The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Digital Research Infrastructure Programme has awarded £300,000 to the UK-Ireland Digital Humanities Association to support a major programme of work running from February 2026 to March 2028. The award, grant number UKRI4065, will strengthen advocacy, community development and long-term sustainability for digital humanities across the UK and Ireland. The Association, which is hosted by the Digital Humanities Research Hub in the School of Advanced Study (University of London), has grown out of the Digital Humanities Research Network project, which was jointly funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the then Irish Research Council (AH/V002163/1 and IRC/V002163/2).   

The grant has supported the appointment of a Community and Advocacy Manager, who will lead a programme of research and engagement to map digital humanities stakeholders across sectors, develop shared value propositions for digital humanities, and produce guidance to embed these messages within institutional and policy contexts. 

The initiative will also include a detailed study of digital humanities education, training and career pathways, examining teaching provision, vocational training opportunities, work placements and the career destinations of undergraduate and postgraduate students in the field. Alongside this, the Association will identify and take steps to mitigate barriers to access in digital research, teaching and practice. 

Underpinning this work is the Association’s commitment to its core values of inclusivity, community, collaboration, sustainability, openness and transparency, and advocacy and action. These values will inform all aspects of the programme, shaping how the Association engages with stakeholders, supports its members and represents digital humanities across policy, research and cultural sectors. 

The funding will enable the Association to strengthen its role as a convenor across Higher Education and the GLAM sector, building sustainable connections between established practitioners and those new to digital humanities. Work will also be undertaken to evolve governance and membership structures, implementing the recommendations of a governance working group, and developing a membership model and income streams to support long-term financial sustainability. The programme will further support partnerships with key digital research infrastructure organisations and initiatives. The grant will also support the continued development of the Association’s five Community Interest Groups, with plans to expand these through a new call for expressions of interest in 2026. 

Through this investment, UKRI builds upon the AHRC’s previous work championing the digital humanities, by supporting the development of a more connected, inclusive and sustainable digital humanities community across the UK and Ireland. If you would like to find out more or are interested in potential collaboration opportunities, please get in contact at uk-ie.digitalhumanities@sas.ac.uk.