The British Forum for Ethnomusicology (BFE) is pleased to announce the opening of the 2017 Fieldwork Grant scheme.

Purpose of the Grants

The BFE Fieldwork Grants are intended to support doctoral candidates conducting ethnomusicological field research in the UK and abroad through making a contribution towards the costs of travel and subsistence. Up to 3 grants collectively totalling up to £1500 will be awarded for the 2017 scheme.

Eligibility

The BFE Fieldwork Grants scheme is open to all students enrolled on a PhD programme at a university in the UK who are conducting ethnomusicological research. Please note that applicants must have renewed their student membership for 2017 in order to be eligible to apply. If you have not renewed your membership yet then please do so on the bfe website. Only one application per person is permitted and fieldwork must start during 2017.

Criteria

The criteria of evaluation are: the quality, originality and significance of the research and its potential contribution to ethnomusicological knowledge, theory and debate; the feasibility and importance of the fieldwork for achieving the stated research aims and outcomes; the need of the applicant, i.e. the likelihood of the applicant being unable to obtain fieldwork funding from other sources. There is no preference for particular geographical areas or topics.

Application Procedure

Applications must be made online through the BFE website. To make an application, go to BFE Fieldwork Grants Scheme page on the BFE website. There you will find a link to the BFE Fieldwork Grant Application Form where you will need to upload the following materials:

1. A letter addressing the grant criteria. The letter should also provide a clear indication of: the fieldwork schedule; the expected costs; the amount of funding requested from the BFE scheme; and other sources of research funding received and/or applied for. The letter must not exceed 2 pages in length.
2. A short CV, not exceeding 1 page in length.
3. A short reference letter, not exceeding 1 page in length, in support of the application from the applicant’s PhD supervisor. Supervisors may wish to send their reference letter by email directly to the Chair at chairbfe.org.uk before the deadline (i.e.  end of Friday 18 November).

Please note that in order to access the online BFE Fieldwork Grant Application Form you must have renewed your membership for 2017 and be logged-in to your account on the BFE website. If you have any difficulties with the online submission please email Morgan Davies at adminbfe.org.uk

Application Deadline and Decision Notification

Applications must be submitted by email by the end of Friday 18 November 2016. Applications will be evaluated by a BFE panel and applicants will be informed of the outcome of the awards by Monday 12 December 2016. The decision of the panel is final, and the BFE regrets that it is unable to provide feedback on applications and decisions made by the panel.

Payment of Grants for Successful Applications

Successful applicants must liaise with the BFE Treasurer (bfetreasurergmail.com) before grants are disbursed. Payment will be made via bank transfer.

Post-Award Reports

Successful applicants are requested to submit a short fieldwork report – up to 500 words in length, accompanied by other media materials if appropriate – within 3 months after the completion of the fieldwork. Fieldwork reports are likely to be made public on the BFE website, social media etc. Grant awardees may also be requested to do a short presentation about their fieldwork at BFE meetings such as the AGM. Any publications resulting from the fieldwork should acknowledge receipt of a BFE Fieldwork Grant.  

Barley Norton

BFE Chair, chairbfe.org.uk