Encouraging interest in and study of business history and archives is a key priority of the BAC and last year, we were delighted to relaunch our Research Support Bursary. Made possible by the generosity of Sir Peter Thompson, former Chairman of the National Freight Corporation, and the Wellcome Foundation, the bursary provides financial support for researchers to access business and organisational archives who would not otherwise be able to do so.

We made three awards last year and you can find details on their projects here.

In relaunching the scheme, our overarching aim was to foster diversity and inclusion in access to business archives. We welcome applications from researchers of all kinds and at any stage of education or career wanting to use business and organisational archives in England and Wales, including students, independent and retired researchers and family and public historians.

We hope to make awards up to a total fund of £1000 this year and offer bursary-holders a range of benefits, including opportunities to share their research at our annual awards evening, through updates in the BAC newsletter and through fee-free attendance at the BAC and Association of Business Historians conferences.

Full details of the call are available here.