Calls for research funding from the Royal Historical Society: seven current programmes

14 May 2025

The Society currently invites applications for the following seven schemes — open to historians across a range of career stages — with closing dates between 31 May and 5 September 2025. For further information on each programme, eligibility and how to apply please follow the links below.

Closing dates in May 2025

  • Centenary PhD Fellowships, providing grants of £8,500 per award, and for six months, to support PhD students complete their doctorate. Successful applicants will hold their Fellowship at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London. Applications are not restricted to current members of the Society. Two Fellowships will be awarded for the academic year 2025-26. Next closing date: 31 May 2025

Closing dates, June 2025

  • Postgraduate Research Support Grants providing grants of either £500 or £1,000 (based on the activity to be undertaken) to undertake historical research. Activities supported include: visiting an archive or historic site, or conducting interviews. These grants are reserved for historians who are Postgraduate Members of the Royal Historical Society, currently studying for a Masters degree or PhD. Next closing date: Friday 6 June 2025.
  • Early Career Research Support Grants providing grants of either £500 or £1,000 (based on the activity to be undertaken) to undertake historical research. Activities supported include: visiting an archive or historic site, or conducting interviews. These grants are reserved for historians who are within 5 years of submitting their PhD in a historical subject. Applicants must also be members of the Royal Historical Society. Next closing date: Friday 6 June 2025.
  • Masters’ Scholarships, 2025-26, grants of £5000 to support Masters’ students from groups currently underrepresented in history in UK higher education. Stage One for this programme closes on Friday 6 June 2025.

Closing dates in July 2025

  • Jinty Nelson Teaching Fellowships providing funding of between £500 and £1,250 to support innovations in the teaching of history in higher education, with projects to take place in the academic year 2025-26. Applicants must also be members of the Royal Historical Society. Next closing date: Friday 11 July 2025.
  • Funded Book Workshops providing funding of £2,000 per workshop to host an in-person day seminar for historians who are currently writing a second or third monograph. Workshops bring together six specialist readers to discuss a book manuscript in detail prior to submission to the publisher. Applicants must also be members of the Royal Historical Society. Next closing date: Friday 11 July 2025.

Closing dates in September 2025

  • Martin Lynn Scholarship in African History providing a grant of £1,500 to support postgraduate research for a PhD in African history. The Scholarship is open Postgraduate Members of the Royal Historical Society, currently studying for a PhD. Next closing date: Friday 5 September 2025.

Details of current holders of Royal Historical Society Fellowships and Grants are available here.

All enquiries about Research Funding should be sent to the Society’s Membership and Grants Officer at: membership@royalhistsoc.org.

HEADER IMAGE: Bowl with a scholar, anon, c.1575-99, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, public domain.