Network for Early European Research
NEER, the Network for Early European Research, has been established by the University of Western Australia, following the 2004 award of an ARC funding grant for the next five years. The Network aims to implement a formal framework for supporting and enhancing current Australian research into the culture and history of Europe between the fifth and eighteenth centuries. It also aims to foster new research and new connections between researchers and to develop and nurture the next generation of researchers in the field.
The web site contains a wide range of information and resources for researchers in the field, including details of current research projects, details of forthcoming events specially planned by NEER and a useful range of links to Australian and international organizations, academic centres and resources.
Funding Programmes
NEER has previously offered discretionary funding for various activities consistent with its themes. NEER has recently launched a call for Research Clusters (see below) and, in response to specific needs within our research community, we would now like to announce a revised funding scheme with broad aims and a relatively rapid response to applications. Details are available at http://www.neer.arts.uwa.edu.au/funding.
Research Clusters
(ARC) NEER's original statement of intention promises to 'mobilise existing strengths to build up national and international research partnerships in key emerging areas of scholarly enquiry', and to 'coordinate large-scale cross-disciplinary investigations'. NEER remains fundamentally committed to encouraging a culture of collaborative achievement in early European research, 400-1850. This has been identified as a major challenge for the coming years, and as an index of the Network's success and long-term influence. Accordingly, NEER will recognise and seed-fund a number of NEER Research Clusters to begin working towards collaborative research outcomes consistent with the Network's aims. Such outcomes will eventually include significant publications and the pursuit of major external grant funding.
Further information is available from the NEER web site at http://www.neer.arts.uwa.edu.au/neer_research_clusters.
The Melbourne Manuscript Resource Unit and the Research Cluster for Manuscript Studies
http://academiccentre.stmarys.newman.unimelb.edu.au/manuscriptstudies/
The Melbourne Manuscript Resource Unit is located at the Academic Centre, St Mary's and Newman Colleges, The University of Melbourne. Its objective is to support teaching and research in Medieval and Renaissance (Early Modern) Manuscript Studies.
The associated NEER Research Cluster for Manuscript Studies consists of senior scholars, middle and early career researchers and postgraduate students with related interests in the field of Manuscript Studies. It is interdisciplinary in scope, with an emphasis on the following areas: the relationship of text, decoration and illustration in the hand-made book; the function of particular manuscript genres; and the interaction between social and patronal contexts and manuscript production.
The Cluster is committed to the fostering of research in Manuscript Studies in Australia and New Zealand and to the strengthening of international links in this field, especially with respect to research on Australasian manuscript collections and the provision of collaborative research opportunities for scholars and curators based in Australia and New Zealand.
E-Consult Scheme
NEER is very pleased to announce that the E-Consult scheme is now in operation: http://www.neer.arts.uwa.edu.au/postgraduates/econsult
The E-Consult Scheme is a NEER initiative which enables Australian postgraduate students and early career researchers to seek advice from senior researchers in their field of interest.
Postgraduates and early career researchers who make use of this scheme must observe the E-Consult protocols listed on the web site. The E-consult List gives the details of those NEER participants who are willing to be contacted for advice about research.