AHRC Standard Research Grant Programme: Applicant-Led Mode (UK)

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) offers the AHRC Standard research grant: applicant-led mode to support well-defined collaborative arts and humanities research projects. The total project full economic cost (FEC) must be between £300,000 and £1,500,000, and AHRC funds 80% of the FEC. The opportunity is open with no closing date. Opportunity at a Glance

- Funder: Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) (part of UK Research and Innovation, UKRI)

- Opportunity type: Grant

- Application status: Open — no closing date

- Award range (FEC): £300,000 to £1,500,000 (full economic cost)

- AHRC contribution: 80% of FEC

- Maximum project duration: 5 years

- Project start timing: Projects must start at least nine months after the submission date

- Opening date (UKRI listing): 23 September 2026, 9:00am UK time

- Publication date (UKRI listing): 23 September 2026

- Submission system: UKRI Funding Service (not Je-S)

About the Opportunity

AHRC’s applicant-led mode supports arts and humanities researchers to build and strengthen effective working relationships, including collaboration both within and beyond arts and humanities and within and beyond the UK. The focus is on well-defined collaborative projects that generate authored research outputs and include meaningful leadership and management across the team. The opportunity also encourages projects to promote communication and dissemination beyond academia, and—where appropriate—facilitate knowledge transfer to wider research and non-academic contexts. Funding and Benefits Key funding parameters stated in the opportunity include:

- Eligible total project cost (FEC): Must be between £300,000 and £1,500,000.

- AHRC funding level: AHRC will fund 80% of the FEC.

- Duration limit: The maximum duration is five years.

- Project co-lead international (PcL(I)) funding rules: - Costs associated with project co-lead internationals (PcL(I)s) are funded at 100% FEC. - PcL(I) costs must not exceed 30% of the total FEC of the project.

- Exception: This 30% cap does not apply to PcL(I)s based in a country on the OECD DAC list, excepting India and China.

- PcL(I)s from OECD DAC countries (except India and China) are also eligible to claim overheads support.

- Further clarification: UKRI advises applicants to consult the UKRI project co-lead (international) policy for additional details on these costs and eligibility.

Who Is Eligible? This opportunity is open to organisations that meet standard eligibility for AHRC funding. Applicants must also ensure their proposed research is within AHRC’s subject remit. Eligible applicant teams (minimum leadership requirements)

Applications must include:

- A project lead - At least one project co-lead Each team member (project lead and project co-lead(s)) must contribute to: - development of the research grant application - project leadership and management - joint authorship of research outputs Who can apply (career background) You do not need to hold an academic, research, or teaching post to apply. Applications are welcomed from people working in roles such as: - archivists - curators - librarians - technicians - practitioners Project co-leads and international involvement - Project co-lead internationals are supported under this funding opportunity, in line with UKRI guidance. - International researchers can apply as “project co-lead (international)”. - Other international collaborators (or UK partners not based at approved organisations) should be included as project partners. Who is not eligible - The opportunity does not support project studentships (funding PhD study). Important institutional eligibility notes - Applicants must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding. - UKRI notes that research offices and finance teams will undertake checks on hosting arrangements and financial eligibility, but applicants remain responsible for ensuring compliance with opportunity requirements. Eligible Activities or Priority Areas AHRC expects projects to aim for outcomes such as: - enabling arts and humanities researchers to establish or enhance effective working relationships with: - fellow researchers (within/beyond arts and humanities; within/beyond the UK) - practitioners - individuals and organisations who may benefit from the research - providing opportunities for less experienced researchers to develop expertise and careers through collaboration with senior researchers, including by leading projects themselves - maximising research value by promoting communication and dissemination beyond academia, and where appropriate, facilitating knowledge transfer to other contexts Collaboration models

Collaborations can involve:

- a single institution or a combination of institutions - researchers from different research areas - collaboration across arts and humanities disciplines, or between an arts and humanities discipline and another subject area (with the arts and humanities element leading the research questions/methods) - researchers working in other sectors - researchers based abroad AHRC expects the collaboration to be appropriate for the specific needs of the project, and notes that the time commitment of the project lead and any project co-lead should be proportionate to the project. Duration requirement

- Maximum duration: 5 years

- Start time: Projects must start at least nine months after the submission date.

Why This Opportunity Matters This grant is designed to support collaborative arts and humanities research that goes beyond institutional boundaries and, when relevant, engages practitioners and wider audiences. It also explicitly builds in capacity development for less experienced researchers through collaborative project roles and joint leadership/management. For UK-based research organisations and eligible applicants, the opportunity provides a defined funding envelope with clear constraints on FEC, the level of AHRC contribution, and rules for international co-lead costs. How to