AHRC Launches Final Call for UK-China Research and Innovation in the Creative Industries

Funding available to analyse creative industries research and innovation collaboration between the UK and China.

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is providing the fourth and final call for applications under the UK-China Collaboration in the Creative Industries programme. The programme is funded by the UKRI Fund for International Collaboration and is led by AHRC in co-operation with Innovate UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

The aim of this call is to explore and analyse how research and innovation collaboration between the UK and China in the creative industries currently works, how it works best, and how it could work in future. The thematic focus is designed to inform and guide UKRI’s future investments in working with China, and also to support the research and innovation community in future UK-China collaborations.

Applicants should identify the one theme to which their proposal principally responds, though proposals might cut across more than one of these themes or introduce new areas of inquiry relating to research, development and innovation in the creative industries.

Creative industries: audiences and consumer culture

  • Audience insights
  • Localisation of culture

Sector mapping: research, development and innovation and the creative industries

  • Market intelligence and ‘horizon scanning’ for the creative industries in UK and China
  • Creative industries research, development and innovation landscape mapping

Practical and legal considerations for international research, development and innovation in the creative industries

  • Intellectual property (IP) and copyright
  • Navigating cyber security laws and data sharing

The creative industries should be central to all proposals, however applicants may also wish to consider how the creative industries in the UK and China intersect with and inform other sectors of industry, such as:

  • Net-zero
  • Health
  • Smart cities
  • The digital economy
  • Technology development
  • Tourism
  • Nightlife

Reflecting AHRC, EPSRC and Innovate UK’s collaboration on the wider UK-China collaboration in the creative industries programme, interdisciplinary activity is strongly encouraged, both within the arts and humanities and, more widely, through the integration of:

  • Social sciences and science
  • Technology
  • Engineering
  • Mathematics (STEM) disciplines

Proposals should, however, be mainly grounded within AHRC’s remit (with over 50% AHRC remit).

Applications must be submitted by an eligible higher education institution, independent research organisation or research council institute in the UK. They must involve collaboration with at least one research organisation in China.

All applications must also include engagement with industry organisations in the UK and China.

The full economic cost of the project can be up to £100,000. AHRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost.

Projects should be for a duration of up to 12 months.

Applications must be submitted online by the deadline of 7 October 2021 (4pm UK time).