Current sources for research funding

Each week this section lists funds

available for academic researchers.

Items for inclusion should be

submitted to research@thesis.co.uk DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

www.environment.detr.gov.uk/darwin/fundapp8/index.htm

Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species: Call for funding applications

The Darwin Initiative will assist countries rich in biodiversity but poor in resources (including the Overseas Territories of the United Kingdom) with the conservation of biological diversity and implementation of the Biodiversity Convention. These countries will be those where work on conservation and the use of biodiversity would not be carried out without such funding. Funding will raise awareness of the potential worth of natural resources and use it in a sustainable way to help eliminate poverty in those countries. The DETR is now inviting applications from British institutions, organisations and individuals for support for projects under the Darwin Initiative to commence in April 2000. Full details can be found on the website. If there are any problems with downloading, contact Maria Stevens on 0171 890 6204 or enquire by fax on 0171 890 6239 or by e-mail to maria_stevens@detr.gsi.gov.uk.

BRITISH SOCIETY OF GERONTOLOGY

www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/bsg/welcome.html

Averil Osborn Fund

The aim of the fund is to encourage and support research and development work that enhances the quality of life and citizenship of older people. The Fund wishes particularly to promote the involvement of older people in developmental projects alongside researchers, professionals and practitioners. Awards in the range of Pounds 500 - Pounds 1,500 are made each year. Proposals with the following features are especially welcome: new initiatives or projects which build on existing work; various methodologies and approaches will be supported; various disciplines and forms of professional involvement will be supported. An agenda agreed with older people will be an asset. The outcomes must be reported to the Panel. A normal condition of a grant is that an article is submitted to the BSG's Generations Review, or a paper is presented at its annual conference. A clear dissemination strategy will be an asset. Grants will not be made to support doctoral research nor towards the general funds of an organisation. Deadline: October 25. Enquiries to: Prof. Tony Warnes, Averil Osborn Fund, CARS, Community Sciences Building, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield S5 7AU.

THE ROYAL SOCIETY

www.royalsoc.ac.uk

Joint Projects between the UK

and China

Joint Projects are intended to fund travel and subsistence requirements for a British scientific research group to collaborate with a Chinese scientific research group over a maximum period of 3 years. Successful joint projects will be awarded funds from the Royal Society over a period of three years. These funds will cover the UK group's international airfares to China and the Chinese group's subsistence in the UK, up to a maximum of Pounds 6000 per year. Matching funds must be secured from a source in China. The proposed research must fall within the fields of natural and applied sciences. All participants must be of postdoctoral or equivalent status. Chinese group participants must be resident in China and have a good command of written and spoken English. It is important that substantial contact between the UK and Chinese leaders is established prior to the submission of an application. Annual deadline: October 31. Full guidleines and application forms are downloadable from the website, or contact the International Exchanges Section either by telephone: 0171 451 2553 or email: China&SoutheastAsia@royalsoc.ac.uk

THE JAPAN

FOUNDATION

www.jpf.go.jp

2000-2001

Grants Programme The Japan Foundation is Japan's principal agent for cultural relations overseas. Grants are available for Japan related projects in the subject areas of Japanese studies, the promotion of the Japanese language, the social sciences and humanities, and in the arts. They are designed to: assist Japan related research projects, seminars and symposia; facilitate the exchange of scholars, specialists in the arts, and other professionals; support Japanese studies and the teaching of the Japanese language overseas. Deadline: December 1. For full details of individual programmes and application forms, contact: The Japan Foundation, 17 Old Park Lane, London W1Y 3LG; Tel: 0171 499 4726; Fax: 0171 495 1133 (for all projects except Japanese language). The Japan Foundation, London Language Centre, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7QT; Tel: 0171 838 9955; Fax: 0171 838 9966 (For Japanese language projects only).

ASSOCIATION FOR INTERNATIONAL

CANCER RESEARCH

www.aicr.org.uk

AICR is a charity which provides project grant funding for research into the origins of cancer. The projects supported are mainly in basic scientific research, although applications for clinical research projects will be considered as appropriate. Support is normally in the form of three-year project grants or one-year pilot studies. Deadline: October 29. Application forms and instructions can be downloaded from the website. Or contact: Madras House, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9EH; Tel: 01334 477910; Fax: 01334 478667; Email:aicr@aicr.org.uk

LIBRARY

INFORMATION

COMMISSION

Digital Library Research

The Commission vision for 2020 is that the UK will play a leading role in the global information economy through: connectivity: providing universal access to the products of the human mind; content: creating a digital library of the UK's intellectual heritage of culture and innovation; competences: equipping individuals and organisations to play their full role in a learning and information society. All proposals must address a genuine research question: proposals aimed solely at service development or resource creation will not be accepted. The Commission welcomes proposals with a strong user focus and that are forward looking. Proposers should bear in mind social, economic and political agenda and also take international developments into consideration. The Commission would welcome research on user needs and behaviour, for example studies of how people use information in the digital environment and any barriers; information skills and appropriate and intuitive information delivery mechanisms. The Commission will consider proposals for full-scale projects carried out over one to three years, but would also welcome shorter projects of six months or less. All documentation is downloadable from the Web. Deadline: 12 noon, October 29. For further information contact:

Martin Nail; Tel: 0171 3 8723; E-mail: martin.nail@lic.gov.uk

ROYAL SOCIETY OF CHEMISTRY

www.rsc.org

RSC Research Fund This aims to assist members in their research by the provision of grants of up to Pounds 1000, for example for the purchase of chemicals, equipment or for running expenses of chemical education research. Preference will be given to those working in less well-endowed institutions and to those supporting their own research. Council is especially anxious to see inventive applications of a "pump priming" nature and is prepared to consider applications from those working in chemical education as well as chemistry research. Deadline: October 31. Application forms, together with the regulations governing the Fund, may be obtained from: Stanley Langer, Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1V 0BN; Tel: 0171 744 3325; Email: langers@rsc.org

Institut Curie RESEARCH DIVISION www.curie.fr

Post-Doctoral

Fellowships

Since 1 January 1997 this program has been available for scientists from any country, who after obtaining their PhD, would like to pursue their scientific training in the laboratories of the Research Division. Applicants should first identify a host laboratory by consulting the website, which provides information about the research activities of each laboratory together with the name of its director, to whom applications should be addressed. No deadline. Direct all enquiries to: Institut Curie - Research Division, 26, rue d'Ulm - 75248 Paris, Cedex 05, France.

Compiled by Sarah Knowles. A more comprehensive version of this service is

available on our Research microsite at www.thesis.co.uk