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Cave Science and Technology Research Fund

The Cave Science and Technology Research Fund. BCRA has managed a research fund for many years and, in 2005, after the fund had been boosted by several bequests, a new Cave Science and Technology Research Fund was created. Since that date, BCRA has allocated £5000/year to the fund; and this is set to continue to at least 2024.

A List of Research Fund Grants is available.

Click/Tap a link or scroll on down.

Objectives

The objective of the fund is to raise interest in caves and to further our understanding of them and the technologies employed to enter and explore them. The BCRA Cave Science policy focuses on four major themes: speleogenesis (including hydrogeology), archaeology/palaeontology, biology and technology. However worthwhile projects in other areas of research will also be considered. At the core of our intentions is a desire to make the caving community and the scientific community more aware of the scientific importance of caves - and the synergy between exploration and science. It is a requirement of awards that the findings of the research be published in a BCRA journal and recipients are encouraged to present their results at a BCRA Cave Science Symposium and/or the national caving conference, Hidden Earth. The objectives of the fund are ...

How To Apply

Proposals for Research Fund grants are considered by our Awards Panel comprising a Chairman and five members who have expertise in each of the major themes. Applications will usually be reviewed in April, August and December. Applicants should download the Microsoft Word version of the form (see link below), type your answers in the Word document and return it by email to the Research Fund Administrator (see our contact page). You will receive an acknowledgement by email within a few days. (A PDF version of the form is available 'for information' but, wherever possible, please use the Word version).

Applicants should bear in mind that the awards panel is unlikely to meet more frequently than four-monthly intervals but, if your application is for less than £200, we may be able to 'fast-track' it. Please contact the Fund Administrator for further information.

Latest Amendments to Rules

At Council meeting 174 in February 2019, two amendments to the rules were agreed.

  1. Rule 2 is changed to read "The principal investigator(s) must have been an individual member of BCRA for at least six months at the time of the application, and must remain so during the period of the award.
  2. A new condition was stated, that the Fund will withhold 20% of the total amount of the grant until a report is received, preferably one that is suitable for publication in Cave & Karst Science. This requirement can be waived at the discretion of the awards panel.

Cave Science Policy

Following the launch by BCRA of its Cave Science and Technology Research Initiative (CSTRI) in 2005, a policy document was drawn up, stating the new research objectives and outlining how the initiative will be implemented. Four research themes are to be encouraged - speleogenesis, archaeology and palaeontology, biology, and technology. Further information is given in BCRA's Policy document, which may be downloaded here: BCRA cave science policy (85K, PDF) (date: July 2006).



British Cave Research Association (UK registered charity 267828). Registered Office: Old Methodist Chapel, Great Hucklow, BUXTON, SK17 8RG
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This page, http://bcra.org.uk/researchfund/index.html was last modified on Wed, 11 Nov 2020 12:13:11 +0000