Introducing Mission: a pilot responsive mode funding opportunity

Posted on: 10 May 2024 by Nick Jones in 2024 Posts

A cartoon rocket on a yellow background
Mission funding

Launched by AHRC and inspired by the University of Liverpool's Thrive project, Mission is a pilot large grants funding opportunity.

Mission is a new responsive mode funding opportunity with a transformative team approach at its heart.

It aims to transform arts and humanities research agendas, research leadership and research teams, at scale, through a pilot approach to team convening.

The Thrive project champions a team-convening approach which encourages greater diversity and inclusivity. This is underpinned by five key principles for teams to follow:
  • emphasising and enabling collective capability
  • shared leadership
  • inclusive governance
  • team development
  • reflexive practice
Mission provides us with an opportunity to match the team-convening approach the Thrive project has co-developed with a real funding opportunity.

It will fund team-led projects between £2,000,000 and £3,000,000 for up to four years.

The AHRC are looking for bold, impactful projects that convene expertise from across the research ecosystem to advance ambitious arts and humanities led research agendas.

These projects should come from inclusive and collaborative teams with diverse membership, great ideas and a real desire to meaningfully explore and engage with the team-convening approach.

Find out more about Mission and how you can be involved here.

AHRC will also be hosting two applicant webinars:

Webinar one: 23 May 2024 at 11:00am to 12:00pm UK time
Register for the webinar on 23 May

Webinar two: 30 May 2024 at 12:00pm to 1:00pm UK time
Register for the webinar on 30 May

University of Liverpool peer review process for Mission

Given the novelty of the approach of the new AHRC Missions Call, with the dual importance of both a challenging AHRC mission and a team convening approach, UoL will be running a mandatory internal peer review process to support teams intending to submit outlines to stage 1 of this opportunity. Full details can be found on the AHRC intranet page.

Keywords: Funding.