Archaeology Research Grant 2026

RIA Standing Committee for Archaeology

Archaeology Research Grants 2026

Submission deadline: 17.00 (GMT), Wednesday 25 March 2026
Please read the Guidelines for Applicants with care, as failure to follow guidelines may result in your application being rejected.

Previous knowledge of the site/research/individuals involved should not be assumed, as the application will be assessed purely on the basis of the information submitted within this form.

Please ensure that you do not repeat answers across different sections of the application form as each question requires different information.

Please direct all queries to: grants@ria.ie with the subject line ARG

Please note: the form cannot be saved and returned to later - it must be completed in one sitting. It is advised to draft the application in a word document and copy/paste the information before submitting.
1. Project overview
a) Title of proposed project*
b) Total amount requested *
c) Please provide a brief abstract (for publicising funded projects etc.)*
2. Applicant details
a) Name*

First NameLast Name
b) Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityCounty

Eircode
c) Phone number*
d) Email*
example@example.com
3. Project rationale (30%)

Criterion: The relevance of the proposal to the furtherance of aims and priorities of the ARG grant scheme.
a) Please describe your project proposal, its potential significance, and how it meets the aims and priorities of the grant scheme, as outlined in the Guidelines for Applicants. *

0/1000
b) Site details: grid reference, site name, townland, county, if applicable.
c) Provide the name and addresses of landowner(s), if applicable.
d) Please attach the following documents, as relevant to your application:
- Correspondence from the NMI and/or the NMNI stating that the applicant has discussed the application and that there is permission in principle for the proposed work based on the project rationale. Considering the short timescale of this scheme, it is advisable, if a proposal will require licenses to alter and/or export, that those discussions should include the methodology detail. For the NMI, please use the template provided here.
- Correspondence confirming permission in principle for fieldwork from both the landowner and from NMS, or from both the responsible Senior Archaeologist and Senior Architect in the case of research in proximity to a National Monument, or from the relevant Senior Inspector within the Historic Environment Division of DfC in the case of research in proximity to a scheduled historic monument or a monument in State Care/Guardianship.
- An extract of the Ordnance Survey map with the site or sites marked.
Attach files here:

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4. Employment and experience (25%)

Criterion: Ability of applicant to carry out the proposed research, demonstrated through a track record of relevant competencies
a) Present position*
b) Academic training*
c) Other professional qualifications
d) Recent research projects and publications (max. 1,500 words)*

0/1500
e) Please provide the names and addresses of two competent referees and upload a letter from one of them verifying the applicant’s competency to undertake the research. The letter should be from a referee who is a) independent of the project, b) suitably competent, having the relevant qualifications and experience, to speak to the proposed research, and c) suitably competent, having relevant experience of the applicant’s competency to provide a reference for the applicant. The exception is where an application is made by a PhD student, in which case that reference must be from their supervisor.
Referee One*

First NameLast Name
Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityCounty

Eircode
Referee two*

First NameLast Name
Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityCounty

Eircode
f) Please upload a letter of verification from one named referee confirming the applicant's ability and suitability to undertake the research*

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g) Please provide CVs for key members of the project team including research partners and specialists as proposed.*

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h) Please confirm that those key members of the project team have been consulted and confirmed their willingness to be involved in this project.*

I confirm
i) Have you previously held a grant from the RIA?*

YesNo
j) If yes, please provide details below:
k) Please provide details of any publications arising from previous grants (if applicable)
5. Project design (25%)

Criterion: The design, resources and methodologies that are being brought to this project to enable its success, including personnel, skills, equipment, facilities, technologies and materials. Highlight those that are innovative or State of the Art. The Grants subcommittee will wish to see how the project will be achieved to best practice.
a) Describe how the project will be achieved, to best practice. The answer should include but not be limited to the following: the investigative and research methods (including archiving); a detailed achievable timeframe (ideally in Gantt chart or similar format); the facilities available to the project; the roles of the key members of the team including research partners and specialists involved, including details of what they will be contributing; the aspects of the project that are State of the Art, in particular the use of cutting edge developments in archaeology, including new scientific techniques (max. 1,000 words).*

0/1000
Please upload any documents and images that help illustrate this answer.

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6. Dissemination (20%)

Criterion: Evidence of plan for impactful and relevant dissemination
A strategic goal of the RIA is to ‘represent Ireland by engaging and leading in activities that strengthen international recognition of the Academy’s scholarship’. The Grants subcommittee will wish to see an ambitious plan for dissemination, appropriate to the scale of the research project. As this scheme is publicly funded, please ensure that your plans include making the results of proposed research publicly available. We encourage open access publication.
a) What are your plans for dissemination including but not limited to community engagement, conference papers and publications? Highlight innovative formats and platforms. (max. 750 words):*

0/750
7. Costings

Please note that a full and detailed breakdown of estimated expenses is required for the assessment of your application.
Please download and fill in this template that will help provide a detailed breakdown of estimated expenses. Once you have completed this template, please save and attach updated version below.
a) Please upload your breakdown of expenses*

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b) Total amount sought *
c) Provide detailed quotations for all elements of estimated costs where relevant, in particular, specialist and publication costs.

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8. Diversity and inclusion monitoring (optional)
The Royal Irish Academy is committed to supporting excellence in science, humanities and social sciences and empowering the next generation of researchers and scholars. It strives for a culture of equality and inclusion in all of its activities. To ensure we continue to uphold these values in a meaningful way, and to identify areas for improvement, we believe it is essential to gather reliable data on our applicants.

We therefore kindly ask you to complete the following form, which addresses the nine protected characteristics under Irish equality legislation (Equal Status Acts 2000–2018). While we are also committed to the principles of Northern Ireland’s equality laws, this questionnaire does not include questions on political opinion, which is also a protected characteristic in Northern Ireland.

The terminology used in this form aligns, where possible, with the standards of the 2021 Census in the Republic of Ireland. All data provided will be securely stored in anonymised, statistical formats, with access restricted to authorised personnel. Your input in this monitoring is voluntary, anonymised, and used solely for statistical - not evaluative - purposes. For more information about our data protection practices, please contact us at dataprotection@ria.ie.

Your input is greatly appreciated and will help the Royal Irish Academy to assess and monitor diversity, ensuring we continue to foster an inclusive community of researchers.
a) Please select your age category

Under 3030-3536-4546-5556-6566-70Over 70
b) Which of the following best describes your gender?

FemaleMaleNon-binaryTransgenderPrefer not to sayOther
c) Which of the following best describes your ethnic group/background?

White IrishBlack IrishAsian or Asian IrishWhite non-IrishBlack non-IrishIrish Traveller or RomaPrefer not to sayOther
d) Which of the following best describes your sexual orientation?

HeterosexualBisexualHomosexualPrefer not to sayOther
e) What is your religion?

NoneRoman CatholicChurch of IrelandIslamOrthodox ChristianPresbyterianPrefer not to sayOther
f) What is your marital status? Please select all that apply.

Single (never married or in a civil partnership)Married (first marriage)Re-marriedIn a registered civil partnershipSeparatedDivorcedWidowedPrefer not to sayOther
g) What us your family status? Please select all that apply

A parent of a person under 18 years of ageA resident primary carerA parent of a person with a disabilityPrefer not to sayNone of the aboveOther
h) Do you have a disability? Please select all that apply.

Blindness or vision impairmentDeafness or hearing impairmentA difficulty with basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carryingAn intellectual disabilityA difficulty with learning, remembering or concentratingA psychological or emotional condition or a mental health issueA difficulty with pain, breathing or any other chronic illness or conditionPrefer not to sayNone of the aboveOther
9. Declarations
I agree to abide by all the grant conditions specified in the Guidelines for applicants:*

I Agree
Click to read the RIA Grants scheme privacy notice
Data Protection: To enable us to process your application please indicate that you have read and consent to the RIA Grants Scheme Privacy notice.*

I Agree
Should be Empty:

1. Project overview

2. Applicant details

3. Project rationale (30%)

4. Employment and experience (25%)

5. Project design (25%)

6. Dissemination (20%)

7. Costings

8. Diversity and inclusion monitoring (optional)

9. Declarations