The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is pleased to announce a call for Research Networking awards focusing on how the creative industries can have a transformative impact on prosperity, social cohesion and sustainable growth in Turkey.

The overarching aim of this call is to build networks and partnerships between the UK and Turkey – with a specific focus on the Istanbul region – in order to facilitate new collaborations in the creative industries that will deliver sustained economic, social, cultural and intellectual benefits. The Research Networking awards are intended to provide a platform for the initiation / enhancement of research and creative industry networks and partnerships between the UK and Turkey with a view to longer-term collaboration. The awards will support networks that will identify challenges and opportunities, interrogate key themes and priorities.

Funding of up to £45,000 (fEC) per award is available from the Newton-Katip Çelebi Fund for balanced UK-Turkey teams to support the development of networks and partnerships. Applications to this call must be made by a PI who is contracted to a UK University or Independent Research Organisation (IRO) and is eligible to receive AHRC funding (see p.34 of the AHRC‘s Research Funding Guide). However, all projects will be required to include a mix of academic researchers and creative industry partners from both the UK and the Istanbul region.

Eligibility

Applications are invited from eligible UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) or Independent Research Organisations (IROs), working in partnership with relevant stakeholders including cultural organisations and creative businesses in both the UK and Istanbul region. The principal investigator must be eligible to receive AHRC funding; co-investigators, research assistants and administrative support are permitted for this call. International co-investigators from Turkey are permitted – the salary costs and time contributions of researchers and partners based in Turkey are normally expected to form a significant part of their commitment to the project (see section 6 in the UK-Turkey Creative Industries Research Networking Awards Call Guidance below). Other International co-investigators are not permitted.

All projects must:

• Be collaborative between the UK and Turkey (Istanbul region)
• Include representation from research and creative industries (this can be creative businesses and/or other creative and cultural organisations)
• For the Turkish component, have a principal focus on collaboration with the Istanbul region (additional engagement beyond Istanbul is acceptable though must be justified)
• Be able to demonstrate and quantify a commitment from partners in Turkey (see section 6 in the UK-Turkey Creative Industries Research Networking Awards Call Guidance)
• Demonstrate value for money and an appropriate use of resources – for example, it is expected that projects will consider cost effective meeting, travel and accommodation options (see assessment criteria)
• Meet the aims of the Newton-Katip Çelebi Fund and be ODA compliant (see section 7 in the UK-Turkey Creative Industries Research Networking Awards Call Guidance).

Closing date: 4pm Thursday 27^th February 2020

Further info here.