Support for archives and records
The Wellcome Trust’s Research Resources in Medical History (RRMH) grants scheme supports projects to preserve, catalogue and conserve significant medical history and humanities collections in libraries and archives across the UK and Ireland. Strategically important collections held in other countries may be eligible for support in exceptional circumstances.
Project proposals may include small digitisation elements, for example to illustrate an online catalogue or as a preservation measure for fragile material. Funding for larger digitisation projects may be available from the Wellcome Library as a consequence of the Wellcome Digital Library project once cataloguing, preservation and conservation is complete.
The Trust’s recent Strategic Plan identified 5 Challenges which led to the introduction of similar themes for both the Wellcome Library and the RRMH scheme over the next 10 years. The themes (to be broadly interpreted) are:
- 1. Maximising the health benefits of genetics and genomics (closed).
- 2. Understanding the brain
- 3. Combating infectious disease
- 4. Investigating development, ageing and chronic disease
- 5. Connecting environment, nutrition and health
Collections that address more than one theme may apply.
All applicants are advised to discuss their collections with RRMH staff first.
Research Resources in Medical History
Purpose
RRMH provides funding for projects to catalogue and preserve significant collections of printed books and archives in the UK and Ireland. Applications must demonstrate the significance to the MHH research community and how collections fit within the themes identified in the Trust’s Strategic Plan.
What's included
Grants are normally between £10 000 and £100 000.
Grants can be used either to employ fixed term contract staff to undertake cataloguing and preservation/conservation work or to outsource work to external contractors and may include smaller digitisation elements such as illustrating online catalogues or as a preservation measure for fragile material
Match funding is not required, although applicants are asked to show how much they are able or willing to contribute to projects.
Eligibility
The scheme is open to any type of institution in the UK or Republic of Ireland, but not to individuals. Libraries, archives and repositories in all sectors are eligible. In exceptional circumstances, strategically important collections held in other countries might be eligible. Collaborative projects, which may be part-funded by other agencies or sources, will also be considered.
Application process
A preliminary application is required for consideration by the RRMH funding committee which will decide whether or not to invite a full application.
Preliminary applications under this theme should be submitted on the application form [Word 68KB] by the appropriate deadline.
Preliminary applications should include the following:
- an explanation of how the collection contents fit within the current theme. Collections that address more than one theme can be considered (applicants should discuss their collections with Trust staff first for advice on the timing of their applications)
- a description of the size of the collection, type of material and physical condition
- an estimate of the costs required and how the funds will be used i.e. for preservation, cataloguing, digitisation
- brief CVs of the principal applicants
- any reports or information provided by initial scoping phases such as preservation needs assessments or preliminary sorting
Deadlines
There will be three calls for each theme.
The next theme is Understanding the Brain.
- Call one: deadline for preliminary applications is 1 November 2010 (full application deadline will be 16 May 2011)
- Call two: deadline for preliminary applications is 3 May 2011 (full application deadline will be 1 October 2011)
- Call three: deadline for preliminary applications is 1 September 2011 (full application deadline will be 1 April 2012)
Contacts
Research Resources in Medical History
MH&E Grants
Wellcome Trust
Gibbs Building
215 Euston Road
London NW1 2BE, UK
T +44 (0)20 7611 8658/8414
E
rrmh@wellcome.ac.uk