs of first appointment • >1 yr post doc experience

  6. Fellowship Scheme – More Detail • Your time: • Can’t do teaching/admin during funded Fellowship • but can do some pg supervision • Can support a wide range of activities • As long as they ‘lead to significant specified research and other outputs’ by end of award period • Research should be at ‘well-developed stage’ • Should not be ‘new’ research • Should include communication/dissemination plans • Need to demonstrate ‘institutional commitment’ • HoD statement saying your fellowship would fit with HEI/Dept research strategy • What support there is for individual • eg travel grants, network costs, training, mentoring, linked institutional leave, etc • Important criterion

  7. Review – New Panels • No standing peer review panels • Now 4 ‘ad-hoc’ panels (A-D) meeting quarterly • Membership taken from Peer Review College • Approx 12, chaired by more experienced member • Each application has two ‘introducers’ • Panel don’t assess, but moderate between reviews • Final grade based on reviews & PI response • Reviews/response much more important • Min 3 reviews • Quality of reviews checked • PI given more response time

  8. Review – New Panels • Panel A: • History, Law, Philosophy, Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies • Panel B: • Architecture, Community Arts (including Art and Health), Cultural Policy & Arts Management, Creative Writing, Dance Studies, Design, Drama and Theatre studies, Media, Music, Visual Arts • Panel C: • Arts History, Conservation of Art and Textiles, Dictionaries and Databases, Cultural Geography, Archaeology, Classics, Librarianship, Information & Museum Studies • Panel D: • Journalism, Media and Communication Studies, American Studies, Cultural Studies and Popular Culture, Gender and Sexuality, Life writing, Literary and Cultural Theory, Post-Colonial Studies, Textual editing and Bibliography, English Language and Literature, Linguistics, Modern Languages

  9. Review - Grading • new grading scale of 6 (best) to 1 • 6 – It should be funded as a matter of the very highest priority • 5 - It should be funded as a matter of priority, but does not merit the very highest priority rating • 4 - It is suitable for funding • 3 - It is not recommended for funding • 2 - It is not suitable for funding (inconsistent quality) • 1 - It is not suitable for funding (unsatisfactory level of originality, quality and significance) • funding line should fall within the ‘5’ category

  10. Review - Sifting • Stage 1 (after submission): • Applicant must be eligible, • Application must be eligible, and meet aims & objectives of the scheme • Stage 2 (after review): application rejected if 2 or more reviews of grade 1-3

  11. Looking Forward • Budget Cuts • £106m cut to RCUK, to be “re-invested to support key areas of economic potential” • ‘Emerging Challenges’ • Connected Communities • AHRC ‘will undertake a leadership role’ • Food Security • Fostering Recovery & Enhancing Resilience • Change of CEO • Prof Rick Rylance started in September • ‘Future Directions for Arts & Humanities Research’ • Consultation

  12. ‘Future Directions for Arts & Humanities Research’ • ‘Arts & Humanities Research Landscape’ • Discussion paper • Looked at • Strategic: ‘leadership role’ • Interdisciplinary • Impact • International collaborations • Public understanding • Early career support – postdocs • Knowledge transfer • ‘large facilities’ funding? • Closed in May; ‘Themes’ identified • Further consultation in August • Themes identified: • Digital Humanities • Translating Cultures • Care for the Future • Art of Science: Knowledge & Creativity

  13. In Summary: AHRC increasingly strategic • ‘Leader’ of sector • Identify themes, advocate on behalf of community • Responding to govt • ‘Impact’ more and more important • Policy priorities • Wanting to be like other RCs • Adopting systems used by them • ‘team’ research • Schemes for every stage of career • Managed Programmes

  14. Sources of Information • AHRC Funding Guide: • http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Documents/Research%20Funding%20Guide.pdf • Fellowship FAQs: • http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Documents/Fellowships%20Q%20and%20A.pdf • Fellowships: • Standard: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/Fellowships.aspx • Early Career: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/Fellowshipserc.aspx • JeS Form: https://je-s.rcuk.ac.uk/Jes2WebLoginSite/login.aspx

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