The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), in conjunction with the University of Liverpool, is today hosting the first event to look at ways of developing its partnership with institutions through the first round of the Block Grant Partnership (BGP) scheme.

The workshop is being attended by over 60 members of staff from the various universities who receive postgraduate funding through the AHRC BGP scheme. Interactivity will be key to the success of the event and the agenda for the day has been developed thanks to feedback from the universities themselves

In the next four years the AHRC expects to fund over 4,000 postgraduate students through the BGP scheme, and this workshop offers an excellent opportunity for the universities to offer feedback and discuss the issues of note that will allow the scheme to move forward productively over the next 4 years.

Emma Wakelin, the AHRC Associate Director of Programmes, said “This event offers the AHRC the perfect opportunity to review, with our university partners, what has worked successfully so far in the BGP process, and how we wish to develop our partnership with institutions during this first round of the BGP scheme. We will also be working with all institutions over the coming year to address how best to develop successful partnerships for the support of postgraduate students in the future.”

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Notes for editors:

 AHRC Media Contact: Jake Gilmore, Communications Manager, tel: 07970994586

 Arts & Humanities Research Council: Each year the AHRC provides approximately £102 million from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from languages and law, archaeology and English literature to design and creative and performing arts. In any one year, the AHRC makes approximately 700 research awards and around 1,350 postgraduate awards. Awards are made after a rigorous peer review process, to ensure that only applications of the highest quality are funded. 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

 Block Grant Partnerships (BGPs) are awards held by certain Research Organisations (ROs) for a period of 5 years, starting with students commencing their studies in October 2009. Each BGP will include a number of studentship awards and these will be advertised by the individual Research Organisations. A list of organisations holding BGPs, along with the subject areas in which they can offer studentships will be available on our website at the end of March 2009.

 Under the BGPs, the RO will apply for and be awarded studentships under three schemes, which enable arts and humanities students to undertake Master’s-level study or doctoral study at a Research Organisation in the United Kingdom. Please consult the Guide to Student Eligibility (below) to determine whether you would be eligible to apply, and then contact the RO at which you would like to study to find out about their recruitment processes. Organisations may start recruitment before the outcomes of the BGP scheme have been announced, and will have their own timetable, therefore you should contact the institution at which you wish to study in good time.

 http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/BGP.aspx