Grants for Documentation of Living Endangered Material Knowledge Systems

The Endangered Material Knowledge Programme (EMKP) offers grants to document living material knowledge systems that are under threat of disappearing. Established in 2018 with funding from the Arcadia fund, the programme is hosted by the Department of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas at the British Museum. Material knowledge includes resources, skills, technologies, social values, and relationships required to create and maintain the material world (making, use, repair, and re-purposing of objects, spaces, architecture, performances, and environments).

The funding mechanism includes Small Grants of up to £20,000 for up to 1 year and Large Grants of up to £100,000 for up to 2 years. All digital documentation generated (audio, video, photographs, 3D models, maps, glossaries, and field notes) is uploaded to the open-access EMKP repository at the British Museum and distributed under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

Applicants from around the world can submit proposals regardless of nationality or academic degree, provided they apply in partnership with a Host Institution that can provide independent financial and ethical oversight. Mandatory local deposition of digital copies in local archives or communities at the site of documentation is also required.

• Researchers, knowledge holders, craftspeople, and community representatives of any nationality and academic background are eligible.
• Application must be submitted with a Host Institution having a dedicated bank account and providing independent financial and ethical oversight.
• Applicants cannot be part of the operational management/leadership of the Host Institution.
• Students are eligible provided they include a signed support letter from their supervisor.
• Investigators with active, unfinished EMKP or Arcadia projects cannot apply until current grant completion.
• Applicants unsuccessful in two consecutive rounds cannot apply for a third time.
• Priority is given to projects in countries where research funding support is limited.

• Small Grants of up to £20,000 with a duration of up to 1 year and Large Grants of up to £100,000 with a duration of up to 2 years are funded.
• Direct costs for fieldwork and documentation are covered.
• Equipment purchases are allowed, including photo and video cameras, lenses, audio recorders, microphones, tripods, laptops, drones, 3D scanning devices, portable power banks, and solar panels.
• Travel costs for international and local travel, tickets, and visa fees are paid.
• Accommodation and subsistence costs for research participants are covered.
• Honoraria and per diems for local research assistants and community knowledge holders are paid.
• Insurance for equipment and team members is funded.
• Costs for transcription and translation services are covered.
• Costs associated with the preservation and deposition of digital copies in local archives or institutions are covered.
• Community engagement activities up to £1,000 for Small Grants and up to £2,000 for Large Grants are funded.
• Justified administrative management costs of the Host Institution for accounting and audit are paid.
• Salary replacement or teaching replacement costs for the Principal Applicant and Co-Applicants are not funded.
• General institutional overhead costs of the Host Institution are not covered.
• Hiring professional commercial film crews is not paid for.
• General academic dissemination costs, including conference attendance and journal article publication, are not funded.
• Revitalisation projects (reviving lost or forgotten technologies) are not supported.
• Projects focused exclusively on ethno-medicine or medicinal knowledge are not funded.
• Equipment purchases during the final 6 months of the project are not allowed without prior written approval.
• Profit-making or commercial activities are not funded.
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• Comprehensive documentation of the creation, use, repair, and re-purposing of traditional material culture objects, crafts, structures, and architecture.
• Audio/video recording, detail photography, drone aerial filming, 3D scanning, photogrammetry, mapping, drawing, and field notes.
• Collection and documentation of specific language terminology related to the practice.
• Community engagement activities, including workshops, exhibitions, and community booklets/books.
• Research linked to existing museum collections.
• Deposition of digital copies in local repositories or communities.

• September 17, 2026: Application portal opens.
• December 01, 2026 (12:00 PM GMT): Application submission deadline.
• December 2026 – May 2027: Technical screening, external peer review, and panel evaluation period.
• June 2027: Competition outcomes announced.
• End of July 2027: Mandatory 1-week training course for grant recipients in London.
• By November 2027: Signing of the Grant Agreement between the organizer, Host Institution, and investigator.
• August 2027 – January 2028: Project Start Date window.
• Within 12 months (Small Grants) or 24 months (Large Grants): Fieldwork implementation period.
• Within 6 months post-project completion: Final report submission and digital asset upload to repository (Final Delivery Date).

1. Register an account on the Flexigrant online portal.
2. Select the appropriate grant category (Small Documentation Grant or Large Documentation Grant).
3. Complete all 7 sections of the online application form.
4. Upload all required templates and supporting documents.
5. Submit the application via "Submit Application" by 12:00 PM GMT on December 1, 2026.

• Degree of endangerment of the material knowledge in question and evidence supporting this argument.
• Significance of the practice and material knowledge system to the local community and broader research community.
• Viability of fieldwork regarding methodology, budget, workplan, and team composition.
• Quality of the Digital Asset Plan and team capacity to manage metadata according to MCEMS standards.
• Evidence of existing networks in the research area and experience collaborating with knowledge holders and communities.
• Clear plan for community collaboration and dissemination of research results to local residents.
• Risk assessment and mitigation plan for fieldwork in high-risk areas.

• Completed online application form in Flexigrant.
• Official Host Institution Letter of Support on formal letterhead.
• Institutional Ethics Policy document.
• Completed Digital Asset Plan (official template).
• Completed Workplan (official template).
• Supervisory Support Letter (for student applicants).
• Project Risk Assessment (for high-risk/conflict areas).
• Supporting media materials (up to 5 files, optional).

• Interim Reports submitted every 6 months (at months 6 and 18) detailing progress, financial variations, and digital asset samples.
• Annual Report submitted at month 12 for 2-year projects with detailed actual expenditures.
• Exception Report submitted immediately if significant changes or legal claims arise.
• Final Report submitted within 6 months post-project completion along with the financial report and full digital documentation package.
• Mandatory adherence to the Host Institution's ethical policy or ASA ethics standards.
• Full compliance with UK Data Protection Legislation.
• Signed informed consent forms (Release Forms) obtained from every contributor/knowledge holder.
• Grant funds managed in a separate bank sub-account as a restricted fund.
• Accounting records and receipts retained for at least 6 years after Final Delivery Date.

• Tripartite Grant Agreement executed between the Trustees of the British Museum, Host Institution, and Principal Investigator.
• Agreement governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.
• Agreement must be signed by authorized representatives within 6 months post-award.
• All documentation outputs uploaded to open-access EMKP repository under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
• Documentation can be freely downloaded, copied, edited, and adapted globally without commercial rights.
• Any commercial exploitation of IP requires prior written consent from the British Museum.
• British Museum holds no copyright on materials; knowledge holders retain ownership and copyright.
• Documentation creation/transfer prohibited without signed Release Form or recorded informed consent.
• Contributors must be informed about project aims, repository, and CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 terms before recording.
• Equipment purchased with grant funds becomes property of the Host Institution.
• Transfer of ownership of equipment over £200 individually or £1,000 total before end date requires prior consent.
• Equipment purchase in final 6 months of project prohibited without prior written consent.
• Grant funds must be held in a dedicated bank account as a restricted fund.
• Unspent funds must be returned to the British Museum within 3 months of Final Submission Date.
• Budget reallocations without approval limited to £500 (Small) / £1,500 (Large) per 12 months; salary reallocations require approval.
• Invoices, receipts, and accounting records must be kept for at least 6 years after Final Delivery Date.
• Each party acts as a separate Data Controller adhering to UK Data Protection Legislation.
• Parties must comply with UK Bribery Act 2010, Modern Slavery Act 2015, and Criminal Finances Act 2017.
• Safeguarding policies required if working with children or vulnerable adults.
• British Museum reserves right to suspend/terminate funding and require repayment for breach, negligence, dishonesty, or reputation risk.