there was a message forwarded to the spectre list on 1 June from Barry Smith
# Concerning AHRC withdrawal of AHDS funding
in response, I asked:
'what are the reasons given by the AHRC for the discontinuation of
funding for AHDS? -a'
below is barry's answer, which i am forwarding with his permission,
and as requested, with the following addition:
From: "Barry Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:56:13 +0100
feel free to forward as you wish. The only point I'd raise if you're
intending to leave my address intact is that I'm not an official
spokesman for AHDS but just one (of many hundreds to judge by the
"Petition to the UK PM" currently standing at 800+!) whose former and
current work is thrown into disarray by this bizarre funding decision
- so any follow-up enquiries would be best addressed directly to the
principals involved:
[UK] Arts and Humanities Research
Council: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
AHDS: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Most recently I've even heard reports of much anger being expressed
in academic research meetings ("anger"!) and whatever the rights and
wrongs of the AHRC decision - and I don't see many rights myself -
this particular UK Research Council seems to have lost the confidence
of many of its constituents "in one fell swoop" and on three fronts:
the rationale behind the decision, the lack of consultation and
manner of the announcement, and now the implementation.
Best wishes..... b.
From: "Barry Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Andreas Broeckmann" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [spectre] Fwd:Concerning AHRC withdrawal of AHDS funding
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2007 10:27:04 +0100
hello Andreas
A reasonable question.
The AHRC website
http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/news/news_pr/2007/information_for_applicants_to_AHRC_june_deadline.asp
suggests:
"Council believes that Arts and Humanities researchers have developed
significant IT knowledge and expertise in the past decade. The context
within which the AHDS was initially supported by the AHRC has changed. Much
technical knowledge is now readily available within HEIs, either from IT
support services or from academics. Much that generally can be safely
assumed now, for example that web sites can be put together and run
effectively for the duration of a project, could not be assumed ten years
ago. Council believes that long term storage of digital materials and
sustainability is best dealt with by an active engagement with HEIs rather
than through a centralised service"
I suspect AHDS are rather offended and phased by the suggestion that their
mission is to put together websites for the duration of projects and would
probably also wish to query the assertion that long term sustainability is
best achieved at a local level.
Other views suggest, following AHRC's announcement in March 2007 of
impending budget cuts, that a more direct financial imperative is at
work here, see
http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/news/news_pr/2007/AHRC_statement_on_funding.asp
To judge by the rapid growth of the UK PM Petition many seem
persuaded that the rationale and manner of this decision and its
immediate implementation give cause for concern, not least over the
Council's apparent lack of appreciation of the range and complexity
of national and international work being undertaken.
b.
=
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