Ou then have until the common handin date to write up your proposal to about 4,000 words but include in that an evaluation of the module and your learning. This is clearly much less than a full document management system but it is also clear than no one person could undertake the whole Leverhulme proposal, so choices have to be made, and justified. At the end, you may evaluate your choices on the basis of experience.
ASSIGNMENT!
Leverhulme Beauty
1. Beauty
What do we mean by beauty
and why do different people (and peoples) find it in different
things?
How far do ideas about what is beautiful change over time?
What part do the pursuit
and appreciation of beauty play in our personal, social and economic life?
And what part
should they play in, for example, the design of consumer goods
or the planning of towns and
the countryside.
How far are mathematics, natural science, engineering and other forms of
intellectual inquiry shaped by aesthetic preoccupations?
How much is the concept
concerned with inner values, distinct in character from external appearance?
What are the
links between beauty and purpose?
Can there be objective standards of beauty?
How do
they relate to sexual attraction in humans and animals?
Why do many modern artists deny
that their intentions are aesthetic?
These are some of the questions raised by a theme which
can be explored
not just by art historians or philosophers of aesthetics, but by
psychologists,
sociologists, anthropologists, geographers, mathematicians, literary critics,
engineers.
zoologists and other natural scientists.
2. Matters
the opportunity for original thinking in the subject;
the extent to which the proposed topic naturally touches upon an array of sub-disciplines;
the extent to which the treatment of the topic departs from the heartland of a current and
established professional specialism;
the significance of the topic as a future issue of debate.
3. Methods
The two paragraphs above are no more than indications; researchers will have their own
views on the specific approaches which might be most usefully pursued, on the appropriate
methodologies, and on the use of disciplinary or interdisciplinary thinking. Applicants should
bear in mind that, while the potential quality of the proposed research will be the major factor
in a final decision about any grant, that decision will also be influenced by the
persuasiveness with which applicants make the case for specific emphases and
methodologies, and for the choice of the sub-projects within their proposed programmes.
4. unBeauty
The intent is to make one award under each of the above categories, but the Trust reserves
the right to make more or fewer awards depending on the qualities of the applications
received.
Applications should be made only by groups of senior researchers, or by existing research
centres or teams with an established record of publication and scholarly achievement in
relevant fields. It is anticipated that any grants will ultimately be made to individual
universities or research centres or institutes.
5. Betterment
However, if a good case is made for a grant for a programme of co-operative research involving more than one institution, such a grant will be considered.
But not end of line feeds
6. Subject
The Leverhulme document refers to the opportunity for original thinking in the subject.
But what subject is beauty? This is part of the matter.
