The first DPIR Research Support Fund winners announced
The Department is delighted to announce that Dr Lenka Buštíková Siroky, Dr Eli Gateva, Dr Marnie Howlett, Dr Andy Payne, Dr Tena Prelec and one anonymous member of staff are recipients of the first tranches of funding from DPIR’s new Research Support Fund.
Work supported by the DPIR Research Support fund in the Michaelmas and Hilary term rounds of awards include:
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Dr Lenka Buštíková Siroky’s research for a Cambridge Elements publication on Ukrainian attitudes towards the country’s Azov battalion – formerly a volunteer paramilitary militia with links to far-right extremist groups – which is now part of the National Guard. Funding will purchase questions in the KIIS-run Ukrainian omnibus.
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Dr Eli Gateva’s field research to conduct interviews with policymakers from the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, national officials and civil society representatives. Her findings will contribute to her project 'Promoting and Safeguarding Democracy: Does the European Union Matter?'
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Dr Marnie Howlett’s book, An Imagined Borderland: A Bottom-up Geopolitical (Re)Conceptualisation of Ukraine, which will be the first book to examine Ukraine’s geopolitical position using a mixed-method approach – combining ethnographic fieldwork, cognitive mapping exercises, interviews, focus groups, and participant observations.
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Dr Andy Payne’s research on US foreign policy during presidential transitions, which uses historical newspaper sources and other archival materials to shed light on the diplomatic activities of the president-elect from George Washington to Joe Biden. His forthcoming book, One President at a Time?, will also offer policy recommendations to enhance cooperation during future transitions of power.
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Dr Tena Prelec’s research on transnational kleptocracy and how the UK’s service industries empower authoritarian regimes. The funding will support the completion of her forthcoming book Professional Indulgences by covering its legal review. It will thus help minimise the risks of one of the facets of kleptocracy: authors being targeted by lawsuits aimed at silencing them.
Elena Ratcliff, Research Compliance Lead, commented: “It is wonderful to kick start this initiative, which aims to boost our support for early career researchers, as well as facilitate innovative projects; research impact or engagement activity; and provide emergency research support for the wider Department."
Director of Research, Professor David Doyle added: “The high calibre of the recipients of our first tranche of funding is a reminder of the fantastic work of the Department’s researchers – from our early career researchers to our PIs. We are very glad that we can help develop their important cutting-edge work in this way.”
The fund was launched in Michaelmas term 2022, providing small grants (up to £3,000 per award) for non-permanent academic or research staff to develop their research – or to provide pump-priming and completion of research initiatives, emergency research funding, or support dissemination of research impact or engagement activity.
This initiative, run by DPIR’s Research Support Team, will repeat towards the end of each term.
Calls for applications to the DPIR Research Support Fund will be sent to the DPIR sub-faculty mailing list and be included in the Research Support Teams weekly email newsletter. For further information on eligibility and the application process, please email the DPIR Research Compliance Lead, Elena Ratcliff at: elena.ratcliff@politics.ox.ac.uk.
