Digital Project Grants

Digital Project Grants are specifically designed to help institutions, galleries or museums support original and innovative research that utilises digital media. They may be used towards the costs of supporting a curator or research scholar undertaking a digital research project or research which will lead to a digital or online project. These projects could take the form of:

• An online exhibition or curation of a digital project relating to British art or architectural history, or related topic.
• An online catalogue or database of a collection or archive, or an online catalogue or database of a specific part of a collection or archive.
• A research project using digital technologies, for example 3-D scanning or modelling, or which might make use of large datasets.

Digital Project Grants are offered for up to a maximum of £40,000 to cover the full length of the project.

An institution may apply for a Digital Project Grant to provide replacement staff costs and give temporary cover for a curatorial staff member to work on a digital project.

Up to thirty-three percent of the proposed project budget may be allotted to capital costs such as the digitisation of resources, or web development.

The award will be paid directly to the institution as a lump sum only.

The institution should give details of any financial support already in place or funding expected, or being sought from other sources.

Our funding programme supports research, educational activities and the dissemination of knowledge in the fields of British art and architectural history, from the medieval period to the present day and across the spectrum of relevant geographical and cultural contexts. Our remit is broadly defined and adapts as the interests of those working in our field change. It encompasses art made in Britain or by British artists, but is not solely limited to art made, or artists from, within the geographical boundaries of the British isles. Rather we understand the field of British art studies to encompass a broad range of subjects and topics related to the artistic and cultural histories of Britain, past and present.

We do not offer grants and fellowships in field archaeology, the current practice of architecture or the performing arts. Applications in the fields of photography, performance, film and digital media will need to demonstrate their relevance to British art studies.

Applications are open to international as well as UK institutions.

Applicants must demonstrate that any project will include scholarly research within the scope of the work.

For further questions on eligibility please contact the Grants & Fellowships Manager at [email protected].

Digital Project Grants are offered in our autumn round of funding.

The Autumn 2023 round of funding is closed. Next round: Autumn 2024.

To apply for a Digital Project Grant, you must use our online system at grants.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk. Once registered you will be able to fill out the online application form (an example of which can be downloaded below) and provide the details of two referees. The option to provide the referee details will be available once the application is submitted. We will then contact the nominated referees with details on how they can submit their references which must be completed through our online system and must be no more than five hundred words.

Referees ideally should have specialist knowledge of the topic and subject matter and/or have first-hand knowledge of the nominated individual's academic career. Referees can also give information about the institution or department's ability to undertake research or digital projects. The Advisory Council would like to be informed of the originality of the subject matter and the applicant’s suitability to pursue such research. We do not accept references from individuals who are directly involved in the project or individuals who are affiliated with the institution (employee, trustee etc.) unless it is a large institution, such as a university, and the individual is not personally associated with the project. If you have any questions about your choice of referees, please email the Grants & Fellowships Manager.

Applications and nominated referee details must be received by the application deadline; referees have an extra seven days after the deadline to submit their references.

• Due to the large amount of funding offered, institutions should provide a comprehensive and detailed timeline and budget in their application.
• The institution must provide details of the expected outcomes of the project in the application. Digital project research might result in a virtual or online exhibition (physical or virtual), an online exhibition catalogue, or an online catalogue of part of a collection or archive.
• All content produced as a result of the grant award must be released under a Creative Commons licence (see https://creativecommons.org/).
• Applicants must demonstrate the long-term sustainability of the project as a digital resource, including a commitment from the host institution to maintain the supporting infrastructure in perpetuity.
• The institution must provide annual reports on the project’s progress until completion and a final report six months after the project has been completed.