The Executive Committee of ANZAMEMS joins colleagues in other scholarly associations in expressing our conviction that processes related to the awarding of research funds should be transparent, procedurally fair, and supportive of robust independent peer review.

ANZAMEMS’ mission is “to promote and foster all aspects of Medieval, Renaissance, and Early Modern Studies in Australia and New Zealand, and to establish and nurture productive professional friendships between scholars working in these areas”. Articulating the value of humanities research and preserving the integrity of academic peer review are integral aspects of that mission.

ANZAMEMS members have been among the recipients of ARC Discovery Project, DECRA and Future Fellow awards, and this support has been invaluable in helping them to generate research outcomes with significant international impact. Association members also act as expert assessors in this and other funding schemes, and we hold their expertise and judgement in high esteem.

As a Committee, we express our hope that recent experience encourages all funding bodies to ensure their processes are robust and transparent, support the integrity of independent peer review, and uphold principles of equity and procedural fairness.

Dr Chris Jones
President, Australian and New Zealand Association for Medieval & Early Modern Studies Inc.
on behalf of the ANZAMEMS Executive Committee