1. AHRC ARMA Event 20 January 2012
Introduction, Overview and AHRC’s
Future Strategic Direction
Professor Mark Llewellyn
Director of Research
AHRC

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. Overview of AHRC’s Themes
Increasingly central role in inter-disciplinary Connected
Digital Economy
cross-Council research on societal challenges Communities
Lead new Programme on ‘Connected
Communities’ and establish Centre for Living with
Global Lifelong Health
Copyright and New Business Models Environmental
Uncertainties & well-being
Change
Provide leadership in developing path- Care for the Digital
Future: Translating Transformations Science in
breaking research in four strategic emerging
Thinking forward Cultures in arts & Culture
challenges for arts and humanities research through the Past Humanities
Build on our world leading strengths through
investing in transformative collaborative Languages Creative & History,
Cultures &
research from across the full range of A&H & Performing thought
Heritage
disciplines (over 50 in total) addressing our Literature Arts & Belief
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

6. Postgraduate Funding
BGP1 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 48 35
BGP type
Number of 1 10
consortia
Total number of 49 49
ROs involved

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. ‘Longer and Larger’/
Other contexts
• Theme approaches
• ‘sandpits’
• Highlight notices/calls
• Scoping Studies & Research Reviews
• Fellowships
• Networks
• Leadership comes in many forms

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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