AHRC Highlight Notice to Develop International Networks to Research Peace and Trust

Responding to the UN International Year of Peace and Trust, 2021 the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is launching this highlight notice in its research networking scheme.

Within this highlight notice, AHRC aims to support the development of equitable, boundary crossing international research partnerships grounded in arts and humanities research. This research should address the aims of The UN International Year of Peace and Trust, and The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 ‘Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions’.

AHRC welcome international research networking proposals which explore the inter-connections and intersections between peace, trust and human rights and wider issues such as:

• Poverty and inequality
• Environmental change
• Health
• Food systems
• Urbanisation
• Technological change.

In line with the principles of the UN International Year of Peace and Trust 2021, this opportunity seeks to:

• Promote international research cooperation and networking
• Encourage sharing best practices, learning and experiences
• Enhance human resource capacity and support an enabling environment for research
• Encourage innovation in equitable, inclusive, ethical and environmentally sustainable approaches to research networking
• Tackle the intractable aspects of conflict, fragility and insecurity and address the challenges of, and opportunities for, building peace, trust and respect for human rights.

AHRC particularly welcome proposals which seek to share learning and experience across different geographical, cultural, conflict or fragile contexts, including proposals taking comparative or contrasting approaches, where cross-cutting fragilities could be identified or scoped for identification of future risk.

Interdisciplinary boundary crossing proposals grounded in the arts and humanities are welcomed, including proposals that cross research council remits. Where proposals extend beyond the AHRC’s subject remit, they should ensure that they bring arts and humanities research expertise and distinctive arts and humanities research concepts, ideas or approaches centrally into the development of relevant cross-disciplinary fields.

Applicants must be a principal investigator at a UK higher education institution that receives grant funding from one of the UK higher education funding bodies, or a UKRI-recognised research institute or organisation.

Proposals have to be submitted by an eligible UK research organisation but must involve collaboration with other organisations, including internationally.

Grants of up to £60,000, at full economic cost are available. AHRC will fund:

• 80% of the full economic cost for UK researchers.
• 100% full economic cost for some international costs.

Unlike AHRC’s standard research networking scheme, there is no ‘additional allowance’ for international costs as it is expected that international costs will be integrated within the higher overall funding limit of £60,000 for applications to this highlight notice.

The grant will cover:

• The salary costs for UK principal and co-investigators for the time spent overseeing and providing intellectual input to the activities
• The cost of setting up and coordinating the activities, along with related indirect and estates costs (UK researchers only)
• Costs of international co-investigators (up to 50% of the total value of the award) and international collaborators incurred in supporting the networking activities and in supporting equitable partnerships and inclusive participation in network activities
• Costs for a wide range of networking activities including workshops, seminars, online, web-based and digital communication activities
• International partnership development activities such as scoping, agenda setting, co-design, community or stakeholder engagement, piloting and innovating, and testing new methods of collaborative working
• Costs linked to dissemination and impact arising from network research activities.

AHRC expects to fund around 20 networking awards through this highlight notice.

Awards can be for a period of up to two years and are expected to start on 01 February 2022.

Applications must be submitted online via the Joint Electronic Submission system (Je-S) by the 19 October 2021 (16:00 UK time).