Award: Up to £500

Eligibility: This award is open to members of the British Society of Sports History who are independent researchers, i.e., not studying at a university or employed in an academic role at a university.

Deadline: None. Applications can be made at any time.

The award is intended to help an individual undertake original research in any area of sports history. The award could be used, for example, towards the costs of research trips to archives or libraries (in the UK or abroad), or towards the costs of conducting oral history interviews. We ask applicants to indicate the expected outcome of their research. Examples of outcomes are presenting at a conference and publishing your work.

What we will fund 

Examples of costs which can be included in your application are: 

  • hotel costs
  • travel costs
  • copying fees at archives 
  • fees for a local researcher to locate information on your behalf
  • translation and transcription costs

What we won't fund

These types of costs are not eligible for funding:

  • trips to conferences 
  • hosting or attending public events
  • the cost of food/drink while on research trips
  • capital expenditure, for example, purchasing equipment or books

There is a separate grant available for researchers who are presenting at a conference. See here for details.

How to apply

Applications for projects costing more than £500 will be considered, however, only a maximum of £500 will be reimbursed. The Society's Trustees reserve the right to award less than the amount requested.

The application form asks for the following information:

  • an outline of the project and its importance for sport history
  • a budget for the project 
  • the amount requested
  • details of any other bodies you have applied to for funding
  • the expected outcome(s) of your research

Click here for an application form. Click here to read our Grant Making Policy.

In addition to the application form, you are asked to submit a one-page CV. In your CV, please tell us about the research you've undertaken so far. If you have published books or articles, spoken at conferences, or had media coverage, please tell us about that too.

Requests for funding should be sent to the Independent Researcher Representative, Margaret Roberts, researchdogsbody@gmail.com 

We may contact you to ask for further information. Applications are considered by the Board of Trustees at their quarterly meetings. You will usually receive a decision regarding your application within four months. However, it may take longer if the trustees have questions about the application. 

If you are awarded the funding:

The award will be paid to the recipient retrospectively following the completion of the project/research trip, upon receipt of a full expenses claim.

We will ask you to produce a short report outlining how the funds have been used. This may be published on the BSSH website.

We encourage award recipients to present their research at either the BSSH Annual Conference or as part of the IHR Seminar Series (in person or online).

We require award recipients to acknowledge the support provided by the BSSH in any material disseminated relating to the project, including articles, presentations etc.

Any questions? 

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Independent Researcher Representative, Margaret Roberts, researchdogsbody@gmail.com