Industry and charity partners enhance the 2024 British Academy ECR Network Seed Fund Awards 

By Dr Robyne Calvert, British Academy Early Career Researcher Network (Scotland Hub) Project Officer (outgoing)

The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network is an inclusive, researcher-led membership body accessible to all UK-based early career researchers (ECRs) working in the humanities and social sciences – regardless of their funding source or background. Scotland has been part of its pilot programme, which is now being rolled out across the whole of the UK, and which has been largely modelled on the success we’ve had here in the North. 

After a rich and successful inaugural round of Scotland Seed Funding grants in 2023, we were excited to see how we might further grow collaborative research initiatives in year two. We had excellent feedback on how these previous grants were able to create new collaborations beyond academia, and that was something researchers wished to pursue further. Continuing the 2023 remit to foster new research partnerships, researchers were encouraged to design new projects with partners outside of HEIs such as industry, non-profits, charities, and community groups. We received 46 applications from researchers across Scotland in the arts, humanities, and social sciences – the high calibre of which made decisions highly challenging.  

We were able to fund 7 projects at a total of £25,560. We are delighted to announce the 2024 recipients of British Academy ECR Network (Scotland) Seed Funding Grants:  

Women’s Health in Scotland: Past, Present, Futures – Edinburgh Engagement Workshop Pilot Programme. 

• Karissa Patton, University of Edinburgh, Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society 
• Andrea Ford, University of Edinburgh, Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society 
• Naomi Lawson, Collections & Development Manager, The Living Memory Association’s (THELMA) Wee Museum of Memory 
• Heather Robertson (she/her), THELMA Coordinator across all THELMA sites (The Wee Museum of Memory & The Wee Hub) 

Island Futures: Co-producing an island research agenda for sustainable communities.  

• Rosie Alexander, University of the West of Scotland 
• Bobby Macaulay, University of the Highlands and Islands  
• Becky Ford, Community Energy Scotland and University of the Highlands and Islands| 
• Gabby Morris, GSA and Feeldwork Futures  
• Emilia Pietka-Nykaza, University of the West of Scotland 
• Liliana Fonseca, University of Strathclyde University 
• Eirini Gallou, University of Strathclyde University  
• Christian Calvillo, University of Strathclyde University 

Establishing a research agenda with neurodivergent girls and young women in Scotland through partnership development and arts-based approaches. 

• Mindy Ptolomey, Glasgow Caledonian University  
• Anna Bochorishvili, University of Glasgow 

Exploring the Potential of Artificial Intelligence to Support Dialogic Instruction. 

• Thomas H. Cowhitt, University of Glasgow 
• Rhona Brown, University of Glasgow 
• Matt Gibson, The Glasgow Academy, Head of Secondary School 

Cricket and Afghan Integration in Scotland: a case study. 

• Kieran Taylor, Queen Margaret University 
• Helen Baillot, Queen Margaret University 
• Michael Connolly, University of Stirling 
• Gianluca Palombo, Queen Margaret University 

Re-living with Animals: Understanding Community Experiences of Rewilding through Participatory Arts. 

• Cameo Marlatt, University of Glasgow  
• Guillem Rubio-Ramon, University of Edinburgh 
• Shawn Bodden, University of Glasgow 

Investigating neurodiverse women’s experiences of stigma, discrimination, and harassment in Scottish workplaces. 

• Debora Gottardello, University of Edinburgh 
• Sangeeta Chatterji, University of Edinburgh  

Projects have already commenced and will have six months to complete before presenting their results at our second annual Showcase event in September. We are very excited to see all the amazing work these ambitious researchers produce!