Preparing your application
You must identify and research the institutions’ collections, fully familiarising yourself with them and how they are relevant to your own research. Please visit the institutions’ individual websites as a starting point to investigate the collections and inform your choice:
Once this initial step is completed, you can proceed to directly contact the relevant International Placement Scheme (IPS) institution to discuss your potential application and for information about the collections.
For NIHU and the Smithsonian Institution, you must contact the institution before applying.
For Harry Ransom Center, Huntington Library and Library of Congress, contact is not mandatory but you may contact the host institutions if desired.
Any contact should be made as soon as possible before the application deadline. Contact details can be found in the ‘Contact’ section.
This IPS opportunity is being run as a single pilot application on the new UK Research and Innovation Funding Service. Please read the ‘links to supplementary information’ section before you apply.
Research office professionals
If an application is created by a member of an organisation where we do not currently have contact details with their research office, we will contact them to enable administrator access. This provides:
- oversight of every funding service application opened on behalf of your organisation
- the ability to review and submit applications, which must be received by 4pm 21 February 2023
If you anticipate researchers from your organisation apply for this opportunity but have not yet received an invitation to open an account, email support@funding-service.ukri.org
As an administrator, you will be responsible for the final submission of the application to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and ensuring internal deadlines are made clear to applicants from your organisation. To hear more about the role of administrators, and the current functionality of the new funding service and how it will further develop, please see a recording of the most recent research office webinar.
If a student’s PhD is funded through a consortium of research organisations, the application should be submitted by the student’s home research organisation rather than the consortia lead research organisation.
Applicants
What follows is the essence of the sections and questions you will need to complete and answer on the UKRI Funding Service. You cannot apply for this funding opportunity on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.
To create an application, you will need to take the following steps:
- Select the ‘Start application’ button at the start of this page.
- This will open the ‘Sign in’ page of UKRI’s Funding Service. If you do not already have an account, you’ll be able to create one. This is a 2-minute process requiring you to verify your email address and set a password.
- Start answering the questions detailed in the ‘How to apply’ section. You can save your work and come back to it later. You can also work ‘offline’, copying and pasting into the text boxes provided for your answers.
- Once complete, use the service to send your application to your research office for review. They’ll check it and return it to you if it needs editing.
- Once happy, your research office will submit it to UKRI for assessment. Only they can do this.
In the ‘Applicants’ section, PhD applicants must give the role of principal investigator to their supervisor and select the role of co-applicant for their self. Early career researcher applicants simply choose principal investigator as their role.
Make sure you get any necessary approval from your organisation in advance and give your research office plenty of time before the closing date.
AHRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your funding service account and the registration of your funding applications.
We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely.
For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.
Details and summary
Project details
If you are a PhD applicant assign yourself as co-applicant and, enter the name, job title and position of your supervisor and ensure you allocate them the role of principal investigator in the ‘Applicants’ section that follows this. If you are an early career researcher, assign yourself the role of principal investigator. No further applicant roles are necessary for you.
Then provide the following details about your proposed International Placement Scheme (IPS) project:
- title: prefix what you are calling your IPS research project with your chosen host institution, for example: ‘Harry Ransom Center – Investigating the works and revisions of Jane Smith’
- dates: with reference to the specific guidance for permissible dates, detailed on the funding finder, specify your intended start date and duration of your study period
Summary
In plain English, provide a summary of your proposed fellowship that can be sent to your intended host organisation to determine if they think you are a good fit.
This summary may be made publicly available on external facing websites, so please ensure it can be understood by a variety of readers, for example:
- opinion formers
- policymakers
- the general public
- the wider research community
Your summary must include:
- the name of the IPS host you aspire to study at (remember, if you are an ESRC applicant you can only apply for the Library of Congress)
- a summary of the research you propose to conduct during your IPS fellowship, indicating how it relates to your current research
Be explicit about what it is that attracts you about your intended host and their facilities or collections. Also make a case for why you would be a good fit for them.
Word count: 250
Applicants
List the key members of your team and assign them roles, for example:
- principal investigator
- co-investigator
You must assign only 1 principal investigator unless defined otherwise in the opportunity specification. If you are applying for a fellowship, you must assign yourself the role of ‘fellow’.
The UKRI Funding Service does not list ‘researcher co-investigator’ as a role. Instead, select ‘researcher’ for team members carrying out this role.
Details about you
Question: provide details about your eligibility status
What the assessors are looking for in your response
With specific reference to the guidance in the ‘Who can apply’ section provide the following details:
- if you are a PhD student, provide the title of your PhD and the grant reference number for your current AHRC (beginning AH) or ESRC award (beginning ES). If that award is part of an institutional block grant or consortia grant, for example: BGP, DTP, DTC, CDA or CDP, we require that grant reference number. If you are unsure of your grant reference number, you must contact your research organisation
- if you are an early career researcher or research assistant, state how you meet the eligibility criteria as described in the ‘Who can apply’ section
- how you meet any additional host-specific eligibility as described in the ‘Who can apply’ section
Word count: 250
About your research
Question: provide details about your current research
What the assessors are looking for in your response
You should provide:
- a brief summary of your current research, including what you have undertaken to date
- a timeline for the completion of any current research projects, showing the stage you are at now and the stage at which the IPS fellowship would take place (you may include a table if it helps)
- if you have applied to the scheme previously, provide the reference number for any previous applications
Word count: 400
About your experience and skills
Question: detail your most recent experience and why you think you are right for this opportunity
What the assessors are looking for in your response
You should demonstrate your ability to successfully deliver your proposed research, providing the following details:
- a summary of your most recent research experience, including any AHRC or ESRC-funded grants
- how you have the necessary skills, for example language proficiency, required to undertake the proposed research
Word count: 250
About your application: AHRC applicants
Question: explain why we should support you studying at your chosen institution
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Only answer this if you are an AHRC applicant. If you are an ESRC applicant, enter ‘N/A’ into the text box, mark this section as complete and move to the next one.
Please describe:
- why the institution you are applying to study at is right for you, including the relevance of the particular collections or resources you are aiming to use
- how access to these collections or expertise would add value or relevance to your current and future research
- a breakdown of how the time spent there would be used
- if the intended research is to be practice-led, how practice is an integral part of the project
- if applicable, how your research may be of value to the institution
- if the fellowship could provide personal development opportunities, other than those arising directly from your research
Word count: 750
About your application: ESRC applicants
Question: explain why we should support you studying at the Library of Congress
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Only answer this if you are an ESRC applicant. AHRC applicants should enter ‘N/A’ into the text box, mark this section as complete and move to the next one.
Please describe:
- why studying at the Library of Congress is right for you, including the particular collections or resources you are aiming to use
- how access to these collections or expertise would add value or relevance to your current and future research
- a breakdown of how the time spent there would be used
- if the intended research is to be practice-led, how practice is an integral part of the project
- if applicable, how your research may be of value to the institution
- if the fellowship could provide personal development opportunities, other than those arising directly from your research
Word count: 750
PhD applicant: supervising staff reference
Question: if you are a PhD applicant, ask your supervisor to provide a statement of support. If you are an early career researcher applicant please type ‘N/A’.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
You should write the name of your supervisor’s institution followed by their name. The supervisor should be listed as a principal investigator on the application.
Then underneath paste in your supervisor’s supporting statement, including:
- an account of how the proposed research and time spent at the IPS institution will add value to your current and on-going work
- an account of how, if applicable, your research may be of value to the IPS institution
- confirmation that you have the necessary skills (like relevant language proficiency) to exploit the available resources effectively
- their opinion as to whether the chosen IPS institution is the most appropriate institution for you to conduct your research
- assurance that the time spent on the IPS will not result in extra time being required to complete the current research funded by AHRC or ESRC
- detail of the supervisory arrangements that will be in place while you are undertaking your research during this placement
Word count: 400
ECR applicant: letter of support
Upload a single PDF containing a letter or email of support from your head of department
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Ensure your head of department provides:
- an account of how the proposed research and time spent at the IPS institution will add value to your current and on-going work
- an account of how, if applicable, your research may be of value to the IPS institution
- confirmation that you have the necessary skills (like relevant language proficiency) to exploit the available resources effectively
- an opinion as to whether the chosen IPS institution is the most appropriate institution for you to conduct their research
- assurance that the time spent on the IPS will not result in extra time being required to complete any current research funded by AHRC
Word count: 400
Huntington Library applicant: letter of support
Upload a single PDF containing a letter or email of support from an appropriate academic referee for example supervisor, mentor or head of department. If you are not a Huntington Library applicant, please type ‘N/A’.
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Ensure your referee provides:
- an account of how the proposed research and time spent at the IPS institution will add value to your current and on-going work
- an account of how, if applicable, your research may be of value to the IPS institution
- confirmation that you have the necessary skills (like relevant language proficiency) to exploit the available resources effectively
- an opinion as to whether the Huntington Library is the most appropriate institution for you to conduct your research
- assurance that the time spent on the IPS will not result in extra time being required to complete any current research funded by AHRC
Word count: 400
Once you have completed all sections, the service will require you to send your application to your research office for checking and submission.
