As part of the BCS strategic theme of “making IT good for society”, the BCS Academy of Computing aims to improve how we promote and supports computer science education and research in UK higher education institutions. A particular focus is on supporting early-career academics, especially on being appointed to their first permanent faculty position. As part of my role as Vice-President of the BCS (for the Promotion of Computing), in collaboration with my fellow Academy Vice-President Professor James Davenport, we have funded a new academic grant scheme.
The BCS Academy New Appointments Grant Scheme is a new initiative to provide seed-funding of £600 to celebrate the appointment of new academics at Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Principal Lecturer and Reader level (but not at Professorial level) at UK institutions to provide partial support for an academic meeting or event. The purpose of the meeting would be to:
- Celebrate the new appointment;
- Strengthen the research network in which the new lecturer naturally sits, and;
- Provide an opportunity for research students and other computer scientists to spend a day focusing on the research area.
The inaugural meeting must take place within two years of the start date of the new appointment and the meeting must be held in the UK; where appropriate, joint meetings (e.g. between two applicants) may also be supported. It is expected that this would be a one-day meeting consisting of at least three talks, given by the new lecturer and two or more other computer scientists in the same research area, preferably from the UK. The BCS expects that the meetings which it supports will be open to all, and will only support a closed meeting if an exceptional case is made. In particular, local BCS branches and relevant BCS Specialist Groups should be engaged with to support the meeting well in advance.
The maximum award is normally £600 towards actual expenses for:
- Visiting lecturers (travel, accommodation and subsistence);
- Visiting research students (travel, accommodation and subsistence);
- (and secondarily) the lunch/dinner/refreshments.
Applications for the New Appointments Grant Scheme can be made online (also see: full Scheme details), which requires biographical information as well as a short case for support. Eligible applicants would be broadly defined as computer science academics (i.e. based in a department or cognate academic unit teaching students in JACS code group Ix.) appointed during the 2017-2018 academic year and must be a Professional Member of the BCS. Applicants will need to confirm commitment of support from the relevant Head of School/Department, with matched funding from the department/school/university highly encouraged in the application.
Deadline for grant applications, for meetings to be held in the 2018-2019 academic year: Friday 6 April 2018
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