AHRC Curiosity Award: applicant-led mode

The AHRC Curiosity Award is a flexible grant for early-stage, ambitious and novel fundamental research in the arts and humanities intended to generate new research agendas, networking activity and idea generation. Projects may be single-discipline, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary or transdisciplinary and can include practice-based and practice-led research. Awards support activities such as idea generation, seed funding, networking, partnership building, knowledge exchange, public engagement, scoping and piloting, and international collaboration. Projects can be led by individuals, teams or networks based at eligible UK research organisations.

Grant funding up to £100,000 FEC with AHRC funding 80% of FEC; support for project durations up to five years; encouragement to include mentor support and to undertake networking, partnership building, knowledge exchange and public engagement activities.

Applicants must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding; applicants do not need to hold an academic, research or teaching post and applications are welcomed from roles such as archivists, curators, librarians, technicians and practitioners. International researchers may participate as project co-lead (international) or project partners, subject to the UKRI project co-lead (international) policy.

Submit an application through the UKRI funding service application portal and follow AHRC/UKRI application guidance and eligibility policies.