Gunning Jubilee Gift

Grant to “enable experts to visit other museums, collections, or materials of archaeological science at home or abroad”

The Gift from Dr Robert Halliday Gunning was one of many prizes made to Edinburgh Institutions in commemoration of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee on 20 and 21 June 1887. Council has specified the Gift to be used as a grant to “enable experts to visit other museums, collections, or materials of archaeological science at home or abroad, for the purpose of special investigation and research” and sometimes called “The Gunning Fellowship”.

It was inaugurated in H M Queen Victoria’s Jubilee year 1887-88 “by an Inspection and Report upon the condition and contents of the Archaeological and Ethnological departments of the various local Museums in Scotland” by Dr Joseph Anderson and Mr George F Black. It has also been used by Council to appoint various experts to, for example, compile a list of sculptured stones (PSAS 24 1889-90, 510) and recumbent stone circles (PSAS 34 1899-90, 139).

Grants are made on the recommendation of the Grants and Awards Committee and the approval of the Society’s Council.

Guidelines

The Gunning Jubilee Gift is awarded competitively with the specific aim to “enable experts to visit other museums, collections, or materials of archaeological science at home or abroad, for the purpose of special investigation and research.” The Detailed Guidance available should be consulted prior to application.

Deadlines

Gunning Jubilee Gift applications should be addressed to Dr Helen Spencer (grants@socantscot.org) and arrive in the Society offices on or before either the 30 April or the 30 November each year.  It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that supporting referees are aware of their nomination and able to respond to enquiries from the Society.

The next grant deadline is the 30th April 2024.

The Grants and Awards Committee usually meets twice a year and applicants can expect to hear if they have been successful by the end of January (for November applications) or by the end of June (for April applications).

Further deadlines regarding the use of grant money and reporting can be found in the guidelines.

Application Form

Download Grant Application Form (Word doc)

Download Grant Guidance (PDF)

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