Opportunity status:
Upcoming
Funders:
Funding type:
Fellowship
Total fund:
£2,500,000
Minimum award:
£312,500
Publication date:
4 February 2026
Opening date:
16 February 2026 9:00am UK time
Closing date:
11 June 2026 4:00pm UK time
Apply for funding to conduct research at cultural and heritage institutions.
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funding.
The main requirements for this opportunity are as follows.
You must:
* be an early career researcher
* hold a doctorate in a relevant subject or have equivalent professional experience and skills
* align with your proposed host’s interests
Only applicants successful at the expression of interest stage may apply.
Projects can cost up to £312,500. AHRC funds 80%.
Fellowships start on 1 January 2027 and last one to two years (longer if part-time).
Who can apply
This opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. .
Who is eligible to apply
You can only apply for this funding opportunity if we have invited you to do so following a successful expression of interest application.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We are for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.
We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:
* career breaks
* support for people with caring responsibilities
* flexible working
* alternative working patterns
UKRI can offer during the application and assessment process.
Applications are welcomed from applicants in underrepresented groups within the sector, for example, ethnic minorities and disabled people.
This funding opportunity will include a programme of cohort events for fellows, designed to foster networking, enhance skills development, and ensure that diverse participation needs are met. These activities are integral to the fellowship experience and details will be provided to successful applicants. AHRC expects that fellows will actively engage with these opportunities as a core component of the award.
Resubmissions
You cannot resubmit a previous UKRI application to this competition.
What we're looking for
Aim
This funding opportunity enables early career postdoctoral, or equivalent, researchers to gain research and career experience in the galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM) sector.
Fellows will work with a major cultural or heritage host organisation on a co-designed research project that benefits the fellow and the host organisation.
The objectives of the scheme are to:
* create new opportunities for early career postdoctoral researchers to build, deepen or broaden their experience of working in, and with, major cultural and heritage organisations
* develop the fellows’ skills and future research career in areas of relevance to the work, collections and practices of cultural and heritage organisations
* deliver high quality and impactful research and innovation projects
* enhance the host organisation’s capacity to undertake research and innovation activities, closely aligned with its priorities and strategies, leading to practical benefits and outcomes for the host
* address a need across the GLAM sector in respect of the lack of dedicated support at the early stage of research careers
* promote equality, diversity and inclusion principles
* strengthen efforts to build and diversify research capabilities in the cultural heritage research and innovation ecosystem
* further extend the GLAM sector’s engagement with, and contribution to, society
* catalyse high quality and impactful research and innovation projects
This will be achieved through funding individual fellowships hosted by cultural and heritage independent research organisations (IROs), supported by a complementary programme of networking events and cohort career development activities.
Your fellowship is expected to meet all the above objectives.
Scope
Research themes
The focus of your proposal must fit within one of the as published during the expression or interest stage.
Proposals should contribute to and vision on cultural assets and our where appropriate as well as address specific areas of research interest identified by host organisations.
Applications will be welcomed from prospective fellows across the full range of disciplines funded by AHRC, including, but not limited to:
* archaeology
* cultural and museum studies
* history
* library and information studies
* creative and performing arts
* design
* visual arts
IRO-based research is motivated by public benefit. Research underpins the curation, conservation and interpretation of places, collections and public programmes that engage millions of people every year. Fellows have the opportunity for their research to have a direct impact on a public institution’s collections, practices, and policies, which in turn has an impact on the experience and understanding of members of the public.
The IROs are responsible for some of the UK’s most significant cultural heritage collections, natural and built environment, and performing arts practice. They are multidisciplinary organisations, whose staff hold expertise and undertake research in a range of fields, crossing chronologies, geographies and media.
IRO research communities represent a diversity of specialism and methodological approach from historical to scientific, practice and performance-led to pedagogical research, and much more. Fellows will develop the skills, understanding and experience of what it means to work in this sector and how to share research with different kinds of audiences.
IROs welcome innovative new historical, contextual and interdisciplinary research on the UK’s cultural and creative heritage.
In developing your proposal, you need to consider the thematic areas below which meet our vision and respond to IRO priorities.
Research may focus on underexplored collections and places, unlocking opportunities for more inclusive engagement with heritage. It may also seek to realise the cultural, societal and economic capital of under-studied collections, heritage landscapes and cultural assets through data-driven research and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
Your proposal may contextualise collections and heritage in relation to contemporary themes of national and global relevance, such as exploring how collections and places illuminate identities and mobility.
Creative technology may be applied in the context of practice and performance, while heritage science can be engaged to better understand and conserve collections, sites, materials and environments.
Research may also explore how cultural heritage can address and engage with climate change and biodiversity loss, and the sustainability and resilience of collections and heritage. This includes, for example:
* collection care
* greener institutional practices
* efficiency gains in collections management, discoverability and access
* risk management
* sustainability and the historic environment, including resilience and non-invasive adaptation of historic building fabrics
Research could also enhance current, and explore future, practices in cultural, heritage and creative organisations. This includes, for example:
* application of digital technologies and responsible AI
* design thinking or creative methods
* balancing open research with copyright and IP
* provenance and collection or institution history research to support organisational decision-making
* co-design of research to open collections to new users or engage new audiences with heritage spaces
* research which helps connect communities, both local and global, with heritage sites and collections
* next generation curatorial practices and digital collections
As a candidate for a fellowship, you may develop these themes using a range of methodologies, including practice-based, action research and conservation and heritage science approaches.
Outcomes might include enhanced skills and career pathways within the cultural and heritage sector or, for example, contributions to curatorial, learning or educational practices.
Training and development
This funding opportunity includes a tailored training and development programme for the cohort of fellows, designed to support researchers working across the GLAM and higher education institution sectors. The programme builds on the successful model delivered by the Cohort Coordination and Development team at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) during the pilot phase, and will include sector-specific skills training, panel discussions, and networking activities to foster peer-learning and cohort identity.
It will support engagement within and beyond the fellow cohort, career development, and inclusive participation. The programme will be delivered primarily online, with some in-person events, including a residential. Fellows are expected to actively engage with the programme, with activities averaging at 0.5 days per week.
Further details about the current training and development programme are available from the .
Duration
Your fellowship can be full-time, part-time or hybrid (a combination of the two). It can last for a minimum of one year and a maximum of two years (longer if part-time).
We expect fellowships to start 1 January 2027 unless exceptional circumstances apply, for example on equality, diversity and inclusion grounds.
The host independent research organisation will administer the fellowship award and employ you for the period of the fellowship. You will be listed as the project lead of your fellowship grant.
You can include the cost of a short period of research assistance or technical assistance (no more than 12 months full-time equivalent in total) to support specific activities in support of your research project.
You must do the majority of the proposed research activity. We encourage you and your host organisation to refer to the principles of the. You should also consult the and the when planning and facilitating the work or your research assistant.
Funding available
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £312,500.
AHRC will fund 80% of the FEC.
The host institution must contribute the remaining 20% of the FEC.
The host organisation and the fellow must work together to prepare the budget as part of the application process.
We will contribute to the cost of mentoring. However, institutions may provide additional mentoring support alongside other forms of leadership or career development support for early career applicants, as part of their additional support for the fellowship.
This route can also include collaborative projects and placements between the IRO host and other GLAM organisations or other partner institutions.
Non-IROs may wish to consider collaborating with an IRO host to offer a placement opportunity for the fellow. This would enable the fellow to spend part of the fellowship with the organisation, for example, to work on a specific project or collection. Costs incurred through placements can be included as part of your funding applications.
Portfolio balancing
As part of the full stage application process, AHRC will implement portfolio balancing to ensure the opportunity delivers equitably across research areas, institutional types, and geographic locations.
Applications will be assessed by the panel against the published criteria and ranked in terms of excellence. AHRC will then use these recommendations to create a balanced portfolio from the highest quality proposals.
In creating a balanced portfolio, AHRC will consider the following:
* institutional diversity, including representation across a range of IROs and applications that involve partnerships with smaller or regional GLAM or heritage organisations
* research focus, to support fellowship applications that cover a breadth of research areas and methodological approaches
* geographic coverage, to support a distribution of fellows across the UK
Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)
UKRI is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.
As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how their proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.
See, including where you can find additional support.
How to apply
Each independent research organisation (IRO) will be able to submit one application.
We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.
The fellow is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.
Only the lead independent research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.
To apply
This funding opportunity is by invitation only. When received, please click on the invitation link to start your application.
Select ‘Start application’ using the link provided.
1. Confirm you are the fellow.
2. Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. If your organisation is not listed, email
Please allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service. We strongly suggest that if you are asking UKRI to add your organisation to the Funding Service to enable you to apply to this opportunity, you also create an organisation Administration Account. This will be needed to allow the acceptance and management of any grant that might be offered to you.
3. Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.
4. Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.
5. Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
6. Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.
When including images, you must:
* provide a descriptive caption or legend for each image immediately underneath it in the text box (this must be outside the image and counts towards your word limit)
* insert each new image on a new line
* use files smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format
Images should only be used to convey important visual information that cannot easily be put into words. The following are not permitted, and your application may be rejected if you include:
* sentences or paragraphs of text
* tables
* excessive quantities of images
A few words are permitted where the image would lack clarity without the contextual words, such as a diagram, where text labels are required for an axis or graph column.
For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:
* * *
References
References should be included within the word count of the appropriate question section. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.
Hyperlinks can be used in reference information. When including references, you should consider how your references will be viewed and used by the assessors, ensuring that:
* references are easily identifiable by the assessors
* references are formatted as appropriate to your research
* persistent identifiers are used where possible
General use of hyperlinks
Applications should be self-contained. You should only use hyperlinks to link directly to reference information. You must not include links to web resources to extend your application. Assessors are not required to access links to conduct assessment or recommend a funding decision.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI)
Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied.
For more information see our .
Deadline
AHRC must receive your application by 11 June 2026 at 4:00pm UK time.
You will not be able to apply after this time.
Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.
Following the submission of your application to this funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and submitted applications will not be amended. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.
Personal data
Processing personal data
AHRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.
We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our .
Sensitive information
If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email
Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].
Typical examples of confidential information include:
* individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)
* declaration of interest
* additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section
* conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection
* the application is an invited resubmission
For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read .
Institutional Matched Funding
There is no requirement for matched funding from the institutions hosting the project lead, project co-leads or other staff employed on the application, beyond the standard 20% FEC. Expert reviewers and panels assessing UKRI funding applications must not consider levels of institutional matched funding as a factor on which to base recommendations. Direct and in-kind contributions from third party project partners are encouraged.
This policy does not remove the need for support from host organisations who must provide the necessary research environment and infrastructure for award-specific activities funded by UKRI. For example, research facilities, training and development of staff.
Publication of outcomes
AHRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity on .
If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the .
Summary
Word limit: 550
In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.
We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:
* opinion-formers
* policymakers
* the public
* the wider research community
Guidance for writing a summary
Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
* context
* the challenge the project addresses
* aims and objectives
* potential applications and benefits
Core team
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
* fellow
* specialist
* grant manager
* professional enabling staff
* research and innovation associate
* technician
* visiting researcher
* researcher co-lead (RcL)
Only list one individual as fellow.
UKRI has introduced a new addition to the ‘Specialist’ role type. Public contributors such as people with lived experience can now be added to an application.