The Barakat Trust Grants Programme 2023

Deadline: 31-Mar-23

The Barakat Trust Grants Programme 2023 is now open for applications to support and promote the study and preservation of Islamic art, heritage, architecture and culture for future generations.

Scope

• The Barakat Trust awards are open to applicants worldwide in the fields of:
  • Research into the history of the art and architecture, and the archaeology and material culture of Islamic societies, including archaeological and other fieldwork, and research trips
  • The conservation, preservation, restoration, and presentation to the public of artefacts, buildings and archaeological sites produced by Islamic societies
  • The work of libraries, museums and other public collections in the conservation, documentation, and presentation of artefacts and manuscripts produced by Islamic societies in their broadest sense, including the digitisation of archives and collections, and the training of conservation and curatorial staff
  • the organisation of events intended to further research in the history of the art, architecture, archaeology, and material culture of Islamic societies, including colloquia and conferences, lectures, seminars and workshops, exhibitions, and attendance at such events

Types of Grants and Funding Information

• Barakat International Studentship: One scholarship of up to £25,000 to a Muslim 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  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.
• Barakat Postgraduate Student & Early Career Award
  • Postgraduate students, early career professionals, and early career scholars who were awarded a doctorate after 30 June 2018, may apply for grants with an upper limit of £1,500 towards the costs of travel for fieldwork, research and study relating to:
    • The history of the art, architecture and material culture of the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE;
    • The archaeological investigation of Islamic world;
    • The conservation of artefacts, buildings and material culture produced in or for the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE;
    • Libraries, museums and other public institutions exhibiting the art and material culture of the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE;
• Barakat Major Awards (Including Digital Projects, 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:
    • History of the art, architecture, and material culture of the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE
    • Archaeological investigation of the Islamic world. Please note: Awards for archaeology projects are normally awarded for a) the first year of an archaeological project, as a start-up grant, or b) for a clearly-defined component or sub-project within a larger archaeological investigation. The Trust will not normally support the same archaeological project for a number of consecutive seasons.”
    • Conservation of artefacts, buildings and material culture produced in or for the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE
    • Digital and Digitisation Projects that focus on disseminating or making the heritage and material culture of the Islamic world more accessible to various audiences. For example, this can include broader types of digital content such as video recordings of crafting or conservation processes.
    • Exhibitions in libraries, museums, and other public institutions to present the art and material culture of the Islamic world before circa 1920 CE
    • Education and Training associated with the points 1 to 5
    • Dissemination of Knowledge through conferences, exhibitions and publications associated with points 1 to 5
• 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.
• Barakat Senior Scholar
  • One visiting scholarship of £10,000 to enable an established Muslim scholar to reside in Oxford for three months to carry out a specific programme of research and to deliver a lecture on their research.
• Barakat Postdoctoral Scholarship
  • The Barakat Postdoctoral Scholarship provides a grant of £20,000 to enable a Muslim post-doctoral scholar, who was awarded a doctorate after 30 June 2018, to reside in Oxford for nine months (normally October to June) to carry out a specific programme of research or to prepare such research for publication.
• Barakat Oxford Masters Studentship
  • One studentship to cover one year’s fees for a Muslim student already accepted by the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the University of Oxford to read for an MSt or MPhil in Islamic Art and Architecture. Renewal for the second year of the MPhil may be granted to candidates who perform well in the qualifying examination, but the grant may not be extended to cover doctoral studies.
• Hands on Islamic Art
  • The Barakat Trust has recently received a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to create this new grant category.
  • This category will offer grants of £8,000 plus in-kind support for projects in the United Kingdom (UK) that use collections of Islamic art in the UK to foster greater understanding about the cultures of the Islamic world, and involve a significant element of public engagement, ideally as part of the process of making collections more accessible. The grant will be open to UK institutions with collections of Islamic art and material culture. They are particularly interested in understudied collections.

Eligibility Criteria

• They fund individual and institutional efforts to promote and preserve artistic culture and heritage related to the Islamic world.
• While they 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. They 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  can transfer funds include:
  • Registered charities
  • Registered community interest companies
  • Registered charitable incorporated organisations
  • Social enterprises
  • Education institutions including universities
  • Museums, libraries, and archives
  • Companies

For more information, visit Barakat Trust.