Together, Curiosity and Catalyst received a remarkable total of 882 applications across 143 research organisations. In 2024 to 2025, we funded a range of projects reflecting the diversity, societal impact and ambition of arts and humanities research. They include:
- a study into the use of extended reality (XR) in police education to explore how digital technologies can transform training and practice
- a project to improve access for deaf British Sign Language users to UK welfare and legal systems, ensuring these communities have better support navigating essential services
- research on the multilingual history of London between the 16th and 18th centuries, shedding light on the city’s evolving linguistic and cultural heritage
Celebrating success: insights from the first year of funding
When we launched Curiosity and Catalyst, one of our main objectives was to broaden access to research opportunities and showcase the wide-ranging diversity within the arts and humanities.
Although there is more to be done, the projects funded to-date demonstrate progress in broadening access to opportunities so as many people as possible can contribute to research.
For example, we received 145 applications from project leads under 35 years old.
What’s more, compared to the previous Research Networking scheme (years 2022 to 2023), the percentage of applicants declaring a disability across all roles has more than doubled, rising from 5.3% to 11%.
Similarly, the number of projects leads identifying within a minority ethnic group has risen from 11.4% to 19.3%. We’re committed to building on this momentum.
Impressive potential for impact
Curiosity panellists have consistently encouraged bold, risk-taking research, underpinned by well-structured risk management.
This fusion of creativity and planning has already led to impressive potential for impact.
At the Catalyst panels, many applicants were praised for creating unique professional development opportunities, building strong partnerships and offering clear progression for research associates (RAs) to advance their careers.
Strong mentorship and support systems have been key in helping both research and RAs thrive.
Understanding the competitive landscape
Despite an average success rate of 6.9% for Curiosity and 5.1% for Catalyst (demonstrating the intense competition) these numbers underscore the extraordinary depth and diversity of ideas in the arts and humanities sector.
We fully appreciate the significant effort behind every application, and we remain dedicated to ensuring the highest quality proposals receive the support they need.
However, it is also clear as the demand for funding far exceeds the available resources. We also recognise the considerable effort and time that goes into writing an application, which makes the decision-making process even more challenging.
As a result, not all excellent proposals can be funded.
Fewer applications
We understand why some institutions might submit multiple proposals in the hope of improving their odds.
However, our data shows that investing in fewer, carefully developed applications often leads to stronger outcomes. For instance:
- in Curiosity rounds one to four, 50% of research organisations who submitted more than 10 applications did not receive a successful award
- similarly, only five research organisations received Catalyst funding more than once in rounds one to four
In fact, focusing on fewer, higher-quality applications is often more effective and gives your best ideas a stronger chance of standing out.
Our panel members are specifically tasked with focusing on the quality of applications, not the quantity, so the strength of your proposal is what truly matters.
We encourage all applicants to prioritise the quality of their submissions, ensuring that proposals stand out for their originality, ambition, and impact.
This approach will increase the likelihood of success and ensure that the most innovative ideas are supported.
Changes to our funding process
Looking to the future, we can confirm that Arts and Humanities Research Council’s (AHRC) applicant-led-mode schemes (Research Grants, Catalyst, and Curiosity) will soon be ’always open’.
Deadlines are no longer fixed; you can submit at any time throughout the year, and our panels will convene regularly to allocate funding.
We hope this flexibility empowers researchers to focus on developing truly exceptional proposals without the pressure of set deadlines.
To ensure we continue funding excellent quality research, we’ve listened to feedback from our Peer Review College members and explored ways to streamline the application process.
By reducing the number of applications reaching the panels, we aim to not only make the process more efficient but also enable faster outcomes for some applications.
Filtering stage
Beginning in January 2025, in an effort to streamline the process, prioritise the most promising research and speed up outcomes, we will introduce a filtering stage.
Applications that score an average of 4.5 or below across all peer reviews will be declined before reaching the panel.
However, if an application has two reviews averaging 5.5 or above, it will automatically proceed to the panel, ensuring applicants can respond to feedback.
More details on this process are available on the specific Funding Finder pages, which will provide further clarification to applicants, assessors and research organisations.
This new approach applies to all applicant-led mode schemes, though for strategic opportunities we may implement different rules which will be outlined in the relevant funding opportunity.
Regular updates
We are excited to announce that we have relaunched our Panel Outcomes Dashboard, and it is now live! This is where we’ll share award data and provide quarterly updates moving forward.
Keep an eye on our applicant-led mode page for regular updates, and remember that our focus remains on funding projects with the greatest potential for impact. We look forward to seeing your boldest ideas and celebrating more successes in the years to come.