Apropos research agendas and what the HQ might be up to. This (renewed) call is just out from ESRC/AHRC. It follows some debate already mentioned here, here and here. But I think now the conjoining of environmentalism, poverty and terror research ads a new, still more spurious fold.
“From: “ESRC
Date: 18 June 2008 12:22:43 BST
Fellowships under the RCUK Global Uncertainties ProgrammePlease could you bring to the notice of your membership the following
forthcoming opportunity for fellowships under the RCUK Global Uncertainties
programme:RCUK Global Uncertainties Programme: Security for All in a Changing World
ESRC/AHRC Fellowships on Ideas and BeliefsCall Launch: 30th June 2008
At the end of June there will be a joint ESRC/AHRC call for proposals for
Research Fellowships addressing key elements of the cross-Council programme
on Global Uncertainties: Security for All in a Changing World.The cross-Council programme aims to understand the nature and interactions
of five global phenomena: conflict, crime, environmental degradation,
poverty and terrorism. Within this cross-Council framework, this Fellowship
call will focus specifically on ideas and beliefs. The call specification
is currently under development but headline issues will likely include:
• How ideas and beliefs evolve that underpin risks and threats evolve,
and why and when do these develop into violent or criminal activities
• Role of access to knowledge and information
• Communication and representation of risks and threats including the
use of language, images and symbolism
• Relationship between national security and civil liberties debates
• Role of different security institutionsWe will be running workshops in different parts of the UK to explain the
call to potential applicants. Current thinking is for workshops in
Birmingham, Edinburgh, London and Southampton.Please see the ESRC web page for further information and updates on
workshop details: www.esrc.ac.uk/gufellowships/Any queries should be directed to: gufells@esrc.ac.uk.
______________________________________________________________________
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Trinketization 
Wow, thanks for the alert, which only confirms that things are getting a little scarier every day. I would be very interested in seeing us address the nature of such calls and their consequences for our research–and other–agendas. At the level of the more general discussions emerging from HQ, but maybe also at the level of discussion and design of the 10-year anniversary events? How to design the events, and hopefully the projects they will foster, with explicit reflection on their potential for co-option by (for example) a national security agenda, or for seamless incorporation into an explicitly state-driven program of Islamophobia? Is this a point on which we can come together at the outset? Less as a thematic parameter, perhaps, than as a reflection on the kinds of knowledge we are producing.
It would be good to know: what was the response to the letter that was being drafted, it seemed, a while ago that was referenced in the backlog discussion?
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RCUK Global Uncertainties Programme – call now open
Date: Mon, June 30, 2008 12:21 pm
————————————————————————–
Dear all,
This message contains dates of the promised workshops. I should point
out that as a result of the past labours of your representatives on
this contentious theme the full call document does contain the
important statement that: “Applications which challenge existing
policy or practice assumptions and/or consider alternative framing or
approaches to addressing these
priority research areas are welcome” and it also states that
“Applications from researchers who have not previously worked on
security issues but wish to apply their expertise to research in this
more broadly construed security agenda are encouraged.” Both senior
and junior researchers can apply and it is also open to researchers
from overseas seeking to conduct research at a UK institution
recognised by the Research Councils.
All the best
John
Begin forwarded message:
> From: “Mary Day (ESRC, RD)”
> Date: 30 June 2008 10:49:08 BDT
> To: “ESRC Gufells”
> Subject: ESRC/AHRC Fellowships on Ideas and Beliefs, under the RCUK
> Global Uncertainties Programme – call now open
>
> The call for the ESRC/AHRC Fellowships on Ideas and Beliefs, under
> the RCUK Global Uncertainties Programme, is now open.
> We would be most grateful if could you forward this e.mail to any
> colleagues who may be interested in this opportunity.
>
> GLOBAL UNCERTAINTIES: SECURITY FOR ALL IN A CHANGING WORLD
> PROGRAMME, UNDER THE AUSPICES OF RESEARCH COUNCILS UK
> ESRC/AHRC FELLOWSHIPS ON IDEAS AND BELIEFS
> The ESRC and AHRC invite full applications from researchers from
> across the social sciences, arts and humanities for a number of
> high profile research fellowships, as part of the RCUK Global
> Uncertainties Programme: Security for All in a Changing World.
> Full details are available at http://www.esrc.ac.uk/gufellowships/
>
> Deadline for applications: 25th September 2008
>
> Workshops:
> We will be running workshops in different parts of the UK to
> explain the call to potential applicants:
>
> · Birmingham: 10th July 2pm
> · Southampton: 15th July, 2pm
> · London: 17th July (time TBC)
> · Edinburgh: 22nd July, 2pm
>
> Please see the call website for details.
>
> The cross-Council programme focuses on the nature and interactions
> of five global issues: conflict, crime, environmental degradation,
> poverty and terrorism, and their implications for various concepts
> and contexts of security and insecurity. Within this framework,
> this fellowship call focuses specifically on how ideas and beliefs
> of individuals, communities and nation states relate to these five
> global phenomena. Fellowship applications under this call must
> address one or more of the following key research areas:
> How do individuals and communities develop their ideas and beliefs
> about security and insecurity?
> Why do some ideas and beliefs lead to conflict, violence or
> criminal activity? What lessons can we learn from a) above that
> provide the basis for countering those ideas and beliefs that
> reinforce conflict, violence and crime?
> How do issues around the cycle of knowledge production and use
> interact with the creation, management and resolution of insecurities?
> How are risks and threats communicated, constructed, represented
> and received by key actors and communities, using different media
> and cultural forms for different audiences, including the use of
> language, images and symbolism?
> Is there an acceptable balance between national security needs and
> the protection of civil liberties and human rights? If so, can one
> be secured? And how do we balance local needs against global
> responsibilities within a security context?
> How should institutions with responsibility for different aspects
> of a broad security agenda, including security forces themselves,
> evolve to meet new risks and threats?
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System.
> For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email
> ________________________________________________________________
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erm, please note that the John who wrote the Dear All message in the comment above is not me but another John, who is, by the way, indefatigable in his pursuit of these horrors. J
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