Quaternary Research Association

Charity Number: 262124

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Quick Stats

  • Registered Charity: 262124
  • Annual Income: £124,902 (year ending 31 July 2024)
  • Annual Expenditure: £119,194
  • Decision Time: Approximately 1 month after deadline
  • Grant Range: £950 - £5,500 (plus caring costs up to £300)
  • Geographic Focus: UK and international members
  • Application Method: Fixed deadlines (February 15 & September 15)

Contact Details

Website: www.qra.org.uk

Email: treasurer@qra.org.uk

Grants enquiries: awards@qra.org.uk

Phone: 0207 9426479

Overview

The Quaternary Research Association (QRA) is a UK-registered charity founded to advance education and research into the Quaternary period (the last 2.6 million years of Earth's history). With approximately 1,200 members internationally, the QRA brings together archaeologists, botanists, civil engineers, geographers, geologists, soil scientists, zoologists and others interested in Quaternary research.

The Association operates multiple grant schemes specifically designed to “promote high quality Quaternary research, training and dissemination of results, as widely as possible.” A key principle of their funding approach is breaking down barriers to science by offering grants for all career levels and providing support for caring and accessibility costs. The QRA awards grants totaling several tens of thousands of pounds annually through various programs, from small research grants of up to £1,650 to larger awards of £5,500 for major fieldwork expeditions and laboratory projects.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

For Postgraduate Students:

  • New Research Workers Grant: £1,650 maximum (plus £300 caring costs) – Supports field expeditions, geological surveys, laboratory visits, equipment purchase, and laboratory analyses. Deadlines: February 15 & September 15. Can only apply once during postgraduate studies.
  • Bill Bishop Award: £950 maximum (plus £300 caring costs) – For MPhil/PhD students (not 1-year MSc or undergraduates). Focuses on Cenozoic stratigraphy/palaeoenvironments/chronology related to hominid evolution, or British Quaternary stratigraphy/palaeoenvironments/geomorphology. Deadline: February 15 (annual).
  • Postgraduate Quaternary Conference Fund: £900 maximum (plus £300 caring costs) – Supports conference attendance including registration, travel, accommodation, subsistence. Any registered postgraduate QRA member eligible. Deadlines: February 15 & September 15.
  • QRA-14CHRONO Centre Radiocarbon Dating Award: 3 radiocarbon dates maximum – For undergrad/postgrad/Year 1 PhD students. Deadline: February 15.
  • QRA-Oxford Radiocarbon Dating Short Course Bursaries: 3 bursaries covering course fees – Preference for Year 1 PhD students. Deadline: February 15.

For Full Members (Non-Postgraduates):

  • Richard West Grant: £5,500 maximum (plus £300 caring costs) – The flagship award supporting “scientific excellence for fieldwork expeditions and/or innovative laboratory-based projects.” Supports expeditions to remote environments, laboratory expenses, completion of self-funded projects, and development of innovative Quaternary Science techniques. Requires 12 months membership. Normally one grant awarded annually. Deadline: September 15.
  • Quaternary Research Small Grant (QRSG): £1,650 maximum – For all full members of at least one year's standing, irrespective of age and status. Supports field expeditions, equipment hire, laboratory analysis. Deadlines: February 15 & September 15.
  • Quaternary Conference Fund: £900 maximum (plus £300 caring costs) – Supports conference attendance. Deadlines: February 15 & September 15.

For All Members:

  • Mabel Tomlinson Outreach Funding: Up to £1,000 (larger requests considered) – Funds public engagement events and/or outreach materials on Quaternary themes. Deadline: September 15.
  • Jean and Dick Grove Conservation Grant: Up to £1,000 (larger requests considered) – Supports geoconservation of Quaternary geoheritage sites. Deadlines: February 15 & September 15.
  • QRA INQUA Congress Fund: Variable – Supports attendance at INQUA Congress, with priority for PG and early career researchers with limited funding sources.

Priority Areas

  • Field-based Quaternary research expeditions
  • Laboratory analysis and innovative techniques
  • British Quaternary stratigraphy, palaeoenvironments, and geomorphology
  • Cenozoic stratigraphy and hominid evolution studies
  • Geoconservation of Quaternary sites
  • Public engagement and outreach on Quaternary themes
  • Conference attendance and knowledge dissemination
  • Early career researcher development

What They Don't Fund

  • Radiocarbon dating costs (these should be routed through NERC for the QRA-14CHRONO Centre Award)
  • Labour costs (except in exceptional circumstances)
  • Retrospective applications (activities that have already occurred before the deadline)
  • Activities within 2 months of deadline (“to encourage well-planned and properly budgeted projects”)
  • Undergraduate research (most programs exclude undergraduates)
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Governance and Leadership

The QRA is governed by an Executive Committee of elected members who oversee the Association's operations and activities.

Key Officers:

  • President: Professor Jane Hart, University of Southampton
  • Vice President: Professor Helen Roberts, Aberystwyth University
  • Honorary Secretary: Dr Adrian Palmer, Royal Holloway University of London
  • Treasurer: Dr Tim Lane, Liverpool John Moores University
  • Awards Officer: Dr Lorna Linch, University of Brighton
  • Conservation Officer: Dr Eileen Tisdall, University of Stirling

Specialist Roles:

  • Co-Editors, Journal of Quaternary Science: Professor Mary Edwards (University of Southampton) and Professor Achim Brauer (Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, University of Potsdam)
  • Newsletter Editor: Dr Ed Garrett, University of York
  • Meetings Officer: Dr Jenna Sutherland, Leeds Beckett University
  • Publications Secretary: Dr Cathy Delaney, Manchester Metropolitan University
  • Publicity Officer: Dr Sophie Williams, Durham University
  • EDI Officer: Dr Della Murton
  • Outreach & External Liaison Officer: Dr Naomi Holmes, University of York

The committee also includes two Postgraduate Representatives (Miss Holly Jenkins and Mx Ellery Littlewood) and Ordinary Members Dr Katy Roucoux (University of St Andrews) and Dr Harold Lovell (University of Portsmouth).

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

All grant applications are submitted via online application forms on the QRA website (www.qra.org.uk/grants). For questions about applications, contact awards@qra.org.uk.

Standard Application Requirements:

  • Project title
  • Proposed dates for scheduled work
  • Budget breakdown showing main costs
  • 100-word project summary (150 words for Richard West Grant)
  • “Case for Support” (1 page for most grants, 2 pages for Richard West Grant) – Should outline the science case and explain fully how funds will be used, maximum 12 point single-spaced, including figures and references
  • Some grants require supervisor letter of support (postgraduate grants)
  • Richard West Grant requires 1-page CV for Principal Investigator

Key Requirements:

  • Must be a current QRA member at time of application
  • Most research grants require at least 12 months membership standing
  • Work must be scheduled to take place within 12 months of award acceptance (extensions can be granted in justified circumstances)
  • Projects cannot start within 2 months of deadline date
  • Conference grants cannot be for conferences within 2 months of deadline

Decision Timeline

The QRA aims to notify applicants of decisions within approximately 1 month of the application deadline.

For the Richard West Grant and similar prestigious awards, announcements are made at the QRA Annual Discussion Meeting (typically held in January).

Application Deadlines

February 15:

  • Bill Bishop Award
  • New Research Workers Grant
  • Postgraduate Quaternary Conference Fund
  • Quaternary Research Small Grant
  • Quaternary Conference Fund
  • QRA-14CHRONO Centre Radiocarbon Dating Award
  • QRA-Oxford Radiocarbon Dating Short Course Bursaries
  • Jean and Dick Grove Conservation Grant

September 15:

  • Richard West Grant
  • New Research Workers Grant
  • Postgraduate Quaternary Conference Fund
  • Quaternary Research Small Grant
  • Quaternary Conference Fund
  • Mabel Tomlinson Outreach Funding
  • Jean and Dick Grove Conservation Grant

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. However, the QRA states that “multiple grants may be awarded in each round” for programs like the New Research Workers Grant, while the Richard West Grant “normally” awards one grant annually (though the Awards Panel may support more than one application).

Reapplication Policy

New Research Workers Grant: Postgraduate students can only apply once during their studies. Postgraduate status ends at thesis submission.

Other Grants: After receiving any QRA grant, recipients are not eligible for further QRA funds for 12 months after submitting their required report to the Quaternary Newsletter.

Successful applicants must submit their 500-800 word report (or full article for Richard West Grant) within 12 months following expenditure of the grant before being eligible to apply for other QRA funding.

Application Success Factors

Based on the QRA's guidance and stated priorities, successful applications should demonstrate:

Well-Planned Research:

  • “Well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on sound rationale”
  • Clear project timeline and methodology
  • Realistic budget that is “properly budgeted” (applications submitted close to project start dates are viewed as poorly planned)
  • Applications must be submitted at least 2 months before activities begin

Scientific Excellence:

  • For the Richard West Grant specifically, the QRA seeks “scientific excellence for fieldwork expeditions and/or innovative laboratory-based projects”
  • Projects should have potential to advance Quaternary Science knowledge
  • Innovation in techniques or approaches is valued

Clear Outputs:

  • Mechanisms to assess success (e.g., planned publications, future grant proposals, conference presentations)
  • Commitment to sharing results through Quaternary Newsletter

Interdisciplinary Potential:

  • Projects exploring creative or original concepts across disciplinary boundaries
  • “Non-trivial interdisciplinary aspect” is valued

Community Benefit:

  • Potential to advance the intellectual life of the QRA community
  • Support for interaction among members
  • Benefit to early-career Quaternary scholars

Complete Case for Support:

  • Must “explain fully how the funds will be used”
  • Include the science case within strict page limits (1-2 pages depending on grant)
  • Can include figures and references within page limit

Eligible Costs:

  • Field expeditions, equipment hire, laboratory analysis are typically funded
  • Caring costs are explicitly supported (up to £300 additional)
  • Avoid requesting labour costs or radiocarbon dating (unless through specific radiocarbon programs)

Reporting Commitment:

  • All successful applicants must submit a brief report (500-800 words) for publication in Quarterly Newsletter within 12 months
  • Richard West Grant recipients must write a “full-length article”
  • Some grants encourage applicants to also submit full-length articles to the Newsletter

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Membership is required: Join the QRA before applying (£30/year for ordinary members, £15 for students). Most research grants require 12 months standing, so plan ahead.
  • Apply early and plan ahead: The QRA explicitly discourages last-minute applications. Submit at least 2 months before your project begins to demonstrate proper planning.
  • Demonstrate scientific quality: For competitive awards like the Richard West Grant, emphasize scientific excellence, innovation, and potential for advancing Quaternary Science.
  • Include caring costs if needed: The QRA explicitly supports caring and accessibility costs up to £300 additional – don't hesitate to request these.
  • Be specific about outputs: Show clear mechanisms for assessing success and commitment to sharing results with the QRA community through the Quarterly Newsletter.
  • Follow page limits exactly: Cases for Support have strict limits (1-2 pages, 12 point single-spaced) – make every word count.
  • Budget appropriately: Request field expeditions, equipment hire, or laboratory analysis costs. Avoid labour costs and radiocarbon dating (unless applying for specific radiocarbon awards).
  • Target the right program: Postgraduates should apply to postgraduate-specific grants. The New Research Workers Grant can only be applied to once, so time it strategically during your studies.
  • Commit to reporting: Budget time to write your 500-800 word report within 12 months. Failure to submit this report will block future QRA funding applications.
  • Expect relatively quick decisions: With a 1-month decision timeline, the QRA provides faster feedback than many larger funders.

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