[MEI-L] Funding Opportunity: Transforming Musicology Mini-Projects

[Richard Lewis]

RESEARCH FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Call for Mini-Projects

<http://www.transforming-musicology.org/news/2013-12-17_transforming-musicology-mini-projects/>

Transforming Musicology is a large-scale research project, funded
under the AHRC's Digital Transformations scheme, seeking to explore
the transformation of musicology through the application of software
tools such as are emerging from research in Music Information
Retrieval. See: http://www.transforming-musicology.org

We invite applications for mini-projects to contribute to this
research. Applications may come from academic staff at UK institutions
which are entitled to apply for AHRC funding (see
http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/Funding-Opportunities/Research-funding/RFG/Eligibility/Pages/Eligibility.aspx
for the AHRC's eligibility criteria). We aim to fund four
mini-projects, each at the level of approximately £50,000. The
deadline for applications is midnight on 21 March 2014.

Projects and Application Process

Mini-projects must

  * Conduct research on a clearly defined musicological question using
    digital technology;

  * Communicate with other teams in the Transforming Musicology
    project, at least by making regular posts to the project's
    website;

  * Produce at least of the following research outputs

    o A contribution to the final Transforming Musicology workshop, to
      be held in July 2016, with accompanying documentation,

    o A contribution to an edited book;

  * Contribute to the project's web-site and Semantic Web
    infrastructure;

  * Start between 1 June and 1 October 2014;

  * Finish by 31 March 2015.

Applications should be made by e-mail to Alan Marsden at Lancaster
University (a.marsden at lancaster.ac.uk). An application should consist
of a single pdf document with the following sections (broadly similar
to the components of a typical AHRC application):

  * Title of the intended mini-project

  * Intended starting date and duration

  * Name, post, institution and contact details of the lead
    investigator

  * Name(s), post(s), institution(s) and role(s) of any other members
    of the research team. Teams may include members yet to be
    appointed, in which case an indication of the qualifications,
    skills and background sought in the appointee should be
    given. Teams may include individuals outside the UK, but their
    costs other than occasional visits to the UK must be met from
    other sources.

  * Objectives of the project (up to 4000 characters)

  * Summary of the project (up to 4000 characters)

  * Budget (total sum between £40,000 and £60,000)

  * Letter of support from the Head of the lead investigator's
    department

  * Case for Support (up to four A4 pages), containing the following

    o Musicological research questions to be investigated

    o Research context

    o Aims and objectives

    o Research methods, including what digital tools and materials are
      to be used, and how, and a provisional timetable. If materials
      will need to be digitised, give details of how this is to be done.

    o Fit to the Transforming Musicology project. How will this
      research be transformative for musicology? How will the
      mini-project feed into the overall project's Semantic Web
      infrastructure?

  * Justification of resources (one A4 page)

  * Curriculum Vitae of each team member (one A4 page each)

  * Publications of each team member (not necessarily a complete list,
    one A4 page each)

  * Any other supporting material (visual evidence, warrants of
    contribution in kind, external support, etc.) (up to four A4
    pages)

Projects will be selected on the following criteria

  * Is the programme of research sound?

  * Are the musicological objectives clear and realistic?

  * Are the technical means clear and realistic?

  * How transformative for musicology is the project likely to be?

  * The degree to which the project will expand the areas of
    musicology represented in the Transforming Musicology project.

  * The scope for contribution to the Semantic Web infrastructure.

  * The skills and track record of the research team.

  * Value for money.

Applications from teams including early-career researchers and women
are particularly welcome.

In order to make best use of the available resources, we reserve the
right to fund mini-projects according to a budget varied from that in
the application. Formal collaboration agreements between Lancaster
University and the institutions participating in each mini-project
will be required before any mini-project can start. Project costs may
either include indirect costs, in which case funding will be 80% of
full economic costs, mimicking the typical basis of AHRC funding, or
projects may include only direct costs and be funded at 100%. Final
decision on admissible costs will be made by staff at Lancaster
University.

For the purposes of these mini-projects, musicology is defined broadly
as the study of music, and it explicitly includes ethnomusicology,
music theory and analysis. On the other hand, studies whose objective
is the creation or dissemination of music are excluded. Any project
whose primary objective is performance, composition, education, or the
facilitation of any of these, is excluded.

Before you apply ...

We encourage those interested in bidding to carry out a mini-project
to discuss their plans in advance with Alan Marsden or another member
of the Transforming Musicology team. We anticipate that projects will
involve partners who are computer scientists or technologists as well
as musicologists. While we cannot guarantee to find appropriate
partners, we are willing to make efforts to put potential partners in
touch with each other.

Pre-Application Exploratory Event, 12 February, Lancaster

To assist in fostering good bids, an event will be held at Lancaster
University on Wednesday 12 February 2014. Anyone entitled to bid for a
mini-project (see above) may attend the event, subject to a limit on
overall numbers. To reserve a place, please contact Alan Marsden
(a.marsden at lancaster.ac.uk). Preference will be given to those who
send a compelling 'expression of interest' (see below) by 17 January.

The event will include the following:

  * A presentation about the Transforming Musicology project, its
    aims, rationale and components

  * A presentation on how the Transforming Musicology project plans to
    use Semantic Web technology

  * A presentation of some previous musicological research using
    digital technology and of some of the technologies available

  * An opportunity for participants to air their interests and seek
    research partners

  * An opportunity to ask questions about the Transforming Musicology
    project, about the mini-projects, and about the bidding process.

To help us in planning the event, we ask that attendees send an
expression of interest to Alan Marsden (a.marsden at lancaster.ac.uk) by
Friday 17 January. Expressions of interest will be one page of A4 and
take one of two forms, either primarily musicological or primarily
technological. A musicological expression of interest will give

  * The name and contact details of the person attending the event;

  * An outline of the musicological question or questions you are
    interested in investigating;

  * A brief description of the research materials you might use, and
    whether or not they are already in digital form;

  * How you believe digital technology will contribute to answering
    the musicological questions.

A technological expression of interest will give

  * The name and contact details of the person attending the event;

  * An outline of a digital technology or resource in which you are an
    expert;

  * How you believe that technology or resource might contribute to
    transforming musicology.