Preparing your application
You must identify and research the institutions’ collections, fully familiarising yourself with them and how they are relevant to your own research. Please visit the institutions’ individual websites as a starting point to investigate the collections and inform your choice. The institutions are:
- Harry Ransom Center, Texas, US
- The Huntington Library, California, US
- The Library of Congress, Washington DC, US
- National Institutes for the Humanities, Japan
- Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, US
- Shanghai Theatre Academy, China
- Yale Centre for British Art
Once this initial step is completed, you can proceed to directly contact the relevant International Placement Scheme (IPS)-host institution to discuss your potential application and for information about the collections.
The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.
Only the lead research organisation can apply to UKRI.
If a student’s PhD is funded through a consortium of research organisations, the application should be submitted by the student’s home research organisation, rather than the consortia lead research organisation.
To apply
PhD students and early career researchers (ECRs) are both eligible to apply as a project lead for this funding opportunity. UKRI expects that the research organisation will ensure that students do not apply for any other opportunities as a project lead unless it is specified that they are eligible to do so.
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
- Confirm you are the project lead.
- Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password. If your organisation is not listed, email support@funding-service.ukri.org
Please allow at least 10 working days for your organisation to be added to the Funding Service. We strongly suggest that if you are asking UKRI to add your organisation to the Funding Service to enable you to apply to this opportunity, you also create an organisation Administration Account. This will be needed to allow the acceptance and management of any grant that might be offered to you.
- Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.
- Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.
- Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
- Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.
When including images, you must:
- provide a descriptive caption or legend for each image immediately underneath it in the text box (this must be outside the image and counts towards your word limit)
- insert each new image on a new line
- use files smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format
Images should only be used to convey important visual information that cannot easily be put into words. The following are not permitted, and your application may be rejected if you include:
- sentences or paragraphs of text
- tables
- excessive quantities of images
A few words are permitted where the image would lack clarity without the contextual words, such as a diagram, where text labels are required for an axis or graph column.
For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:
References
References should be included within the word count of the appropriate question section. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.
Hyperlinks can be used in reference information. When including references, you should consider how your references will be viewed and used by the assessors, ensuring that:
- references are easily identifiable by the assessors
- references are formatted as appropriate to your research
- persistent identifiers are used where possible
General use of hyperlinks
Applications should be self-contained. You should only use hyperlinks to link directly to reference information. You must not include links to web resources to extend your application. Assessors are not required to access links to conduct assessment or recommend a funding decision.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI)
Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied.
For more information see our policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment.
Deadline
AHRC must receive your application by 19 March 2026 at 4:00pm UK time.
You will not be able to apply after this time.
Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.
Following the submission of your application to this funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and submitted applications will not be amended. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.
Personal data
Processing personal data
AHRC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.
We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.
AHRC, as part of UKRI, will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with host institutions so that they can participate in the assessment process.
Summary
Word limit: 250
In plain English, provide a summary of your proposed fellowship that can be sent to your intended host organisation to determine if they think you are a good fit.
We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:
- opinion-formers
- policymakers
- the public
- the wider research community
Guidance for writing a summary
Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
- context
- the challenge the project addresses
- aims and objectives
- potential applications and benefits
Your summary must include:
- the name of the International Placement Scheme (IPS) host you aspire to study at (remember, if you are an ESRC applicant you can only apply for the Library of Congress).
Core team
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
- project lead (PL) – PhD students and early career researchers (ECRs) are both eligible to apply under this role for this funding opportunity
Only list one individual as project lead.
Application questions
Eligibility to apply for opportunity
Word limit: 200
If you are a PhD student, please provide the following information:
- the title of your PhD
- the grant reference number for your current Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) (beginning AH) or Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) award (beginning ES). If that award is part of an institutional block grant or consortia grant, for example: Block Grant Partnership (BGP), Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), Doctoral Training Centre (DTC), Collaborative Doctoral Award (CDA) or Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP), we also require that grant reference number. If you are unsure of your grant reference number, you must contact your research organisation
- confirmation that if the application is successful no additional time will be added to the doctoral award end date
If you are an early career researcher, provide information detailing how you meet the eligibility criteria by confirming you either:
- hold a doctorate by the start date of the fellowship
- can demonstrate equivalent research or innovation experience, training or both
If you are a doctoral level research assistant provide information detailing how you meet the eligibility criteria by confirming, you:
- are of postdoctoral standing, having either a PhD qualification or equivalent research experience
- have a contract with a UK RO at the time of application that extends beyond the end date of the International Placement Scheme (IPS) fellowship
Also explain how you meet any additional host-specific eligibility as described in the ‘Who can apply’ section.
Purpose
Word limit: 500
Why is the travel needed?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Explain why the proposed travel is necessary and where alternative approaches are not appropriate, including reference to:
- added value to existing or future research and innovation
- promotion of collaboration
- acquisition and development of skills
- benefit to the countries, organisations and regions involved where appropriate
- why you are the best person to carry out this visit
- why the place you are travelling to is the best place to go to, in terms of people and resources (including access to particular collections)
- a breakdown of how the time spent there would be used
Within this section we expect you to provide:
- a summary of the research you propose to conduct during your IPS fellowship, indicating how it relates to your current research
- explanation of how your research objectives, methodologies, context or both could offer a unique contribution to your host community
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the service.
Applicant experience
Word limit: 600
Why are you the right individual to successfully deliver the proposed work?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Evidence of how you have:
- the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to make best use of the benefits presented by this funding opportunity to develop your career
- the right balance of skills and aptitude (including language proficiency if relevant) to deliver the proposed work
Within this section we expect you to include:
- a brief summary of your current research to date (including any AHRC/ESRC funded grants)
- a timeline for the completion of any current research projects, showing the stage you are at now and the stage at which the IPS fellowship would take place (you may include a table if it helps)
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the service.
Your supervisor’s or head of department support
Word limit: 400
Provide a statement of support from your supervisor if applying as a PhD student or Head of Department, if early career researcher (ECR).
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Reviewers will be looking for a strong statement of support.
The statement should include:
- why the proposed institution is appropriate for you to conduct your research
- details of the supervisory arrangements that will be in place whilst you are undertaking your research during this placement
- assurance that the time spent on the IPS will not result in extra time being required to complete the current research funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)/ Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
You must also include the following details:
- the person’s name and position
- office address or web link
Upload details are provided within the service on the actual application.