Eight international research funding agencies are jointly announcing their participation in round two of the Digging into Data Challenge, a grant competition designed to spur cutting edge research in the humanities and social sciences.
The four goals of the initiative are:
• to promote the development and deployment of innovative research techniques in large-scale data analysis that focus on applications for the humanities and social sciences;
• to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers in the humanities, social sciences, computer sciences, library, archive, information sciences, and other fields, around questions of text and data analysis;
• to promote international collaboration among both researchers and funders;
• to ensure efficient access to and sharing of the materials for research by working with data repositories that hold large digital collections.
In recognition of the international nature of cyber-infrastructure/e-science, the Digging into Data Challenge will bring together international research teams to advance research and to share their results openly, so that others may learn from them.
The Digging into Data Challenge competition is sponsored by eight leading funders from four countries (Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States):
• The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC);
• The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO);
• The UK Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC);
• The UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC);
• The UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC);
• The US Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS);
• The US National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH); and
• The US National Science Foundation (NSF).
This activity forms part of the AHRC’s Digital Transformations theme activities. More information about Digital Transformations is available under our emerging themes pages.
Detailed information about the call is available in the Request for Proposals document on the Digging into Data Challenge website.
The closing date for applications is Thursday 16th June 2011.
The Request for Proposals (RFP) explains how to apply to the Digging into Data Challenge. Please note that each funder has also produced an RFP Addendum with information specific to their respective rules, requirements, funding mandates, policies, and procedures. Please consult the appropriate addenda prior to applying. All of these documents are available on the Digging into Data Challenge website.
UK Addendum (pdf 169kb)
UK budget form (excel spreadsheet 39kb)
JISC is acting as lead UK agency for Digging into Data, therefore all applications will be dealt with by JISC, according to the UK addendum.
UK Addendum (pdf 169kb)
UK budget form (excel spreadsheet 39kb)
DID website (opens in a new window)
JISC website (opens in a new window)
General E-Mail address for the competition: did@neh.gov
UK Program Officer Contacts:
JISC: Alastair Dunning, a.dunning@jisc.ac.uk, +44 (0) 203 006 6065
AHRC: Pam Mason, p.mason@ahrc.ac.uk, +44 (0) 1793 416063
ESRC: Michael Bright, michael.bright@esrc.ac.uk, +44 (0) 1793 413042, or Audrey Sharp, audrey.sharp@esrc.ac.uk, +44 (0) 1793 413150