WEBSITE: CARMEN The Worldwide Medieval Network.
CARMEN is a worldwide network of medievalists, its name being an acronym for the “Co-operative for the Advancement of Research through a Medieval European Network”. It links a number of research institutions, universities, interest groups and individuals with common scholarly interest in the study of the Middle Ages. While based in Europe, it reaches out to all continents to create an open and truly international platform of co-operation in the field of medieval research and teaching.
CARMEN brings together scholars from universities and academic organisations who are actively involved in research on the Middle Ages (c. 400-1500 AD/CE). It accesses half of the global body of about 20,000 researchers, with important contributions from Europe, North America, East Asia, Australasia and Latin America.
CARMEN successfully promotes the construction of major scholarly collaborative projects. Its Executive Group directs strategies, disseminates information, reports to national associations and major conferences, and organises an annual meeting. It assists nascent projects to reach critical mass and tries to pro-actively shape research agendas.
CARMEN helps in identifying sources of large-scale international research funds and grants, and helps research groups apply for such money. CARMEN can help instigate and co-ordinate the international network behind such projects and facilitate communication during the application process.
CARMEN recognises that large-scale projects have often gestated over a long time, and helps foster such initiatives as they grow from an initial idea to the level of maturity desired by the participants.
CARMEN helps shape the research environment for medievalists, by brokering funding opportunities with national and international agencies, and identifying relevant research trends. CARMEN envisages the next phase of development for the scholarly field.