United Kingdom: Research Hidden Histories of Environmental Science

Deadline: 05-Oct-21

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), are pleased to announce a call for applications to the main research opportunity for the programme ‘Hidden histories of environmental science: Acknowledging legacies of race, social injustice and exclusion to inform the future’.

• To explore the key issues around colonial and other history, exclusion and social injustice in the context of the environmental science research sector in the UK (with an emphasis on British colonial history from the 18th century onwards); and how this relates to present cultures and issues including around race, racism and representation and intersectionality within the UK.
• To provide specific, in-depth examples of key people, places or issues in the colonial past of environmental science research; how key people, places or issues are affected in the present situation; and compare environmental science with other research disciplines. This could include, but is not limited to:
  • cultural perceptions and values associated with environment and environmental science
  • factors affecting contact with and access to natural environment and natural history
  • participation in nature-based activity
  • distribution of ethnic diversity in the environment sector.
• To partner with relevant people throughout the research, identifying opportunities to collaborate, actively influence or consult to ensure the widest possible impact. Key communities and stakeholders of this programme include (but are not limited to) environmental science sector, Higher Education Institutions, UKRI (including AHRC and NERC), policy, third sector, NGO, public groups and business.
• To provide practical recommendations, as relevant, to UKRI, AHRC, NERC and the UK environmental science sector as these emerge as relevant from the research, considering how to be responsive to society’s evolving moral outlooks and attitudes; providing insight into future plans to explore the culture of environmental science as an environmental challenge; and how UKRI provides leadership in the sector and supports researchers to consider their responsibilities as recipients of public funding.

• Research proposals should be submitted up to a maximum value of £125,000 (at 100% full economic cost) with UKRI’s contribution being £100,000 (at 80% full economic cost) per project.
• Projects should have a start date of no later than 4 January 2022 and be between 12 and 15 months in duration. Projects must be completed by 31 March 2023.

• The proposal must include at least one arts and humanities researcher working in AHRC disciplines, and at least one environmental science researcher working in NERC’s remit, both of whom are eligible for UKRI funding.
• Each application must engage with at least one community group or non-academic organisation. For example, applicants may engage with museums, galleries, local archives, arts and heritage based organisations, community-led or grass root organisations, learned societies, environment and diversity groups, social enterprises, local authorities or commercial companies providing a public service.
• Eligible applicants may act as principal investigator on no more than one proposal, however applicants may be involved as co-investigators or collaborators on any number of other applications as appropriate (provided that the proposed commitments could be delivered if the applications were to be successful).
• Applicants do not have to be in receipt of any Hidden Histories Partnership Seed Funding or have attended the consultation event to be eligible for this opportunity.

For more information, visit https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/research-the-hidden-histories-of-environmental-science/