ERC Funding in the Humanities

Justyna Olko

Faculty of “Artes Liberales”

University of Warsaw

Our project

Europe and America in Contact:

A multidisciplinary study of cross-cultural

transfer in the New World across time

2012-2017, ERC Starting Grant

Short video

http://www.uw.edu.pl/zderzenie-kultur/

A comprehensive, multidisciplinary study of contact-

induced language and culture change in the Americas

(1519-present)

DECIDING TO WRITE AN ERC GRANT

PROPOSAL

• Who decides?

• Why possible applicants are discouraged?

• Seeking support

• Myths and facts: differences between Polish/ERC

evaluating criteria

Preparation of a successful proposal

A novel idea for the research project

• Can be derived from or based on earlier research

experience or a specific project

• Bridging disciplinary boundaries (� which ERC

panel should be selected?)

• Possible sources of innovation: thematic scope,

problem to solve, methodology, research practices,

or a novel combination of all of them

A novel idea for the research project

My approach

• Bridging existing thematic and disciplinary boundaries

• A problem-oriented approach, not a disciplinary

approach

• Innovative and experimental/high-risk methodology

• multidisciplinary approach

• deconstructing the boundary between the

informant and the anthropologist

• situating indigenous students as protagonists in

academic activities

• Experimental team

Preparation of a successful proposal

• Constructing your research record and profile as

a potential PI (long-term development, well-

planed publication strategy, but also a successful

presentation, importance of self-confidence!)

• Creating an international research network

• Gathering your team

Warsaw UniversityInstituto de Docencia e

Investigación Etnológica de Zacatecas (IDIEZ, Mexico)

Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)

Collaborating institutions:Univ. Complutense de Madrid (Spain)Colegio Mexiquense (Mexico)Univ. Autonoma de Tlaxcala (Mexico)University of Texas in Austin (USA)University of Oregon in Eugene (USA)Central Michigan University (USA)

Our basic research network

Preparation of a successful proposal

• Writing: finding balance between an expert approach

and an understandable presentation (gather feedback

from experts in your area, specialists in other domains,

experts at the National Contact Point and your

institution’s research office)

• Give enough attention to detail, but also emphasize a

more general innovative potential and impact

• There is no ready-made answer: formulate and

implement your original approach

• Importance of a personal interview (training in self-

presentation is extremely useful!)

After your receive a grant …

• Be prepared to face bureaucratic and legal hurdles, right from

the negotiation phase and through the project’s

implementation at your institution

• No way to avoid a project manager role with some

administrative duties (but as Polish institutions become more

experienced in handling ERC/EC funding, more procedures

are tested and successfully applied)

• Negotiate the conditions of support and grant administration

at your department/institution before the project starts!

• Remain flexible and critical as regards the transformation of

the research strategy and/or the shape of your team (changes

during ERC grants are possible and much easier than under

national funding)

Augmenting research potential:

Combining research-oriented and applied projects

(still uncommon in the humanities)

Our example:

• Close collaboration and exchange between the ERC-funded

research and the project Endangered languages:

Comprehensive models for research and revitalization (2013-

2016) (National Program for the Development of Humanities)

• Deals with three minority languages: Nahuatl in Mexico and

Wymysiöeryś and Lemko in Poland

• Oriented toward developing and implementing specific

cultural and educational strategies

www.revitalization.al.uw.edu.pl

ERC Funding in the Humanities

Justyna Olko

Faculty of “Artes Liberales”

University of Warsaw