AHRC ARMA Event 20 January 2012Introduction, Overview and AHRC’s

Future Strategic Direction

Professor Mark LlewellynDirector of Research

AHRC

Context: Funding Environment• CSR 2010

• AHRC Delivery Plan 2011-15

• Priorities outline:– Distinctiveness

– Strategic focus

– Contributing to economic growth and broader societal challenges

• Wide subject remit of AHRC

• Capacity and capabilities across core and developing areas

Context: AHRC Organisation• Move from three Directorates to two

– Programmes

– Resources

• Programmes Directorate– Director of Research

– Three Associate Directors

– Teams• A, B, C, D – disciplinary/award type based

• Knowledge Exchange

• International

• Peer Review, Careers and Training

• Public Policy

• ‘Business Process’ Team – working with SSC

AHRC Current Activities• Cross-Council Programmes

– Connected Communities (AHRC lead Council)

– LWEC

– Global Uncertainties: e.g. Leadership fellows, partnership with ESRC

• Emerging Themes– Care for the Future

– Science in Culture

– Digital Transformations

– Translating Cultures

• Commissioned Research

Overview of AHRC’s Themes

Languages &

Literature

Cultures & Heritage

Creative & Performing

Arts

Build on our world leading strengths through investing in transformative collaborative

research from across the full range of A&H disciplines (over 50 in total) addressing our

four core themes

Introduce a new mode of ‘commissioned’ research funding to respond nimbly/flexibly to strategic priorities, emerging areas, and cross-disciplinary, partnership or translational opportunities

Enhance our international leadership role and re-orientate collaborations to address our new strategic, thematic and translational priorities

History, thought & Belief

Provide leadership in developing path-breaking research in four strategic emerging challenges for arts and humanities research

Increasingly central role in inter-disciplinary cross-Council research on societal challenges

Lead new Programme on ‘Connected Communities’ and establish Centre for Copyright and New Business Models

Science in Culture

Translating Cultures

Care for the Future:

Thinking forward through the Past

Digital Transformations

in arts & Humanities

Living with Environmental

Change

Connected Communities

Global Uncertainties

Digital Economy

Lifelong Health & well-being

Postgraduate FundingBGP1 and BGP: Capacity Building

• BGP1 awards made in 2009 covering 5 PG cohorts

• BGP: CB awards made in 2011 covering 3 PG cohorts

BGP1 BGP:CB

Total number of BGP type

48 35

Number of consortia

1 10

Total number of ROs involved

49 49

BGP2

• Focus on doctoral funding

• Diversified training and skills development

• Coherence of vision and strategy for A+H researchers within different contexts

• Increased flexibility of funding profile

• Enhancement of ‘partnership’ role within, between and across ROs/cultural & creative partners/the AHRC as funder

Postgraduate Funding: CDAs and Training

• Collaborative Doctoral Awards

• Project Studentships

• PGR within KE Hubs

• International Placements Scheme– Library of Congress, Washington

– Huntington Library, California

– National Institutes for the Humanities, Japan

– Sarai, India

• Skills Development Call

KE Hubs for the Creative Economy

• Focusing budget

• KE as diversified across themes and programmes

• Significant strategic investment = £1m p.a. x 4 hubs for 4 years– Creative Exchange (Lancaster lead)

– Design in Action (Dundee lead)

– Creativeworks London (Queen Mary lead)

– REACT (UWE lead)

• A+H researchers actively engaged in research-based KE

Demand (and Expectation) Management

• Working with other Research Councils – Common principles

– Cross-Council Working Group

• Working with Research Organisations– Processes

– Using experience

– Sharing good practice

• Specific issues– Longer and larger expectation

– Schemes/activities within different programmes

‘Longer and Larger’/Other contexts

• Theme approaches

• ‘sandpits’

• Highlight notices/calls

• Scoping Studies & Research Reviews

• Fellowships

• Networks

• Leadership comes in many forms

International• Strong partnerships and engagements

– US

– India

– Europe e.g. HERA Cultural Encounters call

• Work with RCUK International Team

• Supporting researcher involvement/advocacy role– Digging into Data challenge

• Recognition of significance of AHRC as a funder in a global arts and humanities context– National Consultation Panel for Cultural Heritage and

Global Change: a new challenge for Europe

Peer Review • Peer Review College c.1300 members

– Areas within PRC, including Strategic Reviewers

– Panel membership drawn from PRC

• 2011 Recruitment Call– over 300 applications for membership

• Robust

• Efficient

• Quality driven

• Adaptable

• Openness to project type and context – e.g. cross-Council themes

Public Policy

• RCUK Concordat with DCLG– AHRC lead Council

• Policy seminars/other activities– FCO Prevention of Torture

– Cabinet Office and British Security Services

• Researcher involvement – Policy Fellowships

• A+H engagement with non-academic organisations

• Increasing opportunities and communication

ROS: Research Outcomes System

• Live from November 2011

• Different approaches in Research Organisations to population

• In first 6 weeks, 547 outputs recorded against 57 grants – e.g.– Journal articles = 196

– Book chapters = 56

– Books = 37