AHRC and Interdisciplinarity

Wendy MatchamPortfolio ManagerCreative Arts and Digital Humanities

23 September 2014

AHRC and Interdisciplinarity

• What do we mean by interdisciplinarity?

• Funding Opportunities

• Peer review college and assessment process

Interdisciplinarity

• Interdisciplinarity: Projects that combine 2 or more disciplines that fall within the AHRC remit

• Multi-disciplinary: Projects that include a number of independent disciplinary strands within them

• Cross-disciplinary: Projects that combine disciplines that fall between the remits of 2 or more of the 7 RCUK Research Funding councils

• Cross-National: Projects that include participants from 2 or more countries

• Cross-Sector: Projects that include collaboration between 2 or more sectors

• Increased collaboration with other Research Councils through Cross Council Programmes

• Introduced 4 strategic themes to reflect and allow for the increased frequency of cross disciplinary work

• Funded 4 Knowledge Exchange hubs in the Creative Economy; REACT, The Creative Exchange, CreativeWorks London, Design in action

• Block Grant Partnerships phase 2— consortia bids

• Embedded international collaborations

AHRC Delivery Plan: 2011-2015

Strategic ThemesDigital Transformations – How digital technologies are transforming the Arts and Humanities

Translating Cultures – role of translation, understood in its broadest sense, in the transmission, interpretation, transformation and sharing of languages, values, beliefs, histories and narratives

Care for the future – Looks at the relationship between the past and present and how it can inform the future

Science in Culture – Looks at the reciprocal relationship between the sciences and the arts and humanities

Cross Council Themes and Programmes

Connected Communities – To help understand the nature of communities and their role in sustaining and enhancing quality of life

Digital Economy – To rapidly realise the transformational impact of digital technologies on aspects of community life, cultural experience, society and the economy

Global Uncertainties – Addressing 5 inter-related global threats to security; Poverty, Conflict, Transnational crime, Environmental Stress and Terrorism

Life Long Health and Wellbeing – Aiming to meet the challenges and opportunities of an ageing population

Responsive mode Funding

Research Grants :•Supports collaborative research

•Up to 5 yrs; up to £1m total fEC

•2 main routes including

– standard route

– route for early career researchers

Networking :•Stimulating intellectual exchange across boundaries (disciplinary, conceptual, methodological etc)

•Supports workshops or networking activities for up to 2 years; up to £30k total fEC

•An extra £15k fEC available for international activity or participation from any country/region

Continued….

Leadership Fellowships:•Develop and promote research leaders•Between 6 and 18 months; between £50,000 & £250,000 fEC•2 main routes including

– standard route

– route for early career researchers

International Collaboration:•Research Grants and Networking•Co-I salary can be included within the proposals•No more than 30% of the total cost of the project

Peer review College and Assessment process

• Remit of application checked in the office• 1400 Peer Review College members• Providing peer reviews and acting as panellists• 3 reviews per application • Academic, Technical, Strategic, International, Knowledge Exchange, Non-HEI• PI response• Panel member selection• Moderation or Assessment Panel

Contact Details

Wendy Matcham, Portfolio Manager:-

Wendy.matcham@ahrc.ac.uk, 01793 41 6040

Website - http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

Research Funding Guide - http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/Research-Funding-

Guide.pdf