Research and Innovation Grants funded in 2025
Here are the proposals that were awarded Research and Innovation Grants in 2025, for research, innovation and transformative projects in the archive sector.
Chief Archivists in Local Government Group (CALGG)
CALGG will use their research and innovation grant to deliver the final strand of their project aimed at preserving the records of adopted and care experienced people for the past 125 years. The aim of this workstream is to extract archival information packages from ‘line of business’ systems, run by social care colleagues in local authorities, into secure long-term preservation solutions. CALGG will recruit a consultant to lead the work but also test and design an approach that works in four local authorities – Dorset, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and West Sussex. They hope to then roll this solution out to all councils.
We’re delighted to receive this grant on CALGG’s behalf, and to be working in collaboration with the MIRRA (Memory – Identity – Rights in Records – Access) team at University College London, the Information and Records Management Society, Archives and Records Council Wales, and Dr Julia Feast OBE, an independent social work consultant.
John Chambers, Chief Executive of the Archives and Records Association (ARA)
This ground-breaking project will enable us to fully implement our recommendations and ensure that the records of adopted and care experienced people are accessible throughout their lives, no matter when the records were created or what system was used at the time.
Sam Johnston, Chair of the CALGG working party
Chief Archivists in Local Government Group (CALGG) in the Archives and Records Association (UK and Ireland). The records of adopted and care-experienced people - good practice guidance for record-keepers and care professionals (England and Wales). The Archives and Records Association, Creech Castle, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 2DX. www.archives.org.uk. February 2024.
Archives and Records Association (UK and Ireland)
Kresen Kernow (Cornwall Centre)
The Research and Innovation Grant will enable the team at Kresen Kernow to clean and digitise manorial maps cared for in the collection. In partnership with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Historic Environment Record (HER), these digital maps will then be georeferenced and added as a searchable layer to the Council’s online historic mapping system, alongside Ordnance Survey and Tithe maps. Working with Cornwall National Landscapes and the Cornwall and West Devon Mining World Heritage Site teams, they will then test new ways of engaging people with the digital maps through outdoor activity days, using the maps to explore history, landscape, environmental change, and the wellbeing benefits of heritage learning in nature. Through the research process, they will capture and share technical and engagement data with other archive services and HER teams and networks.
Often overlooked, manorial records hold rich insights into property, land use, and family history. This project will unlock new insights into our historic landscape, support planning and conservation, and inspire fresh ways to engage with heritage through outdoor learning and wellbeing activities. By pioneering this approach, we aim to be the first local authority archive service to make these maps available online—supporting heritage, wellbeing, and informed decision-making for the future.
Mark Trevethan, Principal Lead for Culture and Creative Industries at Cornwall Council
Kresen Kernow
Croydon Archives
Croydon Archives will use their research and innovation grant for their project: Access for All: Researching and Redesigning the Croydon Archives Digital Experience. This research-led pilot will explore how different communities engage with their digital platforms, identifying motivations, interests, barriers and opportunities. A freelance specialist will lead focus groups and user research, working with remote users, younger audiences and people who do not normally engage with their offer. Together, they will try out new ideas and co-design improvements to the Croydon Archives website, catalogue and other digital engagement platforms. Croydon Archives will collaborate with local partners and the Central Library’s Digital Zone to test changes and share learning. The project will culminate in a creative digital engagement output and a sector-facing guidance document to support inclusive digital engagement across the archive sector.
This grant from The National Archives is fantastic news for Croydon. It will help us make our online archives easier to use, so more residents can explore and enjoy our borough’s proud and rich history. This project is about opening up our heritage to everyone and making sure our stories are accessible to all.
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor
The new Digital Zone on the first floor of Croydon Central Library.
Glenn Foster