SHNH Small Research Fund

Purpose of SHNH Small Research-Fund

To provide financial support to non-professional members of the SHNH in all fields covered by the society’s charitable purpose in carrying out research to benefit the scholarly community. A “non-professional” is regarded as having no gainful specific employment as a historian or bibliographer for the specific purpose of the proposed research.

Application process

Application must be made (before incurring the expense requested) using the pro-forma on the SHNH website. This must be downloaded, completed, and transmitted to the SHNH Secretary, who will then forward it to the Small Research-Fund Co-ordinator for assessment by the Sub-committee.

Qualifying expenses for funding

Examples are:

• Charges made for use of privately-owned or professional-association libraries or museums by non-subscribers.
• Charges made by libraries or museums for new scanning, photographing or photocopying essential materials.
• Charges made by photographic agencies, libraries or museums for providing pre-existing digital copies.
• Fees for image-publication rights.
• Cost of travel by public transport for an essential visit to a unique location of essential material.

How to apply

• As long as you are not a professional historian or bibliographer (for the purpose of a specific research project), any member of the SHNH may apply for a Small Research-Fund grant, up to £100 (or non-Sterling currency equivalent).
• Please download the pro-forma application form, complete it and send to the SHNH Secretary at secretary@shnh.org.uk.

Eligibility

• There is no upper age limit; no academic qualification is required; nor is any academic affiliation necessary. But no more than one application per person may be made in any financial year of the SHNH.
• Non-professional researcher applicants must not already be in receipt of any grant, as a student or otherwise, that would cover the expenses applied for. Application must be made before the requested expense is incurred.

Further conditions

• This funding is a “last-resort” grant. Alternative “free-of-charge” sources of images or information must already have been investigated; if none can be identified, all reasonable efforts must also have been made to obtain funding elsewhere before applying to the SHNH.
• The successful applicant must submit a brief, one-paragraph report of the achievements of the research to the SHNH secretary.
• It must be the applicant’s intention to publish in the scholarly press or on a website any images or information obtained through an award; the SHNH Secretary must be informed of publication when completed.
• Dated receipts must be obtained for expenses.
• Costs involved in attendance at conferences do not qualify.
• Costs of coloured illustrations in the printed Archives of Natural History do not qualify.
• The decision of the SHNH on an application for a Small Research-Fund grant shall be final.