Themes

About Themes

The AHRC's themes provide a funding focus for emerging areas of interest to arts and humanities researchers. In recognising that interdisciplinary and collaborative research often requires particular forms of support to develop its full potential, themed funding calls can be particularly supportive of developmental activity, partnership-based activities, and innovative approaches.

Five themes

The themes were identified through the Future Directions for Arts and Humanities Research consultation in 2009. This indicated support for a number of research areas that were likely to shape or change aspects of multiple research fields over future years. These areas have been grouped under our four themes:

• Open World Research Initiative (OWRI)
• Care for the Future: Thinking Forward through the Past
• Digital Transformations in the Arts and Humanities
• Science in Culture
• Translating Cultures

To keep academic involvement at the forefront of our refinement of the themes, a number of advisory groups were established for each theme and the members of these groups have overseen small-scale developmental funding calls. In addition, theme leadership fellows will assist with the co-ordination and future development of the themes.

View the current list of AHRC Theme Administrators (PDF, 188KB).