Archaeological Archives Research Grant

Overview

The Royal Irish Academy, together with the National Monuments Service are pleased to invite applications for this scheme which supports research and analysis connected to archival artifacts and other excavation-related material arising from non-RIA excavations of sites in Ireland (not including Northern Ireland).

No one grant will exceed 50% of the total grant funding for the year. It is expected that grants of €5,000-€20,000 will be made.

Please click on this link to access the online application form.

All queries can be sent to grants@ria.ie with the subject line: AARG 

Applications are accepted for the following:

Research and analysis connected to archival artefacts and other excavation-related material arising from non-RIA excavations of sites in Ireland (not including Northern Ireland).

Aims and Priorities

• Maximising the informative potential of already-excavated archaeological material, in the context of the finite nature of the archaeological resource
• Standalone questions into which research might provide an original/innovative contribution to archaeological knowledge

Assessment Criteria

In order to make a decision, each application will be assessed on the following weighted criteria:

1. The relevance of the proposal to the furtherance of the aims and priorities of this grant scheme (30%)
2. The ability of the applicant to carry out the proposed research, demonstrated through a track record of relevant competencies, as appropriate to their career stage (30%)
3. The design, resources and methodologies that are being brought to this project to enable its success, including personnel, skills, equipment, facilities, technologies and materials. Highlight those that are innovative or State of the Art (20%)
4. Evidence of plan for impactful and relevant dissemination (20%)

Who can apply?

This scheme is open to archaeological researchers/archaeologists, including PhD students, undergraduate students, postgraduate students, for work in Ireland (not including Northern Ireland).

Costs and activities which are eligible

• Research costs including specialist’s fees and services, materials, travel and subsistence expenses.
• Salary costs of grant recipients and research team members are considered an eligible cost if, in order to participate in the project they must have their time ‘bought out’, or they must take time out from their usual employment, or would not be funded to do this work without the grant funding and are not simultaneously in receipt of another income. As the Academy can only reimburse costs which are supported by evidence of payment any request to reimburse salary costs must be supported by evidence that the salary has been paid (in the form of payslips, paid invoices etc.) from the employing body.
• Applications will be considered for further research emanating from what were originally developer-led projects, provided all licensing requirements have been met in full.
• Applicants must list any current sources of research funding and justify why additional funds are sought from the RIA.

Costs and activities which are ineligible

• Costs of archaeological excavations or surveys or fieldwork.
• Applications for the funding of research as part of developer-led or commercial excavations that have not fulfilled their licensing requirements in full.
• The grant does not fund institutional overheads, and the grant cannot be used to cover any element that should be properly ascribed to institutional overheads.
• The purchase of items of equipment that researchers would normally be expected to have are ineligible.

Ineligible applicants:

• Applications from any applicant with one or more excavation reports outstanding to the Licensing Authority unless they have agreed a submission date for outstanding licences and have an official Compliance Letter from NMS agreeing to this.
• Applications from any applicant who has previously been funded by the Academy for projects which have not been completed to the standard required by the grant and/or licence conditions.

What is required to make an application?

Applicants are required to submit a detailed application form online, including:

• A letter from one named referee who is independent* of the project, verifying the applicant’s competence to undertake the research. *The exception is where an application is made by a PhD student, in which case that reference must be from their supervisor.
• Detailed costings of proposed research.
• Where relevant, a copy of a detailed quotation received from proposed specialist/s.
• Where relevant, correspondence from the NMI stating that the applicant has discussed the application and that there is permission in principle for the proposed work based on the project rationale. It is strongly advised, if a proposal will require licences to alter and/or export, that those discussions should include the methodology detail.

An application will be deemed ineligible if it does not include all required supporting documentation and confirmations.

How applications are processed and assessed

• Applications that are deemed eligible will be passed on for assessment. If we decide your application is not eligible, you will receive a letter informing you that you that your application is ineligible and will not be assessed.
• Your application will be assessed by the Grants subcommittee of the Standing Committee for Archaeology based on the criteria and guidelines within this document and recommendations will be made to the Standing Committee for Archaeology for ratification based on the budget and the applications received.
• You will then receive a letter of decision. If your application has been successful, we will include information about what you should do next.
• All applicants whether successful or unsuccessful will automatically receive feedback on your application, recognising the RIA’s focus on fostering excellence in research.

It is anticipated that decisions in relation to this scheme will be communicated before the end of November 2023 and all projects must be completed by the 1^st November 2024.

Terms and Conditions for successful applicants

General:

• Please note that the RIA will not fund retrospective activities which means that no costs may be incurred as part of your proposed project before you receive your decision letter.
• The recipient shall comply in all respects with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and any other Act amending that Act and with any Statutory Instruments or Regulations issued thereunder.
• Please note any research involving the alteration of archaeological objects requires a licence from the National Museum of Ireland in accordance with Sec 25-1 of the National Monuments Act 1930 (as amended by the National Monument Amendments Acts 1954, 1987, 1994).
• Please note any research involving the export of archaeological objects requires a licence from the National Museum of Ireland in accordance with Sec 24-1 of the National Monuments Acts 1930 (as amended by the National Monument Amendments Acts 1954, 1987, 1994) and Section 49 of the National Cultural Institutions Act 1997. Export of archaeological objects outside the EU must be undertaken in accordance with a licence issued under EU 116/2019. Archaeological applications relevant to this regulation are routed through the National Museum of Ireland and licences are issued by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht and Sport.
• Where relevant, all required licence(s) from the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) must be obtained prior to research commencing. RIA awards are subject to this licensing process and approval.
• Where relevant, evidence that the applicant’s proposal has provided for the necessary conservation and scientific resources.
• Recipients are required to disseminate the results of the project in an appropriate manner agreed with the RIA. All such dissemination must acknowledge the assistance of the NMS, and RIA in line with ‘Guidelines for Acknowledging funding’. This must take place within two years of the last draw-down of the project.
• The RIA reserves the right to publish relevant details of recipients and funding including, but not necessarily limited to, the names of recipients, the amount of the funding offered and a summary of the proposed activity.
• The RIA reserves the right to seek the full repayment of the grant if the applicant fails to comply with any of the reporting and publication requirements in these guidelines for applicants.
• Failure to comply with any terms and conditions in these guidelines for applicants and/or any terms and conditions for recipients imposed by the Standing Committee for Archaeology as a condition of award, may disqualify the candidate from future funding.

Reports and Publication:

RIA required reports and outputs:

1. Final report: Grant recipients are asked to submit a report (template will be circulated in advance of final report deadline) outlining the main findings of the project, along with plans for dissemination of the outcomes
2. RIA conference: Grant recipients may be asked to present their finding(s) at the biannual RIA ‘Revealing the Past’ conference
3. Financial report: The final report form must be accompanied by a statement of income and expenditure. The statement will be available to download from the final report form link circulated to grant recipients in advance of the given deadline, as outlined in the letter of offer. This statement must be populated, be accompanied by an itemized list of receipts (copies of receipts will suffice, please keep the original receipts) and then uploaded to the final report form.
4. Feedback: Grant recipients will be asked to provide feedback on the grants processes.

Some or all of these illustrated reports may:

• form the basis of a press release to be issued jointly by the NMS and the RIA
• be published on the RIA’s website
• be made available on the Digital Repository of Ireland
• figure in other publications of the RIA or NMS.

Statutory reporting

Where relevant, grant recipients are required to meet their reporting obligations as per any statutory licence/consent conditions issued by the relevant licensing authorities.

Where relevant submission of reports to the Academy does not exempt a grantee from a separate requirement to submit reports to the relevant licensing authority as per any licence/consent conditions.

Publication

Recipients are required to submit for publication the results of the project in an appropriate manner agreed with the RIA within two years of final grant drawdown unless otherwise agreed. All such publications must acknowledge the assistance of the RIA and NMS  as appropriate.

Payment and expenses:

• Initial payment will be made when all the correct documentation has been received. Once approved the successful recipient can start the process to draw down 50% of the grant. The remaining instalment of the grant (50%) will be released upon submission of a final report, an income and expenditure statement and an itemized list and copy of vouched receipts as outlined above.
• It is a condition of acceptance of a grant that the recipient ensures that appropriate insurance cover is in place for any project involving fieldwork. A copy of that insurance policy must be provided to the RIA in advance of the initial payment of the grant.
• The grant may be used to pay out of pocket expenses accrued as a result of working on the project e.g. travel, accommodation, subsistence etc. These expenses should be kept within reasonable bounds and rates cannot be higher than those set out by c the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Only expenditure that is vouched can be reimbursed.
• Salary costs of grant recipients are considered an eligible cost if, in order to participate in the project they must have their time ‘bought out’, or they must take time out from their usual employment, or would not be financially supported to do this work without the grant funding and are not simultaneously in receipt of another income. As the Academy can only reimburse costs which are supported by evidence of payment any request to reimburse salary costs must be supported by evidence that the salary has been paid (in the form of payslips, paid invoices etc.) from the employing body.
• If professional archaeologists or other professionals are to be employed, the recipient shall pay rates of wages and observe hours of labour and conditions of employment in line with the industry norm and standards.
• Funds are allocated according to the decision letter for the purposes specified in an application or as otherwise indicated by the Committee. It is recognised, however, that circumstances may necessitate some minor reorientation of funds during the course of a project but no significant alteration in the terms of any grant may be made without the prior consent of the Committee.
• Recipients are required to retain accounts of expenditure and all receipts for a period of not less than six years from completion of all project work.
• No card machine receipts can be accepted when submitting vouched expenses.

Online Application Form and Appended Information

Applicants must complete the online application form with the appended information (Sections 1-7) as indicated below.  Failure to do so correctly may disqualify the applicant from consideration for funding.

SECTION ONE – Project Overview

1. Title of Proposed Project
2. Please provide a brief abstract (for publicising funded projects etc.)

SECTION TWO – Contact Details of Applicant

1. Name
2. Address
3. Phone
4. Email

SECTION THREE – Project Rationale

Criterion: The relevance of the proposal to the aims and priorities of this archaeological research grant (weighting 30%)

1. Please describe your project proposal, its potential significance, and how it meets the aims and priorities of the grant scheme as outlined in the guidelines for applicants (maximum 1000 words).
2. Please attach correspondence confirming permission in principle for artefact/ecofact work from NMI, if applicable.

SECTION FOUR – Employment and Experience

Criterion: Ability of applicant to carry out the proposed research, demonstrated through a track record of relevant competencies (weighting 30%, maximum 1,500 words, plus referee letter)

1. Present position
2. Academic Training
3. Other Professional qualifications
4. Recent Research Projects and Publications
5. Please give the names and addresses of two referees who are competent to judge your ability to undertake the research, have agreed to confirm this in writing and who are independent of the project. The exception is where an application is made by a PhD student, in which case that reference must be from their supervisor. Please upload a letter of verification from one named referee confirming the applicant’s competence to undertake the research.
6. Have you previously received funding from the Royal Irish Academy?
7. If yes, please provide details below:
8. Please provide details of any publications arising from previous grants (if applicable):

SECTION FIVE – Project Design

Criterion: The design, resources and methodologies that are being brought to this project to enable its success, including personnel, skills, equipment, facilities, technologies and materials. Highlight those that are innovative or State of the Art (20%, maximum 1,000 words)

The Grants subcommittee will wish to see how the project will be achieved to best practice.

The answer should include but not be limited to the following:

• The investigative and research methods (including archiving).
• A detailed achievable timeframe (ideally in Gantt chart or similar format).
• Any images which help illustrate the proposal
• The facilities available to the project.
• The research partners and/or specialists involved and what they will be contributing.
• The aspects of the project that are State of the Art, in particular the use of cutting-edge developments in archaeology, including new scientific techniques.

SECTION SIX – Dissemination

Criterion: Evidence of plan for impactful and relevant dissemination (20%, maximum 750 words)

A strategic goal of the RIA is to ‘represent Ireland by engaging and leading in activities that strengthen international recognition of the Academy’s scholarship’. The Grants subcommittee will wish to see an ambitious plan for dissemination, appropriate to the scale of the research project. As this scheme is publicly funded, please ensure that your plans include making the results of proposed research publicly available. We encourage open access publication.

What are your plans for dissemination including but not limited to community engagement, conference papers and publications? Highlight innovative formats and platforms.

SECTION SEVEN – Costings

Please note that a detailed breakdown of estimated expenses will aid the assessment of your application.

1. Please upload your detailed breakdown of estimated expenses.
2. Total amount sought.
3. Where specialist expertise is anticipated as part of your project please ensure that a detailed quotation from each intended specialist or specialists is uploaded.

Further information

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Appeals

The Royal Irish Academy has an agreed set of  procedures and responsibilities for appeals in connection with a decision to decline funding of a grant application. For further information see here.