The funding has come from the Open Research Area for the Social Sciences (ORA); a scheme collaboratively delivered by the national funding organisations of France, Germany and the Netherlands, as well the Economic and Social Research Council, representing the UK. ORA is a well-established scheme that aims to strengthen international cooperation in the social sciences by minimising bureaucratic obstacles and restrictions that are usually associated with international funding. The four ORA agencies were pleased to associate with the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, as in the previous round, which has enabled Japanese researchers to participate in complementary projects alongside ORA-funded proposals. Three projects involving Japanese collaborations will be funded.
This was the fifth ORA open call since the scheme was introduced in 2010. A positive programme evaluation undertaken in 2016 recommended that the scheme should continue with some amendments, including implementing a two-stage procedure. Applicants were asked to submit outline applications. These were then assessed by an expert panel. The highest quality applications were then invited to submit a full proposal. 63 project teams were invited to submit to the second stage. These proposals underwent a peer review process and were then assessed by a panel of international academics experts. Finally, 16 projects will be funded for up to three years.
