What is the Endangered Material Knowledge Programme?

EMKP offers grants for documentation work on material knowledge systems that are
under threat and in danger of disappearing. This includes knowledge systems
associated with the making, use, repair and re-purposing of material objects, spaces,
architecture, performances and environments. Small and large grants are offered
annually to knowledge holders, practitioners, and scholars irrespective of nationality.
Selected projects will be expected to produce a digital record of the material practices
under study, which will be deposited and curated in the EMKP repository at the British
Museum, and made freely available to all.

EMKP was launched in 2018 and is funded by Arcadia – a charitable fund of Lisbet
Rausing and Peter Baldwin, and is hosted by the Department of Africa, Oceania and
the Americas at the British Museum.

Our Grants

We have two principal types of grants; small grants which are awarded for up to 1
year and with a maximum of £15,000, and large grants, which are awarded for up to
2 years and with a maximum of £70,000.

Applications for grants will open on the 15th October 2020 and close on the 31st
January 2021.

Applications must be via our online grant system

(https://britishmuseum.submittable.com/submit)

Choosing which grant to apply for

Small grants are intended for projects that are focused on a specific/individual
material practices and which are limited in scope. They are also suitable for initial
pilot work to establish the nature and extent of material knowledge systems where
these might not be previously known, or for earlier career applicants who are building
new projects. Large grants are suitable for mature projects where intensive and more
diverse documentation is proposed, and a larger team is needed, multiple strands of
work are happening simultaneously and/or more time is needed to complete the
documentation. The granting range is for guidance only (up to £15,000 for small
grants, £70,000 for large grants) and we strongly recommend you budget appropriately
and don’t add unnecessary items to reach the upper limit; the EMKP review panel
closely examines the budget and if they feel it is excessive they will reject the
application. If in doubt, please contact EMKP to discuss what size grant to apply for.

Resubmission

Unsuccessful applicants from previous rounds are welcome to resubmit applications,

particularly if you have been invited to by the review panel in earlier feedback. Please
note however, if you, or your project, have been unsuccessful in consecutive rounds
you are not able to apply for a third time.1

For applicants invited to resubmit you will be asked to explain how the proposal has
changed, and how you have addressed the criticisms and comments provided by the
panel in earlier feedback. Please note, it is highly unlikely that a new submission will
be funded unless these issues have been addressed.

Eligibility

Applicant(s)
EMKP operates a Principal Investigator (PI)/Collaborator system. It is the responsibility
of the PI for overall project management and co-ordination, including reporting to
EMKP. Collaborators should be closely involved in the project management and
delivery, and demonstrate relevant skills and experience. EMKP cannot provide salary
costs for PI’s. Salaries for Collaborators are only awarded in exceptional circumstances,
and are restricted to Collaborators based in-country, and whose collaboration (and
salary) is essential to the completion of the proposed work. Please contact EMKP in
advance if you wish to claim for Collaborator salary. Local research assistants can
be provided with a modest allowance (see budget below for further information).

There is no restriction on the nationality of the PI. S/he must however be affiliated
with an appropriate academic or community institution (e.g. museum, archive,
university, NGO2) who will take responsibility for administrative oversight of the project
including financial reporting.

Applicants should show extensive and relevant experience and will preferably have a
PhD.3 If an applicant is currently enrolled in a PhD, they must provide a letter of
support from their supervisor, undertaking to ensure the work is carried out according
to the terms of the grant. They must also explain in their application how the proposed

1
This applies to Principal Applicants who cannot apply for a third consecutive application, even if the topic of
the application has changed, and also to projects where the topic or the team composition and/or institutional
affiliation have changed, even if the named PI may have changed.
2
In the case of affiliation with an NGO or community organisation the applicant must not be part of the
institutions management structure. All affiliated institutions must be able to provide impartial and unbiased
reporting.
3
Applicants from non-academic backgrounds should demonstrate relevant prior research experience, e.g.
delivery of similar projects, community initiatives, museum/archives work. Applications from academics
without PhDs/not enrolled in a doctoral programme should demonstrate equivalent research experience e.g.
publications, academic appointments.

EMKP guidelines 2020/2021, v.1

2
EMKP work fits into their PhD research/programme (see website for ‘Tips for your
application’). We also expect all applicants to demonstrate familiarity with the proposed
field of work (e.g. language competency, prior research in the area, record of local
network).

Source Communities
We strongly encourage applications from source communities, or projects which show
an emphasis on co-production and ownership of knowledge. Non-local researchers will
need to demonstrate networks and/or familiarity with source communities, and
wherever possible, demonstrate explicit consent/support for the proposed work at the
time of application. We strongly encourage proposals that include local community
members as part of the project team.

Filmmakers
PI/Collaborators are expected to take responsibility for documentation in the field
(filming, photography, note taking etc.). We realise that many applicants may not have
a background in film recording etc., and so provide relevant training as part of the
award (see below). We do not therefore provide funds for professional film crews in
addition to the CI/Collaborator team. Experienced film makers/editors can be included
in the CI/Collaborator team but are subject to the same limitations on salary as all
others.

Project Scope

Applications must focus on topics that have a strong material dimension. Applications
that include aspects of intangible practice and culture (e.g. dance, music/song,
performance) must link these to material acts and knowledge – e.g. musical
instruments, costume, staging. Projects that seek to document ecological knowledge
systems must also ensure a direct connection to material and cultural practices. We
do not, for example, support applications that exclusively document food collection
or production, but can support applications that document disappearing foodways in
terms of food preparation, consumption and sharing, and the materials and object
used in these processes. If you are unsure about the eligibility of your proposed topic
please contact EMKP for clarification (see also website for examples of previously
funded projects and ‘Frequently Asked Questions’).

Applications must demonstrate that the material knowledge system under study is still
active and practiced by living primary informants. This can include practices that may
not be currently active or performed on a regular basis, but have been previously
practiced by the informants in living memory.

Priority is given to applications for work in countries/regions without strong research

infrastructure and/or sources of funding.

EMKP guidelines 2020/2021, v.1

3
Please see the programme website for examples of the type of projects we have
previously funded (http://www.emkp.org)

We do not fund the following:

• Revitalisations projects (using grants to revive lost or forgotten technologies,
crafts etc). Projects must focus on material practices/practitioners that are still
active/within living memory, even if they may be very few knowledge holders
left.4
• Documentation of personal archives. We do not support projects that are
primarily focused on digitisation of personal or archival records and research
notes/resources. For this you may want to consider an application to the
Endangered Archives Programme (https://eap.bl.uk/) or the Modern
Endangered Archives Program
(https://www.library.ucla.edu/partnerships/modern-endangered-archives-
program).
• Projects focused on ethno-medicine or medicinal knowledge.

Applications in 2020 and Covid-19

EMKP places the highest priority on the safety and health of our grantees and
research teams, and the communities of knowledge-holders. We will not allow projects
that jeopardise or threaten the wider community to begin/continue. As a means to
assess the viability of projects with regards to the impact of their work on Covid-19
transmission applicants for the 2020/2021 round of grants should be prepared to
provide details of the situation in their research area at the time of application and
demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed work within this situation. They should
also be prepared to provide details of any Covid-19 related restrictions imposed by
their host institution with regards to fieldwork, and if they are not living within the
area of study, what other travel restrictions they may be subject to. In addition,
applicants should provide details of contingency measures they would put in place if
their application was successful, but the Covid-19 situation deteriorated in their area
of research. These measures are inevitably speculative, but might include new methods
to collect data remotely, re-aligning responsibilities within the team to ensure team-
members in the area of research take a more active documentation role, and initiatives
to enable knowledge holders on locale to collect data more extensively.

As a risk mitigation measure, all successful applicants would also need to provide
EMKP with proof of ethical approval from their host institution, with an explicit
statement of consent to carry out the work as related to Covid-related threats, before
the grant will be released and work can commence.

4
We recognise that following documentation projects there may be a renewed interest in these practices, which
result in a form of revitalisation and revival. However, this is not the express focus of these grants.

EMKP guidelines 2020/2021, v.1

4
EMKP is committed to working with successful grantees to ensure their projects are
completed in a socially and ethically responsible manner. We recognise that working
environments can change rapidly, and have a range of measures to help support
grantees who are faced with changing situations, and specifically as they relate to
the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Repository and Digital Assets

In order to capture the richness and contextual detail of the material knowledge
systems under study we encourage you to use a range of digital media including
film, audio, geospatial, 3D and photography as well as traditional forms of written
documentation. These archives will be stored in the EMKP digital repository. Successful
applicants will be required to format digital resources according to the EMKP standards
(file format, metadata etc.) to ensure compatibility and searchability (successful
applicants will be provided with specific training and formatting guidelines - see below
for training). Grantees are also responsible for editing and formatting digital assets
themselves, so it is essential you allocate adequate time for this work in your workplan.
Successful applicants will work with the EMKP Digital Curator to plan an upload
timeline, and are responsible for ensuring compliance with repository standard.

Open Access
The EMKP repository uses a CC BY Non-Commercial Share-alike 4.0 license. This
means that people can freely download, copy, edit, adapt and modify the assets, but
that any resulting copies, adaptations or derivatives that contain the asset (or parts
of it) have to be distributed under the same licence. The assets can also not be
used for commercial purposes (i.e. make royalties) by you or anybody else.

In certain circumstances, grantees and/or source communities may feel it is not

appropriate for certain resources to be made publicly accessible for ethical or cultural
reasons, either permanently or on a limited-term basis. In these instances, following
discussion with the EMKP Digital Curator, it will be possible to place access controls
on the material. However, these are exceptional circumstances, and we would expect
the large majority of digital content to be freely accessible.

It is a requirement of the grants that copies of digital assets be deposited in the

country of research as well as with EMKP. Ideally, copies must also be held within
the source community. Applicants must demonstrate their plans to accomplish this.
Funds can be earmarked within the budget to fulfil this obligation. Please note, that
following the terms of the CC BY NC SA 4.0 assets lodged elsewhere must also
comply with the terms of the license.

EMKP guidelines 2020/2021, v.1

5
Training

EMKP will offer training opportunities to successful applicants to help them prepare
for their fieldwork, and particularly planning for digital content development and
preservation. Under normal circumstances, training takes c1 week (± for travel) in
London and is offered in early September of the year of award (i.e. September 2021).
Uncertainty over future travel because of Covid-19 at the time of writing means that
this training may have to be offered remotely; this will be discussed with successful
candidates following the grant offers in mid-2021. Assuming on-site training in London
is possible applicants should consider this in their planning and timetable. Costs
associated with attending the training course are provided separately by EMKP so
there is no need to include these in your budget. Attendance at the EMKP training
course is a condition of acceptance for successful applications, and can only be
excused in exceptional circumstances. If your application is successful and you think
you are unable to attend the course you should contact EMKP in the first instance.

Museum collections

Applications that seek to link documentation work with existing museum

collections/objects are particularly welcomed, although this is not an essential
criterion. These proposals should indicate which collection(s) will be consulted, the
planned work with the relevant museum/custodian and any collections based
outcomes expected (e.g. augmenting catalogue records).

Ethics

Successful applicants are required to adhere to the ethical guidelines of their host
institution and act in an ethical and responsible manner at all times. If you are unsure
of your institutions ethics policy, or your institution does not currently have a policy,
you may want to consult the Association of Social Anthropology's 'Ethical Guidelines
for Good Practice' document available at

https://www.theasa.org/downloads/ethics/Ethical_guidelines.pdf

In 2020/2021 we will seek proof of ethical clearance from the host institution,
including a statement of project feasibility in relation to Covid-19 before we release
any grants or allow field work to commence.

Budget

Eligible costs include: travel (local and international; visa costs), local subsistence and
accommodation, research assistant allowances, equipment for documentation
(including software), insurance, translation & transcription costs, costs associated with
deposition in local repository, and costs associated with community collaborations.

EMKP guidelines 2020/2021, v.1

6
We do not fund: institutional overhead costs/ administrative costs, salaries/salary
replacement costs for PI’s and only in exceptional circumstances for Collaborators,
costs associated with publications (unless these are modest costs associated with
community collaboration and dissemination)

Funding will be released in instalments with 60% of the annual budget released
immediately, 30% on completion of the 6 month report, and the final 10% on
completion of the final reporting. Please budget accordingly.

Criteria for Assessment

Applications will be assessed on the following criteria

• Degree of endangerment of the material knowledge in question, and evidence

to support this argument
• Viability of the field work proposed with regards to appropriate methodology,
budget and team composition. For 2020/2021 this includes evidence that the
project has accommodated issues and challenges related to Covid-19
• Attention to digital content and curation, and evidence of planning for this
aspect of the work
• Evidence of existing networks in the area/with the source communities and
familiarity with the research environment
• Defined plan to ensure appropriate collaboration/dissemination with/to source
community
• Significance of the work to the broader research community and quality of the
proposal

Grant application process and timeline

The deadline for grant applications is midnight GMT on the 31st January 2021. All
applications must be submitted online before that time in order to be considered.

(https://britishmuseum.submittable.com/submit)

All applications will be subject to peer/external review, and you will be asked to
provide the names and contact details of two/three potential reviewers who are
specialists in your field.5 Please note, these are not personal referees, and you should
avoid nominating colleagues or close-collaborators that may not be in a position to
offer an unbiased view. EMKP reserves the right to approach other reviewers if they
are not satisfied with those you nominate and their relevant expertise/impartiality. All
applications and external reports are reviewed by the EMKP expert advisory panel,
where final selection takes place. The outcome of applications should be expected in
May 2021. Successful applicants are expected to commence research after all
documentation has been finalised between the applicant/EMKP (Terms and Conditions;

5
Two nominated reviewers are required for small grants, three for large grants

EMKP guidelines 2020/2021, v.1

7
budget; digital management plan). Please note, the finalisation of these documents
can take some time. Subject to Covid-19 related conditions, EMKP training is offered
in September, and we strongly recommend successful applicants only start their work
after this date.6 Successful projects must be commenced by 1st March 2022 and
completed within 12/24 months depending on whether you are awarded a small/large
grant. EMKP allows up to 6 further months following the completion of the grant for
digital upload to be completed. Applicants must complete a series of biannual/annual
reports according to the reporting templates provided by EMKP.

This timetable may change depending on the global Covid-19 situation and risk
assessments will be made by the EMKP team in collaboration with the British Museum
and Arcadia. We will communicate any changes to successful grantees in a timely
manner, and will work proactively with any successful project that has its timetable
interrupted by external factors, including, but not limited to, Covid-19. However, for
the purposes of application, please assume this timetable applies.

Completing the application form

All applications must be done online (https://britishmuseum.submittable.com/submit).7

You will need to register in order to submit an application. Registration must be done
in the name of the PI. You will be asked to choose whether you are submitting an
application for a small grant or large grant.

Small & Large Grant Forms

Please provide a title for your project.

Personal Information
Please provide details of personal information (name, title, contact details, employment
and education history, selected publications).

Details of Collaborators
Please provide the names of up to 3 Collaborators with whom you will work on this
project, a brief summary of relevant skills and experience and what role they will play
in the project

Details of Host Institution

Please provide information about your host institution, your status there and upload
a signed letter from the responsible person at your host institution (e.g. research
officer, Head of Department) indicating their support for this application and willingness
to oversee the work included financial reporting. The letter should also state the

6
In certain circumstances, it may be impossible to delay start until after September. In these cases, please
contact EMKP as soon as possible to discuss plans.
7
Please contact EMKP if there are extenuating circumstances why you cannot complete the application form
online.

EMKP guidelines 2020/2021, v.1

8
process the institution will follow to determine if ethical approval can be given for
the project to commence due to the threat posed by Covid-19. Letters can be
uploaded in MS word or PDF format. If you are a PhD student, please provide a letter
of support from your supervisor.

Project Summary
Please provide summary information about your proposed project, including keywords,
region/location of research and start/end dates. In addition, please provide a short
summary of your project. This should be written in simple language that can be
understood by the public, and can be used on the programme website to describe
your project in the event of a successful application. Complete the budget summary
(a more detailed budget needs to be provided towards the end of the application).
Please also indicate if this is a resubmission, and if so, what steps have been taken
to answer panel and reviewer comments on the initial application.

Project Details
This is the largest part of the application form, and requires you to provide background
details, project goals and motivation for the work.

• Describe the material knowledge system(s) you will be documenting

Provide details on the particular system(s) of material knowledge you will be
documenting, and which aspects you will be focusing on. Indicate what
materials/processes/techniques/uses/modifications you will document and how
they connect to larger knowledge networks.

• Project Goals
Please provide details of the specific goals of the proposed work

• Background to project and research history

Please provide a brief review of previous research that has taken place in the
area/within the source community/on the material practices, and summarise
the current state of knowledge. Please provide details of the specific knowledge
systems to be documented (i.e. do not provide a vague description of material
practices)

• Endangerment
Please provide details of the specific threat(s) that endanger these material
practices and knowledge systems.

• Museum and collections work

Please indicate which museum collections you will work with, what contact you
have had with the custodians, and the relevance of your proposed work to a
renewed understanding of the collection(s). Please note, museum work is not
compulsory.

EMKP guidelines 2020/2021, v.1

9
 • Significance of the work to scholarship/knowledge
Please explain the significance of this work to scholarship, what its contribution
will be to larger debates, and how it will help the development of ideas.

Bibliography
Please provide a list of cited works and/or relevant literature for your application.

Supporting Images and Videos

You can upload up to 5 files in support of your application. These can be photo or
video.

Completed Documentation Projects

Please provide information on any similar documentation projects you have completed,
and links to the assets. This will allow the review panel to assess the quality of your
prior work if available. It is not necessary to have completed such projects before,
and a lack of previous project delivery will not be held against applicants.

Methods and Plan of Work

In this section please provide details of the methods and timeline of work. This
includes a summary of your prior experience in this area/field and your/your
Collaborator’s linguistic competence in relevant languages. For 2020/2021 please also
provide details of the current situation regarding Covid-19 at the time of application,
and mitigation plans if the situation deteriorates post-application.

• Current Covid-19 related restrictions & situation

Please outline what the current Covid-19 related situation is within your
proposed area of work (at the time of application), and any restrictions that
apply to travel and working in the area. Please also outline any Covid-19
related restrictions imposed by your institution or country/region of origin if
this is different to your area of research.

• Prior experience in this area/field

Please provide a brief summary of your prior research experience in this
area/with this community, your local networks, and any other relevant
experience that demonstrates your ability to carry out the proposed work.

• Fieldwork and Documentation Plan

Please provide a detailed outline of your planned fieldwork and methods,
including documentation plans. This should include a description of
methodologies (e.g. interviews, participant observation) and recording strategies
(film, audio, 3D etc.) and motivation for your choices. Please also clearly
indicate roles of different team members in this plan and how responsibilities
are allocated. The methods should take into account Covid-19 related
restrictions at the time of application.

EMKP guidelines 2020/2021, v.1

10
 • Knowledge Restrictions
Describe any social obstacles that may affect your ability to document the
practice(s). This might include restrictions on knowledge based on age, gender,
membership of specific social/political/technological sets, and access to secret
or culturally protected information. Please provide explanations of how you
might mitigate these restraints (e.g. ensuring gender balance in team), or how
you would go about collecting this information in a sensitive and culturally
appropriate manner.

• Language competence and plans

Please provide a brief summary of your competence in the relevant
local/research language. If relevant, comment on your Collaborator(s) language
competence as well. Indicate the importance of the local language to the
documentation of the material knowledge and how you will include it as part
of your analysis. This might include how you plan to translate records, and
transcription plans.

• Covid-19 contingencies
Describe what mitigation measures you will put in place to ensure the continued
work and success of the project if stricter Covid-19 restrictions are introduced
post-application. How will you manage the changing circumstances that Covid-
19 could bring? You may want to consider fieldwork plans, timetable, changing
roles for team members, and what safety measures you would put in place.

• Data Management Plan

In this section please provide an outline of plans for managing collected
records while in the field and for post-data collection editing and formatting
of digital assets ready for final upload to the EMKP repository. It is the
responsibility of the grantees to select and edit the assets, and applicants are
strongly advised to allocated sufficient time to complete this work.

Please provide information on where you will lodge your data locally (within
country, community etc.) and what provisions have been made.

• Digital Assets Plan

Complete the Digital Assets plan table estimating the types of formats and the
total volume of digital assets you expect to generate for the EMKP repository.
Specify the amount of material you will submit in the specific media format
under ‘Duration in h/Amount’. Provide the approximate size in gigabytes under
‘Approximate size in GB’ and under ‘Composition’ specify what will be recorded.

The different media formats will take up approximately this much space:
Audio-visual (h.264): 1h = 13.5GB
Audio (.wav): 1h = 0.7GB
Textual (.pdf): < 1GB

EMKP guidelines 2020/2021, v.1

11
 Photo (.tiff): 1 photo = 40-70MB
Annotation: < 1GB
3D: very much dependent on resolution and file format

Here is an example:
Duration in Approximate size
Type h/Amount in GB Composition
5h of key informant interviews
15 h of making object X and
Audio- Y
visual 30h 405 3h of ceremonies
3h key informant interviews
Audio 5h 3.5 2h ceremonial chants
Field notes
100 Sketches
Textual documents <1 GB Interview transcripts
200 photos of details of object
X and Y
100 photos of ceremonies
100 photos of resources and
Photo 400 28 GB landscape
Annotation of key informant
interviews
Annotation 10 files <1 GB Annotation of object making
3D
10 general maps of area
20 files 5 polygons describing Z
Other geospatial <1 GB 5 maps of routes

• Workplan
Please provide a workplan for the duration of the project indicating timelines
for different activities and who is involved. The workplan should combine all
the information provided in the ‘Method and Plan’ section.

EMKP guidelines 2020/2021, v.1

12
Here is an example workplan:
MONTH 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Deliverables
Key John 10 Key
informant Smith, 5 informant
interviews days interviews
Jane
Mapping Raw geospatial
Doe, 3
resources data
days
FIELDWORK Jane Doe
Documenting and John 20 hours of
woodworking Smith, 20 raw footage
days
John
Metadata Smith,
30 days
Jane
Doe, 15 hours
Video editing
20 edited footage
days
3 annotated
Translation, John John Jane Doe
POST- videos, 10
transcription Smith Smith and John
FIELDWORK translated and
and 15 15 Smith, 30
transcribed
annotation days days days
interviews

Metadata
 • Permits/Permission
Please describe what permits/permission will be required to do this work (e.g.
research permits from national government, consent from community
leadership) and state your plans to secure these (if you do not already hold
them)

Budget
Please complete the budget table listing all your costs on an annual basis in Pounds
Sterling. This includes space for description of the cost as well as motivation where
necessary.

Here is an example:
Amount
Amount
covered
Year 1 Cost covered
Number from
budget per Description/Notes by other Total
of items EMKP
items item funds (in
funds (in
GBP)
GBP)
Return flights for
Return PI and
3 700 2100 0 2100
flights collaborator
London-Nairobi
DSLR Video-specialised
1 1700 1000 700 1700
camera DSLR camera

Additional Funding
Please indicate if you have applied/are planning to apply for any other funding
sources relating to this project, the requested funds and when you expect to hear
the outcomes.

Reviewers
Please provide contact information for two/three nominated external reviewers. They
will be contacted independently and asked to comment on your proposal. Please
provide motivation for why they have been nominated (expert in the region, expert in
specific material practice) and what, if any, relationship they have to you. Small grant
applicants need to provide 2 referees and large grant applicants 3 referees

Submission
You can save the application as you work by pressing the ‘save draft’ button at the
bottom of the form. When you are ready to submit, you must press the ‘Apply’ button.

If you are experiencing difficulties with the online system, please consult the FAQs on
the EMKP website in the first instance.

EMKP guidelines 2020/2021, v.1

14