Arts and Humanities Research Funding Opportunities April 2017

Arts and Humanities Research Funding Opportunities – April 2017

Internal Funding

Research Development Fund – Strategic Awards of up to £25,000 in order to support pump-priming activities with a view to submission of significant external research funding applications.

See:

Deadline: 11May 2017

Warwick Impact Fund - The Warwick Impact Fund is available to support impact projects that run between 1st August 2017 and 31st March 2020.The purpose of the Impact Fund is to support non-academic impact from leading research, with priority given to potential future REF impact case studies.

See:

Deadline: 18 April 2017

Institute of Advanced Study - The Warwick Institute of Advanced Study is designed to promote collaborative research projects of international calibre and profile across the full range of University Departments, Schools and Research Centres. The Institute offers a number of schemes. Current calls include:

Developing Ideas – deadline: 28 April 2017
Advancing Grants – deadline: 28 April 2017
Delivering Results – deadline: 28 April 2017
International Visiting Fellowships(10 days – 10 weeks) – deadline: 5July 2017
Residential Fellowships (3-5 days) – deadline: 5 July 2017
Early Career Fellowships – 6-10 month part-time fellowships, explicitly targeted at PhD candidates at the University of Warwick whose thesis is under examination.

Next deadline: 12 May 2017for awards starting in Oct 2017 (for those who have submitted or expect to submit their thesis for examinationbetween 1 May & 30 September 2017)

WIRL-COFUND Fellowships – No call at present, next call tba in Autumn 2017
Vacation Schools and conferences– deadline: tba

For further information, see:

Humanities Research Fund –Funding available to academic staff in the Arts Faculty and the Centre for Research in Philosophy, Literature and the Arts to cover activities which take place after 1 August 2017 under the following categories:

a)Pump-priming

b)Conference Travel – up to £500 (available for postgraduate students also)

c)Publications – up to £500 (available for postgraduate students also)

d)Impact Activities

e)Research Applications – modest amounts to supplement grants or to support high-quality projects which have failed to secure external funding.

f)Committee membership of key societies/associations – up to £500

See: further details.

Deadline: 5 June 2017

Office for Global Engagement–

FAPESP-Warwick Joint Fund – funding to implement scientific and technological cooperation between researchers from the University of Warwick and from the State of São Paulo (Brazil) through the funding of joint research projects. See:

Deadline: 24 April 2017

Connecting Cultures Global Research Priority - Connecting Cultures is able to offer grants to support projects that relate to the remit of the Global Research Priority themes (take a look at our Themes).

We are keen to fund networking activities, pump-priming activities that will lead to external grant applications and impact activities. We are open to supporting other types of activity but we do not fund individual research trips or conference attendance. Applications for activities which involve several people at Warwick are particularly welcomed.

There are no further funds for activities taking place before 1 August 2017. However, applications are now invited for activities taking place during from 1 August 2017 onwards.See:

External Funding

Research Fellowships – usually designed to give an individual researcherrelief from teaching and administrative duties in order to complete a programme of work; early-career fellowships also available and usually aimed at those without permanent or long-term posts.

AHRC – Leadership Fellows scheme – 6-18 months of support (or 6-24 months for early career researchers) and up to £250,000 FEC provides time for research leaders, or potential future research leaders, to undertake focused individual research alongside collaborative activities which have the potential to generate a transformative impact on their subject area and beyond. In addition to demonstrating support for high quality, world leading research and associated outputs, proposals must include collaborative activities to support the development of the Fellow’s capacity for research leadership in the arts and humanities. Applicants must have been employed at Warwick for at least 1 year at the point of application and, due to the expectations of the scheme, these fellowships are aimed at those with permanent or long-term contracts.

See:

Deadline: Open dates

Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowships –enable well-established and distinguished researchers in the humanities and social sciences to devote themselves to a single research project of outstanding originality and significance, capable of completion within two or three years. Fellowships are particularly aimed at those who are or have been prevented by routine duties from completing a programme of original research, providing replacement teaching costs and research expenses of up to £6,000 p.a.

See:

Deadline: 11 May 2017 (internal deadline for review is 12 April 2017)

European Commission – European Research Council Advanced Grants- these are significant grants of up to €2.5M over up to 5 years, aimed at researchers who are leaders in their field with a significant track record over the previous 10 years. Grants are based around an individual but their purpose is to establish a research team of postdoctoral and doctoral researchers around a ground-breaking research project.

If you intend to apply for this round, we must start working on this during the Summer Term.

See:

Deadline: 31 August 2017

European Commission – European Research Council Starting Grants – these are significant grants of up to €1.5M over up to 5 years, aimed at researchers with 2-7 years of experience since completion of PhD, a scientific track record showing great promise and an excellent research proposal. Grants are based around an individual but their purpose is to establish a research team of postdoctoral and doctoral researchers around a ground-breaking research project.

If you intend to apply for this round, we must start working on this during the Summer Term.

See:

Deadline: tba but expected to be October 2017

European Commission – European Research Council Consolidator Grants – these are significant grants of up to €2M over up to 5 years, aimed at researchers with 7-12 years of experience since completion of PhD, a scientific track record showing great promise and an excellent research proposal. Grants are based around an individual but their purpose is to establish a research team of postdoctoral and doctoral researchers around a ground-breaking research project.

See:

Deadline: tba but expected to be early 2018 but this could change

British Academy – Mid-Career Fellowships – up to £160,000 FEC to cover 6-12 months of salary costs and modest research expenses to allow the completion of a major piece of work. Applicants should normally be no more than 15 years from the award of their doctorate. For further information, see:

Deadline for outline stage applications: September 2017, exact date tbc

British Academy – Postdoctoral Fellowships - offer opportunities for outstanding early career researchers to strengthen their experience of research and teaching in a university environment which will develop their curriculum vitae and improve their prospects of obtaining permanent lecturing posts by the end of the Fellowship. The primary emphasis is on completion of a significant piece of publishable research, which will be assisted by full membership of an academic community of established scholars working in similar fields. Open to those within 3 years of the award of their PhD. These 3-year fellowships offer full salary and £2,000 p.a. in research expenses.

See:

Deadline: early October 2017, tbc

British Academy – Senior Research Fellowships – to provide a period of research leave for one year for established scholars during which they will be able to concentrate on bringing a major piece of research towards completion while their normal teaching and administrative duties are covered by a full-time replacement. For further information, see:

Deadline: expected to be November 2017

Leverhulme Trust – Research Fellowships – up to £45,000 over 3-24 months awarded to cover replacement teaching costs and/or research expenses to allow experienced researchers to carry out research, particularly those who are or have been prevented by routine duties from completing a programme of original research. Further information available at:

Deadline: November 2017

Leverhulme Trust – International Academic Fellowships – up to £30,000 over 3-12 months to provide established researchers with a concentrated period based in one or more research centres outside the UK. The intention of the scheme is to provide opportunities to develop new knowledge, skills and ideas, and may for example be used for the following:observing and learning ground-breaking techniques or practices; developing new lines of research through overseas collaboration; making "discipline-hopping excursions" into new areas of research; developing innovations in teaching; exchanging ideas. These therefore differ from Research Fellowships in that the awards support a range of activities other than straight-forward research. Applicants should have held a permanent academic post for at least 5 years. Further information available at:

Deadline: November 2017

Wellcome Trust – Research Fellowships - This scheme supports individuals at all stages of their career not in established academic posts, wishing to undertake a period of research. Strong preference is given to applicants with a good prospect of achieving an academic career in medical humanities. Up to 3 years of salary and research expenses support,

See: for further details.

Deadlines: 6 July 2016 (for preliminary applications) with full applications due on 20 September 2016, if invited.

Wellcome Trust – Medical History and Humanities – University Awards - This scheme allows universities to attract outstanding research staff by providing salary and research expenses support for up to five years on a sliding percentage, after which time the award holder takes up a guaranteed permanent post in the university. Nominations must be made by the host institutions. See: for further details.

Deadlines: 6 July 2017 (preliminary applications) & 21September 2017 for full applications, if invited.

Wellcome Trust - Investigator Awards –

Provide flexible support at a level and length that is sufficient to enable exceptional researchers to address the most important questions about medicine in its social, cultural, and historical contexts. £100,000-£200,000 per year over up to 5 years available to support research expenses (including research assistance), research leave, travel, workshops, public engagement.

See:

Deadlines: 4 July 2017 (preliminary applications) & 19September 2017 for full applications, if invited.

Research Project Funding – usually aimed at team or collaborative research, often including an element of teaching buy-out along with postdoctoral and studentship support. An exception to these rules is the British Academy Small Grants scheme.

British Academy - Small Grants – up to £10,000 over 2 years to support initial project planning and development; to support the direct costs of research; and to enable the advancement of research through workshops, or visits by or to partner scholars. See: further details.

Deadline: 24May 2017 for work which commences between 1 September 2017 and 31 March 2018.

AHRC – Research Grants (Standard route & Early Career route) –intended to support well-defined research projects enabling individuals to collaborate with, and bring benefits to, other individuals and organisations through the conduct of research. These grants are not intended to support individual scholarship and therefore must include at least 1 UK or overseas university-based Co-Investigator. Standard route grants may last up to 60 months and provide support of up to £1M FEC. Early Career route grants may last up to 60 months and provide support of up to £250,000 FEC and are aimed at researchers with less than 8 years of postdoctoral experience.

See: or

Deadline: open dates (applications take at least 9 months to assess so should be made at least 12 months prior to the desired start date of the grant)

AHRC – Research Grants(in partnership with the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE) of the US National Science Foundation) – to fund UK-US collaborations falling within the intersection of the remits of the AHRC and SBE Directorate of the NSF. Up to £1,000,000 FEC over up to 60 months available for the UK institution.

See: further details.

Deadline: open dates (for AHRC component – NSF may have specific deadlines)

AHRC – Research Grants(in partnership with the Sao Paulo Research Foundation FAPESP) - Up to £2M FEC over up to 60 months available (up to £1M per funder). Applications must be made in conjunction with your Brazilian partner’s corresponding application to the FAPESP. Applicants are advised to speak to their national funding body representative prior to submitting an application. See: further details.

Deadline: open dates

AHRC - Follow-on Fundingfor Impact and Engagement Scheme– up to £100,000 FEC over up to 12 months for those who have previously held AHRC funding, to support innovative and creative engagements with new audiences and user communities which stimulate pathways to impact. Funds will be awarded for knowledge exchange, public engagement, active dissemination and commercialisation activities that arise unforeseeably during the lifespan of or following an AHRC-funded project. The scheme does not support supplementary funding for continuation of research activities. See:

Deadline: open dates

Leverhulme Trust – Research Project Grants – awards of up to £250,000 over 2-3 years or up to £500,000 over 5 years are available to support research projects involving research assistants/fellows, postgraduate studentships, limited teaching buy-out and research expenses. Further information available at:

Deadlines: preliminary applications accepted at any time (initial decision takes up to 12 weeks); full applications (if invited) 1 September, 1 December & 21 March

ESRC - Research Grants - full economic costs of between £350,000 - £1M for up to 5 years for projects which fall within the remit of the social sciences. Eligible costs include investigator time, research assistants, project students, travel and equipment. Please read the guidelines on the arts and humanities and social sciences interface which can be found at: you are unsure about whether your project is appropriate for the ESRC.

See: further information.
Deadline: Open dates

Wellcome Trust – Collaborative Awards - provide flexible support, typically of up to £1.5M over up to 5 years, to excellent research groups with outstanding track records. Proposals must address important, complex health-related questions in the humanities and social sciences that need a collaborative team effort. Funding can be used to coordinate and integrate activities, build networks, and carry out large-scale potentially interdisciplinary research. The Trust encourages interdisciplinary research collaborations within the humanities and social sciences or with clinical or basic biomedical scientists. Collaborations can be within a department, across a university or spanning a number of institutions and can be international. See:

Deadline: 4 July 2017 (preliminary applications) with full applications due 19 September 2017, if invited.

Wellcome Trust – Seed Awards – provide flexible, responsive funding, of £25,000-£50,000, typically over 6-12 months, enabling researchers in any area of medical humanities to develop a novel idea to a position where they could be competitive for a larger award from the Wellcome Trust or another funder.The exploratory nature of Seed Awards gives scope for the use of bold or innovative methodologies, and a broad range of possible activities: from pilot and scoping studies to planning sessions and meetings of collaborative networks. The Trust encourages applicants who wish to use the grant to develop new approaches and collaborations. See:

Deadlines: tba

Wellcome Trust – Medical Humanities and Social Sciences –Small Grants – up to £30,000, usually over up to 6-12 months to support experienced researchers who wish to carry out a modest programme of study on a specific topic in the medical humanities.The scheme supports the following activities: establishing and developing professional networks; exploring new areas of research; increasing the impact of your work.You must propose a programme of events or activities, not one-off events or activities.See: further details.

Deadline: open dates

European Commission: Horizon 2020

The bulk of the European Commission’s research funding has been allocated under their Framework Programmes. The current tranche of research funding is now being administered under the title ‘Horizon 2020’. H2020 is split into 3 strands:

Excellent Science (includes Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions, European Research Council (ERC), European Research Infrastructures and Future and Emerging Technologies)
Industrial Leadership (includes Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies, Access to risk finance, Innovation in SMEs)
Societal Challenges(large, thematic projects, topics for which are set by the Commission)

Most deadlines are annual, so if you have missed this year’s deadline, there is likely to be another the year after.

Opportunities for arts and humanities scholars will be largely under Excellent Science (particularly Marie Curie and ERC) and also under Societal Challenges (particularly under the challengeentitled ‘Europe in a changing world - Inclusive, innovative and reflective societies’ a.k.a. Societal Challenge 6)

Societal Challenge 6 - Calls will usually be either for research and innovation actions (research projects) or for coordination and support actions (networking activities). Projects will typically, but not always, have budgets of €2-4M, with multiple partners. General information on the themes and types of funding available can be found at:

The next round of calls will be announced over the Summer.

Please note also that most projects will have to include a minimum number of partners from different EU or Associated State countries, and some may require partners from specific countries.This will differ from call to call. You may choose to lead a project or simply be a partner in a project led by another institution.

Since these applications take a lot of time and effort to put together, it is important to start putting the project together as soon as the call is announced. There are likely to be several topics in the next published Work Programme that would be of interest to members of the Arts Faculty so I would strongly urge you to look at these once the Work Programme is published and be in touch if you are interested in applying.

I would strongly advise those contemplating the submission of a major European proposal over the next couple of years to sign up to be a Commission reviewer. This is an excellent way to understand the way that the Commission works, to make contacts with Commission staff and to see what makes a good (and bad!) proposal, in the Commission’s eyes. To register as a reviewer, please go to:

Networking/conference organisation funding – usually aimed at supporting a programme of networking activities but occasionally available to fund a single event.