Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Overview of Schemes 2009/2010Tim Conlon 24 November 2008

Agenda

Introduction to the IRCHSS Overview of Research Schemes Questions

About the IRCHSS

An autonomous agency established by the Minister for Education and Science in 2000.

Funded by the Department of Education and Science, administrative support provided by the Higher Education Authority.

Promotes excellence and the highest standards in

research in the humanities, social sciences, business and law.

Facilitates the integration of Irish researchers in the humanities and social sciences within the European Research Area.

Research Council Members Dr. Maurice Bric, Chairman IRCHSS, UCD Professor John Brewer, University of Aberdeen Dr. Josephine Browne, IADT Dun Laoghaire Professor Angela Chambers, UL Professor John Coakley, UCD Professor Vincent Comerford, NUI, Maynooth Professor Michael Cronin, DCU Professor Sheila Green, TCD Professor Áine Hyland, Vice-Chair IRCHSS, UCC Professor Rowena Pecchenino, NUI, Maynooth Dr. Sean Ryder, NUI, Galway Dr. Anthony Walsh, Institute of Bankers

Activities: National Schemes

Administration of research funding schemes 2008: 14m euro budget 203 awards in 2007/08 (plus 2.5 GREP awards) 6 schemes (plus GREP & Ulysses)

Promotion of HSS research funding opportunities

Contribution to research policy for HSS

IRCHSS Research Schemes

Postgraduate Research Scholarship

Postdoctoral Fellowship

Research Fellowship

Senior Research Fellowship

Small Project Grant

Thematic Project Grant

Anthropology Celtic Studies Classics & Archaeology Cultural Studies Economics Education Environmental Studies

(applications relevant to the HSS) Film Studies Folklore Studies Government & Political Science; History International Development Irish Language Studies Languages, Linguistics &

Literatures Library & Information Studies

Law Management & Business Media & Communications Philosophy Psychology (applications

relevant to the HSS) Religious Studies Social & Economic

Geography Social Policy & Social

Work Sociology Musicology & Theatre

Studies (excluding applications in composition and performance)

Theology

Subject areas

Awards 2003-07Year 2007/2008 2006/2007 2005/2006 2004/2005 2003/2004

Scheme Apps Awards Apps Awards Apps Awards Apps Awards Apps Awards

Postgraduate Scholarship

365 124 378 94 293 91 299 81 320 76

Postdoctoral Fellowship

133 22 116 22 80 23 74 30 76 20

Research Fellowship

47 10 66 9 38 10 35 16 34 10

Senior Research Fellowship

37 9 51 9 49 10 29 12 36 13

Projects 133 38 106 20 89 13 99 21 70 40

Annual Total 715 203 717 154 549 147 536 160 536 159

Success Rate 28% 22% 27% 30% 30%

All awardees

All Current Awardees (Sample '05 - '08)

466

117

1155 53 51 60

210

50100150200250300350400450500

Post-GraduateScholarship

Post-DoctoralScholarship

SeniorResearch

Scholarship

ResearchFellow ship

SeniorResearchFellow ship

Minor ProjectsGrants

Major ProjectGrants

ThematicProjectScheme

Post-Graduate Applications by Field of Science 2005

American StudiesAnglo-Irish LiteratureAnthropologyArchaeologyBusiness StudiesCeltic StudiesClassicsDrama and Theatre StudiesEconomicsEducationEnglishFilm StudiesFrench StudiesGeographyGerman StudiesHealthHispanic StudiesHistoryHistory of ArtIrish Language/ LiteratureItalian StudiesLawLinguisticsLiterary Theory and CriticismMedia StudiesMusicologyPhilosophyPolitical PhilosophyPolitical Science/SociologyPolitical SociologyPsychology/ Cognitive ScienceSocial PolicySociologyTheologyWomen’s Studies

Anthropology

Archaeology

Business Studies

Celtic Studies

Classics

Drama & Theatre Studies

Economics

English

French Studies

Geography

German Studies

Hispanic Studies

History

Irish Language/ Literature

Italian Studies

Law

Linguistics

Literature

Musicology

Philosophy

Political Science

Politics

Psychology/ Cognitive Science

Social Policy

Sociology

Post-Graduate Successful by Field of Science 2005

Helen Young – UL The European Union as an actor in the United Nations

Simon McDonnell – UCDEvaluating priority bus corridor performance. A case study of the Dublin Quality Bus Network

Mr Cian O’ Callaghan – UCCCapital and Culture: Urban Regeneration in Cork and Limerick

Ms Nessa Cronin – NUIG Mapping the Land: A Cultural History of the Cartography of Ireland

Emma Dillon – TCDA Cost-Benefit Analysis of Animal Disease Eradication Strategies: Foot and

Mouth Disease in Ireland

Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarships Awarded

Ronan Moore – NUIMExtra-parliamentary politics and the printed word in mid eighteenth-century Dublin

Deirdre Nic Mhathúna – UCCFilíocht Phiarais Feiritéir

Christiane Gernet - Dublin City UniversityGlobalisation and Women's Agency in South America - The response of women's activism

Kathleen Moylan - Dublin Institute of TechnologyNew Crossroads: Emerging identities and public spaces in 21st century Dublin

Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarships Awarded

Postgraduate Scholarship

Valued at €16,000 per annum. Fees are also paid.

Awarded for up to three years. EU applicants ordinarily resident in

Ireland.

Postdoctoral Fellowship

Valued at €31,745 per annum. One or two years duration. Candidates who have completed their

PhD not more than five years previously.

Open competition

Only selection criteria is ‘excellence’

Only fund the best research proposals

Assessed by an expert International peer review panel (15 – 30 reviewers from outside the Irish academic community)

Transparent process – feedback from review is provided

Postdoctoral FellowshipPostgraduate Scholarships Overview

Evaluation Process

Five-phase approach:1. Eligibility and Adherence to Terms and

Conditions

2. International Independent Peer Review

3. Pre-meeting evaluation by Board Members

4. International Assessment Board meeting

5. Post-meeting follow up and feedback

The Board (…a board) Chair: Prof. Arnd Bohm, Carleton University, Canada - Department of German Language and Literature Prof. Robert Aldrich, University of Sydney, Australia - Professor of European History Dr. Simon Ball, University of Glasgow, UK - Reader in Modern History Prof. Stefan Berger, University of Manchester, UK - Chair of Modern German Historical Studies Prof. Mary Bryden, University of Reading – School of European Studies (English Drama, Literature, French Theatre, Literature and Religion) Dr. James Clackson, Jesus College, Cambridge, UK - The Faculty of Classics Dr. Claire Connolly, Cardiff University, UK - School of English, Communication and Philosophy Dr. Virginia Crossman, Oxford Brookes University, UK - Modern Irish History Prof. John Darby, University of Notre Dame, USA - Comparative Ethnic Studies Prof. Hastings Donnan, Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland - School of Anthropological Studies Prof. Richard English, Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland - Centre for Irish Politics Dr. Marco Ercolani, University of Birmingham, UK - Economics Department Prof. Robin Frame, University of Durham, UK - Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies Prof. Patrick Hanafin, Birkbeck College University of London, UK – School of Law Prof. Bernadette Hayes, University of Aberdeen, UK - Department of Sociology Prof. Brian Ilbery, University of Gloucestershire, UK – Cultural Geography Prof. Josef Jarab, Palacky University, Czech Republic - English and American literature Prof. Evanthia Lyons, Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland - School of Psychology Prof. James Mallory, Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland - School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology Dr. Ian McBride, King’s College, London - Early Modern History Prof. Brian Ó Conchubhair, University of Notre Dame, USA - Dept. of Irish Language & Literature Dr. Oscar Odena, Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland - School of Education Prof. Michael Power, University of Edinburgh, UK - Clinical & Health Psychology Prof. Shaun Richards, Staffordshire University - Director Research and Enterprise, Faculty of Arts, Media & Design (Comparative Literature) Prof. Jim Samson, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK - Professor of Music Prof. Robert Savage, Boston College, USA - Associate Director Irish Studies Dr. Tanja Staehler, University of Sussex, UK - Centre for Literature and Philosophy Prof. Alan Warde, University of Manchester, UK - Sociology Dr. Claire Willsdon, University of Glasgow, UK – History of Art

Peer Review College

Database of Humanities and Social Sciences experts to contribute to national and international evaluation practices.

International discipline experts to participate in national scheme evaluations.

National discipline experts to contribute to the work of the IRCHSS in consultations, reviews of existing awards progress committees, and potential nominations for international assessments (as an when required). www.irchss.ie

Attributes useful for research

Committed

Passion for subject area

Self motivator

Work on own initiative

Independent

Creative

Postdoctoral FellowshipPostgraduate Scholarships Overview

Applications evaluated under T&C paragraph 15 also see application form part 14

Description of topic (no more than 600 words) Methodology (no more than 600 words) Research plan (no more than 400 words) Relationship of the project to existing research (no more than 600 words) Description of any specialist knowledge/data (e.g. language

competence, technical skills, use of specialist software, etc.) required to undertake the project (no more than 400 words)

Reason for choosing the institution and supervisor for the project (no more than 400 words)

Progress to date (no more than 500 words). <currently registered>

The applicant’s record and academic achievements (as determined by the assessors on the basis of the application material provided)

Postgraduate Scholarships Criteria

Applications evaluated under T&C paragraph 17 also see application form part 15

Description of topic (no more than 600 words) Methodology (no more than 600 words) Research plan (no more than 400 words) Resumé of doctoral thesis (where a proposal is a direct continuation of the

doctoral thesis – state how the fellowship will expand and develop it) (no more than 200 words)

Relationship of the project to existing research (no more than 600 words) Specialist knowledge/data (e.g. language competence, technical skills, use of

specialist software, etc.) required (no more than 400 words) Institution and supervisor for the project (no more than 200 words) Description of modifications made to the proposal if the proposal has been

previously submitted (no more than 200 words) Conference papers and publications planned (no more than 200 words). Dissemination plans (no more than 200 words)

The applicant’s record and academic achievements (as determined by the assessors on the basis of the application material provided)

Postdoctoral Fellowships Criteria

PhD Award Develop a specialist individual piece of research so as to make a new contribution

to the body of knowledge in the area.

Post PhD Postdoctoral Award Publish: to gain recognition by peers and advance career, present papers at

seminars/conferences, develop new research direction Research or policy track?

Academic career? Lecturer Professional researcher (Academia, Industry) Policy Opportunities to travel – academic posts/research teams abroad EU collaborative research programmes (2008) Contribute to Ireland’s knowledge-based economy

Postdoctoral FellowshipPostgraduate Scholarships Overview

International Opportunities

NORFACEERA-NET

Challenges & Opportunities

Ambitious targets set for HSS. IRCHSS primary and consistent funder

of HSS. Gap in funding of HSS infrastructure.

Advertised Closing

Post Grad Scholars November 2008 30 January 2009

Postdoctoral Fellows November 2008 23 January 2009

Important Dates

Questions?

IRCHSS Contact Points

Tim Conlon – Director (Acting)

National Schemes:Fiona Davis, Programme Manager

EU/International Activities:Sorcha Carthy, European Projects Officer

info@irchss.ie www.irchss.ie