AHRC 10th Anniversary - Cultural Engagement Fund 2015 – Guidelines for MMU
applicants
Scheme aims and purpose
The AHRC Cultural Engagement Fund scheme provides funding to each participating university to support the
engagement of its arts and humanities research with the wider cultural and civic context in which the university
operates – for example, local creative sector SMEs, community groups, or other public or third sector cultural or
civic organisations.
The objectives of the scheme are:
 To strengthen and diversify engagement and knowledge exchange between a university’s arts & humanities research
and its wider cultural and civil milieu.
 To support the broader skills development of high-calibre recent doctoral graduates in the arts & humanities,
particularly in relation to working with partners to support the wider impact of research.
Funding
Participating universities are awarded up to £40k to fund a number of short three - month Cultural Engagement projects
which are delivered by recently completed PhD students. We estimate that £40k would cover 1-5 projects.
The award can cover either the full economic costs of employing an individual for a full 3 months on a project, or be used
flexibly to fund a number of part time posts on several projects.
Eligibility
MMU has been offered the chance to apply to the scheme because we are in receipt of AHRC’s Block Grant Partnership
(BGP) postgraduate funding which funds PhD studentships in Manchester School of Art and the Department of English.
However, the projects can be proposed/led by any recently completed PhD students in the arts and humanities. This
includes students who have recently submitted their theses and are awaiting examination. It is likely to be individuals who
might now be undertaking short-term teaching or other roles in a Department after finishing their PhDs in the arts and
humanities
There is no requirement that individuals recruited to undertake the project(s) selected have been AHRC funded
previously.
What might projects look like?
Projects may
i)
relate to existing partnerships or collaborations linked to a university’s arts and humanities research in a specific
area; or
ii)
seek to develop new partnerships or types of collaboration based on a specific area of its arts and humanities
research; or
iii)
aim to strengthen or develop the university’s broader strategy for supporting the engagement of its arts and
humanities academic staff with the wider cultural or civic context of the university
The project(s) chosen should provide an early career researcher with an opportunity to manage a project linked to an
institution’s plans for cultural engagement. The project must be challenging, but achievable within the time available, and
the role.
Projects are 3 months long and must start by 15 Feb 2016 at the latest. It is presumed that mid-Dec 2015 would be earliest
start date (not yet confirmed). Details of the projects need to be submitted to AHRC by 27th Nov 2015
Examples of previous projects:
‘A census of practising artists in Manchester’ in partnership with The Castlefield Gallery.
The purpose of the project is to produce a report with Castlefield Gallery of practicing artists in Greater Manchester as a
basis for further research and to assist the Castlefield and MMU other arts, education, third sector and local authority
organisations in their work with artists.
‘Unlocking the Anthony Burgess Archive’ in partnership with The Anthony Burgess Foundation
Its purpose is to explore and interpret the IABF archive to present it to the widest possible audience. There is no catalogue
and new material is still being received. Beyond the extensive collections of books and literary manuscripts (including
unpublished works), there are letters, photographic prints, slides, negatives, home movies and 1000 hours of audio
recordings. The project will carry out preliminary explorations to prepare for full online cataloguing and wider
dissemination.
How will MMU choose projects?
We are seeking project ideas from either:


Recently completed PhD graduates (who would deliver the project) proposing their own project idea. In this
situation, it will be important to include a nominated member of academic staff to act as the individual’s
manager.
Academic staff who can propose a project, which if selected, will be followed by advertising and the recruitment
of high-calibre recent doctoral students (or those pending examination) to undertake the projects.
The Expression of Interest form should be sent to Germaine Loader in RKE g.loader@mmu.ac.uk by Weds 14th Oct.
A panel (e.g. Prof Jim Aulich, AHRC BGP co-ordinator and Prof Berthold Schoene, Head of Research) will then select
projects. Consideration will be given to the following:
-
How we manage the overall £40k budget allocation. This could fund one larger or several smaller scale projects.
-
How the project fits the scheme and with MMU’s plans for cultural engagement broadly
Clarity of the objectives and proposal plans
-
Plans for management and training of the individuals being funded
Other
Recent PhD applicants should discuss their ideas with their supervisory team/academic mentor/external collaborators.
Further advice can be obtained from Professor Jim Aulich (j.aulich@mmu.ac.uk)