Spring Conference

In the spring members and guests meet in a different part of the country each year to visit a selection of buildings in the local vernacular tradition. Local experts are on hand to explain the background and more experienced members help others to interpret them. In the evenings, lectures and discussions allow the day’s findings to be explored further. Bursaries are usually offered each year to enable a registered student or a professional in the early years of his or her career to attend the spring conference. Conference enquiries: please email spring-conference@vag.org.uk

Winter Conference

The winter conference takes a theme of current interest and explores it in depth through papers given by experts in the field. Bursaries are normally available for students or early career professionals to enable their attendance at the conference. Conference enquiries: please email winter-conference@vag.org.uk.

Further information

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The British School at Rome (BSR) has announced an open call for participants of a three-month classical architecture scholarship [Deadline: 5 January 2026]

The winning candidate will be provided three months board and accommodation at the British School at Rome along with a monthly £800 research and travel grant to study the ‘tradition and evolution of classical architecture in Rome and Italy.’

The selected scholar will carry out a self-directed programme of research with the specific objective of informing current architectural practice. Proposals may also include associated urban studies.

Further information

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Applications Close: 20 March

There is still time to apply for a place on this year’s Victorian Society in America London Summer School, which takes place 28 June – 12 July 2025. Now in its 49th year, the Summer School is a two-week intensive postgraduate study course in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century architecture and decorative arts. From its hotel base in Bloomsbury, the Summer School explores Victorian and Edwardian London, with lectures by distinguished scholars and behind-the-scenes visits to significant sites. Six days are spent visiting the great industrial cities of the north of England, and masterpieces of the Arts and Crafts movement in the Cotswolds. The VSA is an IHBC-registered CPD provider.

For more information on how to apply for places and scholarships, please visit: London Summer School – Victorian Society

Inquiries can be directed to Anne Mallek at admin@vsasummerschools.org 

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Applications close: 4th March 2025

ICCROM has a long history of developing and implementing research and training on conserving and managing urban and built heritage. From 1960 to 1988, the International Architectural Conservation Course (ARC) equipped professionals from various disciplines with the knowledge and tools to develop a mutual understanding of architectural conservation. Recognizing the evolving challenges in built heritage conservation, ICCROM launched the Integrated Territorial and Urban Conservation Programme (ITUC) in 1995. The programme aimed to integrate urban conservation with urban and territorial planning systems, focusing on landscapes or larger territories and recognizing the dynamic relationship between people and heritage. Building on ARC and ITUC courses, ICCROM developed a new course, Conservation of Built Heritage (CBH), which combined theoretical and practical capacity building for professionals from a wide range of disciplines. 

Additionally, ICCROM has also collaborated with partners to develop courses linked with built heritage, such as archaeological heritage, mural paintings, stone and wood conservation. 

The Sustainability and Built Heritage programme focuses on several priority areas that aim to address conservation challenges in the light of current global challenges such as disasters, climate change, conflicts and ill-conceived tourism and development. It also strives towards designing, testing and implementing tools and methodologies based on cutting-edge digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence for documentation, assessing damages and risks, long-term monitoring as well as developing sustainable post-crisis recovery, conservation and management practices for built and urban heritage. It also aims to develop new initiatives aimed at conservation of modern materials such as concrete. 

This internship offers the opportunity to work closely with a dynamic team engaged in projects addressing research and capacity development for built heritage conservation, post-crisis recovery and urban heritage management for sustainable development. The selected candidate will gain insights into international heritage protection initiatives, learn project management techniques, and develop professional skills in a multicultural environment.

For more information, visit the website here

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The Herbert Baker Society and University of York have recently been successful in securing funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, for a PhD research project focusing on Sir Herbert Baker. For more information, please visit the website.
 
The deadline for expressions of interest is noon on Wednesday 5th March 2025.

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We give grants for the conservation of our historic church interiors and churchyard structures in partnership with the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Pilgrim Trust, the Radcliffe Trust, the Oswald Allen Bequest, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, the Gunnis Fund, and the Anglican Parish Churches Fund.

If you are interested in grants for Net Zero Carbon projects, please visit the Net zero carbon projects for churches webpage. 

Includes:

Grants for historic church interiors and churchyard structures

Conservation report and groundwork grants

Find out more here

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Nominations for the 2025 Plowden Medal Conservation Award are open until Friday 16^th May 2025. If you know of any talented conservators who deserve recognition for their work, please consider nominating them and sharing the details with your network.

The nomination form can be completed online and the deadline for nominations is Friday 16^th May 2025. The medal will be presented to the winner in the Autumn.

We encourage you to attend one of our open surgeries where members of the Committee will be able to answer any queries about the nomination process and completing the nomination form. These will be held on Tuesday 18^th February and Tuesday 4^th March @11am on Zoom. To register or for any queries please email plowdenmedal@rwha.co.uk

We would be very grateful if you were able to share this information with your network to encourage applications. If you would like to keep up to date with Plowden please follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram:

Instagram: @theplowdenmedal

LinkedIn:  The Plowden Medal

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Don’t miss your opportunity to recognise a valued colleague at our Emerging Talent Awards.

With the submission deadline of Friday 7th March there’s still time to recognise someone that you think has made a positive contribution to the industry!

Click here to make a nomination.

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IHBC Marsh Award for Successful Learning in Heritage Skills is designed to recognise the contribution to heritage of an individual for their significant learning in traditional building activities and craft skills.

Nominate for SUCCESSFUL LEARNING

Applications close: 31 March

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The IHBC Marsh Award for Community Contribution (Retired Member) is offered to celebrate the contribution to the community by a retired IHBC member (e.g. through BPT involvement, neighbourhood planning, civic and local trusts with heritage interests).

Nominate for RETIRED IHBC

Entries close: 31 March

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The New European Bauhaus (NEB) Prizes celebrate innovative projects and ideas that embody NEB values—sustainability, inclusivity, and beauty. Over four editions, the competition has attracted over 5,000 applications and awarded EUR 1.54 million to 72 winners. The Prizes inspire regions, cities, and towns to embrace NEB principles, foster youth participation, and promote intergenerational dialogue.

In this section, you can find an overview of the main elements of the NEB Prizes 2025.

Applications for this award are now open! You can apply from 14 January 2025 to 14 February 2025. Learn more about the upcoming edition below.

Find out more here

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he British Library annual placement scheme offers doctoral researchers from all disciplines the chance to develop and apply transferable skills and expertise outside the university sector.

Projects cover activities ranging from cataloguing, conservation and interpretation to policy research, resource development and research or community engagement. The duration for each placement is 3 months (or part time equivalent).

Current research themes are available on the British Library’s website, where more information on each theme is available. The themes open for applications now are:

• Sarah Sophia Banks’s guide to her ‘Ceremonies &c p = print’
• Imprimerie Royale Proofs 1640-1789 
• Computational analysis of early printed book descriptions
• Curating the manuscripts in the Lady Eccles Oscar Wilde collection: provenance, preservation and access
• Examination of the British Library’s collection of American underground comix and related ephemera 
• Understanding user needs on climate change and sustainability
• Unearthed at the British Library: achieving a sustainable exhibition
• Afro-Brazilian history and culture in print: surveying the British Library collections
• Mapping the collections: oral histories of architecture in the British Library

Deadline: 21 February
More information and booking here.

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Applications close: 28 January 2025

The UCL EPSRC Landcape Award (UELA) has 50 fully-funded four-year studentships available for 2025/26. Studentships are open to both Home and International fee status students, however EPSRC caps the number of International students at 30% so a maximum of 15 International students can be recruited and competition for these places will be particularly strong.

Applications close at 13:00 UK time on Tuesday 28 January 2025. If there are places available after all offers have been made, additional applications will be considered in Round 2. Round 2 will open in February and close in early June. We will not know whether there are places available for round 2 until after it closes, and Round 2 will be for Home candidates only. We strongly recommend you apply by the initial deadline for round 1 of 13:00 UK time on 28 January 2025.  

For more information visit the website here

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AHRC/CHASE Collaborative Doctoral Award (CDA) PhD studentship in collaboration with the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Kent, and Hillcrest Conservation Consultants (Hillcrest Enterprises South Ltd) – Coastal Heritage and Socio-Economic Decline on the Isle of Sheppey: Learning from the lost village of Elmley in Kent.

Qualification type: PhD

Location: School of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Kent, Marlowe Building, Canterbury, CT2 7NR

Funding for: UK Students and International Students

Funding amount: fees and stipend at AHRC rates (for the current academic year 2024-25, the stipend rate is £19,837). This includes enhanced stipend to cover additional travel costs relating to the project. Please note: this funding amount typically increases with inflation each academic year. Access to additional funding related to research/equipment/event costs will be available.

Closes: Monday 17 February 2025, 12 noon

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The NHIG are currently seeking volunteers to join their team. They currently have the following roles available:

Treasurer
Membership
Social media

For more information, contact Stacey Hibberd at secretary@nhig.org.uk

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