Dear David
We are interested in developing a "Virtual Mathematics Museum". Is this the
sort of thing your fund could support?
Please will you send documentation to
JOHN BIBBY
1 Straylands Grove
York YO31 1EB
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask]
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
> Behalf Of David Dawson
> Sent: 27 July 1999 12:57
> To: 'MCG mailbase'; 'GEM'; 'SCRAN - Bruce Royan'
> Subject: DCMS IT Challenge Fund
>
>
> Dear all
>
> I am delighted to be able to enclose details of the DCMS IT Challenge
> Fund, announced by Alan Howarth last Thursday at the Museum
> of London. A
> fuller version, and a sample application will be appearing on the MGC
> website in due course.
>
> For those in museums outside England, MGC has written to ask that
> similar funding initiatives be considered in the other
> countries, as the
> geographical remit of DCMS is England only.
>
> I hope to be organising some seminars in September that will enable
> people developing bids to the Challenge Fund to develop a
> clearer idea
> of how to develop applications, and to discuss details of projects.
>
> I would be grateful not to have too many phone calls about
> the scheme as
> I am trying to complete a number of activities before going on leave
> during next week - so please be patient if you are trying to
> get hold of
> me.
>
> I look forward to seeing lots of high quality applications!
>
> David
>
> * * * * * *
>
> DCMS IT Challenge Fund
> The DCMS IT Challenge Fund
> The Museums & Galleries Commission invites applications for
> the DCMS IT
> Challenge Fund. DCMS has committed £500,000 to the Fund in the period
> 1999-2001. The Fund will enable museums to work together in
> developing
> projects that will show how Information Communication
> Technology (ICT)
> can contribute to access, education and innovation in
> museums. The Fund
> will allow museums to participate in the vision outlined in
> the recently
> published report - A Netful of Jewels: New Museums in the
> Learning Age,
> commissioned by the National Museum Director's Conference, in
> association with MGC and mda.
> The aims of the Fund
> To promote excellence
> * Projects will make a significant difference to the
> ways in which
> museums communicate with their public and deliver their
> services. Both
> the process and the product will be evaluated so that good
> practice can
> be identified and promoted.
>
> To raise standards through ICT
> Projects will demonstrate how museums can use ICT to raise
> standards in
> areas such as:
> * access to museums and their collections
> * developing new audiences
> * community involvement
> * tackling social exclusion
> * developing resources for life-long learning and education
>
> To facilitate partnerships
> * Each project must have at least three museum partners.
> Partnerships will enable the sharing of expertise and knowledge about
> collections between museums, and with other organisations such as
> colleges, universities, community groups or specialist societies.
>
> To encourage investment.
> * Projects must have a minimum financial contribution
> of 12.5% in
> partnership funding, and a minimum of 12.5% of partnership funding in
> kind. A minimum total for partnership funding is 25%, but
> some projects
> will be able to achieve 50% of the total cost of the project.
>
> The key themes for the Fund
> Applications may be made for funding of projects that demonstrate
> innovation and partnership under four main themes.
>
> Theme 1 Support for life-long learning
> Museums will look at ways to apply successful existing
> museum education
> techniques and materials to the new media. Projects might involve
> re-engineering of resources for the learning networks, or
> developing new
> approaches to museum education which are designed
> specifically for new
> media.
>
> Theme 2 Support for collaborative working
> Projects will be supported which develop collaborative
> working between
> museums in a geographic region, or between those working
> with a similar
> range of users, or those with strong links through the
> nature of their
> collections. The active use of e-mail, video-conferencing and other
> electronic links will be encouraged. The issues that projects will
> address include raising awareness of the potential uses of ICT,
> understanding what users want from museums, and evaluating whether
> projects meet those needs.
>
> Theme 3 Development of interactive and participatory services
> Museums and their communities will look at new forms of participation
> using ICT. This might involve developing electronic
> resources to attract
> new audiences. Projects could also develop contextual information for
> collections, provide new approaches to the delivery of collections
> information in study areas or galleries, and evaluate its
> effectiveness
> before disseminating it through the Internet.
>
> Theme 4 Creation of innovative applications for new technologies
> Museums are increasingly discovering applications for new
> technologies.
> This theme will help museums to apply new technology in areas such as
> marketing, visitor services or managing the museum environment.
> Guidelines for applicants
> Eligible museums
> * Only fully or provisionally Registered museums or
> museum support
> organisations in England are eligible for support, in accordance with
> the geographical remit of DCMS.
> * Government-funded national museums and Designated
> museums are
> not eligible for financial support, though they are warmly
> encouraged to
> play an active role in projects.
> * Where a service is responsible for more than one
> museum, then
> the service as a whole is counted as a single partner.
> * Individual museums are unlikely to receive funding
> as partners
> in more than one project.
>
> Project partnerships
> Projects must include at least 3 museum partners, of which a
> minimum of
> two should be eligible museums - the third museum could be a
> National or
> Designated Museum that is not eligible for funding under the scheme.
> However wider partnerships are encouraged, and might include
> links with
> museums and other organisations in the UK or abroad, such as
> with groups
> of enthusiasts, universities, libraries, archives or
> community groups.
>
> Grant sums
> Projects will be funded up to a maximum of 75% of the total costs.
> Grants will be in the range of £40,000-60,000 per project.
> It is hoped
> to be able to be able to support up to 10 projects.
>
> Matching funding
> Museums will be expected to contribute at least 25% of the
> costs of the
> project, at least 12.5% of which must be a financial
> contribution. The
> remaining matching resources, a minimum of 12.5% of the costs of the
> project, can be made by contributions in kind. The
> contribution in kind
> can include items such as staff costs or the value of the licence for
> the use of a digital asset, provided that they can be shown to relate
> directly to the successful completion of the project.
>
> The financial contribution, a minimum of 12.5% of the
> overall costs of
> the project, can be from museum budgets or from public or
> private sector
> partners. Central Government funding (including EU Funds) provided to
> you directly for the purposes of the project may not be used
> as matched
> funding. Funding derived from the National Lottery (such as HLF,
> Millennium Commission, Millennium Festival and ACE) may not
> be used to
> match the DCMS Challenge Fund. Government funding provided
> indirectly,
> for example through local authority funding or Area Museum Council
> grants may be used as matching funding.
>
> To calculate the value of a licence for the use of a digital
> asset, the
> Fund will use the method adopted by the Scottish Cultural Resources
> Access Network (SCRAN). This uses a unit valuation based on
> the average
> cost of digitising assets, such as an image, along with accompanying
> interpretative material. The current valuation stands at £50.50 per
> asset. When calculating their contribution to matched funding,
> applicants will be able to count half of this amount (i.e. £25.25) in
> compensation for giving the public networks a perpetual non-exclusive
> licence to use the material for educational purposes.
> Eligible costs
> The project costs that are eligible for challenge funding are as
> follows.
> * Fixed-term additional staff costs, or the costs of
> contracted
> services.
> * Hardware and software.
> * Web-hosting and Internet Service Provider costs for
> the duration
> of the project.
> * Interpretation and design work.
> * Creating digital images and text.
> * Training.
>
> Additional considerations
> Projects must show that they have considered the following.
> * Relevant Standards and Guidelines, including
> SPECTRUM and the
> emerging standards for the New Library Network and National Grid for
> Learning.
> * ICT initiatives such as the 24 Hour Museum and Cornucopia.
> * Provision for training in the use of ICT for people
> involved in
> the project.
> * Project management.
> * Sources of technical advice that will be available to the
> project.
> * Project evaluation, both during development and
> upon completion
> * Dissemination of skills and information to other museums.
> * Sustaining the project after completion
>
> Assessment Criteria
> Projects will be assessed for challenge funding according to the
> following criteria.
> * The project must meet the aims of the fund.
> * The project must identify key aims and objectives.
> * The project must help the partners to meet the aims and
> objectives that are outlined in their most recent forward plans, ICT
> strategies, education plans or similar documents.
> * Projects must involve a minimum of three eligible museums or
> museum-related organisations. If a project involves a National or
> Designated Museum, then there must be a minimum of two
> eligible museums.
> * Projects involving a partnership with a Designated
> or National
> Museum are especially welcome.
> * The benefits of the project for life-long learning,
> education,
> access to museum collections, audience development,
> collections care or
> collections research must be clearly shown.
> * Projects of limited scope that simply enable
> museums to purchase
> equipment, to create their own websites or put their
> collections on-line
> are unlikely to be successful.
> * Successful projects will be expected to demonstrate high
> standards in promoting access, tackling social exclusion, providing
> educational opportunities or demonstrating innovation.
> The application process
> How to apply
> Applications must be submitted in writing, using the
> application form as
> a cover sheet, and should be no longer than 8 sides of A4 in
> length. All
> applications must also be accompanied by the following, each of which
> must be on no more than a single page of A4:-
> * budget estimate, detailing all items over £1000.
> * cash flow by quarter, commencing in January 2000.
> * project plan, commencing in January 2000.
>
> The deadline for applications will be 18 October 1999 for signed
> applications. Applications sent by Fax will not be accepted.
>
> Assessment
> Applications will be assessed initially by MGC staff in consultation
> with the Area Museum Councils and mda. MGC will appoint a DCMS IT
> Challenge Fund Panel to consider applications and prepare
> recommendations for consideration by the Museums and Galleries
> Commission and the Secretary of State.
>
> Timetable
> 18 October 1999 Closing date for applications
> January 2000 * Applicants to be informed of the result of their
> application
> 1 February 2001 Projects to be completed
> 1 March 2001 Final date for submission of grant claims
> * provisional date
> Monitoring successful projects
> All applicants will have identified the key objectives of their
> project(s). They will also have explained how they believe these
> objectives can be shown to have been achieved by measurable outcomes.
>
> Once the details of a project have been agreed, MGC will confirm in a
> contract letter the agreed project milestones, costings, monitoring,
> evaluation and payment arrangements. Any subsequent
> variation of more
> than 10% in these costs must be agreed in writing with MGC.
> Applicants
> will be asked to complete progress reports every three months, and
> provide a final evaluation report for publication.
>
> Submitting applications
> Applications should be sent by 18 October 1999 to:-
> David Dawson
> Museums New Technology Adviser
> Museums & Galleries Commission
> 16 Queen Anne's Gate
> London SW1H 9AA
>
>
> David
>
>
> David Dawson
> Museums New Technology Adviser, Museums and Galleries Commission
> tel: 0171 233 4200, email [log in to unmask]
>
> Visit our website at www.museums.gov.uk
>
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