Events & initiatives funding

Financial support

Funding for events and initiatives

Funding is available for postgraduate students, postdocs, and academic staff employed by the University of Cambridge or one of its Colleges to run events and initiatives with CRASSH.
Financial support*

Up to £1000 is available for one-day events, £2000 for two-day events, and £1000 for other kinds of initiative. For events, this funding may be used to contribute to the costs of speaker travel, hospitality, and accommodation. Full administrative and in-kind logistical support (event planning, management and promotion) will also be provided. It is also possible to apply for administrative and logistical support without funding.

*Convenors may need to find additional funding to cover some costs to ensure that the maximum financial contribution from CRASSH is not exceeded. A list of other potential funding sources can be found under the ‘Additional Funding’ tab.
It is CRASSH’s policy not to pay for publications.

Applications for financial support always automatically include administrative and logistical assistance.
Please note that funds cannot be carried over to the next academic year and any unspent sums below the maximum agreed will revert to the CRASSH events and initiatives support fund.
For events, please take a look at our sample budget. A breakdown of costs is required for applications for other initiatives.

The next funding round will open in January 2024 for events to be held between October 2024 and March 2025.

Logistical support

CRASSH is based in the Alison Richard Building, and we can try to secure seminar rooms in the ARB*. We are also willing to support events that will take place at other venues within Cambridge.

budget: devising a budget, setting up conference account to manage income and expenditure, online delegate registration/payment, producing final accounts

• CRASSH webpage: creating event pages that includes registration, event summary, calls for papers, posters, event programme, links, and convenor information. Additional content can also be housed on CRASSH’s site (this can be discussed with the Events Manager)
• publicity: poster design, publicity via email, social media, and the CRASSH blog
• arrangements for speakers: assisting convenors with booking accommodation (usually at a college); reimbursing agreed speakers’ travel costs in line with the University’s travel expenses policy
• catering: arranging lunches and refreshments; assisting with college dinner / restaurant bookings
• support on the day, including registration of participants and production of an online event booklet
• AV assistance: arrangements can be made for AV support; the cost of AV support will be dependent on the specific requirements of the event. Post-event, CRASSH is able to organise the editing (there is a cost for this) and promote any event recordings
• logistical support for other initiatives, as appropriate.

*Please note we cannot guarantee rooms in the ARB.

Event dates

We generally aim to hold in-person events out of term as space is more available, but not guaranteed. It can also be more problematic to secure speaker accommodation during term-time when students are in residence.

Please also note that activities in the Alison Richard Building can only be held on Fridays and Saturdays during term (subject to room availability), meaning that catering costs may be higher. We suggest that you avoid degree and other ceremony dates, e.g., graduation weekend in June or alumni weekend in September.
Please list a range of preferred dates (in order of desirability) or tell us if dates are fixed. We cannot guarantee that preferred dates will be offered.

We are able to host online events during and out of term time.

Please note that CRASSH’s policy is not to hold any events on Sundays.

The next funding round will open in January 2024 for events to be held between October 2024 and March 2025.

Selection criteria

Selection criteria

Funding is available for postgraduate students, postdocs, and academic staff employed by the University of Cambridge or one of its Colleges to run events and initiatives with CRASSH.

Events and initiatives will be selected by a panel comprising the Director and Administrator of CRASSH, academic staff from the School of Arts and Humanities and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Events Manager. The Events Manager will co-ordinate the selection process and inform the applicants of the result within two weeks of the application deadline.

As well as academic excellence and originality, the selection panel will be looking for proposals that meet one or more of the following criteria:

• tackle a question from a range of disciplinary perspectives
• facilitate cross-regional or cross-cultural dialogues
• explore innovative forms of communication and engagement instead of (or in addition to) the more traditional presentation of papers
• seek out new publics
• involve collaborations with participants or partners from contexts beyond academia (museums, schools, governmental organisations, charities, businesses, etc.)
• take a creative approach to the expected outputs or outcomes of an event or initiative

We also strongly encourage convenors to think about the diversity and sustainability of their event or initiative.

Please note:

• it is CRASSH’s policy not to pay for publications
• budgets should be carefully justified: it may be an advantage to apply for less than the maximum amount, unless there is a clear need for higher funding
• applications for financial support will always come with in-kind (logistical) support
• any unspent sums will revert to the CRASSH events and initiatives fund.

The next funding round will open in January 2024 for events to be held between October 2024 and March 2025.