THE HUMANITIES RESEARCH BOARD OF THE BRITISH ACADEMY: NEWSLETTER Issue No.2, February 1995 SUPPLEMENT NO. (1) TO NO. 4358 MONDAY, 20 MARCH 1995 THE HUMANITIES RESEARCH BOARD This is the second of the termly newsletters issued by the HRB which is now responsible for the majority of the grant schemes in the humanities formerly administered by the British Academy. The newsletter is sent to all university Vice-Chancellors and Principals, Deans of Arts and Humanities, learned societies and professional associations in the humanities. Our resources do not permit us to circulate it more widely, but please feel free to make copies and to circulate this document within your institution. Copies of the newsletter are also available in electronic form from the British Academyþs Gopher-based Information Server: gopher britac3.britac.ac.uk below the menu item for the Humanities Research Board. HEFCE/BRITISH ACADEMY HRB INSTITUTIONAL FELLOWSHIPS Support for collaborative research The HRB and the HEFCE are launching a new joint scheme to support collaborative and interdisciplinary research in the humanities. The scheme will provide awards to meet the cost of fellowships to support research projects that are linked to institutions' own research schemes and priorities. In this way, the awards will enable scholars in the humanities to develop new modes of research, and to engage in larger-scale collaborative projects. The aim is to enable scholars to benefit from the new opportunities for collaborative research projects that have been opened up in recent years, including developments in Information Technology. It is hoped that the scheme will also help to foster research in minority subject areas. In the initial round of applications, for 1995--6, the scheme will be confined to institutions funded by the HEFCE in England. It is hoped to extend the scheme to the whole of the United Kingdom in 1996. Structure of the scheme Institutional fellowships will normally be awarded to support research for three years, although the HRB may on occasion make an award for two years. The scale of the research projects, and the nature of the collaboration, will vary according to individual circumstances: occasionally, the collaboration will involve scholars in a single discipline, in others it will be multi-disciplinary. Single institutions or consortia are eligible to apply competitively for up to three fellowships. In submitting an application, the institution(s) involved should enter a commitment that, subject to satisfactory performance and progress, it will continue to support research in the areas covered by the project, and the fellows it has appointed, once the award comes to an end. Staffing and Finance It is envisaged that fellows will work on a project directed by a permanent member of the academic staff of the institution(s) concerned. The awards will cover the salary, superannuation and national insurance costs for each fellow but not any indirect costs of employment. Each fellow will be eligible to receive a grant of a maximum of œ5,000 per annum to meet identifiable research support costs. How to apply Details on the application procedure will be sent to university Vice- Chancellors and Principals and research offices in mid-March. The deadline for receipt of applications is 1 June 1995. Please contact the relevant office in your institution for information on the application procedure. If after receiving this information you have any specific queries regarding the scheme, contact Ms Vivienne Hurley at the Humanities Research Board of the British Academy, Block 1, Spur 15, Government Buildings, Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, Middx (telephone: 0181-951 3037). OTHER PROGRAMMES TO SUPPORT RESEARCH The Academy/HRB Guide to Awards in the Humanities and Social Sciences was sent, along with application forms, to university research offices in January 1995. Please contact the relevant office in your institution for an application form and a copy of the Guide. The Guide is also available in electronic form from the British Academyþs Gopher-based Information Server: gopher britac3.britac.ac.uk. If after receiving this information you have any specific queries regarding any of the schemes run by the HRB, contact the person named below at the British Academy, 20--1 Cornwall Terrace, London, NW1 4QP (telephone: 0171-487 5966) (with the exception of the Research Leave Scheme, administered by Ms Leitch who is based at the Humanities Research Board of the British Academy, Block 1, Spur 15, Government Buildings, Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, Middx, HA7 1AZ (telephone: 0181-951 3037)). Research Grants. Deadline for grants up to œ5,000: 30 September, 30 November, 28 February, 30 April. Deadline for grants up to œ17,500: 30 April. Archaeology Fieldwork and Post-Excavation Grants: 31 December (awards up to œ10,000). Applied Science in Archaeology Grants: 31 December. Publication Subventions: 30 September, 30 November, 28 February Learned Journals: 30 November. Contact: Elizabeth Ollard. British and Overseas Conference Grants: 30 September, 30 November, 28 February, 30 April. Major International Conference Grants: 30 September, 30 April. Contact: Joanne Shaw and Elizabeth Agnew. Research Leave Scheme: 13 January 1995 (the date for the next round of the competition, for 1996--7, is yet to be confirmed). Contact: Jane Leitch. Postgraduate Studentships Application forms and the revised Guide to Postgraduate Studentships in the Humanities were distributed to universities in January, together with a letter to Vice-Chancellors reporting on the 1994 competition and the arrangements for 1995. Copies of the letter should be available within your institution. We ask all members of staff who will be involved in the 1995 competition to read the letter to Vice- Chancellors and also the 1995 Guide to Postgraduate Studentships in the Humanities. Copies of this booklet can also be obtained from the British Academy's Gopher-based Information Server: gopher britac3.britac.ac.uk. There are some small changes in the administrative procedures this year, and the deadline for receipt of degree results has been moved from 15 August to 31 July in order to ensure that awards can be made in good time. We expect to receive this year, as in 1994, many more high-quality applications than there are awards available. In particular it should be noted that last year, for the first time in the competition for one year awards, less than half the applicants with firsts succeeded in gaining an award. Deadline for applications The deadline for receipt of application forms is 1 May 1995. We ask university authorities wherever possible to arrange for applications to be sent well in advance of the deadline. Last year approximately 2,500 application forms were received in the three days before the deadline. This not only creates difficulties for the staff handling the forms but it also makes it impossible for them to contact students/institutions before the closing date if there is a problem with the application. Your help in this matter would be much appreciated. The contacts for any queries about the scheme are Mrs Pat Phillips or Mrs Julie Jones at The Humanities Research Board of the British Academy, Studentships Office, Block 1, Spur 15, Government Buildings, Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, Middx, HA7 1AZ (telephone: 0181-951 5188).