Barakat Trust - Grant programme 2025

The Barakat Trust’s grant applications programme for 2025 will open on 1 January 2025 and will close at midnight GMT on 31 March 2025.

Who Can Apply?

We fund individual and institutional efforts to promote and preserve artistic culture and heritage related to the Islamic world as outlined in our Scope of Awards.  While we have a long track record of supporting projects and initiatives driven by individuals, including but not limited to research trips, publications, and training opportunities, individuals applying for grants from The Barakat Trust need to identify an institution to which grant monies can be transferred on their behalf. We cannot make transfers to personal bank accounts, but are strongly committed to the support of individual professional development and projects led by individuals.

Institutions to which we can transfer funds include:

• Registered Charities
• Registered Community Interest Companies
• Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisations
• Social enterprises
• Education  Institution including Universities
• Museums, Libraries and Archives
• Companies

Types of Grants

Barakat International Studentship

One scholarship of up to £25,000 to a student from the Islamic world who has already been accepted on a taught Masters courses in a subject relevant to the history of Islamic art and architecture and/or the study of Islamic archaeology, material culture and/or heritage. Students MUST demonstrate a clear focus on at least one of the above subjects in order to be considered for this award. Prospective applicants who are unsure about the relevance of their proposed course of study are strongly advised to contact the Barakat Trust before applying.

Applicants must provide evidence of acceptance before any award can be made.

Notes on Finances: The grant may be spent on fees or living expenses or a combination of both. Where a student has been accepted on a two-year course, the grant may be awarded or renewed for the second year of the course, on the condition that the student demonstrates outstanding performance during the first year of the course.

Applicants are advised that awards cannot be paid directly to personal bank accounts. Awards can be paid to the institution which an applicant belongs or the institution at which an applicant is applying to conduct research or to study. Whichever is the case, a representative of the institution, to which the payment will be made, will be required to affirm the cooperation and support of the institution on the application form.

Barakat Postgraduate Student & Early Career Award

Postgraduate students, early career professionals, and early career scholars who were awarded a doctorate after 30 June 2021, may apply for grants with an upper limit of £2000 towards the costs of travel for fieldwork, research and study relating to:

1. History of the art, architecture, and material culture of the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE
2. Archaeological investigation of the Islamic world
3. Conservation of artefacts, buildings and material culture produced in or for the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE
4. Libraries, museums, and other public institutions exhibiting the art and material culture of the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE
5. Education and training associated with (1) to (4) above
6. Conferences, exhibitions, and publications associated with (1) to (4) above

Note: Applicants are advised that awards may no longer be paid directly to individuals. Awards may be paid in one of two ways: (i) either to the institution to which an applicant belong or at which an applicant is applying to conduct research or to study, in which case a representative of the institution to which payment will be made will be required to affirm the cooperation and support of the institution on the Application Form; (ii) or on the recipient’s behalf directly to the supplier of accommodation (e.g. the hotel) and travel (e.g. the airline).

Barakat Major Awards Including Conservation and Conservation Training

Established scholars attached to research institutions, curators, and heritage professionals may apply for awards with an upper limit of £10,000 for fieldwork, research, study, exhibitions, conservation and documentation projects, and  training of professionals in fields associated with history, heritage, conservation and archaeology relating to:

1. the history of the art, architecture and material culture of the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE;
2. the archaeological investigation of Islamic world;
3. the conservation of artefacts, buildings and material culture produced in or for the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE ;
4. libraries, museums and other public institutions exhibiting the art and material culture of the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE;
5. education and training associated with (1) to (4) above;
6. conferences, exhibitions and publications associated with (1) to (4) above.

Note: Applicants are advised that awards may no longer be paid directly to individuals, and must instead be paid either to the institution to which an applicant belongs, or to the institution at or through which an applicant is applying to conduct research or to study. A representative of the institution to which payment will be made will be required to affirm the cooperation and support of the institution on the Application Form.

All applicants will receive 90% payment at the start of award, with 10% paid on presentation of an acceptable report.

Barakat Publication Grants

Grants with an upper limit of £6,000 towards the costs of a major publication on the history of the art, architecture and material culture of the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE, the archaeological investigation of Islamic world, and the conservation of artefacts, buildings and material culture produced in or for the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE.

Note: Applicants are advised that awards may no longer be paid directly to individuals, and must instead be paid either to the institution to which an applicant belongs, or to the publisher. A representative of the institution or publisher to which payment will be made will be required to affirm their cooperation and support on the Application Form.

Barakat Digitisation Grants

One grant of up to £10,000 towards the costs of making available online data or images relating to any major collection representing the history of the art, architecture and material culture of the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE, the archaeological investigation of the Islamic world, and the conservation of artefacts, buildings and material culture produced in or for the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE. Institutions which raise matching funds may receive priority. Successful applicants must undertake: (1) to adhere to the standards of digitisation agreed with The Barakat Trust; (2) to store all data with a cloud storage provider approved by The Barakat Trust (3) to make the digitised data freely available over the web, save only that, with the agreement of The Barakat Trust, the institution shall be entitled to publish low resolution and/or watermarked images of artefacts, and to levy reasonable charges for the supply of high resolution images and for the reproduction of images.

Note: Applicants are advised that awards may no longer be paid directly to individuals, and must instead be paid either to the institution to which an applicant belongs, or to the institution at or through which an applicant is applying to conduct research or to study. A representative of the institution to which payment will be made will be required to affirm the cooperation and support of the institution on the Application Form.

All applicants will receive 90% payment of initial start of award, with 10% paid on presentation of acceptable report.