Unlocking advanced capabilities in conservation and heritage science (Grant)

Apply for funding to strengthen conservation and heritage science infrastructure by building sustainable capability, improving access to nationally significant facilities and driving innovation with industry partners. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding. Total funding: £6.2 million Minimum award: £500,000 Maximum award: £1.5 million Location: National Who can apply: Public Sector, Non-profit, Private Sector Closing date: 2026-11-25 16:00 (UK time) Eligibility This opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. Check if your organisation is eligible. 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: - career breaks - support for people with caring responsibilitiesflexible working - alternative working patterns UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process. Summary Apply for funding to strengthen conservation and heritage science infrastructure by building sustainable national capability, improving access to nationally significant facilities and addressing unmet user demand. Projects should expand collaboration with industry, to accelerate technology development, commercialisation and knowledge exchange. The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £1.5 million, with £300,000 allocated to cascading funding. Projects must start 1 April 2027 and may last up to 24 months, ending by 31 March 2029. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding. Objectives Demand management Demand management is not being applied to this funding opportunity. Aim Unlocking Advanced Capability is the next phase of the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) Programme, building on infrastructure establishment (Tranche 1) to target capability enhancement. It supports UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s mission to advance knowledge, improve lives and drive economic growth. This investment will strengthen the UK’s conservation and heritage Dates Assessment process We will assess your application using the following process. Applications to the Unlocking Advanced Capabilities in Conservation and Heritage Science funding opportunity will be assessed by a panel. Panel For applications, the panel will review and rank fundable applications in order of priority for funding. As this funding will expand the established Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) distributed infrastructure network, the panel will seek How to apply Click here to start an application on the UKRI Funding Service: https://funding-service.ukri.org/OPP1357/apply/1382 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, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application. Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI. To apply Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page. 1. Confirm you are the project lead. 2. Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organ