There are two parts to this funding opportunity:
- Optional application for applicants who wish to express an interest in working with the BBC, NSMM or both.
- Application to AHRC: main application process, for all applicants.
Webinar
AHRC will be hosting an optional webinar on 26 October, 14:00 to 15:00 UK time, for you to find out more about the funding opportunity and the application process, and to ask questions.
Registration will close on 25 October at 17:00 UK time.
It is not compulsory for you to attend this webinar. The webinar will be recorded and shared on the AHRC YouTube page for applicants to watch back.
Optional application to BBC or NSMM
Submit your optional application to partner with the BBC, NSMM or both.
From 18 October 2021, applicants who wish to express an interest in working with the BBC, NSMM, or both, may do so by completing the application form.
This application process will close at 16:00 UK time on 12 November 2021.
In this form, you will be asked to:
- provide your name, email address, job title and institution
- state whether you wish to work with the BBC, NSMM or both
- briefly describe your proposed project activity (250 words maximum).
The BBC and NSMM have specific criteria for how researchers might work with them, including a list of possible activities. We strongly encourage you to consult the ‘partner guidance documents’ before completing your application form:
Between 15 November 2021 and 26 November 2021, the BBC or NSMM may contact you to find out more about your proposed project and to potentially develop a joint bid with you as a project partner. It’s possible that they may only be able to support part of your project or, if you have expressed an interest in working with both organisations, that only one may be able to support your project.
This time period gives you the opportunity to discuss with the BBC or NSMM what might be possible. If you have not been contacted by the BBC or NSMM, you will be contacted by AHRC and will have the opportunity to apply for the funding opportunity with other partner organisations.
Application to AHRC (for all applicants)
You can submit an application through the Joint Electronic Submission system (Je-S) system from 30 November 2021 until the deadline of 1 February 2022.
Please make sure you leave sufficient time to create a Je-S account if you don’t already have one.
Please ensure that you gain any required approval from your organisation and ensure you submit before the deadline at 16:00 UK time on 1 February 2022.
How to apply using Je-S
Once you have logged in to Je-S, you should add a new proposal. Go to documents, select ‘New document’, then select ‘Create new document’ with the following details:
- council: AHRC
- document type: standard proposal
- scheme: development grants
- call: BBC Public Engagement 1 February 2022.
The following are a list of attachments that are permitted for this opportunity. Unless otherwise stated, please see section four of the AHRC research funding guide for further information about these attachments.
Case for support
Compulsory. No more than seven sides of A4.
You should structure your case for support using the following headings:
- project title
- topic eligibility
- project summary
- public audience or audiences
- partner organisation or organisations
- programme of public engagement activity
- outcomes and impact
- monitoring and evaluation
- ethics and safeguarding plan.
Project title
Please state your project title at the top of your case for support.
Topic eligibility (maximum 100 words)
Select and state the primary focus of your current research activity from within the list of AHRC disciplines. If your project is interdisciplinary, please specify if it has at least a 50% arts and humanities remit, and select further areas of research from the following council disciplines:
Project summary
Outline your project, briefly summarising:
- your research and proposed public engagement activity and its relevance to the funding opportunity and the centenary of the BBC (please note that projects may be based on existing or new research)
- the objectives and intended outcomes of your project
- the public audience or audiences and project partner or partners you intend to work with (please note, you will have further opportunity to discuss these in the next two sections).
You must demonstrate:
- public engagement activity and research that demonstrates strong relevance to the theme of the BBC
- ambitious, creative and innovative projects that aim to inspire and engage the public around the theme of the BBC
- clear objectives and positive outcomes.
Public audience or audiences
Tell us about your public audience or audiences:
- explain the rationale behind how and why you have identified this public audience group and why you want to engage with them
- explain how the project is relevant to this audience group’s needs and interests, telling us how it will benefit and engage them.
You must demonstrate:
- clearly identified and relevant audience group
- demonstration of relevance and benefit of project activity to public audience
- project activity that actively engages the public audience in research and the research process.
Project partner or partners
Tell us about your project partner or partners. Describe:
- how you identified your project partners
- how the project partners are relevant to your project
- how you intend to ensure this partnership is equitable.
You must demonstrate:
- clearly identified partners, appropriate to the project
- potential for excellent and equitable partnership working that is collaborative.
Programme of public engagement activity
Describe your public engagement activity and methods and explain how you plan to make your research, activity and methods engaging, accessible and relevant to your public audience or audiences.
Please provide estimated dates for each activity. Projects must take place between May and November 2022.
You must demonstrate:
- public engagement methods and activities that are:
- collaborative and actively engage a public audience or audiences in the research, the research process or both
- inspiring, creative or innovative
- appropriate and relevant to the needs and interests of the public audience or audiences
- well-planned, achievable within the proposed time-frame and represent good value for money
- adaptable to potential changing coronavirus-related restrictions
- an understanding of potential barriers to access for public audiences and a plan of how to remove barriers.
Outcomes and impact
Describe how your project will make a change to the public audience or audiences and partner or partners it engages with.
You must demonstrate:
- clear positive outcomes
- potential for meaningful and positive long-term impact
- potential for project learnings to be shared with the public, researchers and partner or partners
- potential for scoping of future areas of research, partnership opportunities, public engagement, or more than one of these.
Monitoring and evaluation
Tell us how you will monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your project.
You must demonstrate:
- appropriate evaluation methods for the project activity that capture the impact of activity on the public audience or audiences, the partner organisation or organisations, and the research team
- achievable and measurable outcomes
- potential to share findings with the public audience or audiences, the partner organisation or organisations, and the research team.
Ethics and safeguarding plan
You must demonstrate:
- plans to ensure health, safety and wellbeing of public audiences is effectively planned for and well-managed
- appropriate safeguarding, consent and ethical processes are put in place which align with university and partner regulations
- risk assessment.
Successful applicants will be expected to provide proof of an up-to-date Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate if planning to work with children or young or vulnerable people.
Data management plan
No more than two sides of A4. The data management plan should outline the project’s approach to managing data. See our funding guide for writing the data management plan.
Justification of resources
Up to two sides of A4. This should be a description of the need for the resources requested. Please ensure you justify all of the resources you request. See our research funding guide for writing the justification of resources document.
You should:
- explain why the indicated resources are needed (note that it is not sufficient merely to list what is required)
- have regard for the breakdown of resources into the summary fund headings:
- directly incurred
- directly allocated
- (where appropriate) exceptions.
AHRC is paying these awards at 100% full economic cost. For the award to be paid at 100% full economic cost, you must:
- put all costs in ‘other directly incurred’
- tick the ‘exceptions’ tick box in that section.
This will include staff costs. In the staff section, fill in all the relevant staff details and put a 0 for the cost, making sure to instead include the actual cost under ‘ODI exceptions’.
As the full costs of the proposed activities will be covered, estates and indirect costs are ineligible under this opportunity.
CVs
Summary curriculum vitae should be attached as separate documents for each principal investigator and any co-investigators. These should be no more than two sides of A4.
CVs should include basic information about:
- education
- employment history
- academic responsibilities.
Summary lists of publications
Summary lists of publications or research outputs should be attached as separate documents for each principal investigator and any co-investigators. These should cover major publications or outputs in the last five years and should be no more than one side of A4 paper.
Project partner letter or letters of support for all named project partners
Each project partner must provide a project partner letter of support, of no more than two sides of A4 or equivalent on headed paper by email in exceptional circumstances. The letter should be written when the proposal is being prepared and should be targeted specifically to the project, it must therefore be dated within six months before submission (or resubmission) of the proposal.
The letter of support is intended to provide reassurance to AHRC and to its reviewers that the appropriate authorisation has been given to the proposed contribution or commitment from the project partner.
To provide assurance that the project partner has authorised the proposed contribution or commitment the letter or email should be signed by the named contact, stating the capacity in which they are providing the sign off.
A well written project partner letter of support will confirm the organisation’s commitment to the proposed project by articulating:
- the benefits of the collaboration
- its relevance
- potential impact.
The project partner letter should also identify:
- the value, relevance and possible benefits of the proposed work to the partner
- the period of support
- the full nature of the collaboration or support
- how the partner will provide added value.
Where relevant to the project, details should be provided of the projected market size, customers and sales and how the organisation will commercialise the technology beyond the project. Project partner contributions, whether in cash or in kind, should be explained in detail in the project partner letter of support.
You should attach all documents as PDFs to avoid errors. They should be completed in single-spaced Arial 11 font or similar-sized sans serif typeface.
For further details and help in applying, please read the research funding guide.
If you need further help, you can contact the Je-S help desk on 01793 444164 or by email jeshelp@je-s.ukri.org.
Your host organisation will be able to provide advice and guidance on completing your application.
After completing the application
You must click ‘Submit document’, which will send your application to your host organisation’s administration
Your host organisation’s administration is required to complete the submission process.
Applicants should allow sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process between submitting your proposal to them and the funding opportunity closing date.
AHRC must receive your application by 16:00 on 1 February 2022.
Successful applicants
Successful applicants will be notified in early April 2022.
