Getting to ‘Faith on the Air: a religious educational broadcasting history, c.1922’: a bidding story

Research Project funded by

The Leverhulme TrustProfessor Stephen Parker,

Professor of the History of Religion and Education

What’s the project about?- Reconstructing the history of religious

educational broadcasting, as a strand of school and religious broadcasting, at the BBC and beyond – radio, TV and the digital era;

- Documentary and oral history, broadcasts and related publications;

- Interactions with history of religious education;

- Contemporary place of religious education and religious broadcasting

What’s being funded?- It’s a three-year project- 0.2 of the PI’s time for three years- An RA post for three years –

researching and writing with the PI- A PhD studentship – a related but

separate topic on collective worship- Expenses of an Advisory Group- Travel and research expenses- Consumables etc.

How the project developed and where the idea came from

- A brainwave in 2003, which led to (self-funded) archival work and a related paper;

- A British Academy Small Grant application (unsuccessful – 2012);

- A British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship (not submitted);

- Further (self-funded research).

In the beginning was the egg, no not a chicken, an egg!

- Self-funded research (covering expenses) but using some of my 20 days RSA time (and my own time);

- Research carried out alongside other related projects;- Networking, building reputation and profile;- Not giving up on the idea, and finding allies who support

you in this;

Why Leverhulme?

• The funding gave enough scope to carry out the necessary research (duration, hours of work anticipated, budget);

• Offered the opportunity to share the load and build capacity;

• The project resonated with the funder’s values

Designing the proposal

• The need to be clear what it you want to achieve and why the project is important;

• Clear about the scope of project;• Hypotheses you want to test;• Being able to frame the project in lay and

academic terms: the ‘so-what-ness’ is really important;

• Choosing your referees carefully;• Who’s doing what? Why the RA; why a

studentship;• Know the existing field; publish within it.

What a difference a grant makes…

• No publicity is bad publicity

• Contact from religious broadcasters interested in the project

• A book proposal invited by two publishers/series’ editors

• Generating inspiration; being a guinea pig

• Success breeds success – has been my observation

How have the media and religious education together negotiated and represented social and religious change

across 80 years?