‘Medieval Literature’ or ‘Early Europe’? How to Win Grants and Change the Course of Scholarship

Abstract

This paper explores the unexpected success of the Network for Early European Research, based at the University of Western Australia, which was recently awarded A$1.6 million over a five-year period to support research and postgraduate training in medieval and early modern studies in Australia. What lessons can be drawn from the success of this grant application for other projects in medieval studies that must compete for funding in national contests across all the disciplines? One of the distinctive strengths of the Network is its willingness to think in unusually broad terms about the influential reach of medieval and early modern social and cultural forms into settler colonies like eighteenth-century Australia and beyond. But to what extent might government priorities be driving the nature of research? How can medieval studies best respond to these external pressures?