Skip to content

Research Excellence Plenary for Mid-Career Researchers

Research Excellence Plenary for Mid-Career Researchers 2025

The Embassy of Spain and the Executive Committee of the Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland (AHGBI) invite applications for the 2026 Research Excellence Plenary for Mid-Career Researchers in Hispanic Studies.

Description

The Embassy of Spain and the Executive Committee of the Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland (AHGBI) are pleased to launch the second edition of the joint Research Excellence Plenary scheme, designed to support and disseminate the work of a mid-career academic. 

Eligibility

  1. Applicants will be current members of AHGBI who consider themselves mid-career researchers. A mid-career researcher is usually defined as an academic that is more than three years and less than 15 years out from their PhD and has an established research portfolio. Other profiles that fully justify their status as mid-career academics will be considered if appropriate, but please note this scheme is not open to those researchers who have achieved full professorship status.
  2. Applicants will be specialists on any research area of Hispanism.
  3. Applicants will normally be employed on a full- or part-time basis on 1 October 2025 in a UK or Irish Higher Education Institution.

Details of Award

  1. The successful candidate will receive £2000 directed towards presenting a research project at the 2026 AHGBI annual conference as a keynote speaker. 
  2. Any cost regarding the development of the research or attendance to the conference will come out of the award.
  3. On completion, the awardee is required to submit a 500-word report on the progress achieved, to be sent to the AHGBI Secretary by 1 June 2026.

Please note – Awardees are required to attend the AHGBI Annual Conference to present their project. On 2026, the conference will take place at the University of Lancaster on 23-24 March 2026 (in person) and 26 March 2026 (online). Please make sure you can attend the conference prior to applying for this scheme.

Candidates should submit to Mara Fuertes Gutiérrez ([email protected]), the Secretary of the AHGBI, the following documents:

  • A CV (max. 4 pages)
  • A personal statement (max. 500 words)
  • Project outline (max. 1,500 words, references not included in the wordcount), including project description, aims and objectives, methodology, timeline and dissemination plans.
  • Planned activities (predicted outcomes, participation at conferences)
  • Predicted costs, including any intentions to apply elsewhere for funding for this project (with details)

Proposals will be assessed on the following criteria:

  • Clarity of the proposal
  • Feasibility of the project
  • Merit and significance of the project, impact
  • Dissemination plans

The selection committee normally will comprise:

  • The Minister Counsellor for Cultural and Scientific AffairCultural Aggregate of the Embassy of Spain in the UK
  • The President of the AHGBI
  • The Secretary of the AHGBI
  • The AHGBI Conference Secretary
  • A member of the AHGBI Conference Organising Committee

Key dates

  • Launch of the scheme: 21 July 2025
  • Deadline to submit proposals: 30 September 2025
  • Notification to applicants: 15 October 2025
  • Dates of the conference: 23, 24 and 26 march 2026

  • Embasy of Spain AHGBI Mid Career Researchers Scheeme

    Download

Award History: Embassy of Spain – AHGBI Research Excellence Plenary

2025 – Dr Jesse Barker (University of Aberdeen)

Award History: Instituto Cervantes Plenary Address

2025 - Dr Gustavo Herrera Taboada (University of Edinburgh)

2024 - Dr Luis Medina Córdova (University of Birmingham)

Become a member

Membership of the Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland is open to all research-active Hispanists resident in Great Britain or Ireland who have a current research interest in the languages or cultures of Iberia (Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Galician, Basque) or in related aspects of Hispanic, Lusophone or Latin American subjects. Hispanists living overseas who are former members of the Association, or are British subjects or Irish citizens, and who continue to be research active, qualify for membership. To be considered for membership, all applicants must be nominated by two existing members of the AHGBI.