Early career fellowships in cultural and heritage institutions: 2026 (invite only) is sponsored by Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) - UKRI. Enables early career postdoctoral or equivalent researchers to gain research and career experience in the galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM) sector, working with a major cultural or heritage host organisation on a co-designed research project.

Early career fellowships in cultural and heritage institutions: 2025 (invite only) – UKRI Funding opportunity: Early career fellowships in cultural and heritage institutions: 2025 (invite only) Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 16 February 2026 9:00am UK time 11 June 2026 4:00pm UK time Last updated: 23 February 2026 - see all updates 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. 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).

This opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. Check if your organisation is eligible . 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 committed to achieving equality of opportunity 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: support for people with caring responsibilities alternative working patterns UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) applicants and grant holders 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.

You cannot resubmit a previous UKRI application to this competition. 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. The focus of your proposal must fit within one of the IRO priority research areas (XLSX, 105KB) as published during the expression or interest stage. Proposals should contribute to AHRC’s objectives and vision on cultural assets and our strategic delivery plan 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: cultural and museum studies library and information studies creative and performing 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: greener institutional practices efficiency gains in collections management, discoverability and access 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 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. 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 Victoria & Albert Museum’s Early Career Research Fellowships in Cultural and Heritage Institutions . 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 Research Development Concordat .

You should also consult the Technician Commitment and the AHRC guidance on training and developing early career researchers in the arts and humanities when planning and facilitating the work or your research assistant. 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.

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 TR&I Principles 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 further guidance and information about TR&I , including where you can find additional support.

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. 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: Confirm you are the fellow. 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. 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.

Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office. Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.

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 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: how applicants use the Funding Service how research offices use the Funding Service how reviewers use the Funding Service 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 policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment . 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.

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 privacy notice .

If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email researcher. develpment@ahrc. ukri.

org 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) 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 UKRI’s privacy notice .

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.

AHRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity on What AHRC has funded . If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research . 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: the wider research community Guidance for writing a summary Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of: the challenge the project addresses potential applications and benefits List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following: professional enabling staff research and innovation associate 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. Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications .

What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Explain how your proposed work: is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s) has the potential to advance current understanding, or generate new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area of its focus is timely, given current trends, context, and needs impacts world-leading research, society, the economy or the environment supports wider capacity development in the field(s) or area(s) of focus will increase the mobility of knowledge and research between sectors by supporting knowledge exchange or the movement of people between sectors References may be included within this section.

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

In the Vision section we also expect you to: identify the potential direct or indirect benefits for the fellow, host organisation, and wider cultural and heritage sector describe the overall vision and aims of the proposed work state the key research question(s) you will address during the fellowship explain the disciplinary focus and how this connects to the host organisation’s research priorities and the wider cultural and heritage sectors How are you going to deliver your proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Explain how you have designed your work so that it: is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how you will manage them uses a clearly written and transparent methodology (if applicable) summarises the previous work and describes how you will build on and progress this work (if applicable) will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts References may be included within this section.

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

Within the Approach section we also expect you to: specify what methodology you will use and why it is suitable for the project provide a detailed and comprehensive project plan, including milestones and timelines in the form of a chart or diagram describe how you will project-manage your fellowship outline how resources will be allocated to enable you to deliver the vision, objectives, outputs, and impacts of the fellowship outline how you will disseminate findings and include any planned public engagement activities, and show how these are integrated into your project plan and milestones provide information on internal project monitoring and evaluation arrangements Applicant capability to deliver Why are you the right individual to successfully deliver the proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Evidence of how you have: the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to make best use of the benefits presented by this funding opportunity to develop your career the right balance of skills and aptitude to deliver the proposed work contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community the appropriate team working or leadership skills (appropriate to career stage) You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.

Further details are provided in the Funding Service. The word limit for this section is 1,650 words, 1,150 words to be used for Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) modules (including references) and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions. Use the R4RI format to showcase the range of relevant skills you have and how this will help to deliver the proposed work.

You can include specific achievements and choose past contributions that best evidence your ability to deliver this work. Complete this section using the following R4RI module headings. You should use each heading once, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI .

You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills you bring: contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships contributions to the wider research and innovation community contributions to broader research or innovation, users and audiences, and towards wider societal benefit Provide any further details relevant to your application.

This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences, or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them). You should complete this section as a narrative.

Do not format it like a CV. The roles in funding applications policy has descriptions of the different project roles. Why is this fellowship the right way to develop your career, and how will you use it to benefit others?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Ensure that you have identified: career development goals appropriate to the fellowship funding opportunity how the fellowship will provide a feasible and appropriate trajectory for your personal development and to achieve your stated career development goals (as appropriate to your career stage and field) an appropriate trajectory for you to acquire additional skills, like research, leadership, communication and management how you will instigate positive change in the wider research and innovation community, for example through Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), advocacy or advisory roles, stakeholder engagement, participation in expert review, influencing policy, public engagement, or outreach Within the Career development section, we also expect you to describe: how you will ensure continued research and professional development in those you will be managing on the project (if applicable), to have a positive research and innovation experience, with opportunities or support to progress their own careers (useful links Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and Technician Commitment ) how your fellowship will contribute to the wider sector, for example, strengthening research capacity and diversifying narratives in the cultural and heritage sector what mentoring arrangements are proposed and how they are appropriate to you your commitment to actively engage with the cohort training and development offer Host organisation support How will the host organisation support your fellowship?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Provide a support statement including: evidence detailing how the host will support you, as appropriate for your career development and the vision and approach of the fellowship who you have engaged with in your host organisation (name and role) how your research environment will contribute to the success of the work, in terms of suitability of the host organisation and strategic relevance to the project how the host organisation will ensure your time commitment to the fellowship is protected what development and training opportunities will be provided and how they form a cohesive career development package tailored to your aims and aspirations what financial or practical support, such as access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment, is being provided and how this strengthens your application Within the Host organisation support section, we also expect you to describe: how mentors will be agreed with the host IRO and the cohort coordination team after the fellowship has been awarded which organisation will take the lead role for your employment and managing the award, if two or more IROs are co-hosting your fellowship, and to outline the role of each organisation the benefits of the collaboration, its relevance, and potential impact the value, relevance and possible benefits to the host organisations the period of support, the full nature of the collaboration and how the host will support you in terms of career development, mentorship, access to facilities, and engagement with the cohort development offer Resources and cost justification What will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?

What the assessors are looking for in your response Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular: significant travel for field work or collaboration (but not regular travel between collaborating organisations or to conferences) any consumables beyond typical requirements, or that are required in exceptional quantities all facilities and infrastructure costs all resources that have been costed as ‘Exceptions’ You can request costs associated with reasonable adjustments where they increase as a direct result of working on the project.

For further information see Disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders . Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources.

Overall, they want you to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work: are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes maximise potential outcomes and impacts Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI) What are the ethical and RRI considerations, implications and issues relating to the proposed work?

If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.

What the assessors are looking for in your response Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated: the relevant ethical and RRI considerations how you will manage these considerations If you are collecting or using data you should identify: any legal and ethical considerations of collecting, releasing and storing the data (including consent, confidentiality, anonymisation, security and other ethical considerations and, in particular, strategies to not preclude further reuse of data) formal information standards that your proposed work will comply with You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.

Further details are provided in the Funding Service. Please refer to the UKRI position statement on funding ethical research and Responsible innovation for more information around our expectations on ethical and responsible research and innovation. Add details about any project partners’ contributions.

If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service. A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct contributions for example cash, donated equipment and resources, or staff seconded to the project, or indirect and in-kind contributions for example use of project partner’s equipment, datasets, or facilities.

Project partners may be in industry, academia, third sector or government organisations in the UK or overseas, including partners based in the EU.

Add the following project partner details: the organisation name and address (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable) the project partner contact name and email address the type of contribution (direct or indirect) and its monetary value If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.

For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made. Project partners: letters (or emails) of support Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the project partners section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.

What the assessors are looking for in your response Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter ‘N/A’.

Each letter or email you provide should: confirm the partner’s commitment to the project clearly explain the value, relevance, and possible benefits of the work to them describe any additional value that they bring to the project have a page limit of two sides A4 per partner The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.

If you do not have any project partners, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service. Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the project partners section. For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to