Deadline: 30-Sep-2025
The Paul Mellon Centre is inviting applications for its Author Large Grants Programme to support individuals in covering costs involved in producing scholarly works focused on British art and architecture. The programme reflects the Centre’s mission to enrich the understanding of British art by encouraging inclusive, diverse, and impactful contributions to the field.
The Centre aims to make British art history more relevant and accessible by including previously marginalised voices and narratives. This commitment is intended to create a lasting impact on British art studies and the Centre’s own future direction.
Applicants can request funding between £2,001 and £6,000. The grant is awarded in a single payment directly to the individual. Each applicant may only submit one application per publication per round.
The grant covers a range of costs incurred by authors or editors, including design and layout, image licensing, reproduction and copyright fees, graphics, indexing, and new photography. It also supports marketing activities such as review copies, publisher subventions to improve visual content or allow for colour printing, and copy-editing.
This funding supports work in British art and architectural history from the medieval period to the present. The definition of British art is broad, encompassing works made in Britain or by British artists, as well as a wide range of topics linked to Britain’s cultural and artistic history.
Grants are not available for field archaeology, the current practice of architecture, or performing arts. However, applications involving photography, performance, film, or digital media may be considered if their relevance to British art studies is clearly demonstrated.
Only individual applicants working on scholarly publications related to British art and architecture are eligible. Institutional applicants should instead apply for the Exhibition Publication Grant. Those seeking less than £2,000 in support should apply for the Author Grant (Small).
Each individual may apply for only one publication grant per round. Projects must be ready to go to press within two years of January 2026. Funding is not available for books already published or scheduled to be published before the end of 2025.
Applications for new or revised editions, translations of previously published works, or costs related to open-access publishing are not eligible for this funding.
Due to limited funds, the Advisory Council will evaluate applications based on several factors. These include academic rigour, originality, long-term contribution to the field, and timeliness. They also consider geographic and cultural relevance, financial need, potential impact and inclusion, and the overall quality and feasibility of the proposal.
Successful applicants must provide a copy of the published work to the PMC upon completion. Additionally, the Centre must be acknowledged in the publication, following specific guidelines that will be provided to recipients.
For more information, visit PMC.
