6-10 January 2014 (Cranage Hall, Cheshire)

The AHRC is working in partnership with ESRC, EPSRC, Dstl and CPNI, to commission new research to develop a greater understanding of how empathy and trust are developed, maintained, transformed and lost in social media interactions.

Expressions of interest are now invited from arts and humanities researchers, along with researchers from other disciplines, interested in taking part in an intensive, five-day interactive, inter-disciplinary, commissioning workshop (sandpit) on 6-10 January 2014, to be held at Cranage Hall in Cheshire.

The ESRC is leading on the call for expressions of interests, the organisation of the sandpit and associated funding opportunity in close partnership with the AHRC and other funder partners. This initiative is linked into the cross-Council Connected Communities, Global Uncertainties and Digital Economy Programmes and also connects with a number of AHRC themes including Digital Transformations and Translating Cultures.

In order to develop innovative approaches and stimulate genuinely transdisciplinary collaborations, the funding partners are commissioning projects via a sandpit. The aim of the sandpit is to bring together researchers and other partners to create projects that will develop theoretically-informed and empirically-derived understandings of the workings of empathy and trust in online contexts and communities.

This call is intended to attract participants from across the full range of social sciences, arts and humanities, and engineering and physical sciences. The call for expressions of interest is particularly looking for people with particular personal attributes – creativity, openness, and the ability to work effectively as part of a team. A willingness to engage with policymakers, community organisations, government agencies, businesses and other key stakeholders is also essential.

Full-time and part-time scholars at UK-based research organisations (ROs) can apply. A mix of researchers at different career stages is also sought. The sandpit is aimed at early- and mid-career researchers as well as those in senior academic posts. We regret that, on this occasion, PhD students and scholars based overseas are not eligible to participate in the sandpit.

The sandpit is an intensive residential event and participants must attend all five days of the event. By submitting an application form, you are confirming that you are available for the full five days of the sandpit.

The full specification can be accessed from ESRC’s website at http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/funding-opportunities/28443/empathy-and-trust-in-communicating-online-(emoticon)-sandpit.aspx

The closing date for the submission of expressions of interest to the ESRC is 11.00 on 11 November 2013. Applications from interested candidates should be submitted to ESRC via the electronic application form available from the ESRC website at http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/funding-opportunities/28443/empathy-and-trust-in-communicating-online-(emoticon)-sandpit.aspx