Opportunity status:
Open
Funders:
Funding type:
Grant
Award range:
£2,000,000 - £3,000,000
Publication date:
2 June 2026
Opening date:
3 June 2026 9:00am UK time
Closing date:
16 September 2026 4:00pm UK time
Apply for Large Grants funding to deliver novel, ambitious and transformative arts and humanities research projects at scale.
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funding.
AHRC Large Grants will use team convening approaches to deliver world-leading excellent research that significantly advances knowledge and builds capability in their chosen area.
This is the outline stage of this funding opportunity.
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £3 million. AHRC will fund 80% of the FEC.
Projects must be between three and five years in duration.
Who can apply
This opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. .
Before applying for funding please .
If you are not sure your research falls within the remit of AHRC, please use the to submit a pre-application enquiry. Note that we aim to respond to remit enquiries within two weeks. You should submit your enquiry as early as possible.
To ensure meaningful participation in project development, each individual applicant can only be a member of one applicant team and therefore can only participate in a maximum of one application to this funding opportunity.
Administration of application
In order to facilitate administration of your application, your team will need to identify a nominated project lead and a lead research organisation for the application.
For the purposes of a Large Grant award, the project lead and lead research organisation are administrative role descriptors. These role descriptors do not reflect primary ownership of the project. All proposed projects for this funding opportunity must be organised using a team convening approach, as outlined below.
The nominated project lead and lead research organisation will act as the initial point of contact for AHRC on behalf of the project team throughout the application and assessment process and, where successful, the resulting award. They will be responsible for coordinating key administrative processes throughout the project lifecycle, such as submitting the application, establishing collaboration agreements and disbursing funds.
The nominated project lead will need to be eligible to receive UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding.. This individual can be nominated from across the team and does not need to be an academic. They will need to be affiliated with the nominated lead research organisation for your project.
The nominated lead research organisation will need to have standard eligibility to receive UKRI funding. .
Team convened research
Large Grant awards must be team convened to facilitate the breadth and depth of expertise necessary to enact ground-breaking change at scale through research. This means that we expect to see innovative and inclusive teams collaboratively designing research that integrates the following principles:
* identify appropriate expertise
* establish a collective leadership structure
* design inclusive governance
* identify ways to embed development for all
* engage in reflexive practice
For more information on the team convening principles, see the Additional information section.
AHRC actively encourages applicants to think imaginatively about team composition and meaningfully integrate appropriate expertise from across the research ecosystem. Depending on the nature and needs of your project, this could include establishing core team roles for technicians, professional service colleagues, or representatives from non-HEI organisations.
We welcome inclusion of people at different career stages across the applicant team.
We expect all team members’ participation in the project to be informed by their individual skills, expertise, experience, and capacity. Development and support should be integrated into the project design as appropriate to facilitate the participation and growth of all team members.
For more information on how to include different individuals in your team composition, see the ‘How to apply’ section.
Project co-leads
We expect that responsibilities should be distributed across the team according to individual skills, experience and capacity, with project co-leads collectively providing leadership and overall management of the project.
Project co-leads based at UK research organisations should meet the .
Researchers based at international organisations are eligible to be included in applications using the project co-lead (international) role in alignment with .
To facilitate connectivity with potential research users, AHRC is extending project co-lead eligibility to individuals from business, third sector or government organisations. This is in alignment with .
Other roles
Other roles that are supported by this funding opportunity are listed in the ‘How to apply’ section below, aligned with .
Who is not eligible to apply
Large Grant applications cannot include project studentships (funding PhD study).
Applications to AHRC Large Grants must be team convened with leadership and overall management of the project distributed across project co-leads, including the designated project lead Any applications where these responsibilities are clearly not distributed between team members will not be considered under this funding opportunity.
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.
What we're looking for
Demand management
Demand management is not currently being applied to this funding opportunity. However, should the level of interest exceed what can be managed within the assessment process, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) may introduce limits on the number of applications that can be submitted. Further details will be clearly communicated where this is the case. UKRI encourages organisations to support applicants in preparing well-planned, high-quality applications that are competitive for funding relative to the funding opportunity.
Scope
AHRC Large Grants support teams in delivering novel, ambitious and transformative arts and humanities research projects at scale. Large Grant award holders will use team convening approaches to deliver world-leading excellent research that significantly advances knowledge and builds capability in their chosen area. We expect Large Grants teams to underpin their planned research with a clear pathway to impact, with sustainable benefits beyond the funded period of the project.
This funding opportunity celebrates the full diversity of the arts and humanities. Applications are welcome from across AHRC’s subject remit. See the for our remit coverage.
Projects can be single discipline, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, or transdisciplinary. Applicants may integrate research from outside AHRC’s subject remit where approaches, methods and knowledge from other disciplines can enrich the project’s capacity to deliver transformative research. The majority of the project’s disciplinary focus must fall within AHRC’s subject remit.
This funding opportunity builds on the and the .
For more information on the background of this funding opportunity, go to the Additional information section.
Impact of research
Large Grants are expected to deliver tangible and impactful change at a scale commensurate with the amount of funding available. The nature of this change should be directed by the research priorities collectively set by each applicant team. Anticipated benefits should be clearly defined and, in addition to advancing knowledge, may encompass impacts across society, culture and the economy.
Each project should meaningfully and efficiently deliver change within its lifecycle, building in legacy planning to ensure sustainability of benefits beyond the funding period.
Teams invited to submit a full stage application will be expected to articulate their planned impact through a logic model. Although evidence of this is not a requirement of outline stage applications, you may wish to begin using this framework as you develop your ideas.
Outline stage
This is an opportunity to submit an outline stage application for AHRC Large Grant awards. We have purposefully streamlined what we are asking applicant teams to submit in order to reduce administrative burden and manage demand during this initial stage.
You are not expected to provide a comprehensive work plan or costings at this stage. If your outline stage application is shortlisted for full stage, you will have the opportunity to provide this detail in your full stage application. However, please ensure that you have understood your research organisation’s administrative requirements as early as possible in the process of developing your application. Internal organisational requirements may differ to the requirements of AHRC for the purpose of an outline stage application.
Fit to scheme
Developing an ambitious research project at the scale of a AHRC Large Grant requires considerable time and effort. If you do not think that your idea and team are ready to apply for a Large Grant award within the timeframe of this funding opportunity, we would encourage you to consider whether one of the other funding opportunities offered by AHRC might be a better fit.
We have a suite of applicant-led mode opportunities which are continuously open and span different levels of readiness for researchers and their ideas alike. Additionally, we offer Targeted mode funding opportunities concentrated in specific research areas. Please use the to review open and upcoming funding opportunities from AHRC.
Through this funding opportunity, we are seeking to support novel, ambitious and transformative research which complements AHRC’s overall portfolio of investment and could not have been supported through other AHRC routes to research funding. As such, applications which are duplicative of our other major investments will not be competitive within the context of this funding opportunity. For further information on our approach to portfolio balancing, see ‘How we will assess your application’.
Duration
The minimum duration of an AHRC Large Grant award is three years. The maximum duration is five years.
Successful projects will start on 1 November 2027.
Funding available
The FEC of your project can be between £2 million and £3 million.
AHRC will fund 80% of the FEC.
AHRC does not require costings as part of an outline stage application to AHRC Large Grants. If your team is invited to submit a full stage application, you will be required to include costings and justification for the application’s more costly resources at that stage.
By submitting your application to this outline stage, you confirm that your full stage submission will cost between £2 million and £3 million FEC.
Costs associated with project co-leads that are either employed by business, third sector or government bodies, or are based at international research institutions, will be funded at 100%. A combined total of up to 30% of the project’s FEC can be committed to such costs. For guidance on eligibility for these roles, see linked content in the ‘Who can apply’ section.
If one of more project co-leads (international) are based in a country on the, the 30% cap can be lifted to facilitate their equitable inclusion in the research team. Such individuals are also eligible to claim overheads support.
Supporting skills and talent
We strongly encourage you to follow the principles of the and the .
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
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 nominated project lead 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 research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.
To apply
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page:
1. Confirm you are the project lead.
2. Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password.
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.
Please be aware that research office and finance teams undertake checks on hosting arrangements and financial eligibility. The ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with all opportunity requirements lies with the applicant.
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 will 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 16 September 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 ‘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
If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the .
Summary
Word limit: 550
In plain English, provide a summary of your proposed project.
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
This section will not be assessed.
Core team
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
* project lead (PL)
* project co-lead (UK) (PcL)
* project co-lead (international) (PcL (I))
* specialist
* professional enabling staff
* research and innovation associate
* technician
Only list one individual as project lead.
Remember that for the purposes of a AHRC Large Grant award, ‘project lead’ is an administrative role descriptor. We expect that responsibilities should be distributed across the team according to individual skills, experience and capacity, with project co-leads collaboratively offering intellectual leadership and overall management of the project.
As this is an outline stage, you are not expected to provide a complete or finalised team structure. We expect continuity between your core team at outline stage through to full stage. However, this does not mean your outline team composition has to remain fixed. If invited to submit a full stage application, you will be permitted to reposition roles and expand the team at this point.
This section is for administrative purposes and will not be assessed. Assessment of your team composition will focus on the Team capability to deliver section of your application.
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.