IWM (Imperial War Museums) has been recognised as an Independent Research Organisation (IRO) by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

Only 12 museums hold IRO status and IRO status is only awarded by the AHRC to organisations which make an enormous contribution to research, both within and outside of the higher education sector.

There are a number of funding opportunities now available to IWM to support different types of activities. The main one is the Responsive Mode schemes run by the AHRC. These run repeatedly, and for which proposals are driven by the ideas and needs of the individuals proposing the research. The AHRC also runs Strategic Initiatives, which involve one-off competitions aimed at supporting specific thematic ideas. The IWM’s new IRO status will create more opportunities for partnership work between the IWM and other academic and research institutions.

Diane Lees, Director-General of IWM said; ‘We are delighted that our application has been successful. IWM has been collecting personal stories of conflict in the form of letters, diaries, photographs and objects since the First World War and we hope that having IRO status will open up more research opportunities with our rich collections and enable us to develop new partnerships with academic research teams.’

AHRC Chief Executive Professor Rick Rylance said ‘It is a key part of AHRC's mission to link together the networks and institutions that make the UK such an impressive research power in the arts and humanities. I'm delighted therefore to welcome the IWM as the latest IRO to join that network. They bring world-class expertise and facilities and we look forward to many exciting collaborations.’

Current research themes at the IWM range across national and international collections and encompass a wide range of subjects from the paintings commissioned from artists during the two world wars to the film record made of Britain’s fighting forces. Recent projects include a major effort on cataloguing the memoirs, letters and diaries of medical personnel and an exploration of how IWM’s records of colonial war service can be better understood. The main public-facing priority for the IWM is it’s First World War Centenary Programme, which will see IWM mark the centenary of the Great War in 2014–2018 by leading a vibrant, four year programme of cultural activities across the country. 

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AHRC Media contact: Jake Gilmore, Communications Manager, 01793 416021; j.gilmore@ahrc.ac.uk  

Notes to Editor:

Independent Research Organisations (IROs): IRO status is awarded by the AHRC to organisations which make an enormous contribution to research, both within and outside of the higher education sector. IROs are eligible to apply to AHRC as the principle Research Organisation, though they may still collaborate with other museums, galleries, libraries and archives. The current list of IROs is as follows:

• The British Library
• The British Museum
• IWM
• The National Archives
• The National Gallery
• The National Maritime Museum
• National Museums Liverpool
• National Museum Wales
• National Museums Scotland
• The National Portrait Gallery
• Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
• Tate
• NSMI
• The Victoria and Albert Museum

Once granted, eligibility will continue unless the IRO has received no funding during the first five years of recognition. In this situation, the AHRC may review the IROs eligibility. A change in status of an IRO may require re-consideration of an IROs eligibility.

Arts & Humanities Research Council: Each year the AHRC provides approximately £100 million from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from languages and law, archaeology and English literature to design and creative and performing arts. In any one year, the AHRC makes approximately 700 research awards and around 1,100 postgraduate awards. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK.

IWM
IWM (Imperial War Museums) tells the story of people who have lived, fought and died in conflicts involving Britain and the Commonwealth since 1914.

Our unique Collections, made up of the everyday and the exceptional, reveal stories of people, places, ideas and events. Using these, we tell vivid personal stories and create powerful physical experiences across our five museums that reflect the realities of war as both a destructive and creative force. We challenge people to look at conflict from different perspectives, enriching their understanding of the causes, course and consequences of war and its impact on people’s lives.

IWM’s five branches are IWM London, IWM’s flagship branch with six floors of exhibitions and displays; IWM North, housed in an iconic award-winning building designed by Daniel Libeskind; IWM Duxford, a world renowned aviation museum and Britain's best preserved wartime airfield; Churchill War Rooms, housed in Churchill’s secret headquarters below Whitehall; and the Second World War cruiser HMS Belfast.

First World War Centenary
2014 - 2018 marks the centenary of the First World War, a landmark anniversary for Britain and the world. IWM will mark the centenary by leading a vibrant, four year programme of cultural activities across the country, including the opening of brand new First World War galleries at IWM London in 2014. For more information visit www.1914.org