In 2006 CAIN (Conflict Archive on the INternet), based within INCORE in the University of Ulster, received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to undertake a two-year project to develop a digital Archive related to the topic of 'victims, survivors and commemoration'. Following the completion of this project the AHRC announced additional capital funding and called for proposals to the Digital Equipment and Database Enhancement for Impact (DEDEFI) Scheme. CAIN submitted a proposal in November 2009 to carry out a one-year project and was made an award in January 2010. The full title of the new Project was: 'Visualising the Conflict: Immersion in the Landscape of Victims and Commemoration in Northern Ireland'.

The second Project was designed to improve the access to, and the impact of, the databases which were compiled during the first project. The first part of the new Project involved mapping location data related to commemoration and victims onto the Web. Some of the work involved using proprietary software (Google Maps and Google Earth) to provide users with enhanced ways of manipulating, visualising and interpreting the data. In addition Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software was used to examine the data and to produce a series of high quality maps. The second part of the Project involved an investigation of the potential use of virtual world technologies, in an educational setting, to allow users to interact with the information contained in the databases and to engage in dialogue with other users.

In order to carry out the work CAIN advertised for three Research Associates to work directly on the Project. Adverts appeared in Northern Ireland newspapers on 23 February 2010. The deadline for applications was Friday 19 March 2010 and interviews were conduced on 30 and 31 March 2010. The three successful applicants took up their posts on 12, 13 and 19 April 2010.

A further aim of both the first and second projects was to secure the long-term preservation of the digital material. The University of Ulster is committed to ensuring that all the contents of the CAIN site remain available to users of the site into the long term. In addition the CAIN site was selected to participate in the UK Web Archive (webarchive.org.uk - formerly the UK Web Archiving Consortium Project) and as such the contents of the site are regularly archived.

Dr Martin Melaugh, Director of CAIN, is the Principal Investigator and Award Holder and will lead the Project Team. He is supported by Professor Gillian Robinson, Director of ARK, and Mr Michael Callaghan, lecturer in the School of Computing and Intelligent Systems (SCIS), both of whom are Co-Investigators on the Project. The other members of the Project Team are: Brandon Hamber, Director of INCORE; Dr Shane Wilson, Lecturer in the SCIS; Mr Mike McCool, ARK and INCORE IT Director, and Mrs Janet Farren, Secretary to the Project. The three Research Associates (RAs) are: Luke Kelleher, CAIN/VTC Research Associate (Geographic Information Systems, GIS); Julio Lopez Losada, CAIN/VTC Research Associate (Virtual World Programmer); and Kerri McCusker, CAIN/VTC Research Associate (Virtual World Modeller).

The AHRC provided funding of £260,179. The Project began 'officially' on 1 March 2010 and was initially scheduled to end on 28 February 2011. As staff were not in post until mid-April 2010, the AHRC granted an extension to the Project with a new official end date of 31 June 2011.

“Each year the AHRC provides funding from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from archaeology and English literature to design and dance. Only applications of the highest quality and excellence are funded and the range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK. For further information on the AHRC, please see our website www.ahrc.ac.uk”

Anyone requiring further information about the project can contact the CAIN Director.

Important Dates in Project

• 5 November 2009 - Closing date for application to the AHRC DEDEFI Scheme.
• 22 December 2009 - Deadline for Principal Investigator Response to assessment of application.
• 29 January 2010 - Date of award letter from the AHRC informing of positive outcome.
• 8 February 2010 - First meeting of the Project Team.
• 23 February 2010 - Three Research Associate posts advertised.
• 1 March 2010 - Official start date of project.
• 19 March 2010 - Deadline for applications for the three Research Associate posts.
• 30 & 31 March 2010 - Interviews for the three Research Associate posts.
• 12, 13, & 19 April 2010 - Start dates for the three Research Associates.
• 28 February 2011 - Original end date of project.
• 31 June 2011 - Official end date of project.
• 20 January 2012 - Public launch of the outputs from the project.

Project Team

• Dr Martin Melaugh, Director of CAIN
  - Principal Investigator on Project, award holder, Project Manager, content provider and Web site compiler
• Prof. Gillian Robinson, Director of ARK
  - Co-Investigator on Project, Supervisory management of, and advisor to, the Project
• Mr Michael Callaghan, lecturer in the School of Computing and Intelligent Systems (SCIS)
  - Co-Investigator on Project, Supervisory management of, and advisor to, the Project
• Brandon Hamber, Director of INCORE
  - Advisor to the Project
• Dr Shane Wilson, Lecturer in the School of Computing and Intelligent Systems
  - Advisor to the Project
• Mr Mike McCool, ARK and INCORE IT Director
  - Advisor on database programming and Web site output
• Mrs Janet Farren, Secretary INCORE
  - Secretary on the Project
• Luke Kelleher, CAIN/VTC Research Associate (GIS) (based with INCORE)
  - Geographic Information Systems analysis and mapping of data
• Julio Lopez Losada, CAIN/VTC Research Associate (Programmer) (based with SCIS)
  - Programmer on virtual world / Second Life
• Kerri McCusker, CAIN/VTC Research Associate (Modeller) (based with SCIS)
  - Modelling on virtual world / Second Life