Preparing your application
You must identify and research the institutions’ collections, fully familiarising yourself with them and how they are relevant to your own research. Please visit the institutions’ individual websites as a starting point to investigate the collections and inform your choice:
Once this initial step is completed, you can proceed to directly contact the relevant host institution to discuss your potential application and for information about the collections.
For NIHU and the Smithsonian Institution, you must contact the institutions before applying. For the other hosts, it is optional but highly recommended. Any contact should be made as soon as possible before the application deadline. Contact details can be found in the ‘Contact’ section of this page.
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 project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service.
Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.
If a student’s PhD is funded through a consortium of research organisations, the application should be submitted by the student’s home research organisation rather than the consortia lead research organisation.
To apply
PhD students and early career researchers (ECRs) are both eligible to apply as a project lead for this funding opportunity. UKRI expects the research organisation will ensure that students do not apply for any other opportunities as a project lead unless it is specified that they are eligible to do so.
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
- Confirm you are the project lead.
- 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 support@funding-service.ukri.org
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. You should:
- use images sparingly and only to convey important information that cannot easily be put into words
- insert each new image onto a new line
- provide a descriptive legend for each image immediately underneath it (this counts towards your word limit)
- ensure files are smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format
Watch our research office webinars about the Funding Service.
For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:
Make sure you get any necessary approval from your organisation in advance and give your research office plenty of time to review and submit your application before the closing date.
Deadline
AHRC must receive your application by 13 March 2024 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 the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. 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 privacy notice.
AHRC as part of UKRI, will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with the host institutions so that they can participate in the assessment process.
Sensitive information
If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email the International Partnerships and Engagement Team on international@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)
- 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 UKRI’s privacy notice.
Publication of outcomes
AHRC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at Board and panel outcomes – AHRC.
Important note for ECRs: If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.
Summary
Word limit: 250
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
Your summary must include:
- the name of the host institution you aspire to study at (remember if you are an ESRC applicant you can only apply for the Library of Congress)
Core team
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
- project lead (PL) – PhD students and ECRs are both eligible to apply under this role for this opportunity
Only list one individual as project lead.
Application questions
Eligibility to apply for opportunity
Word limit: 200
Provide details about your eligibility status.
If you are a PhD student, please provide the following information:
- the title of your PhD
- for AHRC applicants, the grant reference number for your current AHRC award (beginning AH). If that award is part of an institutional block grant or consortia grant, for example BGP, DTP, DTC, CDA or CDP, we also require that grant reference number. If you are unsure of your grant reference number, you must contact your research organisation
- for ESRC applicants, the grant reference number of your Doctoral Training Partnership or Centre for Doctoral Training (beginning ES)
- confirmation that if the application is successful no additional time will be added to the doctoral award end date
If you are an early career researcher, provide information detailing how you meet the eligibility criteria by confirming you have:
- a contract with a UK research organisation (RO) that extends beyond the end date of the fellowship, and be either within eight years of the award of your PhD or equivalent professional training or within six years of your first academic appointment
Note that the durations should exclude any period of career break.
If you are a doctoral level research assistant, provide information detailing how you meet the eligibility criteria by confirming you:
- are of postdoctoral standing, having either a PhD qualification or equivalent research experience
- have a contract with a UK RO at the time of application that extends beyond the end date of the fellowship
Also explain how you meet any additional host-specific eligibility as described in the ‘Who can apply’ section.
Purpose
Word limit: 500
Why is the travel needed?
Explain why the proposed travel is necessary and where alternative approaches are not appropriate, including reference to:
- added value to existing or future research and innovation
- promotion of collaboration
- acquisition and development of skills
- benefit to the countries, organisations and regions involved where appropriate
- why you are the best person to carry out this visit
- why the place you are travelling to is the best place to go to, in terms of people and resources (including access to particular collections)
- a breakdown of how the time spent there would be used
Within this section we expect you to provide:
- a summary of the research you propose to conduct during your fellowship, indicating how it relates to your current research
- explanation of how your research objectives, methodologies, context or both could offer a unique contribution to your host community
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Applicant experience
Word limit: 600
Why are you the right individual to successfully deliver the proposed work?
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 (including language proficiency if relevant) to deliver the proposed work
Within this section we expect you to include:
- a brief summary of your current research to date (including any AHRC or ESRC funded grants)
- a timeline for the completion of any current research projects, showing the stage you are at now and the stage at which the fellowship would take place (you may include a table if it helps)
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
Your supervisor’s or head of department support
Word limit: 400
Provide a statement of support from your supervisor, if applying as a PhD student, or Head of Department if ECR.
Reviewers will be looking for a strong statement of support.
The statement should include:
- why the proposed institution is appropriate for you to conduct your research
- details of the supervisory arrangements that will be in place whilst you are undertaking your research during this placement
- assurance that the time spent on the fellowship will not result in extra time being required to complete the current research funded by AHRC or ESRC
You must also include the following details:
- the person’s name and position
- office address or web link
Upload details are provided within the service on the actual application.