Introduction
The RCUK Global Uncertainties brings together the activities of all the UK Research Councils, including the AHRC, in response to global security challenges. The programme aims to support high quality independent research with the potential to help governments, businesses and societies to better predict, detect, prevent and mitigate threats to security.
Background
The RCUK Global Uncertainties programme is examining the causes of insecurity and how security risks and threats best can be predicted, prevented and managed. Arts and humanities research has a central role to play in the programme through, for example, providing a better understanding of the historical contexts and evolution of conflicts and conflict resolution, the development of cultures, identities, ideas, faiths and beliefs and the representation, symbols, narratives, memories, emotions, language and mediation of conflict and security through different media and creative and performing arts and by providing critical perspectives on issues of rights, ethics, trust and legal frameworks that are raised by security challenges.
The programme seeks to foster collaboration between academic partners and funders and a range of national and international policy makers, public bodies, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and the public.
The Programme
The Global Uncertainties programme focuses on six core areas:
• Ideologies and beliefs
• Terrorism
• Transnational organised crime
• Cybersecurity
• Threats to infrastructures
• Proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) weapons and technologies
The programme will also explore how developments in these areas are affected by environmental change and diminishing natural recourses, food security, demographic change, poverty, inequality and poor governance, new and old conflicts, natural disasters and pandemics, expansion of digital technologies, economic downturn and other important global developments.
The AHRC currently leads on the ideologies and beliefs theme of the Programme but contributes where appropriate to all the other themes. Under the ideologies and beliefs theme it currently co-funds with the ESRC a series of fellowships on Ideas and Beliefs. The AHRC is currently collaborating with RCUK partners in commissioning a new round of leadership fellowships cutting across all the Programme themes.
Some research under AHRC’s Translating Cultures Theme will also be relevant to the Global Uncertainties Programme. Research under some other AHRC themes or Programmes (e.g. Connected Communities) may also be relevant. In addition, AHRC already supports significant amounts of research from across the full spectrum of arts and humanities research through its responsive mode and other schemes that is directly or indirectly relevant to the Programme and can make a significant contribution towards the research areas outlined for this programme. Such research may be invited to participate in Programme networks or activities to to be accredited to the Programme as appropriate. The programme seeks to create opportunities for also gives arts and humanities researchers the opportunity to work with other disciplines and other partners to produce multidisciplinary collaborative research.
NEW Research Fellowships Call
The AHRC, working with RCUK partners as a part of the Global Uncertainties Programme, has issued a £4.5m call the support a new cohort of Global Uncertainties Leadership Fellows. These offer the opportunity for outstanding researchers, from a range of disciplines including the full range of arts and humanities, to develop a suite of activities to maximise the value and impact of the Global Uncertainties Programme, alongside conducting a personal research programme. The call builds on the success of the current AHRC/ESRC fellowships in Ideas and Beliefs but extends the scope to all the Programme themes.
The deadline for Expressions of Interest is 16.00 on Wednesday 28 September 2011 by email to global.uncertainties@esrc.ac.uk.
For further information about the call please go to the Research Fellowship Call page.
Programme Contacts
The Economic and Social Research Council is leading the overall programme on behalf of the Research Councils. General enquiries about the Programme can be sent to: global.uncertainties@esrc.ac.uk.
The AHRC work with the RCUK Shared Services Centre (SSC) to deliver all of our funding activities. All queries regarding eligibility for funding and applications in progress and also queries regarding current awards, should be directed to the SSC team dealing with your subject area using the contacts page.
Find out more
Please see the Global Uncertainties website.
About AHRC Initiatives
This programme is one of the AHRC programmes which opens up opportunities for research that has intellectual and wider cultural, social or economic urgency and that the Council considers is best supported by concentrated investments. It will also assist researchers working on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary areas which do not fit into conventional funding opportunities.