University of Sydney scoops up humanities grants
Bestowed annually by the Australian Academy of Humanities – Australia’s national body for the humanities – grants were awarded to four academics, making the University of Sydney the largest grant recipient for the second consecutive year.
Dr James Fraser, Senior Curator at the Nicholson Museum, and Dr Josh Stenberg, Lecturer in Chinese Studies in the School of Languages and Cultures received Humanities Travelling Fellowships, which fund overseas research for early career academics.
Dr Fraser will use his Fellowship to examine The Archaeology of Olive Oil: Investigating Rural Complexity after Urban Collapse, while Dr Stenberg will study Chinese Performance in Late Colonial Dutch East Indies.
Two University researchers received funding through the Academy’s Publication Subsidy Scheme.
Archaeologist Dr Camilla Norman will put her subsidy toward publication costs for her book People of Daunia: Voicing the Statue-stelae, to be released by UCLA’s Cotsen Institute of Archaeology.
Dr Myfany Turpin of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music was also awarded a publication subsidy for her project, Women's Ceremonial Designs from Willowra, Central Australia; Yawulyu-kurlu: Kuruwarri mardukuja-mardukuja-kurlangu Wirliyajarrayi-wardingki-kirlangu, which will be published by Aboriginal Studies Press/Bruderlin MacLean Publishing Services.
Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Professor Annamarie Jagose and Head of School and Dean of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Professor Anna Reid jointly congratulated the grant recipients.
“This is another outstanding result for humanities at the University of Sydney and speaks to the strength and diversity of our research – from archaeology to Chinese studies. It is great to see our humanities expertise recognised through this welcome support from the Academy,” said Professor Jagose.
“This is a wonderful recognition of the contribution Myfany has made to the research collection at the Conservatorium of Music. Her work highlights the commitment we have to the preservation of Indigenous languages and their relationships to music,” added Professor Reid.
President of the Academy, Professor Joy Damousi FASSA FAHA, similarly lauded the recipients, and noted their contribution to the future of the humanities.
“In our 50th anniversary year, as we look to the future and the role of our disciplines in shaping it, it is particularly important to foster, nurture and support our early career researchers through this scheme,” she said in a statement.
Established by Royal Charter in 1969, the Australian Academy of the Humanities is one of Australia’s four Learned Academies and seeks to advance scholarship and public interest in the humanities in Australia.