The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland has announced the details of its 2016 scheme, for which €50,000 is being made available to academics, researchers and media professionals.
The scheme is open to those in the above areas who are carrying out short short-term research on themes which are anticipated to develop in the broadcasting sector, and the BAI’s regulatory role.
The deadline for applications is noon Friday, October 14th, 2016.
Research themes of particular interest, identified by the BAI for the 2016 scheme include:
- Gender in the media
- Broadcast media and society
- Irish language in broadcasting
- Any theme supporting the BAI’s strategic goals and objectives, as set out in the BAI’s Strategy Statement 2014-2016
The most recent commission from the scheme has been a project on the underrepresentation of women on the Irish airwaves which has been carried out by the National Women’s Council of Ireland and DCU.
The research, published in November 2015, documents the current levels of female participation in current affairs radio programming and identifies issues arising at production level, which may be contributing, to lower levels of participation.
On the launch of the 2016 scheme, BAI Chief Executive Michael O’Keeffe has stated:
“Research funded by the BAI is very important in guiding and planning all aspects of our regulatory work and this is why the Authority has approved a 100% increase in the amount of support being made available through the Media Research Funding Scheme this year. The aim of the Scheme is to strengthen the links between the BAI, third level institutions and the broadcasting sector, as well as providing a strong evidence base to our regulatory function and helping us to meet the needs of viewers and listeners.
“While we will consider all applications deemed to complement the BAI Strategy Statement 2014-2016, we are particularly interested in projects that highlight research gaps in the topic of gender in the media; those that look at whether Irish broadcasting reflects and shapes modern Irish society, and the role of the Irish language in broadcasting.”
Visit www.bai.ie for further information