Research is the engine that drives innovation in many sectors – from science and technology to creative professions like architecture. By its very nature, research is about curiosity, problem-solving and uncovering new knowledge. And, when supported by funding, research projects have the potential to evolve from niche, grassroots ideas and questions into transformative tech, new ways of working, new products or even whole cultural movements.
It’s a foundational driver of economic resilience, cultural enrichment, and future-focused industry growth.
Furthermore, funding gives researchers the freedom to explore untested hypothesis, build prototypes, materials and gather data that could influence policy and spark new business. Research funding allows architects to experiment beyond commercial pressures and develop work that challenges conventions and inspires change and innovation.
Without it, many breakthroughs - whether in clean energy, sustainable practices or in many other facets - would stall before they ever began.
RIBA has its own Research Fund to help further the profession of architecture, and the deadline for this year’s applications close on 23 May (2025). So, who can apply for it, who is eligible and what kind of projects have benefitted from the Fund in the past?
What is RIBA’s Research Fund and which architects are eligible?
Applicants can apply for up to £12,000 worth of funding (although this doesn’t cover course fees, expenses, and subsistence costs for those enrolled in PhD/MPhil or Masters programmes), which can be awarded to individuals conducting independent architectural research – at any stage of their careers in practice or academia. The aim of the Fund is, as described above, to support critical investigation into a wide range of subject matters that are relevant to architecture (and connected arts and sciences).
When it comes to who is eligible, RIBA welcomes applications that support all research topics, as long as the final outputs are relevant to the advancement of architecture and the applicant is primarily based in the UK.
How are applicants assessed?
The following criteria is used to select the grant recipient(s) by the RIBA Research Development Group. Applications must:
- evidence clear demonstration of the originality and importance of the research topic.
- evidence that the proposal is generally feasible and well planned, with consideration of how to mitigate risks and address eventual challenges.
- be defined, measurable, and suitable outputs for the research proposal (for example: a journal article, an exhibition, or related ).
- be well-thought through and detailed financial expenditure forecast.
Applicants must also consider whether their projects align with RIBA’s four, mandatory core competencies: Health and Life Safety, Ethical Practice, Climate Literacy, and Research Literacy. Those interested in applying for the Fund, can read more about the competencies.
Research Fund guidance notes are also available.
What is the importance of research in any project?
The sheer diversity of research projects that have benefitted from the RIBA Research Fund is impressive. For instance, in 2024, one project examined how carbon education sits in tandem with the development of circular bio-based economies, bog regeneration, and bioregional material waste streams as local, regional, and global communities urgently prepare for a post-carbon future.
Another past recipient set about exploring how integrating building-as-process principles into the mainstream building industry can enhance UK housing stock and local economies; while another wanted to ask - using the Benin ‘bronzes’ as a model - is architecture a centrality, or a distraction to the process of repatriation, and how will repatriation be affected if architecture is decentered?
For architect and researcher, Garrett Nelli, receiving funding for his 2022 project – Branching Out: Make Use, Not Waste – was crucial.
The project investigated how small-diameter roundwood, branch wood, and woodland residues - materials often overlooked by conventional timber industries - can form the basis of carbon-positive building systems.
“A significant portion [of the Fund] supported the purchase of a drone capable of flying automated flight paths above and below the canopy - essential for scanning, tree inventorying, and carbon mass estimation,” he says. “The funding also enabled travel to Hooke Park and to meet with a charcoal maker in Dorset. This on-the-ground engagement was critical; conducting this research solely from a remote studio using only online resources would not have produced a report as thorough, imaginative, or grounded in practical realities.”
He continues: “This research gave me a much deeper understanding of the interface between regenerative architecture and forest management strategies within the UK context. Although highly speculative and optimistic, the work offers practical - and, I believe, reasonable - strategies for leveraging emerging carbon credit markets to help build a more sustainable and symbiotic relationship between the building and forestry industries.”
“It takes self-initiated research like this to push the boundaries of professional imagination, to challenge what is considered possible, and to rally others in helping create the change our industry needs.”
Apply to the RIBA Research Fund.
Thanks to Garrett Nelli.
Text by Paul Hirons. This is a Professional Feature edited by the RIBA Practice team. Send us your feedback and ideas.
RIBA Core Curriculum topic: Business, clients, and services.
As part of the flexible RIBA CPD programme, professional features count as microlearning. See further information on the updated RIBA CPD core curriculum and on fulfilling your CPD requirements as a RIBA Chartered Member.
