Call for Proposals: The UCL – Institut Français du Royaume-Uni partnership in the humanities
In July 2013, UCL and the Institut Français signed an agreement to collaborate on a series of workshops
over a period of three years, specifically focusing on research in the humanities, broadly conceived. The
agreement aims to build on existing and explore new links between UCL and French academic and
research organisations. By providing for three workshops between UCL and French academics per year,
all held at UCL, the agreement is aimed at encouraging junior and senior scholars to establish new
directions for possible research collaborations– not only in their own areas of expertise, but also across
disciplines.
During the 2013-2014 academic year three highly successful workshops, organised by the UCL European
Institute under the theme of ‘In Places(s) of Memory’, took place. We now invite UCL-based academics to
apply for funds to organise collaborative workshops for the 2014-2015 academic year involving
participants from UCL and from research institutions in France.
A proposed workshop should:
(a) Take place, with the awarded funding spent, before 4 September 2015.
(b) Be led by senior researchers from UCL and France (i.e. established academics / senior research
fellows).
(c) Be suitable for a minimum of 6-8 participants, including approx. 2-3 French participants.
(d) Be held over a 2-day period (for suggested format please see below).
(e) Be capable of being run at UCL’s facilities within the Workshop Budget (optimally around £2,500 per
workshop). It is intended that the budget for a workshop will, in addition to covering the costs of dinner
for the 6-8 participants on Day 1, and lunch and refreshment costs on Day 2 of the workshop, also
support the travel, accommodation (one night) and subsistence costs of participants travelling from
France.
(f) Have the aim of building on existing, or establishing new, links between UCL and French academic and
research organisations in the humanities, broadly conceived.
(g) Seek to establish new approaches for possible research collaborations, including those needing input
from researchers from diverse disciplinary and methodological backgrounds.
Format of Workshop
A suggested workshop format is as follows:
Day 1: 14.00 arrival at UCL (to enable same-day journey start)
14.00-18.00 workshop
20.00-22.00 dinner
Day 2: 09.00-13.00 Continuation of workshop
13.00-14.00 Lunch
14.00 Depart (to enable same-day journey end)
Workshop Calls. There will be no more than two Calls in any single academic year, for the award of
Workshops. If this inaugural Call elicits a sufficient number of high quality proposals the Workshop Panel
will assign funding for the three awards permitted in the academic year 2014-2015.
Membership of Workshop Panel. a) the Higher Education Attachée at the Embassy of France and Institut
Français, (b) another representative of the Embassy of France/Institut Français, appointed by the Higher
Education Attachée; (c) the UCL Pro-Provost (Europe and Central Asia); and (d) another representative of
UCL, appointed by the Pro-Provost.
Method of Application
1. UCL lead applicants are invited to submit their proposals to the Office for International Affairs (note
point 5 below) on up to four sides outlining the aims and objectives of the workshop;
2. Information on individual participants (from UCL and from France) should be provided on one to two
sides of A4, indicating name, position, departmental affiliation, core research interest, three key relevant
publications; but note that
3. Explicit commitment from all potential participants is not required at the time of application. However,
brief information should be provided on at least two participants from UCL and two from France (up to
one side per person). If an application is selected for funding, data on the remaining participants will be
required before the date of the proposed workshop.
4. Doctoral (PhD) students and postdoctoral researchers are encouraged to participate.
5. Applications, containing an estimate of costs for travel, accommodation, subsistence, dinner, workshop
coffees and teas, signed off by the head of department and/or departmental finance manager should be
sent as a single pdf file to Helen Murray (h.murray@ucl.ac.uk) at the UCL Office for International Affairs
(OfIA).
6. The deadline for applications is Friday 30th May 2014.
7. Applications will be assessed by a joint UCL-IF panel and decisions announced 1 July 2014.
By applying, applicants will indicate their agreement to submit:
 A short report on the workshop (also indicating any planned follow-up activity) within two weeks
of the date of the workshop
 12 months after the workshop, on request from UCL OfIA, a short update on any attributable
further developments
Successful applicants will be responsible for all the practical arrangements for the workshop, and should
not expect further logistical support from OfIA or the Institut Français.
Deadline for receipt of applications: Friday 30th May 2014
Decisions on applications: Communicated to applicants by 1 July 2014.