First Book Grant Competition – Launch Announcement
The ISRF has launched its second First Book Grant competition. Deadline for applications: 5pm GMT, 1st November 2024.
ISRF First Book Grant Competition
Supporting recent PhD graduates in their effort to turn their PhD thesis into a publishable book.
The Independent Social Research Foundation wishes to support recent PhD graduates in their effort to turn their PhD thesis into a publishable book.
Researchers may apply from across the social sciences and the humanities. The awards are intended to provide a research stipend (to cover living costs) for a period of up to twelve months, plus appropriate research expenses.
Scholars from within Europe are eligible to apply. Candidates must have been awarded their PhD and should be within three years of PhD award at the time of application (career breaks, such as periods of medical leave, parental leave, or caring commitments, will be taken into account), and should not already hold a permanent position within academia. The awards are intended as providing a stipend to allow applicants full or partial support for the conversion of their PhD thesis into a book, and relief from non-academic work (including domestic care), for a period of up to one year.
Eligible Research
The ISRF is looking for innovative research that breaks with existing explanatory frameworks so as to address afresh empirical problems with no currently adequate theory or investigative methodology. Innovation may also come from controversial theoretical approaches motivated by critical challenge of incumbent theories. Interdisciplinarity in the generation of new investigative initiatives may be achieved by combining, cross-fertilising, and so transforming empirical methods and theoretical insights from the social sciences. Projects ranging across the breadth of the social scientific disciplines and interdisciplinary research fields are welcome, and relevant applications from scholars working within the humanities are also encouraged.
Award Value
The amount of an award will depend on individual circumstances – the ISRF expects applications for grants up to a maximum of €41,500 (or GBP equivalent), of which no more than €34,000 may be allocated to the cost-of-living stipend. Up to €7,500 may be requested to cover reasonable research expenses, which might include necessary additional fieldwork trips, transcription, copy-editing, illustration costs etc.. Reasonable childcare or other domestic costs may be considered.†
† PLEASE NOTE: Applicants seeking an affiliation in the UK must apply in GBP (£), up to the limit of £35,000, of which no more than £28,750 may be allocated to the cost-of-living stipend. Applicants seeking an affiliation elsewhere in Europe, including non-Eurozone countries, must apply in EUR (€), up to the limit of €41,500, of which no more than €34,000 may be allocated to the cost-of-living stipend. These limits will not be adjusted in the event of GBP/EUR currency fluctuations.
Applicants should consult the Criteria as set out in the Further Particulars and show that they meet them. Applicants are expected to submit their complete application electronically via the online application system, in English.