News: Highlight notices continued in 2012
The highlight notices in AHRC’s Networking and Fellowships schemes for AHRC’s four Emerging Themes and the Connected Communities Programme continue to operate in 2012. The highlight notice in the revised Fellowship scheme will run until 31 December 2012. The highlight notice in the networking scheme will end on 31 July 2012. We expect to introduce a different highlight notice in the networking scheme from August 2012 addressing other strategic areas within AHRC's Delivery Plan.
Descriptions of the four Emerging Themes have been updated in the light of advice from the working groups set up to advise on the development of each of the themes. We hope that these revised versions further highlight the range of opportunities for a broad range of arts and humanities research under the themes, as well as providing a clearer picture of areas being developed under the themes.
The supplements to the highlight notices issued in May 2011 also remain in operation. These provide some examples of the international collaborative opportunities under the Emerging Themes and Connected Communities programme.
In extending the highlight notices, we have agreed to make supplementary funds available from thematic budgets to support additional highly rated applications under these schemes which address the highlighted areas and which might not otherwise have secured funding from within existing budgets.
What are highlight notices?
Highlight notices are intended to stimulate proposals under specified themes or initiatives, in order to rapidly advance thinking in these areas. Usually, highlight notices are offered as opportunities within existing AHRC research schemes and are therefore assessed under the same criteria and assessment process. This is an opportunity for the arts and humanities research community, working in partnership with other individuals and organisations, to shape the development of themes and initiatives by identifying new, emerging areas of research.
Applicants are encouraged to make the most of the flexibility offered by the standard AHRC research schemes to stimulate creative and innovative ideas and approaches under emerging themes and initiatives. To encourage this, descriptions of these themes and initiatives are usually intended to guide inquiry rather than prescribe individual research topics.
Proposals relevant to the highlight notice can be submitted at any time while the highlight notice is in effect, and will be assessed alongside standard proposals using the same criteria. All proposals will be assessed on their quality and individual merits. Although, proposals addressing the highlight notice will not be given priority in the assessment or ranking of applications, supplementary funding may be made available to support additional highly rated applications addressing the highlight notices that may not have otherwise been funded under the existing scheme budgets. As a result, applications addressing highlight notices may have an increased chance of funding, but only if they fully meet the excellence criteria for the scheme and high international standards of scholarship, originality, quality and significance as judged through peer review.
It is hoped, that successful proposals addressing the highlight notice will help to build capacity for the themes and inform their future development, for example, by feeding back progress to the relevant subject team at the AHRC, AHRC representatives attending events related to the award or through coordinated activities organised by the AHRC. They will also be expected to produce a short report at the end of the award summarising the outcomes of the work undertaken and the potential for the future development of the theme(s), for example by highlighting potential innovative new multi-disciplinary research, partnership or knowledge exchange opportunities under the theme(s).
Current funding opportunities
This highlight notice applies to the following funding opportunities:
- Research Networking
- Fellowships
We are expecting to introduce a highlight notice in AHRC’s Grants Scheme (standard and early career routes) in the near future on the theme of historical approaches to environmental change, as a part of the Care for the Future Theme.
The highlight notice for the revised Fellowship scheme will continue throughout 2012 (applications received by 31 December 2012) and the highlight notice in the networking scheme for the four Themes and Connected Communities will end on 31 July 2012.
Please see further information below.
Research Networking scheme
The purpose of the highlight notice is to stimulate the development of innovative boundary-crossing proposals under the Research Networking Scheme which are relevant to the four new AHRC research themes that emerged from the Future Directions consultation:
and to the new AHRC-led cross-Council Programme on:
- Connected Communities.
For further details about these themes or the Connected Communities Programme please click on the links above.
Details of the Research Networking Scheme, its aims, assessment criteria and application requirements can be found on the funding opportunity page and in the 
AHRC Research Funding Guide (pdf 919kb).
The Research Networking Scheme remains entirely open to proposals addressing any topic and proposals to the scheme do not need to address any of these themes.
Additional information for proposals applying under the highlight notice (to be read in conjunction with the AHRC Research Funding Guide pdf 919kb).
Applicants wishing to submit a proposal in response to the highlight notice, should include a paragraph at the beginning of their Case for Support outlining which theme (or themes) they are addressing and how they envisage their research could contribute towards it. Within the Case for Support, full details should be given of who will be involved in the project, including any collaborative partners and how the theme (or themes) will be addressed.
Fellowships scheme
The purpose of the highlight notice is to stimulate the development of innovative collaborative proposals under the Fellowships scheme which are relevant to the four new AHRC research themes that emerged from the Future Directions consultation:
and to the new AHRC-led cross-Council Programme on:
- Connected Communities.
In line with the emphasis on leadership development in the revised Fellowships scheme, Fellows appointed under the highlight notice will be expected to play a significant role within the relevant theme (or across themes). Applicants should consider how they might work with other researchers under the theme(s) to lead the development of particular areas or sub-tropics, for example, through networking activities, developing international or cross-disciplinary collaborations or leading knowledge exchange or dissemination activities.
Applications under the Fellowships highlight are expected to take full advantage of the opportunities under the revised Fellowship scheme for supporting collaborative activities. For example, to work collaboratively with other research teams or disciplines (including the sciences), internationally or with partners outside Higher Education Institutions (HEI) (for example, with policy, community, cultural or voluntary organisations) and to work in different settings or contexts and/or to immerse themselves in a different cultural, academic or organisational environment or community.
For further details about these themes or the Connected Communities Programme please click on the links above.
Details of the Fellowships Scheme, its aims, assessment criteria and application requirements can be found in the AHRC Research Funding Guide (pdf 919kb).
The Fellowships Scheme remains entirely open to proposals addressing any topic and proposals to the scheme do not need to address any of these themes.
The highlight notice in the fellowships scheme will remain in place until the end of December 2012. We will make a further announcement about highlight notices in the fellowships scheme in the autumn of 2012.
Additional information for proposals applying under the highlight notice (to be read in conjunction with the AHRC Research Funding Guide pdf 919kb).
Proposals addressing the themes outlined in the highlight call can be submitted to both the standard and early career routes of the Fellowships scheme. Further details of the scheme can be found on the following pages of our website:
Fellowships standard route: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/Fellowships.aspx
Fellowships early career route: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/Fellowshipserc.aspx
Applicants wishing to submit a proposal in response to the highlight notice should include a paragraph at the beginning of their Case for Support outlining which theme (or themes) they are addressing and how they envisage their research could contribute towards it. Within the Case for Support, full details should be given of who will be involved in the project, including any collaborative partners, how the theme will be addressed and the fellow envisages playing a leadership role in support of the development of the theme (or themes).
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.