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Grants, bursaries and prizes

Fieldwork and research

The Fieldwork Committee is happy to receive requests for grants for fieldwork/research in Kent. In view of the restricted funds at the Society’s disposal, it may be necessary to apportion available money for research among a number of applicants, resulting in each receiving less than the amount requested. Careful consideration will be given to the respective merits of each application.

 

Whilst every application will be given careful consideration, grants specifically to cover travel expenses, accommodation and non-specialists wages will not normally be considered.

 

It is a condition of granting any money for research that a summary of the results must be submitted promptly for publication in Archaeologia Cantiana, and the final report must be submitted without undue delay for inclusion in Archaeologia Cantiana or any other publication approved by the Council. The fulfilment or otherwise of this condition will influence consideration of any further applications for assistance.

 

Each application will be considered by the Fieldwork Committee, which will make recommendations to the Council. See the fieldwork grant application form.

 

Allen Grove Local History Fund

What is Local History? It can be almost impossible to define! It can involve a wide range of historical inquiry and investigation which encompasses local landscapes, oral traditions, written records, social and cultural practices, ephemera and objects. A typical project can involve virtually anything in a geographical area smaller than the country or countries as a whole.

 

The Allen Grove Local History Fund was established from a legacy made to the Kent Archaeological Society by the late Allen Grove (1910-1990), a former President.

 

The Society administers the Fund. Its objects are to promote research, preservation and enjoyment of local history in the ancient County of Kent. The geographical area of Kent considered under the Fund is that of the ancient county of Kent. It includes Medway and extends to the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham.

 

What is not eligible for a grant application? Grants will not be made for excavation, fieldwork or works of fiction. Allen Grove Local History Fund's objects are to promote research, preservation and enjoyment of local history. These objects are consistent with those of the Society. lt is a restricted fund and is invested separately from the Society’s other investments. In accordance with the terms of the legacy, decisions on how the fund is to be spent are taken by the Society’s officers.

 

The grant is awarded annually and the closing date for applications is 30th September. Download the application form including guidance notes on applying and more information about the fund. Applications can be printed and sent or completed online and sent via email to the Fund Secretary.

 

Applications for a wide range of local history projects are welcomed and encouraged from individuals, groups or societies. In the case of applications from groups or societies, the Fund Secretary will communicate with the project leader named in the application.

 

The average grants recently awarded have been in the region of £500.

 

The window for submitting applications is 1 June to 30 September 2023. As soon as practicable after 30th September, the Trustees will meet to consider the applications received. Grants are made once a year.

 

Email the Allen Grove Administrator

 

Mail to Allen Grove Fund Secretary, 5 Greensand Road, Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 8NY.

 

Hasted Grant Fund

Named in honour of the celebrated historian Edward Hasted, author of The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent, published in 1797, the annual £3,000 Hasted Fund (total money available) provides authors of successfully completed doctoral theses on the archaeology or history of Kent with grants towards the cost of publishing it in book format. The grant fund aims to reward students working on the archaeology and history of the County, and to promote the publication of books that advance scholarly knowledge of the county’s past (including districts which were originally part of the county and are now within the Medway unitary authority and the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham).

 

The grants are given for unfunded costs of publication, excluding research and travel costs.

 

The deadline for completed applications is 30 November each year and applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application as soon as is feasible. For an application form email Dr Sheila Sweetinburgh.

 

For further details, see the Hasted Grant Fund page.

 

Ian Coulson Annual Bursary

The Ian Coulson Annual Bursary for Local History/Archaeology in Kent Schools has been established by the Kent Archaeological Society in memory of Ian Coulson. Ian was Adviser for History in Kent schools for over 25 years and, at the time of his premature death in 2015, was President of the Kent Archaeological Society. Teachers in Kent schools are invited to apply for the bursary to develop classroom resources based on Kent’s local history and/or archaeology, two of Ian’s great passions. It is open to teachers in both primary and secondary schools.

 

Teachers are invited to apply for the bursary, by submitting a short application form, by the end of June preceding the academic year to which the bursary will apply. Applications will be accepted from the beginning of April. Further information is available on the dedicated page, including a link to the information and application packs, Ian Coulson Annual Bursary page.

 

Thirsk Prize

For MA students in history or archaeology of Kent, a total of £1000 can be awarded either as a single prize or split between a winner and a runner-up. This is the Kent Archaeological Society’s biennial prize named in honour of the late Dr Joan Thirsk, a distinguished historian and a long-standing member of the Society. It/they will be awarded for a dissertation submitted as part of a successful Master’s degree. The prize(s) will be awarded to a dissertation judged to be a major contribution to the history or archaeology of Kent (including districts which were originally part of the county and are now within the Medway unitary authority and the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham).

 

The KAS will consider, for the Thirsk Prize, dissertations completed for a Master’s degree within the calendar years 2023 and 2024. Dissertations can be submitted from any academic institution.

 

The Thirsk Prize aims to reward students working on the history and archaeology of Kent and to help promote publication of articles that advance scholarly knowledge of the county’s past.

 

The KAS will be willing to give advice on publication. The editor of the society’s annual journal, Archaeologia Cantiana, will also consider publishing articles based on the various submissions.

 

To register interest, candidates for the Thirsk Prize should, in the first instance, send a brief abstract of their MA dissertation to Dr Sheila Sweetinburgh by 31 October 2024. The final date for submissions is 30 November 2024.

 

Dissertations must be submitted in Word format and emailed to Dr Sweetinburgh. The submission should include an abstract and be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from the dissertation supervisor together, where appropriate, with the names and the institutions of the examiners of the dissertation.

 

All candidates for the prize will be notified of the judges’ decision as soon as is feasible. The editor of Archaeologia Cantiana would welcome article-length (c.8,000 words) submissions from Thirsk Prize applicants.