Glasgow Medical Humanities Network
The Network
The Glasgow Medical Humanities Network, run by PI Dr Gavin Miller and Co-I Dr Megan Coyer, was funded by a £50,000 Wellcome Trust Small Grant in the Humanities and Social Sciences and ran from January 2019 to February 2023. It was a project intended to increase collaboration and co-ordination between the city’s many centres of excellence in medical humanities. The planned events and activities were severely affected by the pandemic, and these were curtailed in order to make the Network primarily a scheme that supported early-career researchers working on projects that would enhance medical humanities in Glasgow. 32 early-career ‘Foundation Awards’ were awarded through the network, evidence not only of a thriving and diverse research context, but also of extensive support to the academic ‘precariat’ in a period when the transition from doctoral to post-doctoral researcher was especially challenging.
Most of the Network’s energies were directed to the Foundation Awards, but other activities took place, including regular blogging and tweeting, regular updates of the network website, and a closing social event organised by the deputy director. As a gesture of thanks to our Steering Group and Foundation Award mentors, the Network’s activities concluded with a small round of Events Awards for which they could apply.
Awards
The Foundation Awards supported ECRs (including final year PhD students) in research and knowledge exchange activities that enhanced medical humanities in Glasgow, and which offered potential for future development by the applicant. Foundation Awards were supported by a range of disciplines and institutions across the city, extending from HEIs to the GLAM sector. While many awardees were located in the Central Belt of Scotland, a significant number came from farther afield in the UK. Among other outcomes and outputs, awardees have: written books or book chapters; created websites; organised symposia, conferences and workshops; curated exhibitions; edited special issues; authored peer-reviewed articles; and run creative-writing competitions. Details of the 2021, 2022, and 2023 awards demonstrate the diversity of applicants, disciplines, projects, and organizations that were involved in this highly successful scheme.
Legacy
Ongoing collaboration between institutions is maintained through talks, our Glasgow-wide mailing list and continuing engagement with a Network-wide social media account.