ACPC-Vives Network - Local Press Award for University Research

Local Press Award for University Research

You will receive a one-off 5,000 EUR grant to fund a research project on Catalan regional and local news media. The jury may increase the amount if your project is extensive enough to warrant this. The prize is awarded by the Catalan Association of Regional Press (ACPC) in collaboration with the Xarxa Vives university network and the Catalan Society for Communication. CaixaBank is involved as a sponsor. You are to submit a research proposal, not a completed thesis. In this proposal, you should outline the topic, the objectives, the people involved, the sources of your data and your methodology. Once you have won the prize, your university will sign a cooperation agreement with the ACPC, to which the completed work will then belong.

Who can apply

• Who you are: You are a student, PhD student, lecturer or researcher at a School of Communication Studies.
• Where you study: Your faculty is located in the Catalan-speaking region (Paisos Catalans): Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, Andorra and neighbouring areas.
• Field: Journalism and communication studies.
• Topic: Your proposal focuses on regional and local print newspapers sold for a fee or local digital news media, with the emphasis on internet usage.
• Research quality: Your work must be original and based on up-to-date industry data derived from interviews, questionnaires or surveys conducted amongst a representative sample. Ensuring balanced coverage of all Catalan-speaking regions will have a positive impact on your assessment.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply, provided they are employed at an eligible faculty.

How to apply

Please submit your research proposal by 10 March by email or via WeTransfer. Use ‘13e Premi de Recerca Premsa Comarcal’ as the subject line and include details of all authors as well as the university you represent. A jury comprising representatives from the ACPC, CaixaBank, Xarxa Vives and the Catalan Society for Communication Studies will select the winner; their decision is final. They may also decide not to award the prize.

How realistic are your chances?

This prize has very strict eligibility criteria. Only communication scholars based in the Catalan-speaking region who submit original research on the local and regional press are eligible to enter; the pool of potential candidates is therefore small. If your proposal fits within this niche and is based on sound, up-to-date data from across the entire region, your chances are good. The jury may decide not to award the prize if no proposal meets their standards; therefore, a well-documented, methodologically sound plan is more important than a broad one.