Funding opportunities
The John Rylands Research Institute and Library has a range of funding opportunities available to researchers at every stage of their career.
Our grants provide exceptional scholars, from The University of Manchester and beyond, with the support required to undertake original and significant research using our world-class collections. We also support applications to a number of external postdoctoral schemes, such as the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust.
Grant holders have access to the John Rylands Research Institute and Library’s extensive and diverse collections, as well as to a strong community of outstanding researchers, curators and imaging specialists. We also offer tailored grant writing support for those wishing to apply for larger external grant schemes.
Information about all of our available funding opportunities, including eligibility criteria and how to apply, can be found on this page.
Current opportunities
The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025-26
The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025-26
Application form and guidance available to download here:
Deadline for the Expression of Interest is Wednesday 9 July 2025 by 12 noon emailed to research.jrril@manchester.ac.uk
The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme 2025-6 will open on July 2 2025, with a deadline of October 1 2025.
Please refer to the BA website for all details:
Research Coordinators and Heads of Department are invited to put forward strong candidates who wish to pursue a 3-year project, distinct from their PhD research, with a named mentor at The University of Manchester.
The eligibility requirements are as followed:
- Applicants must be within three years of the award of a doctorate, either already having been awarded a doctoral degree following a viva voce examination held on or after 1 April 2023; or having a reasonable expectation that they will have submitted and had their thesis examined by 1 April 2026.
- Applicants must be a UK or EEA national or have completed a doctorate at a UK university. Any applicant who does not fall into one of these categories must demonstrate a strong prior association with the UK academic community, for example temporary employment (longer than twelve months) at a UK university.
- Candidates who have been unsuccessful in a previous round will require an invitation from the BA to resubmit.
In addition, we would advise that many successful candidates have the following profile:
- Graduate studies completed at another university
- At the upper end of the eligibility window (e.g. just under three years since completing their PhD).
- Already held a short-term postdoctoral fellowship or lecturing position
- Publications: In disciplines in which this is important, articles in good journals and/or demonstrable progress made on publishing a book from PhD research (e.g. proposal submitted to or contract with university press).
If you have any enquiries or are interested in applying for a BA Postdoctoral Fellowship with the John Rylands Research Institute, please email research.jrril@manchester.ac.uk to set up a meeting with Professor Guyda Armstrong, Director of JRRI.
Funding for Support for Research Events, 2025-2026
Funding for Support for Research Events, 2025-2026
Application deadline: 5pm, Monday 7 July 2025
- Application form and guidance available here:
- Applications to: research.jrril@manchester.ac.uk
Grants are available to support academic or public-facing research events led by University of Manchester researchers linked to the rich Special Collections of the University of Manchester Library, which includes the collections of the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE (Race Archives and Community Engagement) Centre, or to allied academic fields. These grants can be used to support either individual events, or a series of linked events to take place during the 2025/26 academic year. All activities and spending must be completed before 31 July 2026.
Funding can be used to support travel and accommodation for external speakers and participants, subsistence for participants, and fees for freelance partners involved in the event. Priority will be given to events that can show a clear link to the Special Collections of the University of Manchester Library or to allied academic fields; that facilitate the exchange of ideas and the formulation of new and exciting academic research; and that encourage interdisciplinary research.
Please note: the research event must be linked to a current or future research project, for which the applicant will be expected to submit an external grant application within 2-3 years. Postgraduate research students enrolled for the 2025-26 year are eligible to apply.
Pre-application advice (including queries relating to costings) is available from:
- the JRRI office (research.jrril@manchester.ac.uk);
- the Exhibitions and Public Engagement with Research Team at the Rylands (jrl.events@manchester.ac.uk);
- the Director of the JRRI, Professor Guyda Armstrong (guyda.armstrong@manchester.ac.uk)