Pamplemousse - Thanks for your advice,

I've contacted the AHRC about the issue, without naming names, and they were massively helpful but could offer no reason as to why an institution wouldn't apply - highlighting the fact that they offer support and guidance to institutions in the application process. They seemed slightly bemused as to why an inst. would find the process difficult.

Very good point about the AHRC also taking the instutions ability to support my research - I think they were adequately placed to support it... they still are. But I accept your point about non-compliance. What seems strange to me is the intial positivity of the inst. with regards to their chance of gaining funding in the open competition, and a few months later, their despondent reply...

As for rushing an application elsewhere; sadly my research proposal (nearly finished with full bibliography :-( ) is fairly specific to this inst.

I may still make the application, but my confidence and respect for the inst. has taken a serious knock.

XJR - Thanks for your reply too. I accept your point about time and cost, but they were confident that they were making an application in January and the Open Competition deadline is not until May 7th, and the AHRC made no mention of cost when I asked them what factors may put institutions off.

I accept your point about it being up to the institution to apply, but I am sadden by it as well, as yes it is up to the inst. but, I am a big believer in equal access to education - which, to my mind AHRC grants represent.

The action I have taken is to contact the Dean - I emailed him 6 days ago - it's a polite enquiry as to why, and a plea to reconsider their position on the issue.

I am aware that this may burn bridges, but any institution that persecutes persistence and reasoned enquiry, and would show such antipathy toward somone who was as stubbornly enthusiastic as myself to study at their University is an organisation that I would not be sad about being excluded from.

I have yet to receive a reply...

My chosen institution with whom I was hoping to complete a Masters degree, whose name and location I will keep anonymous, has decided not to apply for Arts and Humanities Research Council funding.

The situation - I contacted the institution in January to ask about the provision of funding. I was informed that as a small institution they were not eligible for a block grant, under the 2009 re-organised AHRC funding system.

However I was informed that the institution would be registering so that students could apply for the open competition - details of which can be found in this link - http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/StudentshipCompetition.aspx

However -and a big however- is that on contacting them 3-months after my intial enquiry was made I was informed that the institution would not be registering for funding at all!

The reasons given were complexity and technicalities. I had always presumed that Universities were specifically designed to deal with issues that exhibited these characteristics :-)

So my questions to you are, do you think this is fair, can anyone think why an institution would make this decision, and does anyone have any advice or good contacts at the AHRC to discuss this with?