One aim of the Ladislav Holy Memorial Trust is ‘to make grants on a periodic basis to current members of staff and postgraduates in the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of St Andrews in order to allow them to meet the expenses (such as travel costs of invited speakers and other associated outgoings) entailed in organizing a regular series of research workshops and conferences whose aim is to examine methodological and theoretical issues within the discipline’ (Trust Deed, 1998).
This aim is intended to continue an initiative begun under Ladislav Holy’s leadership of the Department: namely, the St Andrews Conference series in social theory and method. Earlier meetings in this series have focused on a range of topics central to the discipline, and these topics include: Comparative Anthropology, Anthropology of Violence, Power and Knowledge, Regional Traditions of Ethnographic Writing, Contesting Markets, The Problem of Context, and Ways of Knowing among others. Grants made by the Trust aim to encourage the organization of further workshops and conferences in this vein on methodological and theoretical themes that are open potentially to participation by all members of staff, irrespective of their regional interests.
Purpose of grant
Grants are available as a contribution towards the expenses of bringing key speakers from within the UK or from overseas to staff conferences held in St Andrews or to support the costs of online conferences. The main purpose of such conferences should be to disseminate the results of research. The Awards are usually in the region of £3,000.
Grants are also available as a contribution towards the expenses incurred organising postgraduate research workshops, and awards are usually in region of £1000. (See separate page.)
Eligibility
- Conference grants are available for advanced research, at postdoctoral or equivalent level, in the fields of Social Anthropology to currently employed members of academic staff in the Department of Social Anthropology, University of St Andrews.
- Workshop grants are available to registered postgraduate students in the Department of Social Anthropology, University of St Andrews. (See separate page.)
- Awards will not be made retrospectively: this means that the conference for which support is requested must not have commenced before the award is announced.
Closing Date: Friday 15th September 2025
The Trust makes periodic grants to support staff conferences and postgraduate workshops in Social Anthropology. The Trust will issue from time to time an announcement for applications to be received, and a closing date for applications will be simultaneously released.
Eligible costs
Funds are available EITHER for travel, accommodation and maintenance expenses of key speakers, OR, if the conference is wholly or partly online, costs covering the fees to the University’s approved virtual events platform providers. Honoraria or other fees or payments to key speakers are not eligible for support.
Grants are not available for lecture series, or seminar series, nor for events that form part of an institution’s teaching or training programme. Unfortunately workshop grants are not available to support events that are wholly or primarily intended to give postgraduate students an opportunity to present their research, either as an event convened for mutual support and interest, or in a training environment.
Please note that all applications must demonstrate a financial case for support. Grants are not available for conferences that are projected to make a profit.
Application and assessment procedures
Applications will be assessed by an external subject specialist.
1. Please note that all applications should have one lead applicant, who should generally be the principal conference organiser. That person will be a current member of staff (and not retired) in the Department of Social Anthropology. Registered Postgraduate students are only eligible to apply to the Trust for workshop funding. All applicants need to specify their current position in the Department of Social Anthropology. All correspondence will be sent to the named individual at the address specified on the form.
2. Please give the title, location, dates and names of organisers of the conference.
3. Please state the amount requested from the Trust, to the nearest full pound.
4. Please list the main speakers and give the titles of their papers. If any of the speakers will make a particular additional contribution to the conference or workshop other than delivering their paper, please indicate. Please asterisk or otherwise clearly identify the names of those for whom grant support is sought in this application.
5. Applicants are asked to provide a summary of the aims and objectives of the conference, together with any further details that may be relevant, such as its particular timeliness or significance of the theme etc.
6. Please provide a breakdown of the conference budget. Sample budget heads are provided, but they may not all be applicable. Please complete as appropriate. Please provide details of all expenditure and income for the conference.
7. Grants may be sought to cover the costs of travel, accommodation and maintenance of key speakers; or, if the conference is wholly or partly online, costs covering the fees to the University’s approved virtual event platform providers. Sample budget heads are provided, but they may not all be applicable. Please clearly itemise here the costs for which funding is sought, against each relevant named speaker. Conference grants are not available to support postgraduate speakers.
8. Please provide details of other support given or applied for in connection with the current proposal. The Trust has no objection to its grants being held in conjunction with awards from other bodies, provided that there is no duplication of expenditure. Applicants are requested to keep the Trust informed of the outcomes of any other applications.
9. The Trust attaches importance to the dissemination of research, and it is expected that publication in some form will normally result from the conference/workshop. It is expected that a copy of any subsequent publications will be lodged with the Secretary of the Trust.
10. Please sign and date your application form. And note that signing the application form constitutes confirmation that the information provided is complete and accurate. Subsequent discovery of any deliberate falsehood will automatically render the application null and void. If an award has been made, the Trust may require a full refund.
What to do next
Please send your application to the Trust to the following email addresses: researchpafs(at)st-andrews(dot)ac(dot)uk and copy to rmd(at)st-andrews(dot)ac(dot)uk and/or katherineholy(at)gmail(dot)com. Applicants are advised to retain a copy of their application for their own records.
Application forms must be signed by the applicant. The application form must arrive at the Trust by 5 pm on the closing date in order for the proposal to be considered. Closing Date: Friday 15th September 2025.
Outcome of application
Please note applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application approximately 4-6 weeks after the closing date, and after consultation with our external assessor. Results are issued by email only, and cannot be given over the telephone.
Ladislav Holy Memorial Trust - (Home) 