Focal awards: multilingual futures for UK growth and connectivity

Open UKRI funding opportunity · Other. Closes 2027-01-21. Opportunity page: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/focal-awards-multilingual-futures-for-uk-growth-and-connectivity/

Submit a full application for an AHRC doctoral focal award which seeks to unlock linguistic and cultural expertise. Applications are by invitation only.

AHRC will support up to 20 studentships per award over four cohorts at the usual UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) rates.

Each proposal must outline your approach to:

- doctoral training and professional development

- increasing representation of students from underrepresented groups

The first cohort of students will start in October 2028.

To be the lead applicant, you must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for AHRC funding with capacity in languages research.

What we're looking for Aim

This AHRC funding opportunity seeks to unlock linguistic and cultural expertise to build the high-level skills, innovation capacity, and global connections that underpin the UK’s growth and prosperity. It aligns with national priorities for post-16 education and skills development, as outlined in the UK government’s Post-16 Education and Skills white paper, which emphasises how studentships support sector partnerships, creative innovation and workforce pipelines. It has been designed to meet the following objectives:

- deliver world-class doctoral training and development including cohort experience

- provide opportunities for students, preparing them to follow a diversity of career paths within and beyond academia

- support research capacity in specific strategic areas, addressing national and global challenges and delivering UKRI’s mission to drive UK growth and improve lives, through arts and humanities doctoral research and by encouraging interdisciplinary approaches

- advance current understanding, generate new knowledge, and develop the breadth of expertise for the future of the research and innovation workforce

- address…