IMISCOE encourages scholars from the network to explore new opportunities for research, collaboration and publications. Therefore, it provides seed funding to the development of new research (by developing research proposals), joint publications or other activities around specific topics or new niches of research. Existing successful research clusters and standing committees are also encouraged to apply if they can clearly identify why further support from IMISCOE is needed for new activities.
IMISCOE provides the following forms of support to research clusters:
- A maximum amount of 5000 euros for the period of one year (1 April 2017 -31 March 2018) as seed funding for cluster activities such as convening meetings, producing research proposals, achieving publications, etc.
- Allocation of one guaranteed panel for every cluster during the IMISCOE annual conference. This can be used for a working meeting, a panel, a workshop, or any other type of activity. Standing Committees can receive up to two guaranteed panels.
- Communication of cluster activities on and via the IMISCOE website www.imiscoe.org, social media and IMISCOE newsletters.
To be eligible for IMISCOE funding, a proposal must meet the following criteria:
- The person(s) leading a proposal must be individual member of IMISCOE and must be employed at one of the IMISCOE member institutes. Non-IMISCOE members (also from non-member institutes) can participate, but not as leader/chair. Member institutes can only receive funding for max. 2 clusters (or standing committees), not including initiatives that have been awarded funding in the past and manage to continue without new funds.
- The proposal should include a list of expected outputs of the initiatives/activities.
- The proposal should be clear on how the funding is used. The funding cannot be used for attending the annual IMISCOE conference or the Spring conference. If funding is proposed to be used for attending other conferences the rationale must explicitly be formulated in the proposal.
- Personnel costs may only take up to 20% of the budget.
- The proposal should include an activity of the proposed cluster at the upcoming IMISCOE annual conference.
Proposals will be reviewed by the Executive Board of IMISCOE. The proposals will be reviewed according to the following award criteria:
- Argumentation of academic excellence of the proposal; how does the proposal reach beyond what we know already, in what way is it innovative. We encourage disciplinary as well as interdisciplinary proposals.
- Concreteness of the proposal in terms of output/outcomes; this can be either a joint publication effort (book/journal) or a joint effort to write a research proposal. For research proposals, it is recommended to mention the intended funding scheme to which the proposal will be submitted.
- Composition of the consortium:
- Excellence of the researchers involved in the proposal. Include a full CV of the cluster leader, and a list of other participants (including their positions and institutional affiliation).
- Representation of scholars from different career stages, preferably also including PhD Students.
- Representation of different countries and a fair number of IMISCOE member institutes and individual members.
- Gender balance preferably also involvement of scholars with a migration background.
- If the research cluster is following up on activities from previous years, then the proposal has to be explicit on what has been achieved already and what the new activities will add to these achievements.
- Conditions for funding should have been met, which include:
- Clusters can ask a maximum of 5000 euros.
- Funding can only be allocated to IMISCOE member institutes. This institute should take the leadership over the cluster.
- Individual members as well as non-IMISCOE researchers can participate, if approved by the research cluster leader(s).
- Member institutes can be coordinating of a maximum of 2 funded research clusters at a time. They can participate in as many clusters as feasible, but only receive funding for two clusters as coordinating institute. This does not include clusters or standing committees that continue to exist without additional funding.
- The funding should be used to initiate new activities (convening meetings, inviting guest speakers, etc.).
- Funding cannot be used for attending the annual IMISCOE conference or the Spring Conference. If funding is proposed to be used for attending other conferences the rationale must explicitly be formulated in the proposal.
- Max. 20% of the costs may be attributed to personnel costs.
The (coordinator of the) research cluster has the task to report on activities and spending at the end of the funding period.
A cluster that has continuously reported (funded as well as non-funded) activities over a period of at least four years (not necessarily consecutively) will be recognized as a Standing Committee. Clusters that wish to continue their activities after one year of funding, will be enabled to do so; this means that their presence on the IMISCOE website will be continued.
A standard form for cluster proposals is available for download (doc). Only proposals that use this standard form are eligible. Please send your proposals to