Australian Sesquicentennial Gift Trust for Awards in Oral History

2010 is the 21st anniversary of the Australian Sesquicentennial Gift Trust Awards in Oral History. In 1990 the Australian government gifted $1 million to the people of New Zealand to mark the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

This anniversary year we will acknowledge this generous gift and mark its significance by:

inviting applications from both Australians and New Zealanders
this year, only accepting applications for projects that explore the history of social, cultural or political aspects of contact between Australia and New Zealand
this year only, offering one grant of up to NZ$80,000 for a major project of outstanding significance (anyone considering applying for this level of grant should first contact Alison Parr at oralhistory@mch.govt.nz )

Depending on the scope of the project, as well as the one-off grant of NZ$80,000 there are two other grants available which are considered as partial contributions to the costs of a project, ie not expected to completely fund a project. They are:

Grants of up to NZ$10,000 for smaller projects of fewer than 10 interviews
One grant of up to NZ$35,000 for a larger project of up to 20 interviews.

Awards will not necessarily be made in all these categories; decisions will be based on the quality and significance of the proposed project and the track-record of the applicants.

The above changes will be for the 2010 Oral History Awards only, and in 2011 applications will again be accepted for general oral history projects, based only in New Zealand.

The closing date for applications is Friday 25 June 2010.

Application form

Preference will be given to oral historians with proven experience of successfully completing oral history projects. Applicants must be citizens of either Australia or New Zealand and currently resident in one. Apart from this, all existing criteria apply – as follows:

Eligibility

Awards may be made to individuals, groups or communities.
Assistance is not available for projects that are eligible for funding from tertiary institutions, nor for university theses.
Assistance is not available for funding institutions, such as museums, for their core work.
Video recording is eligible for funding as a component of a project, but neither video nor film projects, in themselves, are eligible for these awards.
If you have already received a grant from this fund, you will not be eligible to apply for further funding until you have completed the previous project within the terms agreed.

Conditions for successful applicants

You are expected to complete the project within twelve months of receiving the grant. (See Information for Applicants below.)
The original recordings must be deposited at the Oral History Centre, Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington.
For each interview you must provide an oral history recording Agreement Form signed by the person interviewed.
A detailed contents summary or abstract for each interview must accompany recordings for deposit.
You will be required to send, when requested, regular progress reports until the project is completed.

Information for Applicants

When preparing your application, you should note:

Awards are given as a contribution towards the recording of interviews for oral history projects. This can include money for training, travel and other expenses and buying good quality recording equipment.
The Award will be paid in two stages.
Half the amount granted will be paid at the time of the announcement of successful applicants. The second half of the award will be paid on completion and delivery of the project within one year – this includes all required paperwork. In the event of an award up to $NZ80,000 being granted, arrangements for payment will be discussed with the successful applicant.
If the project is not completed at the end of one year, the remainder of the grant will be forfeited and the money will return to the Oral History Trust Fund – unless prior approval has been granted for an extended deadline.
If a project is partially complete, a portion of the money may be paid.
Only projects that use digital recording equipment will be considered – unless you provide your own copies of tapes.

For information contact:
Alison Parr
Senior Oral Historian
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
P O Box 5364
Wellington, New Zealand
oralhistory@mch.govt.nz
+64 4 496 6331