Collated presentations of the Connected Communities Town Meetings

1. Connected Communities Programme
Digital Community Research Co-Production
Briefing Meeting for Capital Funding Call
Welcome
Gary Grubb
Associate Director of Programmes AHRC

2. Introduction to the Connected
Communities Programme

3. Connected Communities Programme:
Connecting Research for Flourishing Communities
Programme Vision
To mobilise the potential for
increasingly inter-connected,
culturally diverse, communities
to enhance participation,
prosperity, sustainability,
health & well-being by better
connecting research,
stakeholders and communities.

4. Evolving Understandings of Community
Evolving approach but see communities as:
“dynamic processes through which groups come together, through
choice or necessity, to share some common bonds or values or to
co-operate and interact over a sustained period of time in pursuit
of a collective need or interest in particular issues or outcomes.
Communities may be real or imagined, may share a virtual or
physical environment and/or may share aspects of identity (such as
location, race, ethnicity, age, history, practice), culture, belief or
other common bonds, connections or interests but may also
transform over time, be culturally diverse and involve significant
dissent and conflict”.

5. Evolving Understandings of Community
• Importance of temporal as well as spatial dimensions
• Interest in the processes which constitute and ‘connect’
communities and the ways that they are enacted, ‘performed’,
experienced and change
• Recognise that there are many forms of community (e.g.
ascribed, elective, imagined, transient, etc.) & many different
forms of connection (language, place, virtual, practice, cultural
activity, etc)
• Consider both the positive and negative aspects
• Interested both in the relationships within communities and the
interactions between communities (past and present) and their
outcomes for broader society and economy.
• Applicants expected to explain the ways in which they are using
the term community and thinking about issues of connectedness
and to justify why this is appropriate for their proposed research

6. Understanding Changing Community Cultures and Histories & Patterns of Connectivity
within & between Communities
Current Reviews, Pilot Demonstrator Projects, Researching Community Heritage & Summits
Community
values,
participation,
self-reliance
and resilience
ESRC/ AHRC
Mobilisation
call - 2 Large
Grants
Community
health and
well-being
2011
Workshop
& 3 Large
Follow-up
large grants
Community
creativity
prosperity &
regeneration
2010
workshop &
3 follow-up
large grants
Sustainable
community
environments,
places and
spaces
May 2012
workshop &
Follow-up
Connecting Research with Communities & other Organisations, Stimulating Research
Partnerships and Enhanced Harvesting of Research for Impact
Partnership Activities & Summits (esp 2012 summit )
Connecting Research on Communities
Summits , workshops & follow-up projects
Community
cultures,
diversity,
cohesion,
exclusion &
conflict
Possible
workshop
2013
Programme Themes & Activities

9. Larger Projects:
Communities & the Creative Economy
• Understanding Everyday Participation – Articulating
Cultural Values (Ied Dr Andrew Miles, Manchester University)
• Cultural Intermediation: connecting communities in the
creative urban economy (Ied Dr Phil Jones, Birmingham
University)
• Media Community and the Creative Citizen (led by Professor
Richard Hargreaves, Cardiff University)

10. New Projects
Community Engagement and Mobilisation
• The social, historical, cultural and democratic
context of civic engagement: Imagining different
communities and making them happen led by
Professor Graham Crow, University of Edinburgh
• Productive Margins: Regulating for Engagement, led
by Dr Morag McDermont, Bristol University

11. New Projects
Communities, Cultures, Health & Wellbeing
Three new large projects being launched today:
•Dementia and Imagination: connecting communities and
developing well-being through socially engaged visual arts
practice, led by Dr Gillian Windle at Bangor University
•Representing Communities: developing the creative power
of people to improve health and well-being, led by Professor
Gareth Williams at Cardiff University
•Creative Practice as Mutual Recovery: connecting
communities for mental health and well-being led by
Professor Paul Crawford at Nottingham University

12. Other Current Projects
• 10 community co-creation and co-production projects where the
research teams are working with community partners in the first
stage to determine the research ideas to be explored in the
second phase
• 11 projects on the theme of communities cultures, environment
and sustainability following up a research development workshop
held in Bristol last year
• Research for Community Heritage supporting 18 research teams
across the UK to support hundreds of community groups that are
undertaking small projects to explore their community heritage
we are as a part of Lottery Fund’s All Our Stories Programme.

13. Leadership Fellowships
• Prof George McKay (Salford Univ.) will play a
leadership role in relation to the Programme’s
cross-cutting theme on “Understanding
changing community cultures and histories and
patterns of connectivity within and between
communities”.
• Prof Keri Facer (Bristol Univ.) will play a
leadership role in relation to the cross-cutting
theme on: “Connecting research with
communities and other stakeholders”
Helping to bring together this large portfolio and map out future
directions and connections for the Programme we have appointed
2 Leadership Fellows:

14. Current Calls
Research Grants Highlight for Design & Communities
• Highlight notice to stimulate innovative
applications to explore the
contributions that design can make to
the Connected Communities
Programme and encourage proposals
that connect communities, designers
and arts & humanities researchers in
the co-design & co-production of
research
• Stimulus materials including case
studies and films of Connected
Communities ‘design’ projects
• Applications £50k- £1.5m (fEC)
• Highlight ends 15 January 2014
www.ahrc.ac.uk/cchighlight

15. Current Calls
Communities & the Centenary of the First World War
• Further collaboration with the HLF to support
researchers and communities, including young
people, to come together to develop
initiatives to commemorate the centenary of
the First World War and its legacy
• Call to create 5-7 co-ordinating centres will
close on 16 July. Briefing meeting in London
on 14 June.

16. Current Calls
Research Development Workshop on the
Programme’s Legacy
• Call for expressions of interest to attend a
research development workshop in
Edinburgh on 2 July to support the
development of ideas for research projects
to explore and enhance the sustainability
of outcomes from, and legacy of, research
under the Connected Communities
Programme and to provide new insights on
the potential broader cultural, economic
and societal value of research under the
Programme.
• Deadline for EOIs to participate 7 June

17. Current Calls
Digital Community Research Co-Production in the
Arts and Humanities
£4m ‘capital funding’ for a new call to harness the
power of digital technologies, creative communities
and community interest in exploring their cultures and
heritage to engage communities in the digital co-
production of research. It aims to develop cultural and
creative digital research ‘assets’ (e.g. as new or
enhanced databases, archives, galleries and creative
outputs) which will be a sustainable resource and
legacy for both future research and for communities.

18. Professor Andrew Prescott, Theme Leader Fellow
AHRC Digital Transformations
Strategic Theme

19. Digital Transformations Theme
• How can we use the digital resources and tools now at
our command to change the way in which we
undertake research in the arts and humanities?
• What happens to our scholarly alignments,
assumptions and roles when we start to use new
digital resources and methods?
• How can we encourage new alliances in the arts and
humanities: more cross-disciplinary working, new
conversations, greater risk-taking, more imagination
• What is rolling down the hill towards us? What next,
and how can we help drive that forward?

20. Digital Transformations Theme:
Characteristics
• Pluralistic: no one approach or solution; encouraging
experimentation
• The aim is to produce exciting research which is inspiring
and transformative – not primarily concerned with
infrastructure, standards, integrated tools, etc.
• Projects creating strong links between the arts and
humanities, and also seeking out new cross-disciplinary
alliances and forms of collaboration
• Wow factor: but how do we link that to high-quality
research?
• Developing links with other themes (Translating Cultures;
Science in Culture; Care for the Future)

21. Activities to Date
• Initial research networks e.g. Data – Asset – Method:
Harnessing the Infinite Archive at University of Nottingham
• Exploratory grants, e.g.
– Ian Gwilt (Sheffield Hallam) Enhancing the understanding of statistical
data through the creation of physical objects
– David Gauntlett (University of Westminster) Community-Powered
Transformations: a research network exploring digital transformations in
the creative relationships between cultural and media organisations and
their users
– Tom Cheesman (Swansea University) Version, Variation, Visualisation:
Multi-lingual crowd-sourcing of Shakespeare’s Othello
– Bronwen Thomas (Bournemouth University) Researching Readers Online
– Claire Squires (Stirling University) The Book Unbound: Disruption and
Disintermediation in the Digital Age
• Digital Transformations Moot, November 2012

22. Ian Gwilt, Sheffield Hallam University: www.behance.net

23. Translation Arrays, Tom Cheesman, Swansea:
www.delightedbeauty.org

24. Researching Readers Online
Bronwen Thomas and Julia Round
Bournemouth University
www.researchingreadersonline.com

25. David Gauntlett, University of Westminster:
www.digitaltransformations.org.uk

26. Transforming Artists’ Books: Helen
Douglas, Leda and the Swan (2006)

29. Possible Future Activities
• Another round of exploratory grants
• Calls relating to big data in the arts and
humanities
• Possible round of larger grants (but maybe not as
big as the first call)
• Further events showcasing the research being
undertaken as part of the theme
• Other events and activities organised with theme
fellow

30. Role of Theme Fellow
• Not programme director: providing scholarly input to
enhance transformative quality of work funded under
theme
• Building links between projects and encouraging synergy
between them
• Ensuring wider academic and public awareness of work
undertaken in theme
• Building links with other themes and theme fellows
• Organising seminars, workshops and other events which will
help achieve aspirations of theme
• Developing online presence of theme

31. Not a Programme or a Project but a Partnership
• A number of partners in developing theme
• Theme Advisory Group
• Theme Fellow
• AHRC team
• Previous and existing grant holders
• One of the outcomes of the theme should be an active
and well-integrated community whose continuing work
will reflect the vision of the theme

32. Digital Community Research Co-Production
Key Features of the Capital Funding Call
Gary Grubb
Associate Director of Programmes AHRC

33. Contributing to Strategic Themes
• The call seeks to explore new research
opportunities at the interface and
intersections between the Connected
Communities Programme, AHRC’s
Digital Transformations in the Arts and
Humanities Theme, the Cross-Council
Digital Economy Programme and other
AHRC activities relating to the Creative
Economy
• Open Call – prior involvement in any of
the above initiatives is not a
requirement

34. Key Features -
Community Co-Production
• Novel ways of engaging communities using
digital technologies and data in the
investigation of new research questions & in
the co-production of research-based assets
• Community engagement – stimulating,
shaping, challenging - at all stages of the
process – before, during and after
• Discussion of the nature of the communities
involved and the connectivity and
interaction between community participants
• Careful attention to the ethics of
engagement, inclusion etc

35. Key Features –
Producing Assets of Value
• A key focus of, and output from, the projects must be some
form of new, or significantly enhanced, research-based
asset of enduring value for communities and for future
research.
• Assets may take a variety of forms, e.g. open datasets,
integrated search facilities, mash-ups, visualizations and
mappings, enhanced gateways and portals, galleries, tools,
hardware, interfaces, software, material artefacts, or other
forms of innovative cultural and creative resource or asset.
• Consideration of legacy, sustainability and long-term
curation of the assets produced is essential (5-10 years or
more).
• Application of open data principles, standards & formats.

36. Key Features –
Inter-disciplinarity
• Applications should be inter-disciplinary combining at
their core arts and humanities researchers, community
engagement experts, and specialists in digital
technologies
• As this is part of the cross-Council Connected
Communities Programme we will welcome proposals
bringing in other areas in addition to these core areas
e.g. from social sciences, physical and natural sciences,
engineering, medicine etc.
• Important to demonstrate the distinctive arts and
humanities contribution as a part of the mix.
• Broader collaborations outside the HE sector welcomed

37. Key Features –
Innovative & Transformative Research
• Exploring the potential for digital &
multi-media technologies to transform
approaches to research co-production
• Innovative use of new technologies
e.g. to co-create, use, re-mix, link,
represent, visualise, map, reconfigure,
re-purpose, enhance, open data.
• Creating novel assets or content or
exploring different contexts for use
• Not about doing ‘more of the same’
• Recognise some projects may involve a
higher degree of risk

38. Key Features –
Research Reflection
• Embed opportunities for critical
reflection on, and learning from, the
research co-production processes,
ethics, application of open access
principles, the value of the assets
produced and the project legacy.
• Consideration to the broader
contribution to Connected
Communities (e.g. what can we learn
about communities and connectivity?),
Digital Transformations etc (e.g.
implications for future A&H research)

39. Range of Proposals
• Open to a range of proposals, large and
small from innovative experimental or
demonstrator projects through to larger
projects or projects which build in
innovative ways on existing projects
• Open to proposals involving or
combining a diverse range of content
and ‘data’ or covering a wide range of
issues, provided that there is a clear link
to the arts and humanities research
dimensions of the project.

40. Assessment Criteria
• Quality
• Value of cultural research-based assets
• Community engagement
• Innovation and transformative potential
• People, skills, expertise and collaboration
• Fit to call
• Potential contribution to Connected Communities
and Digital Transformations
• Pathways to impact, legacy, outputs and
dissemination
• Achievability and feasibility
• Value for money

41. Digital Transformations in Community
Research Co-Production in the Arts
and Humanities
Application and Assessment Process

42. • Grant details
• Key eligibility criteria
• Equipment costs
• International collaboration
• Community partner costs
• Call and assessment timetable
• Successful awards
Summary

43. Grant Details
• Awards of between £50,000 - £600,000
• Maximum duration of 18 months
• Awards must start on 1 October 2013
• Awards must have finished by 31 March 2015

44. Key Eligibility Criteria
• Contribution to both the Connected
Communities Programme and the Digital
Transformations in the Arts and Humanities
Theme
• Collaboration outside of the HEI sector
• Engagement with Community groups or
organisations
• Inter-disciplinary

45. Equipment Costs
• Individual items in excess of £10,000 can be
included
• For items between £10,000 and the OJEU
threshold (£135,668 inclusive of VAT) the
Research Council contribution will be 80% for
first £10,000 then 50% for any amount above
£10,000
• Justification made with the ‘Justification of
Resources’ section

46. Continued….
• Items above the OJEU threshold potentially
funded at 100%
• A business case is required for items over
threshold
• 3 equipment quotations must be included
for items over threshold
• Optional quotes for equipment between
£25,000 and threshold

47. International collaboration
• International Co-Investigators can be costed in
to project at 100%
• Total direct costs for International co-
investigators is no more than 30% of the FeC
of the proposal
• Must be from eligible institution
• Must be of Post doctoral standing

48. Inclusion of Community
Partners and Costs
• Community groups and organisations may be
included as project partners or collaborators.
• Funding for communities to undertake specific
additional activities as an integral part of the project
may be requested where appropriate.
• Guidance on this for applicants the Connected
Communities programme on AHRC’s website may be
helpful. http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/Funding-
Opportunities/Research-funding/Connected-
Communities/Documents/CC-community-partner-
costs.pdf

49. Application and Assessment
Timetable
• Applications through Je-S System
• Deadline 4pm on 27th
June 2013
• Applications will go to an Assessment panel in July
2013
• Outcomes to be sent in August or early September
2013

50. Continued…
• All Awards are expected to start on 1 October 2013
• All projects must finish by 31 March 2015

51. Successful Awards
• All awards to produce a Final report suitable
for publication
• Participate in activities planned by AHRC or
the Leadership Fellows
• Provide AHRC with information on how to
access assets and resources
• Follow-up surveys

52. Please contact us with any queries prior to submission:
Laura Bones, Programmes Co-ordinator – l.bones2@ahrc.ac.uk
Wendy Matcham, Portfolio Manager -
wendy.matcham@ahrc.ac.uk
or
Dr Pamela Mason, Strategy and Development Manager –
p.mason@ahrc.ac.uk
Questions?