Aspiring Academics Workshop Research Funding Dr Mathew Guest

Aspiring Academics Workshop: Research Funding Dr Mathew Guest Department of Theology and Religion Durham University

Summary of recent key shifts in HE sector • Higher levels of competition (market model) • More emphasis on wider (including cultural) engagement • Collaboration and collegiality increasingly important 24 February 2021 2

Funding Opportunities in the Arts and Humanities Ph. D studentships Postdoctoral fellowships Externally awarded research grants All important factors in academic recruitment and hence in career planning Success in winning funding facilitates your research AND enhances your employability as academics 24 February 2021 3

Sources of Funding • The Arts and Humanities Research Council • The British Academy • The Economic and Social Research Council • The Leverhulme Trust • European Research Council (and other EU funded initiatives) • Charitable trusts (e. g. Religious charities) • Stakeholder funding – seeking support from parties interested in your research • Universities (seed corn funding) • International Funding Bodies (e. g. Templeton Foundation) • Government bodies (e. g. Dept of Education and Skills) 24 February 2021 4

Themed Programmes E. g. Religion and Society Programme (AHRC/ESRC funded) Phase 2 launch conference: 53 participants, projects presented, ideas shared (networking). Representatives from across disciplines: including History, Religious Studies, Geography, Anthropology, Criminology, Sociology, Education, Theology, Psychology. . . + representatives from the funding body, including media officer Successful project applications were: collaborative, innovative and original Emphasis: Good ideas, well thought through (pragmatic approach) 24 February 2021 5

Concluding Thoughts. . . Moving beyond the model of the cloistered lone scholar. . . Collaboration as a means of sharing workloads and of professional development Interdisciplinary engagement – broadening the horizons of your research 24 February 2021 6