Do you have less than 4 years post-doctoral experience or will you be submitting your PhD before September/October 2014?

Do you have what it takes to be a future research leader, and can you demonstrate your potential as an outstanding early career Social Scientist?

If your answers to the above are yes, then come along to a briefing session to find out about the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Future Research Leaders scheme. Funding is available for up to three years, up to a maximum of c.£312k (tbc). Inter/multidisciplinary working is encouraged both within and beyond the social sciences, as long as at least 50% of the proposed programme of research is within ESRC remit.

At this session, you will also hear from Prof Chris Taylor, School of Social Sciences and member of ESRC’s Training and Skills Committee.

Please click here to book your place, or for more information contact Sally O’Connor, oconnors@cf.ac.uk x75494:

Awards of up to £500 are available to either develop or run a new engagement project or to bring a public engagement element to an existing project. The scheme is open to academic staff and PhD researchers in all academic schools.

The deadline for applications is 5 April and application forms can be downloaded from the Community Engagement Team Small Grants webpage.

If you have questions or would like to discuss your application with the team, please contact community@cardiff.ac.uk.

Samuel Sequeira from ENCAP was awarded £2,920 for ‘Engaging with Diversity: Developing Skills in Public Engagement and Research Impact’. He received funding for a programme of training activities, held in collaboration with Butetown History & Arts Centre, which will develop skills related to practical partnership working and public engagement.  Its primary aim is to train PhD students and other early career researchers working in areas related to multiculturalism in how to engage effectively with ethnic minority community groups and make impact central to their research activities.

Sara Sylvester from JOMEC, was awarded £2,500 for her project, ‘Making Media Matter for 21st Century Teachers and Learners: Demystifying Representational Theory at KS5 & Promoting Pedagogical Excellence in Media Education’.

The project will involve up to 10 PhD students who will collaborate with practitioners in the Department of Media at Whitchurch High School to develop and deliver a programme of study to A-level students to enhance their media literacy skills.  This project identifies media literacy education as an intentional and essential framework in which to develop and catalyze essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions for 21st-century teacher preparation and Key Stage 5 film/media students (A-level).

We have set up a Connections Community to help PGRs find others who would like to apply for funding in January 2013.  To join the community, click here

Two ‘speed-meeting’ events have also been organised to give PGRs an opportunity to seek potential collaborators.  Details of the events are as follows:

• Thurs 6 Dec, 10am – 11am
• Mon 10 Dec, 12 noon – 1pm

These drop-in sessions will be held in the Café bar in the Graduate Centre, 3rd floor of the Students’ Union.  Tea/Coffee will be available.  Please bring with you a short paragraph describing your project idea, your School details and what other Schools/disciplines you are seeking collaboration with, which you can hand out to others at the event.

To find out more about funding for interdisciplinary activities, click here