The BIRTHA Research Programme Scheme 2012-13 offers an amount of up to £5,000 to a group of researchers wishing to develop activity and initiatives around a particular theme that will be of long-term benefit to the faculty. The expectation is that this initial funding will lead to external funding bids, and that it will focus activity in ways that might link in with, for example, AHRC or Leverhulme strategic funding initiatives. One research programme can be funded each year.
Projects under the BIRTHA Research Programme Scheme are likely to involve a team of researchers based principally (but perhaps not exclusively) in Bristol, and might be organised around any combination of the following: one or more major conferences, a series of workshops, a programme of visiting lectures or a visiting Fellowship, a collaborative publication or other resource, a festival, exhibition or performance. They will be expected to lead to significant research benefits in Bristol, and should normally be followed by a major external funding application. Projects may last for between 12 and 24 months. Information about previous successful bids can be found below.
The choice of themes is open, and the winning bid will be selected on the basis of its overall research excellence and strategic potential. The application process is light-touch. Bids should be set out in a total of no more than 1,000 words, and should reach Sam Barlow (sam.barlow@bristol.ac.uk) in the BIRTHA office by 5pm on Wednesday 2 May 2012. The following should be provided:
Past BIRTHA Research Programme Schemes
2011/12 'Translation, reception and appropriation'
2010/11 'The Medieval West'