FUNDING NEWS

Historic Scotland, the Scottish Government’s Executive Agency with responsibility for safeguarding the nation’s historic environment and promoting its understanding and enjoyment, is currently seeking applications for funding through its direct funding programme to support voluntary organisations that through their work meet the objectives of the Agency. These objectives are; to care for, protect and enhance the historic environment; to secure greater economic benefits from the historic environment; to increase public appreciation and enjoyment of the historic environment; to ensure that the historic environment delivers benefits for communities; to promote and develop knowledge and skills; and to build capacity in the historic environment sector. The funding is available on a three year basis until 2011. The closing date for applications is the 30th September 2008.

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/heritage/grants/grants-voluntary-sector-funding.htm

Funding for Research Links with India (UK)

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is seeking applications under its INTERACT programme to build collaborative partnerships with research groups and organisations in India in all fields within EPSRC’s remit. The EPSRC’s remit covers engineering and the physical sciences: research in the areas of chemistry, engineering, information and communications technologies, materials, mathematical sciences and physics. The programme which is open to UK based Higher Education / Research institutions will support travel and more substantial follow-on funding for building an international network as part of a single award. This will lead to strong collaborative research partnerships and promote UK research interests in India. It is expected that the networks will be relevant to the needs to business and may have some industrial interaction. The network must contain at least 3 UK Higher Education / Research institutions and at least one research group in India. The budget for this round of INTERACT is £500k and up to 4 awards will be made this year. The closing date for applications is 4pm on the 30th July 2008.

http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/CallsForProposals/INTERACT6.htm

Culture Programme (2007-2013)

The European Commission has announced the latest call for proposals under its Culture programme 2007 – 13. The aim of the programme is to support projects that enhance the cultural area shared by Europeans with a view to encouraging the emergence of European citizenship. This call for proposals aims to support multi-annual cooperation projects that foster trans-national cultural links:

Ø       Cooperation measures that develop long term cooperation between cultural organisations within at least three eligible countries;

Ø       Literary translation projects that enhance knowledge of the literature and literary heritage of fellow European countries;

Ø       Cooperation projects with third countries outside of the EU aimed at cultural exchanges;

Ø       Bodies active at European level in the field of culture that wish to expand their work at European level.

The level of funding depends on under which strands applications are made and range from £2,000 to £500,000 for projects lasting between 1 and 5 years. The programme supports projects, organisations, promotional activities and research in all branches of culture, except the audiovisual branch for which there is a separate programme named MEDIA. The closing date for cooperation projects is the 1st October 2008; for literacy translation projects the 1st February 2009; cultural cooperation projects with third countries the 1st May 2009; and for support for organisations active at European level in the field of culture, the 1st November 2008.

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:141:0027:0031:EN:PDF

Paul Hamlyn Foundation Education and Learning Programme (UK)

The Paul Hamlyn Foundation is currently accepting applications under its Education and Learning programme. In particular, the Foundation is looking to fund projects that promote innovation and change in the areas of supplementary schooling and tackling school exclusion and truancy. Eligible organisations that can apply for funding include charities, local authorities individual pre-schools, schools, out-of-school clubs, supplementary schools, colleges and youth clubs if they demonstrate benefits to the wider community and include partnership working that will result in increasing access to education and learning to all communities and age groups. The costs that can be covered by the Foundation’s grants include running costs such as staff salaries and overheads such as stationery, rent, rates and utilities. There is no minimum or maximum size of grant that organisation’s can apply for but the average size grant awarded in 2006 -07 was £19,300. Applications can be made at any time.

http://www.phf.org.uk/page.asp?id=85

Call for Proposals to Test and Develop the Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (UK)

The European Commission has issued a call for proposals under the Lifelong Learning Programme to test and develop the credit system for vocational education and training (ECVET). The aim of the ECVET will be to facilitate the recognition of knowledge, skills and competences gained by individuals through periods of vocational education and training abroad. The European ECVET aims to give people greater control over their individual learning experiences and make it easier to move between different countries and different learning environments. This call for proposals is open to partnerships of European, national, regional and sectoral bodies or organisations that work in the Vocational Educational and Training and / or Professional Qualifications sector. Grants offered are of between £200,000 and £300,000. The Commission is seeking to support around 12 projects and the deadline for applications is the 13th August 2008.

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/ecvet/2008/funding_en.html

Call for Proposals for Actions to Develop and Implement the European Qualifications Framework (UK)

The European Commission has issued a call for proposals for actions to develop and implement the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) including national and sectoral qualifications frameworks. The EQF is a key initiative in achieving mutual recognition of qualifications levels of different countries and different education and training systems and thereby facilitating European citizens' mobility for work and study across the European Union. The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects under this call amounts to 2 million and the Agency will award grants of between £50 000 and £200 000 per project. This call is open to consortia of organisations drawn from 5 or more countries and should include national, regional and sectoral organisations, including, for example, ministries, qualifications authorities, sectoral associations, social partners and other key stakeholders with an interest and role in qualifications systems. Applicants should also be sufficiently representative in terms of the sector, labour market or education and training system (s) that their project is intended to benefit. The Deadline for applications is the 13 August 2008.