[NOW CLOSED] Moore Institute Visiting Research Fellowships 2017

in association with the

College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies,
James Hardiman Library & Galway University Foundation,
National University of Ireland Galway

Introduction

The Moore Institute for Research in the Humanities and Social Studies at NUI Galway will award a number of Visiting Research Fellowships in the arts, humanities and social sciences for the period January-June 2017. The Fellowship Scheme is designed to enhance the research community of the University by fostering collaboration between visiting fellows and staff at NUI Galway. Fellowship recipients will benefit from working with the many rich collections within the James Hardiman Library and will have the opportunity to engage with the vibrant research culture in the wider university, city and region.

Located in the recently awarded ‘European Capital of Culture 2020′, NUI Galway is internationally recognised for its excellence, and we are counted among the Top 2% of universities worldwide. In the past five years, NUI Galway has been the only university in Ireland to rise consistently in the World University Rankings, with recognition in 2016 by QS and Times Higher Education Rankings placing it in the top 250 globally.

We are also internationally recognised in the field of Arts and Humanities, with both our English and History subjects ranked in the top 200 globally in the QS Subject Rankings in 2015 and 2016.

Background

The Moore Institute was founded in 2000 with a grant from the Irish Higher Education Authority of Ireland (PRTLI2) and has received further grants from the Andrew Mellon Foundation, the European Research Council, the EU Framework Programme, Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions, the Irish Research Council, and the HEA, among other sources. The Visiting Fellowship programme was launched in 2011, and we have hosted more than 130 scholars and practitioners from around the world working on topics that engage the full range of activities in the College of Arts.

Sources & Resources

Visiting Fellows will have access to the collections of the James Hardiman Library which has major print and archival holdings housed in Special Collections in the Hardiman Research Building, including 300 separate collections of books and manuscripts. These range from resources for theatre and performance research led by the Abbey Theatre Digital Archive, the papers of the Druid Theatre, Lyric Theatre, An Taibhdhearc (the Irish language national theatre), and Thomas Kilroy, to the papers of John McGahern and Joe Burke, as well as two major collections dealing with the recent ‘Troubles’ principally the papers of Ruairí Ó Brádaigh and Brendan Duddy. Special Collections also features the Douglas Hyde collection as well as other extensive folklore collections in manuscript and other formats. For details regarding the collections and access please consult this link.

The Library offers excellent electronic resources covering all of the major academic journals. Online databases include States Papers Online, Cecil Papers, Early English Books Online, Eighteenth-Century Collections Online, Making of the Modern World, Empire Online, and Proquest Historical Newspapers. The Library also possesses substantial contemporary and historical printed resources. The University’s longstanding commitment to the Irish language provides further opportunities for engaging with the traditional arts of the Connemara Gaeltacht. Visiting fellows will have access to all the major repositories on the island of Ireland.

Facilities

Visiting Fellows will be provided with space in the dedicated Hardiman Research Building (HRB) where the Moore Institute is located. The HRB has seminar rooms, offices, and desks for a diverse group of researchers, including 16 postdoctoral fellows and 320 postgraduates in different disciplines. The HRB also has a research technologist (David Kelly) to assist with digital humanities projects and dissemination. The building provides the focus of research activity in the six Schools of the College (School of Education, School of Geography & Archaeology, School of Humanities, School of Languages, Literatures, & Cultures, the School of Political Science & Sociology, and School of Psychology). For disciplines within the respective schools see here.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The Moore Institute Visiting Fellowships are open to all disciplines within the arts, humanities and social sciences.

The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 4 November 2016. Applications must be submitted by email to mooreinstitute@nuigalway.ie.

Eligibility: All applicants must hold a PhD or have a substantial record or profile of practice or performance. EU citizens and other nationals are eligible to apply. Awards are subject to the successful meeting of visa and any other requirements which are the sole responsibility of the applicant to organise.

Application: A complete application consists of a four-page proposal (maximum) PLUS a brief letter of support from a member of the NUI Galway staff relevant to your project.

Proposal Page One: List your name, institutional affiliation, email address, telephone number(s), the period of fellowship requested (max. one month), the subject area of your research in terms of discipline, and a brief project title. Please also indicate where you learned about the Moore Institute Fellowships.

Proposal Pages Two-Three: Provide a summary of the proposed research project that explains the context, significance and projected outcome and impact (journal article, chapter, book, edited volume, performance, or other public dissemination) of your period of research in the Moore Institute. Please describe the people and resources important to your project in NUI Galway and where potential exists for future collaboration. This person will be your designated staff sponsor for the duration of your fellowship.

Proposal Page Four: Provide an abbreviated one-page curriculum vitae stressing relevant publications and awards, and the name of one referee prepared to write on your behalf. No other items should be appended to the proposal, which should not exceed four pages in length.

Application Deadline

  • The applicant should submit all materials in a single document to mooreinstitute@nuigalway.ie by Friday 4 November 2016.
  • Applications received after this deadline or transmitted by post or fax will not be considered.
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered. All applications must include the 4 page proposal PLUS the letter of support from an NUI Galway staff member.
  • All application will be acknowledge by email.

Fellowships will be administered through the Moore Institute and all queries can be directed in the first instance to mooreinstitute@nuigalway.ie.

Award Announcement:

Decisions will be announced by email on or before 30 November 2016. Queries about applications in process cannot be acknowledged. Fellowship recipients and their research projects will be acknowledged in Moore Institute publicity.

Award Terms and Conditions:

  • Moore Institute Fellowships must be taken up during the period January-June 2016.
  • The Fellowship term is to a maximum of one month. There is no stated minimum.
  • The amount of the award will vary according to the length of proposed stay and the available overall budget, up to a maximum of €2,500 per month (to cover reasonable travel and living expenses which will be paid after the Fellow’s stay by the reimbursement of expenses).
  • During the research period, fellows are expected to have a significant presence in the Moore Institute.
  • Fellows will be asked to deliver one public lecture/workshop or seminar, which may be recorded, and to be available to meet with students at the undergraduate and/or postgraduate level.
  • Fellows will be required to provide a one-page summary of their research for inclusion on our website as part of our effort to showcase the breadth and excellence of the AHSS research community that we support.
  • Fellows are asked to credit ‘the Moore Institute for the Humanities and Social Studies at the National University of Ireland Galway’ in any publication or other outcome pursuant to the award.

Evaluation Criteria:

Applications will be judged according to the following criteria:

  • Research profile of the applicant
  • Quality of the proposed research project
  • Extent to which the proposed project would enrich the partnership between the Moore Institute, the respective School at NUI Galway and applicant
  • Potential of the proposed project to lead to further research collaboration, institutional links and funding bids
  • Extent to which the proposed project would make use of Galway-based resources
  • Proposed outcome(s)

For any further query, please contact mooreinstitute@nuigalway.ie.