Grants

Grants are available to anyone wishing to undertake high quality research relating to Scotland’s past

Grants are made available on a competitive basis towards the costs of archaeological and historical research relating to Scotland, except rescue archaeological fieldwork. Applications are welcome from Fellows and non-Fellows.

Information on the full range of grants is available here and some of the previous projects which have received grant funding from the Society can be found here on the Society website.

As well as a general grant stream, there are also specific grants for particular areas of interest.  Please ensure you note if you are applying for a named grant when filling in the application form.

Applications for direct publication costs or outreach activity will be considered where this is congruent with the Society’s Vision and Mission Statement. This can include Open Access costs, recognising the financial barrier some researchers face when trying to get material published.  Grant awards also reflect the Society’s lead role in delivering Aim 2 of Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy where applicable.  In the case of historical projects, preference may be shown towards those incorporating an aspect directly related to material culture.

For grants relating to “the judicious restoration and repair of buildings of historical and antiquarian interest in Scotland, England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Greece but especially in Scotland” please apply to the The Dalrymple Donaldson Fund.

Grants are made on the recommendation of the Grants and Awards Committee and with the approval of the Society’s Council.

Guidelines

Detailed Grant Guidelines are available – please ensure you read these thoroughly before applying for a Grant.

Deadlines

The Society is moving towards a biannual grants and awards process which will start in June 2023. From this date forward there will be two grant and award deadlines each year.

There are now two deadlines for grant applications which are the 30 April and 30 November each year. The process to award grants now has a quicker turnaround for decisions to be made and communicated.

For applications received by the 30 November, applicants can expect to hear whether they have been successful or not by the end of the following January. For applications submitted by the 30 April, decisions will be communicated by the end of June.

Grant applications should be addressed to Dr Helen Spencer, and arrive in the Society offices on or before the biannual deadlines. Applications can be sent by email to grants@socantscot.org. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that supporting referees are agreeable to their nomination and able to respond to enquiries from the Society.

The next Grants and Awards deadline is the 30th April 2024.

Further deadlines regarding the use of grant money and reporting can be found in the guidelines.

Application Form

Grant Application Form (Word doc.)

Grant Application Guidance (PDF)

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