AHRC Religion and Society Small Grants

The Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Religion and Society Programme is offering approximately eight Small Research Grants. These grants will support projects from less established as well as established senior scholars, and from those wishing to undertake small scale innovative or short projects of up to one year.

The project can be for between £20,000 and £100,000 Full Economic Cost (fEC).

The recently introduced requirements of Impact Summary, Academic Beneficiaries and Impact Plan are compulsory for proposals submitted for this scheme.

The closing date for the receipt of applications is 4pm on the 30th April 2009.

For more information see: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/ReligionandSociety-SmallGrants.aspx

EU Launches Call for Proposals to Promote International University Cooperation (UK)

The European Commission has launched a new call for proposals under its new Tempus IV Programme (2007 – 13). The aim of Tempus IV is to support projects that facilitate cooperation in the field of higher education among Member States of the European Union (EU) and partner countries in the surrounding area. Tempus support two types of actions:

• Joint Projects, which are based on multilateral partnerships between higher education institutions in the EU and the partner countries. They can develop, modernise and disseminate new curricula, teaching methods or materials, boost a quality assurance culture, and modernise the management and governance of higher education institutions.
• Structural Measures, which contribute to the development and reform of higher education institutions and systems in partner countries, to enhance their quality and relevance, and increase their convergence with EU developments.

Institutions and organisations which may participate in the Tempus Programme range from higher education institutions and organisations through to non-academic institutions and organisations such as non-governmental organisations, companies, industries and public authorities. The total amount of funding available for this call for proposals is €53 million and the financial contribution from the Commission cannot exceed 90% of the total eligible direct costs.

Application form is available from the website – must be submitted electronically.

Deadline: 28th April 2009.

For more information see: http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/tempus/call09_en.html
and http://ec.europa.eu/tempus

AHRC and BT Research Networking Pilot Funding Call

Deadline: 4pm, Thursday 21 May 2009

'Digital Heritage: understanding the personal, social and cultural contexts of consumers of cultural heritage'

The AHRC and BT are working together to develop a collaboration to bring together the arts and humanities research community with BT researchers and other stakeholders and partners with an interest in digital heritage to facilitate knowledge exchange and collaborative research. Project proposals to this call should involve BT through for example, provision of staff expertise and/or ‘in-kind’ access to technology and capability. Academic researchers should contact John Seton from BT Research (john.seton@bt.com) to discuss appropriate BT involvement and/or other parties with a potential interest in participating in this call.

The AHRC/BT Pilot Research Networking call is intended to support interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers to explore the theme of ‘Digital Heritage: understanding the personal, social and cultural contexts of consumers of cultural heritage’. The AHRC and BT welcome networks which involve academic colleagues from the arts and humanities and BT staff as well as non academic organisations, businesses and other parties whose interests compliment the aims of the pilot programme.

For more information see:http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/AHRCandBTResearchNetworkingPilotFundingCall.aspx

Times Higher Education Awards - Research Project of the Year

Deadline: 5 June 2009

This will be awarded to the individual or team for innovative research that has a far-reaching impact on its field and has caught, or has the potential to catch, the imagination of the public. It is open to individuals or teams in any discipline at a UK institution. Nominations must be endorsed by the applicants' institution.

• Explain the background to your project.
• Why was the research necessary, and what were its primary objectives?
• Describe how the research was funded, what the work involved and what challenges arose.
• What did the results reveal, and what are the potential wider benefits to society?
• Has it led to other projects or new avenues of exploration?
• Judges will look for evidence of significant or novel results, creative collaborations and imaginative communication of research results.

The awards will recognise achievements in the 2008/2009 academic year and entries will be accepted between 26 February 2009 and 5 June 2009. Judging will take place in June and the shortlist will be announced in July. The winners will be announced at a dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London on 15 October 2009.

For more information and online application form see: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/hybrid.asp?typeCode=352&;pubCode=1&;navcode=98

Fellowship Program Research in Germany for PhD Student - Travel and living costs

The Gottlieb Daimler und Karl Benz-Foundation offer awards of up to £2,300 to enable PhD students working towards a dissertation to undertake a research stay in a German host institution.

A period of study or traineeship at a foreign research institution is likely to represent an important milestone in the career of a young researcher. With its fellowship program the foundation offers both German and foreign PhD students the chance to get acquainted with a different scholastic system and to pave the way, through successful academic cooperation, for long-lasting relationships.

The program is open to all disciplines, subjects and countries. Germans wishing to pursue a research stay abroad and foreign students intending to work in Germany in connection with their PhD may apply. The support provided by the Foundation is for a maximum period of 2 years.

Applicants should not be older than 30, and must have been awarded their most recent academic degree (Master’s degree or Diploma degree) within the last year at the time of the application deadline.

Fellowships are granted for the sole purpose of covering living costs in the host country. The Foundation does not fund tuition fees, materials, supporting staff, stays in the candidate’s home country or outside of the host institution, or travel costs within the research project. Max award £2,300.

Closing date: 1st October 2009 (Two deadlines each year 1 March and 1 October)

For more information see: http://www.daimler-benz-stiftung.de/home/fellowship/en/start.html

EU funding for training and career development of researchers

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Research has published three calls for proposals under the 'People' programme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

Intended to provide support for training and career development of researchers, the calls include:

• Intra-European Fellowships (IEF);
• International Outgoing Fellowships (IOF);
• International Incoming Fellowships (IIF).

The Intra-European Fellowship scheme targets experienced researchers seeking to enhance their individual competence and acquire new skills at an interdisciplinary level.

International Outgoing Fellowships aim to reinforce the international dimension of European researchers by giving them the opportunity to work in a high-level research organisation in a third country.

By contrast, the International Incoming Fellowship scheme is addressed at top-class researchers active in third countries, who would like to work on research projects and share their knowledge with colleagues in Europe. Ultimately, the goal is to develop mutually beneficial research cooperation between Europe and third countries.

To see the full details of the call, please consult the following web address: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/calls/

The deadline for all 3 calls is 18th August 2009

The ESF is inviting Proposals for new EUROCORES Themes

The European Science Foundation (ESF) European Collaborative Research (EUROCORES) Programmes offer a flexible framework for researchers from Europe to work on questions which are best addressed in larger scale collaborative research programmes. The EUROCORES Programmes allow excellent researchers from different participating countries to collaborate in research projects ‘at the bench’. They also allow, when appropriate, colleagues from non-European countries, for example the US, to participate. The Programmes encourage and foresee networking and collaboration of researchers to achieve synthesis of scientific results across the programme, to link to related programmes, and to disseminate results.

EUROCORES Themes are "bottom-up" proposals for the creation of new collaborative research programmes dealing with broad and complex topics which are best addressed through multinational cooperation. Through its annual call for theme proposals, ESF solicits new ideas from the scientific community with a view to creating large-scale European Collaborative Research (EUROCORES) programmes in and across all scientific domains. In 2008, 6 out of 38 EUROCORES Theme Proposals were invited to be developed into EUROCORES programmes.

Theme Proposals must be submitted online.

Deadline for submission: 29 May 2009 (noon CET).

More information on website: http://www.esf.org/index.php?id=50

Free teaching and learning resource for anyone interested in Welsh history

The Open University Arts Faculty has launched a free teaching and learning resource website as part of the OpenLearn initiative. It is aimed at anyone interested in Welsh history. It contains study materials, links to some of the most important institutions that contribute to our understanding of the history of Wales, and a pool of resources that can help you understand Welsh history and the way it is studied.

The site includes videos from the BBC Coast series, audio recordings of seventeen BBC Radio Wales programmes, a case study of David Lloyd George, a glossary of Welsh history and a Welsh history timeline. Some of the material comes from the Open University course, 'Small country, big history: themes in the history of Wales' (A182).

Rob Humphreys, Director of The Open University in Wales said, "This is an open access website available throughout the world. It compliments the Open University’s history of Wales course, and it also fulfils a much wider educational role."

Link to Welsh History and its sources web pages: http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3805

Le Corbusier Open University Study Day at the Barbican

Le Corbusier Open University Study Day
21 March 2009 11am-5pm
At the Barbican, Redgrave Suite, Level 4

Tickets: £20/£15 OU concessions

OU staff and students qualify for a reduced price, which includes admission to the Barbican show: Le Corbusier – The Art of Architecture

Le Corbusier repeatedly asserted that his innovations as an architect depended on his passion for the fine arts and his practice as a painter, sculptor and designer. Is this true and what was the nature of the relationship between art and architecture in his work?

Chaired by Tim Benton, Professor Department of Art History, Open University. Speakers include Christopher Green, Professor Emeritus, Courtauld Institute of Art, Stanislaus von Moos, exhibition curator and Professor Emeritus, Department of Art History, University of Zurich, Caroline Maniaque, Associate Professor at the Ecole nationale supérieure d’architecture et de paysage de Lille and artist Simon Starling.

This event is open to all and the ticket price includes entry to the exhibition.

Part of Le Corbusier: Schools and Families
Part of Le Corbusier: The Art of Architecture

Tickets can be booked on-line.

For more information about Le Corbusier at the Barbican see: http://www.barbican.org.uk/lecorbusier

Art History Study Day at Tate Modern - Constructivism and the Art of Everyday Life

Saturday 28 March 2009, 11.00–17.00

This study day explores some of the issues raised by the Rodchenko and Popova exhibition, including the relationship between art and every day life in post-war Russian constructivist art. Contributors investigate the languages of 'construction' and the move from abstraction in art to social forms in every day life, architecture, theatre, product and graphic design.

Speakers will consider debates about different modes of production in art and design, their role in the construction of social space, and the continuing relevance of many of these themes to the work of contemporary artists.

Speakers include curator Margarita Tupitsyn, art historians Christina Lodder, Brandon Taylor, Steve Edwards, Alexander Lavrentiev and artist Dave Mabb.

In collaboration with The Open University and the Research Forum, Courtauld Institute of Art

Tate Modern Starr Auditorium
£15 (£12 concessions), booking recommended
Price includes entry to the exhibition

For tickets book online or call 020 7887 8888

Research Funding Bidding Training

Bidding for Funding Workshop: The Ongoing Bidding Process
Facilitators: Mike Stewart, Department of Life Sciences and ANO
Venue: Research Meeting Room, 2nd floor, Library
Date: Thursday 2 April 2009
Time: 10.00 am to 2.00 pm (tbc)

The workshop for OU staff will cover topics as diverse as:

• What makes a good bid;
• Building up and managing your bid portfolio;
• What stops you bidding;
• Building a support structure;

The target audience is Early Career Researchers, and all other researchers looking to build up their bid portfolio.

To register:
If you would like to attend, you can enrol directly by using the Staff Learning Management System (LMS): http://staff-lms.open.ac.uk/staff-lms/

Click on View my own Learning and Development.
Click on Search and register for scheduled learning events and waiting lists
Click on Strategy Unit classes.
Click on search
Look for code: SU/R/BID Date: 2/04/09
Title: Bidding for Funding : The Ongoing Bidding Process

Or alternatively please contact research-training-development@open.ac.uk.

The Bidding for Funding Workshop Series
The 2008-09 series of eight Bidding for Funding workshops will provide information and advice on grant writing to researchers at the OU. Each event is stand-alone, and the series will include sessions on the bidding process, identifying sources of funding, the writing process, Fellowships, and collaborative bids.

ESF Exploratory Workshop call open - deadline 30 April 2009

Each year, the European Science Foundation (ESF) supports approximately 50 Exploratory Workshops across all scientific domains.

These small, interactive group sessions are aimed at opening up new directions in research to explore new fields with a potential impact on developments in science. The workshops, which usually last 1-3 days, have a wide participation from across Europe and involve mature scientists as well as young, independent researchers and scholars with leadership potential. The relatively small scale (in terms of people involved) provides an ideal platform for focus on the topic and for all participants to contribute to discussions and plan follow-up collaborative work. Interdisciplinary topics are greatly encouraged.

Awards will be up to a maximum value of 15000 EUR.

Exploratory workshop awards are for events with a maximum number of 30 participants (including speakers and convenors).

ESF funds are intended to cover the costs of workshop activities and travel, accommodation and subsistence for participants.

For workshops to be held in 2010 - Deadline on 30 April 2009 (16:00 CET).

For details of how to apply see ESF website: http://www.esf.org/activities/exploratory-workshops/ew-call-for-proposals/ew-call-for-proposals-submission-details-and-procedure.html

Prof. Giovanni Giuriati presents Performing a Carnival tarantella. A case study from Montemarano

MUSIC DEPARTMENT RESEARCH SEMINAR
2pm on 18 March 2009
in Howard Recital Room, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes
Prof. Giovanni Giuriati (Sapienza Universita’ di Roma)
Performing a Carnival tarantella. A case study from Montemarano, Southern Italy

All OU Staff/Students Welcome

The Seminar will deal with a processional tarantella performed by clarinet, accordion and frame drum in Montemarano, a village in the mountains near Naples. I will draw a comparison between an analysis of an improvisational process based only on the musical text (that I have done some years ago) and a recent analysis that takes into account the moment of the performance showing how the two differ widely in methods and results.

While the first model yielded significant results, in unveiling what I have termed a kaleidoscopic process of improvisation, this kind of analysis lacks several contextual elements that relate in various ways to the act of performance. Among such elements to be taken into account are: interaction among musicians, interaction between musicians, dancers, and the audience, musical composition and stylistic differentiation among performers, relationship with space, micro and macro time scales, physical effort, rivalry and emulation, musical borrowing and reference to external models such as “ballo liscio” and world music, processes of musical and social change.

Such a complex and dynamic kind of analysis, that should not be intended in a normative way, but rather as a reference and a list of variables rather than a self-confined model, and that must take into account both the contextual elements, and the participant observation of the researcher, allows to better interpret the textual elements of the music.

During the Seminar some sound and video examples will be presented to illustrate the case study.

From email from Dr Laura Leante 08/03/09

Small grants to promote research links between UK and Japan

Daiwa Foundation (UK)
The Daiwa Foundation is a grant giving charity which aims to promote links between the UK and Japan. The Foundation awards grants to individuals and institutions in the UK and Japan in all areas of the visual and performing arts, the humanities, the social sciences, science and engineering, mathematics, business studies, and education. A range of organisations can apply including schools and universities, and grass roots and professional groups.

There are a number of grants programmes available. The most relevant to researchers in the Open University are:

• Daiwa Foundation Awards - Awards of £5,000-£15,000 are available for collaborative projects that enable British and Japanese partners to work together, preferably in the context of an institutional relationship
• The Royal Society Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation Joint Project Grants -These grants support travel, subsistence and research for collaborative projects between British and Japanese researchers in the field of science. The grants available can cover all fields of activity, including educational and grassroots exchanges, research travel, the organisation of conferences, exhibitions, collaborative projects between British and Japanese researchers in the field of science and other projects and events that fulfil the objectives of the Foundation.

Next closing date: 31st March 2009

For more information and application form see website: http://www.dajf.org.uk/