Congratulations are due for PhD Research Student Elizabeth J. Parkes, whose recent success in not one, but two funding applications we celebrate today: the Daiwa Scholarship in Japanese Studies and the British Forum for Ethnomusicology’s Fieldwork Grant. Lizzie was selected in March as a 2026 Daiwa Scholar in Japanese Studies (https://dajf.org.uk/scholarships/japanese-studies/scholars); a prestigious award for students whose research features a significant Japanese-language component and is related either in part or wholly to the field of Japanese studies. Lizzie has also been selected for this year’s British Forum for Ethnomusicology Fieldwork Grants (https://bfe.org.uk/bfe-fieldwork-grants-scheme), a grant awarded to Lizzie in support of her upcoming research trip to Japan from October to December this year.
Operating in an interdisciplinary field, Lizzie works between the Department for Film and Television and the Department for Music at the University of Bristol. Lizzie’s research considers the ways in which those who work in anime – an industry and medium strongly associated with Japan – represent themselves and others from around the world sonically. This research will contribute significantly to not only the field of Japanese studies, but also beyond, applying ethnographic research methods to the much understudied topic of how musical cultures are used in soundtracking for screen.
We wish Lizzie success in her ongoing applications as she continues to fundraise for her fieldwork trip to Japan later this year.