RN Oct 09.Indd

OCTOBER 2009 Research News DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY MUSIC CULTURE CENTRE FOR RUSSIAN MUSIC ELECTRONIC MUSIC STUDIO AFGHAN MUSIC UNIT image: Cardew ‘Treatise’ © Hinrichsen/Peters London FROM THE EDITOR Welcome the first issue of Research News for this events will continue to be advertised here. Now year. Thanks to all staff and research students who that publicity in the department is so extensive and have contributed. I encourage more to do so in time expertly administered, precise details and programmes for the next issue. Two changes have been made to of events are easily accessible via the numerous this newsletter for 2009-10. First, it will be published brochures, fliers, notices and email alerts produced by only twice in the academic year, in October and April. the administrative staff. Second, and partly as a consequence, full details of Craig Ayrey forthcoming events will not appear, although the FROM THE HEAD OF DEPARTMENT In my last introduction I wrote in a rather downbeat Looking forward to the coming academic year I am fashion of the 10% cut to our recurrent research struck once again by how diverse and energetic our grant that had arisen as a consequence of RAE2008, research culture is. The restructuring of our Masters and I observed that ‘it is difficult to know how this programmes, which begins this autumn, sees the compares with other music departments since figures start of our new Graduate Forum series. This will are not available’. I was therefore delighted to attend a provide another ‘shop window’ for the Department’s meeting of the National Association of Music in Higher research activities, allowing all post graduate students Education only a few weeks after having written those particularly the opportunity to engage with the work words, to find that NAMHE had in fact crunched the of our research centres, hear visiting speakers and HEFCE figures in an attempt to discover how individual staff research papers and, for PhD students especially, music departments across the country had fared. As present the fruits of their own research. We have I had also previously suspected, when compared to another visiting research fellow joining us for the other depart-ments we had in fact done rather well. academic year. Ethnomusicologist Professor Timothy It would be injudicious of me to reveal too many of Cooley, from the University of California, Santa the details of the NAMHE figures since these do not Barbara, will be based with us while completing his appear to have been made public. However, when monograph on popular music and surfing (despite the additional monies awarded to support Graduate the New Cross one-way system not immediately research are also taken into account, the Department of appearing an obvious substitute for California’s Pacific Music at Goldsmiths received the fifth largest HEFCE coastline). He will be speaking at Graduate Forum on research grant in the country, and we were behind 6 October. In November, Professor Alexander Ivashkin the fourth placed institution by an amount that could and The Centre for Russian Music are involved in a only be described as loose change. This is an excellent high-profile event in collaboration with London’s result for us overall, and testament once again to the South Bank Centre and the London Philharmonic breadth and quality of the research undertaken within Orchestra, based around the music of the Russian the Department as a whole. But that is enough about composer Alfred Schnittke. RAE2008. I hope not to write about it again, if only This is only a taste of what is coming up. Many because in all too short a while we shall have to focus other activities are already planned or in the process of on the demands of its successor, REF2013. being so. Please do watch the website and email lists for all updates. Stephen Cottrell FROM THE DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH As has been emphasised in the past, it is becoming committees. The visit was instructive for a number increasingly important for the Department to generate of reasons. First, Dr Jackson presented a concise, research funds. One potential funding source is the illustrative summary of the type of schemes available British Academy. This point was emphasised at the at the BA. Second, the visit provided an insight into beginning of July when Dr Robin Jackson, the CEO of the identity of the BA and the way this may or may not the British Academy, visited Goldsmiths and gave a talk change in relation to a broader conception of ‘research’ to staff and then answered questions over an informal that incorporates creative practice. Third, the talk and lunch attended by chairs of departmental research subsequent discussion gave further insights into the 1 political environment within which research funding in post-doctoral research. is being allocated and an illustration of why it is Numerous Goldsmiths academics have pragmatically important for funding institutions along already received British Academy awards and the with arts and humanities scholars to emphasize their Academy remains a very responsive source of funding relevance to a sometimes sceptical media and public. particularly for international research. Details of the Taking these points in a little more detail. full range of British Academy schemes can be found The Academy was established in 1902 as a at: ‘learned society’, a rather quaint sounding term these http://www.britac.ac.uk/funding/guide/alphaind.cfm. days, and seeks to encourage, represent and promote Moving on to some points relating to the work that is being undertaken in the humanities identity and philosophy of the British Academy that and social sciences. It aims ‘to inspire, recognise and cropped up during the day. support excellence and high achievement across the There was some discussion of the way that the UK and internationally’. The Academy has a wide academy is organised according to what some perceive variety of funding schemes including Conference as an exclusive fellowship of eminent scholars, with Travel Funds, British Academy Research Development just under 40 new fellows being elected each year. Awards and three year Post Doctoral Fellowships. There are currently just under 900 Ordinary Fellows The vast majority of research funding is allocated to based in the UK, just over 300 Corresponding Fellows relatively small grants given to individuals in which the living outside the UK and no more than 20 Honorary emphasis is on ideas, individual projects and the use of Fellows in any one year. Fellows are responsible for resources (such as setting up scholarly database). The assessing applications to the various schemes. A list of priority is on primary research realised through self- fellows and their recent interests and activities can be contained projects with clearly identifiable outputs. found at But, Robin Jackson sought to stress how the BA wishes http://www.britac.ac.uk/ news/fellowsnews.cfm to encourage speculative, risk taking projects or pilot One issue that cropped up throughout the day studies that could lead to bigger things. The Academy concerned the BA’s attitude or position with regard likes to be seen as a facilitator, using its money to creative practice and practice based research. Dr wisely when investing in proposals that will generate Jackson acknowledged that the British Academy, as further projects. Hence, it would be advantageous a learned society within a distinct scholarly tradition, to demonstrate how any potential project may lead will not fund the creation, composition or performance to a potentially larger study and funding bid. Most of an opera or piece of music, but would potentially projects in the scheme are funded for around about fund a musicological study of such music. This is £7.5K (which is the maximum that can be requested) one of the legacies of the Academy’s history, and it and for no more than 2 years. inevitably highlights the way that, within existing Additionally, the BA provides Research research funding structures and auditing processes, Development Awards. These allow a ‘buy out’ for the creation, composition and performance of music is mid-career established scholars, and have a cash limit forced to legitimate itself in terms of ‘research’. As many of 150K. However, these are very competitive and reading this will be aware, there has been considerable the success rate was reported as ‘about 10 per cent’. debate about this issue over the last few years and Postdoctoral Awards are a further possibility for those there was further discussion on this day, during the who do not have a permanent academic post and who open talk and in the meeting with members of research are within 3 years of gaining a PhD – something for committees. There was a widespread consensus the Department’s MPhil/ PhD students to keep in mind amongst Goldsmiths staff that the BA’s definition of (next deadline is 26 November this year). Competition ‘research’ poses problems for many departments, here is also fierce. The BA plans to make available up and it seemed to be generally acknowledged and to 45 awards in the coming academic year.. accepted that the BA has been slower than some other A Senior Research Fellowship is also available. institutions to recognise practice-based research. This allows an established scholar one year study leave On a more positive note, and a policy which to work on completing a significant project of research. potentially can provide opportunities for researchers in The British Academy has also been offering a very Goldsmiths, and perhaps for future music department limited number of Wolfson Research Professorships, activities, the Academy wishes to encourage although Dr Jackson suggested that future awards in connections and international collaboration with parts this scheme might be intermittent rather than annual of the world where there has not traditionally been (possibly every two years).

Load more