[WiLT] Alcohol Education and Research Council Grants - 5th September

[WiL Admin]

Alcohol Education and Research Council Grants

The Council has access to about £500,000 pounds per year. This funds a
relatively small number of projects and we must therefore focus upon
priority areas. During the last few years these have been
Strengthening Families and Community Action. In 2005 the focus was
mainly upon binge drinking and marketing.

This year's priorities cover capacity building, workplace
interventions, treatment of elderly populations and development of
alcohol policies.

The deadline for all applications, except small grants, is September
5th.

AERC Funding Priorities for 2007

This year the Council will accept good research or development
applications in any area, however, priority will be given to projects
relating to the following areas:
* Investigate ways of intervening to reduce hazardous or harmful
drinking in universities or other educational establishments with a
focus on brief interventions and/or institutional policy. What are the
best methods of delivering interventions? What organizational changes
have an influence on drinking patterns? Look at protective factors in
young people as well as their motivation for risky drinking and
different patterns of risk taking behaviour, including combining the
use of alcohol with illicit drugs or sexual experimentation.
* Explore and describe drinking within the home and other non-public
drinking venues including patterns, attitudes, values, purchasing and
influences on family and social life (not just harmful patterns or
problem drinking families).
* Investigate the link between drinking, health and crime. Develop
different measures of drinking behaviour which better predict the
likelihood of future harm, eg alcohol related crime and violence or
alcohol dependence.
* Look at the role marketing activities have played in changing
peoples' drinking patterns, particularly binge drinking. Specifically
the influence of advertising, new media, new product development,
point of sale promotions and price promotions should be examined, both
individually and collectively. This work could include qualitative
methods and longitudinal as well as cross sectional studies.
* Summarize high-quality evidence relating to effective and cost
effective public policy, including taxation, price and availability.
Consider all barriers to implementation.

The above priorities could be addressed in many ways and the Council
would like applicants to determine the best approach. Furthermore some
of these areas could be explored under a Research Grant or a
Development Grant.

** Developing people and organisations grants

The Alcohol Education and Research Fund can only be used to pay for
project activities that are outside the responsibilities of central or
local government agencies and services.

The Council's present policy is to give grants for specific projects
rather than for general support of the established administration of
voluntary organisations.

Within the area of interest selected by the individual applicant the
Council wishes particularly to be satisfied that the proposal will
meet an accepted and urgent need and will not duplicate existing
provision.

In all applications a sound evaluation will be required.

Aims of Developing People and Organisations initiatives
* Improving practice by developing knowledge skills and motivation:
One aim is to improve the alcohol-related practice of both generic and
specialist alcohol workers. Enabling autonomy and motivation in
dealing with alcohol issues is a core objective.
* Influencing change: Translating evidence into policy and practice is
a main objective.
* Promoting organisational development: Working with other
organisations to facilitate cultural change is another objective.
* Evaluation: A main objective is to obtain evidence of "what works"
that will help others to replicate.

Make clear your aim and how the project will develop people and
organisations. Outline your plans for leadership, organisation and
method, and the timetable you will set for the main stages of the
project. Indicate, also, how you will arrange for your project to be
evaluated.

Developing People and Organisations grants are between £5,000 and
£50,000.

See standard requirements for their administration
http://www.aerc.org.uk/grantsDPOStand.htm

To apply please return their form as an email attachment. Developing
People & Organisations Grant Application Form (58KB)
http://www.aerc.org.uk/documents/doc/appForms/developing%20people%20application.doc

The closing dates for people development grants is 5th September 2007.

** They also have Research Grants under the same guidelines
Full details at http://www.aerc.org.uk/grantsResearch.htm

** AERC small grants

In addition to the above programme £75,000 has been set aside for the
current year to fund small projects up to a maximum of £5,000. Small
grants could fund small research projects, pilot research studies or
demonstration projects with a strong evaluation component. They could
also fund projects that increase the capacity of individuals and
organisations to deal with alcohol issues. The following criteria are
used to judge all applications for small grants including those that
are designed to develop people:
* Will the project make a difference to the alcohol evidence base or
to the capacity of individuals or organisations?
* Are the aims well defined and achievable?
* Is there a sound evaluation component to check whether aims have
been achieved?

The Council will give preference to projects that will have a
demonstrable impact.

Small grants will be rapidly processed throughout the year with no
deadline.

AERC, Room 178, Queen Anne Business Centre, 28 Broadway, London SW1H
9JX
Tel: 020 7340 9502
Website: http://www.aerc.org.uk

Posted on WiLT blog at
http://www.freecharity.org.uk/~womeninlondon/?p=394