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

Computational and digital research on JRRIL collections: Expressions of interest for new grant development scheme

The John Rylands Research Institute and Library will support the development of a number of new pilot computational and digital projects which have the potential to lead to major grant applications. In this first call, we are particularly interested in fostering research projects in two areas:

those which will produce an online digital exhibition using the Manchester Digital Exhibitions platforms, and
those using computer vision and AI approaches.

All successful applicants will be given intensive group and one-to-one technical support through May and June 2024 from book historian and digital humanist, Dr Giles Bergel, plus input from library specialists and research software engineers as required. Further research grant support will be available through the academic year 2024-25 to help develop the pilot idea into a full grant proposal.

We will be holding two online information sessions on Zoom on Wednesday 24 April 2024, 4-5pm (Digital Exhibitions) and Thursday 25 April 2024, 4-5pm (Computer Vision), and these will also be recorded. Please email research.jrril@manchester.ac.uk to book onto the session(s).

No prior technical experience or full project outline is required to participate, although all projects must be securely located in the Special Collections of the JRRIL. Following the information sessions, interested researchers will be asked to submit their indicative project idea and a 150-250 word summary of what they hope to achieve by Wednesday 1 May 2024 to research.jrril@manchester.ac.uk. We will notify applicants of our decisions by Wednesday 8 May 2024, and will schedule one-to-one mentoring sessions from that week onwards.

Please note: We hope to be able to support up to eight researchers to develop their grant ideas, but in the event of more demand we may have to run a selection process, and/or run a second session early in the 24-25 academic year. All applicants should therefore be employed by The University of Manchester until end June 2025.

Visiting Early Career Research Fellows

Visiting Early Career Research Fellowships 2024/25

The John Rylands Research Institute welcomes applications from Visiting Early Career Research Fellows.

The deadline for applications is 5pm, Monday, 6 May 2024.

Fellowships are available for early career academics to develop an application for an externally funded postdoctoral fellowship (for example, through the British Academy, Levershulme or Wellcome Trusts) to undertake a future research project using the Special Collections held in The University of Manchester Library. The purpose of the awards is to allow researchers unfamiliar with either archival research or the rich holdings of The University of Manchester’s Special Collections the opportunity to identify areas of particular research promise.

Fellows will receive an allowance of up to £1,500 per month for a maximum of three months; a dedicated workspace in the John Rylands Library, and access to curatorial and grant-writing support.

Find out more

We are running two drop-in sessions for any pre-application advice and questions:

Thursday, 14 March 2024, 2-3pm
Thursday, 21 March 2024, 2-3pm

Please email research.jrri@manchester.ac.uk to book on.

John Rylands Research Institute Pilot Grants

John Rylands Research Institute Pilot Grants 2024/25

Deadline for applications: 5pm, Monday 15 April 2024

Pilot Grants of up to £5,000 are available to support academic staff at The University of Manchester who wish to conduct initial and exploratory research into the Special Collections at The University of Manchester Library during the 2024/25 academic year in preparation for a larger, externally funded grant bid that would be held at The University of Manchester.

Find out more

We are running two online drop in sessions via Zoom for any pre-application advice and questions:

Thursday 14 March 2024, 2 - 3pm
Thursday 21 March 2024, 2 - 3pm

Please email research.jrri@manchester.ac.uk to book your place and receive the Zoom link.

Scientific and Digital Grants

Scientific and Digital Grants 2024/25

Deadline for applications: 5pm, Monday 15 April 2024

Scientific and Digital Grants of up to £5,000 are available to academic staff at The University of Manchester wishing to engage in research into the Special Collections of The University of Manchester Library using innovative scientific and digital methods.

We welcome applications from both those with extensive experience and those new to the field. These projects must be conducted in preparation for a larger, externally funded grant bid that would be held at The University of Manchester.

Find out more

We are running two online drop in sessions via Zoom for any pre-application advice and questions:

Thursday 14 March 2024, 2 - 3pm
Thursday 21 March 2024, 2 - 3pm

Please email research.jrri@manchester.ac.uk to book your place and receive the Zoom link.