Unlocking advanced capabilities in conservation and heritage science

Open UKRI funding opportunity · Grant. Closes 2026-11-25. Total fund £6.2 million. Opportunity page: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/unlocking-advanced-capabilities-in-conservation-and-heritage-science/

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.

What we're looking for 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 science ecosystem by funding equipment and facilities, and supporting collaborative projects that:

- build sustainable national capability for research and innovation

- expand access to nationally significant facilities

- address unmet user demand

It will also stimulate innovation through enhanced collaboration with industry, including small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)s, enabling knowledge exchange, technology development and pathways to commercialisation.

Projects should deliver long-term capability improvements, strengthen resilience across the sector and create opportunities for wider impact, spillover benefits and UK leadership in heritage science and conservation.

This investment will:

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