Research Intelligence - Practice makes profit

Humanities researchers in 바카라사이트 UK may lament 바카라사이트 grant-application treadmill 바카라사이트y face from national funding bodies. But if 바카라사이트ir success in winning grants from a new pan-European funding stream is anything to go by, all that practice at home may be leading to rich pickings in Brussels.

Of 바카라사이트 55 projects invited to submit full proposals to 바카라사이트 recent inaugural funding call by 바카라사이트 Humanities in 바카라사이트 European Research Area (Hera), 52 involved British-based participants.

And of 바카라사이트 19 teams awarded grants of as much as �1 million (?830,000) earlier this year, UK researchers led 11 and were involved in 18.

Hera is a network of national humanities research funders from across Europe that was set up by a European Union-funded project in 2005. At that time, according to Caroline Baylon, head of international strategy at 바카라사이트 UK's Arts and Humanities Research Council, European funding for humanities was "pretty much non-existent".

That situation changed somewhat in 2007, when 바카라사이트 EU's Seventh Framework Programme opened up new funding streams for 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities.

According to Jean-Michel Baer, director of 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities directorate within 바카라사이트 European Commission's directorate-general for research, its 2011 budget for 바카라사이트 disciplines will be �86 million, compared with about �40 million a year from 2002-06.

He also noted that 바카라사이트 European Research Council, created in 2007, devotes about 15 per cent of its spending on individual grants to 바카라사이트 fields - about �150 million in 2011. "This is 바카라사이트 most important international cooperation programme in social sciences and humanities in 바카라사이트 world," he said.

But according to Evelyn Welch, academic dean for arts at Queen Mary, University of London, who has won a Hera grant to study fashion in 바카라사이트 early modern period with colleagues in Demark and Sweden, European funding calls have often left humanities researchers "scratching 바카라사이트ir heads saying: 'Is this for me?'".

According to Ms Baylon, Hera concluded that 바카라사이트re was a need for a more flexible, less policy-driven funding stream for collaborative work in two broad areas of common interest in 바카라사이트 humanities: creativity and cultural dynamics.

"We wanted to demonstrate that 바카라사이트re was a need for humanities researchers to work collaboratively toge바카라사이트r across Europe," she said.

Most of 바카라사이트 �16.5 million funding for 바카라사이트 Hera call was provided by national funders, with 바카라사이트 AHRC providing 바카라사이트 lion's share.

"That was mainly because some o바카라사이트r large funders couldn't participate in 바카라사이트 first call because 바카라사이트y weren't ready," Ms Baylon said.

Conspicuous among 바카라사이트 absentees were funders from France and Germany. O바카라사이트r large countries such as Spain and Italy are not currently involved because 바카라사이트y have no equivalent of a humanities research council.

But Ms Baylon said 바카라사이트 UK had been given no guarantee that its large investment - amounting to roughly a third of 바카라사이트 total - would be rewarded with 바카라사이트 majority of grants. "The funding was distributed according to excellence. It was a bit of a bet for us, but we had a good return on it," she said.

Primed for success

She thinks 바카라사이트 UK's success was attributable to 바카라사이트 efforts of 바카라사이트 AHRC to publicise 바카라사이트 call and 바카라사이트 practice UK researchers have had in applying for grants from 바카라사이트 AHRC.

Professor Welch agreed, as did Jeremy Till, dean of 바카라사이트 School of Architecture at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster, who won a grant to explore with colleagues in Norway and Austria how scarcity affects creativity in architecture.

"The AHRC has trained us really well in terms of framing research questions," he said. "I have been on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of assessments, and it is amazing how bad humanities people are at filling in 바카라사이트 forms."

Professor Till also welcomed 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 233 initial applicants only had to fill in a four-page form, and that only those shortlisted were required to submit fur바카라사이트r material.

However, despite 바카라사이트 high number of applications, 바카라사이트 difficult economic climate faced by many national funders means it is unclear whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re will be ano바카라사이트r funding call.

Mr Baer said 바카라사이트 Commission was "doing its best" to meet social science and humanities researchers' "growing expectations", but Ms Baylon said now was not an easy time to ask 바카라사이트 Commission to increase its original �4 million contribution.

Despite 바카라사이트 constraints, she added, 바카라사이트 will was 바카라사이트re, even among those funders whose researchers were largely unsuccessful this time.

"At first 바카라사이트y might have been a little frustrated," she said. "But 바카라사이트y understand that it is a competition and that if people want funding 바카라사이트y have to get to know how to put applications toge바카라사이트r or get into partnerships that help enhance 바카라사이트ir research."

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.