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Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Grants

AHRC funds arts and humanities research through UKRI, held by universities and eligible independent research organisations. Museums, galleries and heritage bodies usually appear as partners rather than as applicants. Some schemes fund collaboration between researchers and cultural or creative organisations.

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) has 8 open funds listed here, 3 of which accept applications all year.

Checked daily. Last updated 9 November 2026.

No published award history for Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Some funders do not publish their grants data.

What Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funds

Counted across the 8 open funds on this page.

Professional & Scientific Services (8)Arts, Entertainment & Recreation (4)Education (1)

No deadline listed

Check the funder's current application window before you apply.

No deadline listed

AHRC Collaborate with researchers in Luxembourg: applicant-led mode

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

£300,000 - £1.5mProfessional & Scientific Services

This AHRC funding lets UK arts and humanities researchers team up with researchers in Luxembourg on a joint research project. It is run with Luxembourg's Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR), under an agreement between UKRI and FNR. You can apply for research within the remit of both AHRC and FNR. The full economic cost of the UK part of your project must be between £300,000 and £1.5 million. AHRC funds 80% of that cost. FNR funds the justified costs of the Luxembourg researchers, who apply through FNR's own system and forms. You do not need to ask for equal amounts from each funder. Projects can last up to four years. It suits researchers who want to build or strengthen working relationships across borders and disciplines, give less experienced researchers a chance to grow, and share their findings beyond academia. You do not need an academic post. Archivists, curators, librarians, technicians and practitioners are welcome to apply. Your team needs a project lead and at least one project co-lead, and everyone should share in shaping the application, leading the project and publishing the research. The opportunity opened on 23 September 2026 and has no closing date. AHRC starts processing each application as soon as it arrives and holds regular decision points through the year. You do need to allow for any internal deadlines at your own institution. One practical point: your project must start at least nine months after you submit your application, so plan your timeline with that gap in mind. Project studentships for PhD study are not funded through this opportunity, and once you submit, your application cannot be changed. Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/ahrc-responsive-mode-collaborate-with-researchers-in-luxembourg/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 28 October 2026.

No deadline listed

AHRC Curiosity Award: applicant-led mode

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

Up to £100,000Professional & Scientific Services, Arts, Entertainment & Recreation

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funds flexible Curiosity Awards for fundamental research in the arts and humanities, open to teams at UK research organisations with standard UKRI eligibility. The full economic cost (FEC) can be up to £100,000, and the award runs under the applicant-led mode. The opportunity opened on 23 September 2026 at 9:00am UK time and has no closing date. AHRC begins processing each application as soon as it arrives and holds regular decision points through the year. Applications go through the UKRI Funding Service, not Je-S. Only the lead research organisation can submit, so the application goes to your research office first. You do not need an academic post. Archivists, curators, librarians, technicians and practitioners can apply. Most of the project's focus must fall within AHRC's subject remit. Project studentships funding PhD study are not supported. Once submitted, an application cannot be changed. Check your own institution's internal deadlines before you start.

No deadline listed

AHRC Catalyst Awards: applicant-led mode

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

£100,000 - £300,000Professional & Scientific Services

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funds Catalyst Awards (applicant-led mode) for researchers who have not led a significant research project. Awards run from £100,000 to £300,000 at full economic cost (FEC). The scheme is open all year with no closing date. Applicants must be at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding, with research mainly in AHRC's subject remit. The project lead must not be a current or former lead on a research or fellowship grant from UKRI or any other funder. Some awards are exempt, such as doctoral training awards and Daphne Jackson Fellowships. Applications go through the UKRI Funding Service, not Je-S, and your research office submits them. AHRC processes applications as it receives them and holds regular decision points. Project studentships are not funded. The funder's website lists no equipment items over £25,000 as fundable. Follow any internal deadline set by your own institution.

More grants

Deadline

Unlocking advanced capabilities in conservation and heritage science

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

£500,000 - £1.5mProfessional & Scientific Services, Arts, Entertainment & Recreation

This AHRC opportunity funds equipment and facilities that strengthen conservation and heritage science in the UK. It is the next phase of the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) Programme. It aims to build lasting national capability, widen access to nationally significant facilities and meet demand that is not yet being met. Each project can have a full economic cost of up to £1.5 million. Up to £1.2 million is for capital costs, such as equipment, specialist IT, and building or refurbishing facilities. Up to £300,000 can be set aside as cascading funding for innovation work with industry partners, including small and medium-sized enterprises. This must be capitalisable activity. AHRC will fund 100% of full economic cost for eligible capital costs. The total fund is £6.2 million, and awards range from £500,000 to £1.5 million. You need to show collaboration across a coherent group of partners, including private-sector SMEs, and clear evidence of need. The funder is particularly interested in consortium bids on environmental sustainability, health or risk management of heritage assets; bioarchaeology and genomics; and AI and computational methods. Projects must start by 1 April 2027 and can run for up to 24 months, ending by 31 March 2029. Applications close at 4:00pm UK time on 25 November 2026. Subject to a gateway check, successful projects can then receive a separate annual grant of £120,000 for up to 24 months to support staff capacity. One practical caveat: this is a capital funding opportunity. It will not fund original research unrelated to capability development, studentships, events or conferences. Named consortium partners cannot receive the cascading funding. Award holders must also take part in the RICHeS Access Fund and report regularly. Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/unlocking-advanced-capabilities-in-conservation-and-heritage-science/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 15 October 2026.

Deadline

Attendance and engagement at UK sporting, cultural and heritage sites

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

£1.1m - £1.3mProfessional & Scientific Services, Arts, Entertainment & Recreation

This grant funds research into new, data-intensive ways of measuring how many people attend, and take part in, events and places with no ticket or entry point. Think of festivals, public screenings, rural heritage sites and mass participation sports events. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is running it with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Your project must build on a recent DCMS pilot. It should cover a wider range of events, locations and activities, capture how people take part as well as how many turn up, and test whether more advanced machine learning improves accuracy. You must deliver a working tool that is deployed in at least one DCMS sector and can be run without significant specialist support. You should work with sector partners from the start. The full economic cost of your project can be up to £1.32 million, and the funders will pay 80% of that cost. The stated award range is £1,100,000 to £1,320,000, and the total fund is £1,320,000. Projects can run for up to 34 months. They must start on 1 May 2027 and finish by 31 March 2030. The opportunity opened on 22 September 2026 and closes on 1 December 2026 at 4:00pm UK time. You cannot apply after that. One practical point: DCMS will be closely involved. Expect monthly online check-ins and quarterly advisory group meetings. The main emphasis must be practical findings and tools for DCMS and sector stakeholders, not mainly academic outputs. Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/attendance-and-engagement-at-uk-sporting-cultural-and-heritage-sites/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 16 October 2026.

Deadline

Long-term cultural and sporting events legacy

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

£1.1m - £1.3mProfessional & Scientific Services, Arts, Entertainment & Recreation

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), in partnership with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), funds research into the long-term legacy of major sporting and cultural events in the UK. The project is a live experimental evaluation of a major event that fills gaps in existing methods. Applications must be made on the UKRI Funding Service, not Je-S. The call opened on 22 September 2026 and closes at 4:00pm UK time on 1 December 2026. The lead research organisation submits, after a check by its research office. There is no matched funding requirement beyond the standard 20% full economic cost share. Third party project partners can give direct and in-kind contributions. Project partners may be in industry, academia, third sector or government organisations, in the UK or overseas.

Deadline

Focal awards: multilingual futures for UK growth and connectivity

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

Funding amount not listedProfessional & Scientific Services, Education

This AHRC doctoral focal award is for UK higher education institutions that want to lead a consortium training the next generation of languages researchers. It aims to unlock linguistic and cultural expertise, building the high-level skills, innovation capacity and global connections that support UK growth. Applications are by invitation only. You can apply only if AHRC has invited you following a successful outline application. The full application is made on the UKRI Funding Service, not Je-S. AHRC will support between 12 and 20 studentships over four cohorts, at UKRI indicative fee levels and minimum stipend rates, for up to four years per student. The first cohort starts in October 2028 and the award lasts a minimum of seven years. Funding also covers cohort-based training at £1,200 per student per year. Collaborative Doctoral Awards attract an extra £600 a year in stipend, with support for two to three of these per lead institution, subject to demand. Each proposal must set out your approach to doctoral training and professional development, and to increasing the representation of students from underrepresented groups. Your consortium needs at least two higher education institutions and at least one partner beyond academia. Studentships should be rooted in the study of languages and engage with more than one linguistic, cultural or communicative context. The closing date is 21 January 2027 at 4:00pm UK time. One practical caveat: the funding does not cover the administrative costs of setting up and delivering the training grant, and it will not fund original research. Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/focal-awards-multilingual-futures-for-uk-growth-and-connectivity/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 16 October 2026.

Where this funding goes

England (5)National (UK-wide) (3)

Frequently asked questions about Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funding

How many Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) grants are open right now?+

8 grants from Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) are open on GrantMatch today, of which 3 have no fixed deadline. The list is checked daily.

When is the next Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) deadline?+

The nearest deadline is 25 November 2026, and the furthest is 9 March 2027. Always check the funder's own page for the final date before applying.

How do I apply for Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funding?+

Each grant on this page links to the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) application page for that fund. Read the funder's own eligibility criteria before you start, since terms differ between funds.

Other funders

Cumbria Community Foundation (84)Foundation Scotland (81)Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland (34)National Lottery Community Fund (22)Point North (20)Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (16)Innovate UK (14)Innovate UK Business Connect (13)Medical Research Council (MRC) (13)British Film Institute (12)Belfast City Council (10)Lincolnshire Community Foundation (10)Cambridgeshire Community Foundation (9)Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) (9)Energy Saving Trust (9)GrantScape (funded by Ørsted) (9)Heart of England Community Foundation (9)Norfolk Community Foundation (9)Ealing Council (8)European Space Agency (8)Football Foundation (8)Manchester City Council (8)Arts Council of Wales (6)Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (6)

See all funders