£14.2 million boost to arts and humanities announced

Cardiff University has been awarded £14.2 million in Arts and Humanities funding over the next five years.

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) have awarded money to the eight universities in the Consortium ÔÇô Cardiff, Aberystwyth, Bath, Bath Spa, Bristol, Exeter, Reading and Southampton. This is only one out of the 11 new Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) and seven centres for doctoral training (CDTs), who have received ┬ú164 million altogether from the AHRC.

The AHRC funds researchers in a variety of subjects including: archaeology, English literature, design and many more. This year alone they plan to spend approximately £98 million with the purpose of funding postgraduate training and research.

The focus for the Consortium will be placed on postgraduate study, more specifically, the development of training and skills from 2014. The scheme will enable postgraduates to improve their language skills, as well as working in industry and placements.

The 200 new postgraduate studentships and training will heavily rely on collaboration between the Consortium members and the 19 partner organisations including English Heritage, the National Trust, the BBC, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and the Welsh National Opera.

Professor George, Boyne, Pro Vice-Chancellor College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences said: ÔÇ£I am delighted to see Cardiff involved in the new Consortium. This scheme will be integral to the training and development of the next generation of arts and humanities doctoral students and Cardiff is well placed to use its significant research expertise to nurture this new talentÔÇØ.

The importance of the funding received has been recognised within the Consortium; James Clark, Professor of History at Exeter and Consortium Chair said: This is a very exciting prospect for any student in Arts & Humanities [it] will offer a unique blend of academic expertise and the chance to experience work in the creative and cultural industries that are so central to the UK economy.

Amandeep Turna