Introduction
The First Minister of Wales launched the Morgan Advanced Studies Institute – MASI - on February 26th 2021. We are Wales’ first Advanced Studies Institute focussed on transformative interdisciplinary research. MASI is growing a vibrant, large-scale community, a movement with an urgent purpose to respond to the world’s most critical opportunities and challenges. It brings people together from across all disciplines to discover and innovate processes, materials, technologies, policies and practices that will make the world more sustainable, just, well, joyful and hopeful.
MASI will help drive the University forward, serving the city, region, Wales and the world with world-class research and enterprise. It also acts as a base-camp, gathering groups to be trained, motivated and encouraged to set their eyes on the highest of intellectual and impactful summits, preparing us to attract the significant external funding needed to be an effective agent of change.
MASI is named after the late Rhodri Morgan, former First Minister of Wales and Swansea University Chancellor whose passion for Wales and its place in the World, continues to inspire us.
We are now seeking proposals for a range of opportunities that address our founding theme for 2021-2022: the Preciousness of Life: Hope, Change, Renewal; Opportunities.
If you would like to apply for one of a range of opportunities (as listed below) please complete the proposal application form. All proposals should include a member of academic staff from Swansea University. Proposers can also include those from outside Swansea University (drawn from other academic/research institutions and/or industry/other stakeholders). We welcome participation from Postgraduate Researchers.
Assessment criteria – all proposals need to demonstrate alignment with the MASI Vision and Theme; show an understanding of Responsible Innovation; and, respond to the opportunity descriptions listed below.
You must ask your line manager whether they endorse your application and confirm it is in line with your career development goals and aligned to your Faculty’s/ Service operational needs. Before funding is confirmed Faculties/ Services will be asked formally to accept the award.
Deadlines & Notifications:
The deadline for all Summer of Hope events is 11th March 2021; successful proposers will be notified by 19th March 2021.
The deadline for proposals to become a MASI Fellow is 4th May 2021; successful proposers will be notified by end of June 2021.
The deadline for all other proposals is 8th June 2021; successful proposers will be notified by 15th July 2021 and funding allocated from August 2021 onwards.
Summer of Hope
To find out more about the 3 selected Summer of Hope events that will take place this summer please click HERE
MASI Fellow
Applicants should be employees of Swansea University. We are seeking up to 8 founding fellows who will serve as part of the leadership team for period May 2021-May 2023. We will appoint up to 2 Fellows from each of our Faculties and from our professional services (in each case, one Early Career colleague; one Established career colleague who has interdisciplinary experience). The time commitment will be approximately 20hrs a year.
International Visiting Fellow
We would like to appoint up to 3-5 fellows supporting their travel and subsistence up to £5000. Visitors should be present in Swansea for 2-4 months between August 2021 and July 2022. To promote an inclusive, diverse fellowship we welcome “digital” fellows who will interact with our community remotely. Proposals should clearly state how the proposed Fellow will promote new thinking, disrupt us positively and connect widely across our community. Fellows will be expected to give one publicly accessible lecture during their time with us and also connect with other Welsh HEIs.
Basecamp Activities
We aim to fund up to 3 proposals (up to £5000 each) for short focussed research programmes (up to 12 months) aimed at delivering insights, results, demonstrations that have value in themselves and platform further fundable collaborations. Funding can support fully costed researcher staff time (normally Post-Doctoral Research Assistants), consumables, equipment, travel and subsistence, networking events, workshops etc. Resources will be available from August 2021 and must be spent before end of July 2022.
Summit Activities
We are seeking proposals for up to 3 extended-programme activities (24 months) that will enable proposer teams to fix their eyes on - and define - an adventurous, disruptive agenda only possible through MASI. The work will enable credible teams to understand their strengths, project competencies internally and externally and to become sustainable. Summiteers should aim to “peak” within this the 24 month period through large-scale external bid submission. Each Summit Activity can request up to £15,000 in FY2021/22 and another £15,000 in FY2022/23.
Funding can support fully costed researcher staff time (normally Post-Doctoral Research Assistants), consumables, equipment, travel and subsistence, networking events, workshops etc. Resources will be available from August 2021 for the first year of the programme and must be spent before end of July 2022.
Assessment
All proposals will be assessed by research and innovation colleagues experienced in interdisciplinary working and drawn from our Swansea and wider communities as appropriate. Panels will be selected to assure inclusive and diverse representation and conflicts of interest will be addressed before any panel.