This RICHeS Access Fund is designed to enable access cutting-edge equipment and collections as well as specialist expertise to support impactful research. This initiative is committed to making research infrastructure accessible to researchers and heritage organisations across the UK. To help applicants navigate the process, we provide comprehensive guidance to support you in preparing a strong submission.

This page guides you through the application journey, with detailed information for applicants provided in the supporting guidance.

Application process overview

Discover

Applicant ideas may include identifying the most appropriate method for cleaning an object, investigating how and when it was made, or addressing another research need relating to heritage collections and assets. Explore the RICHeS Case Studies and RICHeS Access Fund Awardees to discover previous examples of research and outcomes enabled.

Review the supporting guidance to check eligibility and requirements for the RICHeS Access Fund. For this initiative, lead applicants must be based in the UK, and all funded activity must take place within the UK. The RICHeS Access Fund is not designed to fund wider project activities that take place before, after, or outside the proposed infrastructure access. Applicants who are not eligible for the RICHeS Access Fund may still be able to engage with RICHeS infrastructure and expertise and are encouraged to contact Service Providers of interest.

Explore

Search the Heritage Science Data Service (HSDS) Catalogue of Services to identify suitable RICHeS Service Provider(s). RICHeS enables access to both specialist heritage science facilities and nationally significant collections. Services can be explored across the full catalogue or filtered by asset type, such as ceramics or bone, or by the methods and techniques available.

To support applicants, contact details for each Service Provider are available through the HSDS Catalogue of Services. 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. The Service Provider(s) will confirm feasibility and suitability of the idea proposed.

Build

Discussions with Service Provider(s) will support applicants in refining the research approach and developing the associated costings. The total value of a grant award is up to £20,000, including eligible costs for the applicants and Service Providers. 

As developing a proposal and preparing costings will take time, applicants are strongly encouraged to engage with Service Providers as early as possible. Service Providers may be unable to support requests received close to the application deadline. 

Applicants should consult the supporting guidance for full details on applicant eligibility, application requirements, eligible costs and the assessment criteria. The application form is also available as a downloadable document to enable applicants to work collaboratively before submitting. 

Apply

Please ensure that all required sections are complete before submitting the application form. Completed applications for the Second Call must be submitted before the deadline on Tuesday 15 December 2026.  

After submission, eligibility and feasibility are confirmed, and then applications are assessed by an independent review panel. Further details on this, including the assessment criteria used by the panel, can be found in the supporting guidance. Funding decisions for the Second Call will be shared by May 2027.