Arts and Humanities Research Council

Administers Arts and Humanities Research Council, which funds independent humanities and cultural work across creative industries and design.

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is one of UK Research and Innovation's nine councils and sits under the wider UKRI umbrella. It funds independent research across philosophy, creative industries, art conservation, product design, and related humanities and cultural fields. In the current spending review period, UKRI has assigned it a record £369 million for creative industries, with a further £100 million directed to Creative Industries Clusters.

AHRC works through grants and fellowships rather than loans or equity. Its live portfolio includes the Creative Industries Clusters Programme, Immersive Arts Programme, Gambling Harms Research Grants, Video Games and Gambling-Related Harms, Early Career Fellowships in Cultural and Heritage Institutions, UKRI Translation: AHRC Proof of Concept, and R&D MAP Creative Content Exchange. Award caps range from £100,000 to £8.35 million, with several schemes aimed at universities, cultural organisations, and interdisciplinary consortia.

The council's recent work shows a strong interest in creative economy scaling, cultural heritage, and the social questions around technology, including AI ethics and modern slavery. Calls are delivered through the UKRI Funding Service, and AHRC funding is typically awarded at 80% full economic cost, leaving host institutions to cover the balance. That delivery model makes it best suited to research teams that can combine scholarly depth with public impact and partner engagement.