Call for proposals: Research 'training' and professional development for doctoral students in philosophical and religious studies

Proposals are invited for funding to run initiatives to support postgraduate research students.

Amount: £10000.00

Application deadline: June 30th 2008

This tranche of funding is now closed.

During 2006 and 2007, the Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies (PRS) piloted a regional programme of professional development events for doctoral researchers in our disciplines based in Yorkshire and the North East (supported by a grant from the AHRC's collaborative research training scheme). This sought to complement the generic training delivered by institutions, and the thesis-specific support provided by individual supervisors to their students, by offering subject-level research skills and professional development, and regional networking opportunities.

This programme has received very positive feedback from both students and academic staff involved, and has generated interest across the UK and internationally - as a result, the Subject Centre is offering 'seed-corn' funding for the development of similar professional development initiatives to support PRS doctoral students in other parts of the UK.

Proposals are invited for initiatives to support postgraduate research students, which address the following aims:

  • To enhance research students' personal and professional development by providing discipline-specific support and development opportunities. These might include (but are not restricted to) subject-specific support for developing students' skills in research, writing, presenting, and other aspects of academic practice.
  • To complement and enhance existing support available to students, such as those offered within individual departments and institutions, and UK GRAD programmes.
  • To provide opportunities for students to extend and enhance their research environment by engaging with and learning from peers and academic colleagues in other departments.

A total of £10,000 is available from the Subject Centre to fund the development of such initiatives; the maximum funding for any single proposal will be £2,000. Additional funding may be available for major collaborative initiatives - contact the Subject Centre for details.

1. Guidelines

1.1 Key dates

Applications should be submitted by 12 noon on Monday 30 June 2008. Applicants will be informed of the outcome, and initial funding will be released to successful applicants, by the end of July 2008, to enable funded programmes to be implemented during 2008/9.

1.2 Proposal form

Proposals should be submitted on the proposal form below and must be presented both in hard copy and electronically by email attachment. Only fully completed (electronic) proposal forms that reach the Subject Centre by the stated deadline will be eligible for consideration (we will accept the hard copy after the date, but this must be submitted to receive consideration).

Proposal form (use any version):

1.3 Who can apply?

We invite applications from academic staff or postgraduate students based in any UK HE PRS department or subject association. Collaborative applications are encouraged - please contact the Subject Centre for further guidance and support in this regard.

1.4 Project budget

No overheads may be charged. The grants may be used to fund the following costs:

  • UK travel and subsistence expenses
  • Administrative and technical assistance
  • Replacement teaching costs
  • Costs of consumable items
  • Costs arising from attendance at conferences where attendance is demonstrably an integral part of the project
  • Dissemination and evaluation costs

1.5 Selection criteria

Evidence of the following criteria will be sought in assessing and selecting proposals:

  • Relevance of the proposal to the aims and objectives of the scheme
  • Proposal sets out clearly what the project is intended to achieve
  • Proposed project is coherent, of an appropriate standard, and is feasible and practical
  • Project has clear potential benefit to (some or all parts of) the PRS academic communities
  • Proposal displays clear outcomes and deliverables
  • Proposal takes account of the existing literature and practice elsewhere in the UK
  • Proposal indicates likely extent of take-up
  • Proposal includes rationale for embedding the outcomes of the project in the appropriate subject communities
  • Proposal includes clearly stated, cost effective, and appropriate dissemination plans
  • Project incorporates a system for monitoring and evaluating the progress and outcomes of the project
  • Proposal gives justification for the funding requested
  • Proposal details any additional funding and resources provided (such as from the host department and/or institution)
  • Project provides value for money
  • Proposal provides credible plans for sustainability of the programme beyond the lifetime of the Subject Centre funding

1.6 Support for applicants

Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the Subject Centre at an early stage to discuss their plans informally, prior to preparing a formal proposal. Contact Dr Clare Saunders (philosophy, history and philosophy of science, technology and medicine) or Dr Rebecca O'Loughlin (theology, religious studies) for further details.

The Subject Centre for PRS will be hosting a one-day conference for doctoral students on Monday 16 June 2008 in York - prospective applicants are invited to attend this event (at no charge) in order to explore first-hand how the Subject Centre's own pilot programme works. This event will also include a dedicated workshop for prospective applicants to discuss and develop their proposals in consultation with Subject Centre staff.

2. Selection process

2.1 Once proposals have been received by the Subject Centre for PRS, they will be checked by Centre staff for completeness and appropriateness for the criteria. If the proposals have been submitted well before the deadline, applicants will be given the opportunity to make good any incomplete applications.

2.2 Proposals will then be ranked according to the criteria by Subject Centre staff, and passed to the PRS Management Team for final selection.

2.3 Authors of unsuccessful proposals will be given feedback on why the project was not funded.

2.4 For successful proposals, the Subject Centre for PRS will draw up a Statement of Responsibilities to be signed by the grant holder, their Head of Department (or equivalent), and the Subject Centre.

3. Running projects

3.1 Rights and responsibilities of successful applicants

The Subject Centre will provide central support by means of a web-based guide and repository of relevant resource materials, and ongoing support and guidance for project holders. Project holders will be required to ensure that new materials developed as part of their initiative are added to the SC's central resource repository for future use, and to ensure that plans and support are in place for continuation of the initiative beyond the period funded by the Subject Centre.

The grant holder will be responsible for carrying out the project in a timely and financially accountable manner, including completing deliverables and dissemination activities and full disclosure of the work to the Subject Centre. The intellectual property rights will normally remain with the grant holder, although they must credit the Subject Centre for assistance where relevant in any disseminated or published materials and allow full publication via print and electronic means of the final outputs. The Subject Centre for PRS retains the right to publish outcomes in perpetuity.

3.2 Monitoring project progress

A staff member of the Subject Centre will be allocated as principal contact person for each project, and will monitor progress against plan and advise the grant holder as appropriate. The grant holder will be required to submit six monthly interim progress reports to their contact person. Any disagreements between the grant holder and the Subject Centre will be referred to the PRS Management Team for arbitration. If an agreement still cannot be found, the PRS Advisory Board will arbitrate over any disputes.

3.3 Financial arrangements

The payment of monies will be made on a sub-contract basis from the University of Leeds from the Subject Centre grant paid by the HE funding bodies. The expectation is that no payments will be made for overheads. Payment of grants will be made as follows:

  • One half of the agreed sum will be paid on the agreement of the statement of responsibilities.
  • The remaining half will be paid on completion of all deliverables of the project.
  • Any funds unspent at the end of the project will be retained by the PRS Subject Centre.
  • Funds must be claimed by invoice from the host institution.