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Isaac Newton Trust

 

INT is pleased to offer, through a new two-year pilot scheme funded by Trinity College, small grants of up to £5,000 for collection-based research in the Humanities through modest-sized study sessions and/or workshops of up to two days in Collegiate Cambridge.  Up to eight grants are available in each academic year for two years, starting in 2024-25.

Rationale 

Collections, libraries, archives and galleries are the ‘laboratories’ of humanities scholars. Collegiate Cambridge has a wealth of such collections, large and small, as well as collections within collections that may not be well known to scholars or whose research potential is yet to be fully appreciated and realised. While most repositories welcome new research and scholarship of their holdings, they are often limited in supporting such research because of staff shortage or limited funds for conservation. 

The purpose of this scheme is to promote enhanced engagement with physical items in the collection, so in-person, modest-sized meetings are encouraged. Applications to part-fund a single large international conference are therefore unlikely to succeed.

Eligibility

  • The study sessions and/or workshops will take place in collections, libraries, archives and galleries in the University of Cambridge and its Colleges.  
  • The collection may be in an institution primarily concerned with science or humanities, or both, but the topic of the proposed studies/workshops must be in the area of the humanities (broadly defined).
  • There will initially be a preference for comparatively less well-known or smaller holdings that have not received prior research support.  
  • Each proposal must be based on a collaboration between at least two UTOs/CTOs/ Research Fellows/Curators working in the humanities.

Costs that may be claimed

The maximum basic grant is £4,500, which we expect would be split approximately equally between conservation costs involved in making the collection ready for the project, and the actual cost of one or more related activities based on the collection:
 

Items Maximum claim for both elements together = £4,500 What this may cover (for example)
Institutional costs c. £2,250 e.g. staff time, conservation, equipment, digitisation, cataloguing, administration (flat fee of £250),
Meeting/study sessions/workshops
(up to 2 days)
c. £2,250 subsistence, room hire, accommodation, student assistant, travel, but not honoraria

If the total cost of your project exceeds £4,500: INT will expect you to attempt to find the difference from other sources, so that the project can take place as planned. To help you to achieve your target, we will offer additional funds to match what you have raised towards the cost of the difference, up to a limit of £500.

The total maximum grant is therefore £5,000.   

How to apply

The application should be made by the Head of the Institution hosting the collection, for example, the Museum Director, Head of Department, Head of House, as appropriate.

The application consists of:

  • INT’s Collection-based Research Support in the Humanities Application Coversheet
  • Up to two sides of A4 identifying a set of material that could appropriately be investigated through handling/study sessions and/or small-scale workshops with key specialists, explaining how the format of the meeting(s) would lead to new research, and plans for publication and/or applications for larger funding (where appropriate). 
  • A financial breakdown setting out the costs in each of the two areas of support (where possible, costing should follow university guidelines on expenses) and any funds raised by the Institution that may be the basis for a request for additional funds as set out above.

These items should be submitted in this order in a single pdf to the Trust Administrator.

Timing of applications

INT’s Collections Sub-Committee will consider applications in February annually; the deadline for applications is 10 January. Proposals emerging at other times of year may be considered on a termly basis providing sufficient funding remains for that academic year. Prospective applicants should contact to Director to find out whether funds remain available and what the deadline would be.

Applications for a grant should be made in plenty of time to factor in conservation and preparation before the planned meeting(s).  All projects should conclude within eighteen months from the date of award. 

Terms and conditions

The grant will be paid to the host repository/collection institution and will be valid for eighteen months from the date of the offer. 

Any unspent portion of the grant must be returned to the Isaac Newton Trust at the end of the grant period.

Grant recipients are required to submit a short final report on completion of the meetings. 

The INT grant and Trinity College should be acknowledged in any publications or output arising from the meetings. 

INT Funding Rounds

For Research Grants:

2024/2025 application deadlines - please see for individual funding calls

Michaelmas: 11 October 2024 - Closed

Lent: 10 January 2025

Easter: 25 April 2025

 

For Early Career Fellows:

Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships 2025

Check with Host Cambridge Department for application deadline: no later than 31 October 2024

 

For Colleges:

Academic Career Development Fellowships

Colleges and Departments interested in making partnerships should contact the Director at the earliest opportunity. 
Partnerships should be agreed in Lent Term and no later than 21 February 2025

Widening Participation & Induction Fund

Next application deadline: 31 January 2025 

Junior Research Fellowship Programme

Next application deadline: 09 May 2025

Trustees' Meeting Dates

Thursday 21 November 2024

Thursday 20 March 2025

Thursday 03 July 2025

Information about INT