About

CIDRAL, the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Arts and Languages, facilitates cross-disciplinary activities and exchanges within the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures (SALC) and beyond. It aims to bring together and put into dialogue the hugely diverse interests of all research staff and students affiliated with the School. At its heart lies an enthusiasm for intellectual enquiry based around its two foundational principles: interdisciplinary and collaboration.

CIDRAL was restructured in 2022 to enable it to fulfil its role as a hub for various research groups in School, not least its Research Centres. CIDRAL helps the Centres speak to multiple audiences across the School and beyond through strategic workshops and targeted funding. CIDRAL also works with the School’s Research Associate, post-doctoral, and postgraduate community, running writing workshops and training activities on interdisciplinarity and funding streams. 

To encourage cross-disciplinary dialogues CIDRAL’s activities each year are focused on a specific theme. In 2022-2023 CIDRAL organised events on Forests, a subject that speaks to varied expressions of environmental humanities and to the Faculty of Humanities’ research challenge of environmental sustainability. In 2023-2024 CIDRAL's theme is Archives, something that many researchers across the University, not least in SALC, engage with at least once during their career.

To support conversations related to its chosen research themes, CIDRAL launched a Visiting Fellow Scheme in 2022. The inaugural CIDRAL Visiting Fellow was David Fedman from the University of California, Irvine. In 2023-2024 the CIDRAL Visiting Fellow is Maartje van Gelder from the University of Amsterdam.

CIDRAL runs several annual funding opportunities, including the CIDRAL Workshop and Events Grant, targeted funding for events related to its annual theme, and a postgraduate poster competition. It also hosts a bi-annual research publication event, during which CIDRAL celebrates book publications and other equivalent outputs by research staff within the School.