Digital transformations: big data research

Digital transformations in the arts and humanities: big data research

The Arts and Humanities Research Council invites applications for its call on digital transformations in the arts and humanities: big data research. This supports projects to explore big data from an arts and humanities perspective.The AHRC has a total of £4m capital funding available under this call.  As a main output, these research projects should produce a tangible asset that sustains beyond the life of the project.

Projects could make use of existing big data, generate new big data or create tools so that arts and humanities researchers, or indeed anyone, can navigate and dissect big data and make use of it in their research or everyday lives.

Some examples of the types of big data that could be investigated include time-based media, such as film, TV or CCTV footage; retail data; geospatial data; email and social media; images and associated metadata; performance data, including raw data of recordings, choreography and performance structure; open government data; music; large-scale digital scans of library and archive holdings such as newspapers and books; library, museum and gallery archive and catalogue data.

This call forms part of the Digital Transformations in the Arts and Humanities theme, and proposals must both compliment and add value to the core aims of the theme, and previous research funded through the theme.  The call aims to address some of the challenges that arise from working with big data, as well as asking interesting questions of data, and producing innovative and creative assets for future Arts and Humanities research.

Applications are invited under the following two strands:

•smaller projects, which can be more exploratory and speculative, and would be likely to use an existing data source and create an innovative output from that data;

•larger projects, which would need to take a more in-depth approach, may generate new big data, and could include visualisations and analysis, creation of new tools and workflows, the use assessment of high-performance computers, and creation of artworks and other objects with big data.

Both strands aim to produce innovative, collaborative projects. Collaboration may involve a single institution or a combination of institutions and international collaboration is welcomed. Early-career researchers are particularly encouraged to apply for smaller projects. Applications may be submitted from any eligible research organisation or AHRC-recognised independent research organisation.

Funding for either smaller projects of up to £100,000 or larger projects of up to £600,000 may be requested on the basis of full economic cost, of which the AHRC will meet around 80 per cent. Awards should last for up to 15 months. Equipment in excess of £10,000 may be requested on these grants.

  • Closing date 12 Sep 13
  • Deadline information Applications due by 4pm.
  • Date added 08 Jul 13
  • Award type Networking/collaboration; Directed grants to institutions, research groups etc; Innovation grants; Equipment and materials; Young investigator awards
  • Award amount max £600,000
  • Award amount min
  • Award budget total £4,000,000
  • Applications per institution
  • Consortium requirements Required