Today the Arts and Humanities Research Council announces the launch of a new fellowship scheme with an initial annual allocation of £8 million.
The new AHRC fellowship scheme represents a reaffirmation of the AHRC’s commitment to fund the research time needed to undertake world-leading research with impact and to support the career development of outstanding researchers in the arts and humanities.
The new scheme allows for:
• highly flexible funding for researchers seeking to devote between 50% and 100% of their time over periods of up to nine months to undertake research in any areas within the AHRC’s remit.
• a route for early career researchers, which will provide for mentoring and career development support.
• funding of up to £120,000 (100% FEC) to include research costs and communication and dissemination activities to maximise the impact of the research outcomes.
The new scheme replaces the previous Research Leave scheme, the last round of which closes on March 5th 2009. The Fellowships scheme will offer more flexible provision designed to add value to QR-funded time and institutional support for research career development, and to complement other fellowship schemes available to UK arts and humanities researchers. The scheme will be decoupled from institutional leave, and so will enable award holders to take up their Fellowship when the research needs to be done, rather than when leave happens to be due.
The new AHRC Fellowship scheme has been designed after extensive consultation with over 1000 academic colleagues. Professor John Caughie of Glasgow University, who chaired the academic working group which led the consultation and development of the new proposals, commented: ‘I have been impressed by the constructive, and often passionate, input we have had from the arts and humanities community in developing the new scheme. Over 1,000 colleagues have contributed in some way, including over seventy academic colleagues who came along to our consultation day and over sixty written submissions, from both individuals and subject associations. Whilst there is no doubt that the research time funded through the research leave scheme is highly valued by the community, the consultation highlighted a wide range of ways in which the AHRC could enhance its support for arts and humanities researchers by meeting their needs with more flexible provision. I am delighted that we have been able to take on board many of the most frequently made suggestions for improvement in designing the new scheme.’
Professor Shearer West, AHRC Director of Research said: ‘Today’s announcement continues the transformative role, recognised in the recent RAE Panel reports, that the AHRC is playing in providing flexible funding opportunities for arts and humanities researchers. Dedicated time for research is of crucial importance in generating world-leading research with impact in the arts and humanities. The new scheme confirms our commitment to funding research time and will be much more flexible in terms of the time commitment, duration and the types of research activities, costs and outputs that we can support. I am particularly pleased that we have been able to incorporate provision for early career researchers within the scheme as this was a key need identified in the consultation.’
Professor Philip Esler, Chief Executive of the AHRC, commented 'This new scheme, based on extensive consultation with the UK's world-leading arts and humanities research community, demonstrates the AHRC's commitment to individual research, while offering much greater flexibility in its conduct than was possible with the scheme it replaces.'
The new scheme and will have a rolling open deadline. The first applications will be accepted from the 1st September 2009 with the first Fellowships expected to start in autumn 2010.
You can read an article by AHRC Director of Research Professor Shearer West that talks about the thinking behind the new scheme.
Some key FAQs on the new scheme can be seen here.
ENDS
Media Contact: Jake Gilmore, Communications Manager, j.gilmore@ahrc.ac.uk. Tel: 0117 9876 773.
NOTES
Arts & Humanities Research Council: Each year the AHRC provides approximately £100 million from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from archaeology and English literature to design and dance. In any one year, the AHRC makes approximately 700 research awards and around 1,000 postgraduate awards. Awards are made after a rigorous peer review process, to ensure that only applications of the highest quality are funded. Arts and humanities researchers constitute nearly a quarter of all research-active staff in the higher education sector. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK.