The purpose of this fellowship is to offer early career postdoctoral (or equivalent) researchers the opportunity to gain research and career experience in the galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM) sector.
The objectives of the AHRC investment 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
- increase the host organisation’s capacity to undertake research and innovation activities, leading to practical benefits and outcomes for the host
- address a need across the GLAM sector for more dedicated support at the early stage of research careers
- promote equality, diversity and inclusion principles
- strengthen efforts to build and diversify research capabilities in cultural heritage research and innovation
- further extend the GLAM sector’s engagement with, and contribution to, society
- support high-quality and impactful research and innovation projects
We will achieve this by funding individual fellowships for early career researchers hosted by cultural and heritage independent research organisations. The fellowship includes a complementary programme of networking events and career development activities, coordinated by the Victoria and Albert Museum.
How to apply for a fellowship
You can apply for the next round of fellowships when the opportunity is posted on the UKRI funding finder.
Subscribe to UKRI alerts to be notified of new opportunities when they are published.
2023 pilot round fellowships
We funded eight fellows through the pilot round which started in 2023:
- Ann-Marie Forster: ‘Accessible pasts, equitable futures’ at the host organisation Imperial War Museums
- Aparajita Mukhopadhyay: ‘Mediating imperial science: economic botany and agrarian ecology in colonial South Asia’ at the host organisation Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
- Audrey Scardina: ‘The historic environment as an agent of change in the climate emergency: a community-centred approach’ at the host organisation Historic Environment Scotland
- Jennifer Morris: ‘Interpreting Borneo in Britain: interrogating the colonial legacy of the Charles Hose collections in British museums’ at the host organisation The British Museum
- Marleen Boschen: ‘Future ecologies of art: exploring Kew as a site for past, present and future artistic collaborations’ at the host organisation Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
- Sophia Nicolov: ‘Cetacean (re)sources: reconnecting London’s Natural History Museum cetacean specimens with the legacies of empire and whaling’ at the host organisation The Natural History Museum
- Sion Parkinson: ‘Fragrance in the fungarium: capturing heritage scents of mushrooms and mycological art’ at the host organisation Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
- Thupten Kelsang: ‘Reanimating Tibetan heritage: transforming collections, empowering communities’ at the host organisation Victoria and Albert Museum
Read more about the fellows, their research projects and the training and development programme on the Victoria and Albert Museum website.
Last updated: 10 July 2024