The RICHeS Access Fund Second Call for applications is now open!
RICHeS is the UK's Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science, providing access to advanced facilities, collections and expertise. The RICHeS Access Fund is supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
The RICHeS Access Fund is designed to foster ambitious, collaborative research by removing financial and practical barriers to enable access to world-class heritage science facilities, collections and expertise. Through this initiative you could explore unanswered questions, uncover hidden knowledge, test innovative approaches and generate evidence to inform future practice.
The total value of a grant award is up to £20,000, including eligible costs for the applicants and service providers. The RICHeS Access Fund is not designed to fund wider project activities that take place before, after, or outside the proposed infrastructure access.
The Second Call closes on Tuesday 15 December 2026. Applicants are strongly encouraged to connect with Service Providers as early as possible and should be aware Service Providers may be unable to accommodate requests received close to the application deadline.
Search the Heritage Science Data Service (HSDS) Catalogue of Services to identify suitable RICHeS Service Provider(s). Full knowledge of scientific techniques is not required from applicants, and access to expertise is central to the RICHeS Access Fund. A summary of the research question or challenge is sufficient to begin a conversation and explore potential options for collaboration.
Successful applicants for the First Call included museums, galleries, libraries, archives, charities, community organisations, freelancers, independent researchers and universities. To explore the variety of activities previously enabled, explore the full list of 43 First Call Awardees and Case Studies from completed Access Fund Catalyst activities. These include unlocking new evidence of daily life at Durrington Walls, innovating for moving pictures conservation, enabling inclusive engagement with artefacts through 3D models and more.
Detailed guidance for applicants, including on eligibility and how to build a strong application, is available on the RICHeS website. If you would like to find out more, you can also register for the RICHeS Access Fund Second Call: Applicant Webinar on Wednesday 21 October 2026 13:00 to 14:00.
Work enabled through the Second Call must take place between May 2027 and March 2028. If you are interested but cannot apply at this time, a Third Call of the RICHeS Access Fund will open in 2027. Follow the RICHeS website and LinkedIn to keep up to date with further opportunities to access research infrastructure and unlock new discoveries.
About the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science
The Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) is the UK’s national research infrastructure for heritage and conservation science. Funded through a long-term investment by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as part of the UKRI Infrastructure Fund, RICHeS strengthens access to advanced scientific facilities, expertise and data for heritage research across the UK. Operating as a distributed infrastructure, RICHeS connect equipment, collections, laboratories and specialist knowledge hosted in institutions nationwide, enabling researchers, conservators and cultural organisations to investigate, interpret and preserve cultural heritage using cutting-edge science. A key component is the Heritage Science Data Service, which supports the sharing and reuse of heritage science data through FAIR data principles. RICHeS is also the UK node for the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS), linking UK researchers to international collaborations and world-leading heritage science facilities. For more information, visit www.riches.ukri.org
About the Arts and Humanities Research Council
The UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funds internationally outstanding independent researchers across the whole range of the arts and humanities: history, archaeology, digital content, philosophy, languages and literature, design, heritage, area studies, the creative and performing arts, and much more. The quality and range of research supported by AHRC works for the good of UK society and culture and contributes both to UK economic success and to the culture and welfare of societies across the globe.
About the UKRI Infrastructure Fund programme
The UKRI Infrastructure Fund supports the facilities, equipment and resources that are essential for researchers and innovators to do ground-breaking work. This strategic fund helps to create a long-term pipeline of research and innovation infrastructure investment priorities for the next 10 to 20 years. It supports a range of projects from new infrastructures to major upgrades, delivering a step change in infrastructure capability and capacity. The Infrastructure Fund spans the complete disciplinary spectrum and funds infrastructures located across all of the UK’s regions and nations, and those which form part of major international collaborations.
