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A report by Public First for the National Trust.
Relevant to NHSF societal challenge 'climate emergency'
https://www.publicfirst.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/National-Trust-Making-climate-adaptation-matter.pdf

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SPARKLE is an AHRC-funded project based at University of Leeds, scoping the development of a national repository for practice research

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SPARKLE is an AHRC-funded project based at University of Leeds, scoping the development of a national repository for practice research

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https://cepra.leeds.ac.uk/sparkle/

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SPARKLE : Centre for Practice-Led Research in the Arts

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Setting natural science collection data free

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Setting natural science collection data free

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https://southwestmuseums.org.uk/what-we-do/projects/south-west-area-natural-sciences-setting-natural-science-collections-data-free/

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'South West Area Natural Sciences: Setting Natural Science Collections Data Free', is a collaborative pilot project between South West Museum Development, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery (Bristol Culture & Creative Industries) and the Natural History Museum London . This project will enable museums to digitally share their natural science specimens and associated data and help researchers understand more about biodiversity, as well as the influence of humanity on our natural world on our rapidly changing planet.
Project aims

Build an understanding of the relationship between specimens, collection data and the digitisation process, which will establish recommended procedures to support its inclusion in research

Build knowledge and understanding of how to digitise natural sciences specimens in accordance with best practice

Seek an understanding of how operations impact participation and the factors or barriers for success

Develop advice and guidance for the wider museum and heritage sector to support participation

Engage audiences in the value of natural sciences collections

We know from our previous 'South West Area Natural Sciences Collections' project that museums hold many unique specimens that are vital to unlocking the story of our natural world. Their potential is understood by natural science specialists, both in the South West and nationally. Our previous work with Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and partners laid the groundwork to connect natural science specialists across the region with non-specialists caring for natural sciences collections, a vital partnership to realise the ambitions of this project.

Our pilot will work with Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Newton Abbot Museum, and a further museum from the South West, to develop and test an infrastructure model which will enable regional museums to digitise their natural sciences collections. Our findings from this pilot will ensure that the needs of regional museums of varying scale are accounted for, in the development of an ambitious mass digitisation project. This will result in the creation of an online portal, housing the UK's natural science specimen data made available to all.

This work forms part of a bigger scoping-project led by the Natural History Museum, ' Setting natural science data free: scoping a UK collections approach ', funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council . The UK holds some of the world's most important natural science collections, with more than 130 million specimens stored in more than 90 institutions throughout the country. They are the gateway to inspiring a lifelong love of nature, and a treasure trove of scientific information that underpins most of our understanding of the natural world. The Arts & Humanities Research Council are supporting the development of a national infrastructure for digital innovation and curation, and Natural History Museum London are working with natural science collections around the UK to understand the size, diversity and significance of UK natural science collections and establish the digital infrastructure that will enable them to be used even more widely for research.

"There is a huge demand for UK natural science collections data - with existing data being accessed every 4 minutes - but most collections lack resources and support for data mobilisation. This project builds towards a national research infrastructure to maximise the impact of collections and their data, building towards a future in which both people and the planet thrive."

Helen Hardy, Deputy Head of Digital, Data & Informatics, Natural History Museum

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Setting Natural Science Collections Data Free - South West Museum Development

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'South West Area Natural Sciences: Setting Natural Science Collections Data Free', is a collaborative pilot project between South West Museum Development, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery (Bristol Culture & Creative Industries) and the Natural History Museum London .

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RICHeS (Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science)

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RICHeS (Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science)

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A summary of progress towards the development, by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), of a research and innovation infrastructure for conservation and heritage science.

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RICHeS - Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science | National Heritage Science Forum

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The value of investment in heritage science research and innovation infrastructure is increasingly being recognised by research funders.

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The Capability for Collections Fund (CapCo) was launched by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in September 2020. It supported a series of targeted, capital investments to renew and upgrade research facilities within UK galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAMs), including university collections. The funding was available for conservation and heritage science facilities, digital capture equipment and specialist study spaces and reading rooms. https://www.heritagescienceforum.org.uk/what-we-do/capability-for-collections-fund

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The Capability for Collections Fund (CapCo) was launched by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in September 2020. It supported a series of targeted, capital investments to renew and upgrade research facilities within UK galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAMs), including university collections. The funding was available for conservation and heritage science facilities, digital capture equipment and specialist study spaces and reading rooms. The investment funded two types of activities:

Refresh/upgrade of major facilities, costed at up to £3million per bid.

Urgent replacement or upgrade of core equipment and instruments, including instrumentation for spectrometry, spectroscopy, digitisation and imaging, and conservation equipment, costed at between £10,000 to £1 million per bid.

In total £25 million was available in funding, following a one-off £300 million investment from the UK government in the UKRI's World Class Labs programme.

In January 2021, AHRC announced which organisations had received funding, some of whom are NHSF members. There were 48 awards to 42 organisations. Individual awards can be found on UKRI's Gateway to Research and the UKRI website.

Our Members' Meeting held on 28 January 2022 provided an insight into some of the benefits and challenges associated with the recent CapCo infrastructure investment. Read a full summary here.

Some examples from NHSF members are listed below, and we'll continue to update this page with fresh information.

Tate
'Tate has been awarded a substantial grant to facilitate a series of targeted interventions to renew and upgrade UK research facilities supporting world class labs. Led by Dr Bronwyn Ormsby, Tate's Principal Conservation Scientist, the award will transform Tate's Conservation Science and Preventive Conservation (CSPC) labs, offices and meeting spaces and support the upgrade of key pieces of scientific instrumentation, such as the Pyrolysis Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometry (PyGCMS) instrument, accelerated ageing chambers and microfader, which are used to identify materials in Tate's collection, explore how material-based works of art may fare over time and develop innovative strategies for their preservation'.

You can read more about Tate's plans here and download a presentation about their renewal project here.

University of Cambridge Museums
'The Cambridge Heritage Science Hub (CHERISH), a consortium of five departments across the University of Cambridge, has been awarded £3m to refurbish, upgrade and future-proof our distributed infrastructure for research in material culture and collections. Building on existing networks and bottom-up collaborations, the funding will enhance our capacity to document, preserve, understand, and share heritage with our diverse audiences and beneficiaries. The award will - amongst other things - significantly upgrade facilities for digital and scanning electron microscopy; expand the range of X-ray fluorescence spectrometers, which will allow reliable quantitative analyses as well as large-scale compositional mapping; and enhance advanced digital imaging infrastructure, including multi-spectral image capture as well as 3D scanning and photogrammetry'.

More information on the project is available here.

The National Archives
'We are delighted to have received £264,000 in funding as part of the AHRC Capability for Collections (CapCo) fund. The CapCo fund is a landmark £15m investment in the arts and humanities that will help secure the future of the UK's galleries, libraries, archives and museums.
The Funds will be used for an urgent upgrade of core equipment for our digitisation programme, and the Heritage Science and Conservation Research Laboratory in our Collection Care studio.'

You can find more information here.

Historic England
'The CapCo grant allows us to replace ageing microscopes and cameras with state-of-the-art equipment to improve research facilities for our staff. It will also transform our imaging capabilities, making it possible to develop new training resources for professionals, create ways to access our collections virtually, and help us to show the public how we do research, as well as what we find'.

English Heritage
'We're pleased to announce a major £623k award from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to upgrade our Heritage Science and Conservation Treatment Facility at Ranger's House. This award comes from AHRC's highly competitive Capability for Collections Fund (CapCo), and is the result of a collaborative submission alongside Historic England, who received funds for equipment at Fort Cumberland.

The first part of this capital funding will enable vital upgrades to the fabric of the conservation science buildings and workshop, as well as enhanced lighting in the painting conservation studio. The second part of the funding will be used to upgrade conservation science equipment including a fibre optic spectrometer, which can non-invasively determine the state of glass deterioration and identify the pigments and varnishes used in oil paintings, and environmental chambers which can be used to measure the response of materials such as archaeological bone to different climates.

This transformational grant is an endorsement of the world-leading research being undertaken by our Conservation Science Team. Their research into the environmental response of objects in historic environments is crucial for our work caring for collections, and this investment will allow us to build on the work they have undertaken over the past 15 years'.
National Museums Scotland
National Museums Scotland has been awarded over £300K to advance collections and research facilities at the National Museums Collection Centre in Granton, Edinburgh. The award will enable the upgrade of access and research facilities for science & technology and natural sciences collections, and the purchase of new science and digitisation equipment including a Computed Radiography Unit and a high-specification digital microscope with flexible arm particularly adept for working with large objects.

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The Capability for Collections Fund (CapCo) was launched by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in September 2020. It supported a series of targeted, capital investments to renew and upgrade research facilities within UK galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAMs), including university collections.

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Sustainability Tools in Cultural Heritage

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Sustainability Tools in Cultural Heritage

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A new free online resource, Sustainability Tools in Cultural Heritage, or "STiCH," provides a life cycle assessment (LCA) Carbon Calculator, Library of Case Studies, and Information Sheets to help cultural heritage professionals make educated, sustainable choices to lower the environmental impact of their work.

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STiCH stands for Sustainability Tools in Cultural Heritage

One of the greatest challenges of the 21 st Century is climate change. Sustainability Tools in Cultural Heritage (STiCH) is a life cycle assessment (LCA) Carbon Calculator and Library of Case Studies and Information Sheets developed to help cultural heritage professionals make educated, sustainable choices to lower the environmental impact of their work.

Life Cycle Assessment is at the heart of STiCH

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) sets a framework for quantifying environmental impacts of systems and products. It focuses on a specific question concerning the environmental impact of a product or action and can encompass any or every phase of its lifecycle. Engineers use LCA software and databases to analyze the items and arrive at quantitative results.

A successful collaboration between the engineer and the client allows for design of a study with greatest relevance to the field. LCA has been used across all types of sectors to inform procurement decisions, and provides the scientific basis for all carbon, water, and environmental footprinting.

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Tools for Informed Sustainable Choices - STiCH

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A life cycle assessment resource created to help cultural heritage professionals lower the environmental impact of their work.

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IPERION HS is a consortium of 24 partners from 23 countries that contributes to establishing a pan-European research infrastructure on heritage science. It offers training and access to a wide range of high-level scientific instruments, methodologies, data and tools for advancing knowledge and innovation in heritage science.

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Due to the pandemic, the conference has been postponed to September 12-16, 2022 International Conference on advances in photonic techniques for Cultural Heritage LACONA "Lasers in the Conservation of Artworks" is the International Conference on advances in...

Registration will open on 15th April 2021 Iperion HS is launching the 1st Doctoral Summer School that will take place online from 13 to 16 July 2021.The IPERION HS Doctoral Summer Schools (HS-DSS) are part of the IPERION HS Academy and provide a learning...

Collecting research and review articles covering all aspects of ageing-induced morphological changes in polymer materials Deadline for contributions: 30 September 2021 Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open-access journal published by MDPI. Polymers are...

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Iperion HS | Integrated Platform for the European Research Infrastructure

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Due to the pandemic, the conference has been postponed to September 12-16, 2022 International Conference on advances in photonic techniques for Cultural Heritage LACONA "Lasers in the Conservation of Artworks" is the International Conference on advances in...

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JPI on Cultural Heritage and Global Change - Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda 2020

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JPI on Cultural Heritage and Global Change - Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda 2020

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Find the latest documents and resources added on the hub. Reports, case studies, project deliverables, workshop proceedings and much more.

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Sustainable Heritage Bidecennial Conference: Strategic Research Questions22 March 2021–25 March 2021, 4:00 pm–6:45 pm

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Sustainable Heritage Bidecennial Conference: Strategic Research Questions22 March 2021–25 March 2021, 4:00 pm–6:45 pm

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The Sustainable Heritage Bidecennial Conference will take place over four days from 22-25 March 2021, starting at 4pm GMT each day.

This event will be held on Zoom. Participation is free of charge.

Conference Sessions:

Heritage risk and resilience | 22 March 4pm

Modern and contemporary heritage | 23 March 4pm |

Heritage science | 24 March 4pm |

Future heritage | 25 March 4pm |

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To mark 20 years of Sustainable Heritage at UCL, we are holding a Bidecennial Conference in March 2021.

The Sustainable Heritage Bidecennial Conference will take place over four days from 22-25 March 2021, starting at 4pm GMT each day.

This event will be held on Zoom. Participation is free of charge.

Conference Sessions:
See the full programme of each conference session with speakers and talk titles below.
Conference workshops:

Citizen Science & Cultural Heritage. Planning for success | 24 March 1pm |

Digitising museum objects using basic photogrammetry | 25 March 1pm

Workshops have been organised in collaboration with Social Sciences & Humanities Open Cloud (SSHOC).
See the full programme of each conference workshops with speakers and talk titles below.
Organised in a hybrid format consisting of online talks, workshops and roundtable discussions, the conference will appeal to researchers and practitioners, industry and policy professionals.

The conference is organised under the auspices of the National Heritage Science Forum, the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS - in the process of establishment) and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM).

Conference scope

Research into cultural heritage inhabits the space between humanities and science. It is critical, collaborative and interdisciplinary. This makes it challenging on many levels, continually questioning experiments, concepts and theories; applying qualitative and quantitative methods of research; ideally moving fluidly between research, policy and impact and often doing so disruptively; requiring discipline-rooted researchers with an immense breadth of expertise.

Our bidecennial conference will consider where the field might go next within the context of what appears to be a very open research landscape. The outcomes will contribute to the wider debate that is defining the strategic challenges of heritage research.

The programme will consist of invited, visionary contributions exploring questions of theory, methodology, impact, sustainability, and the presentations are expected to focus on the future and to reflect on the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of heritage research.

Conference sessions

Heritage risk and resilience

Monday 22 March 4pm - 6:45pm
Led by Prof Kalliopi Fouseki

Speakers:

Aromar Revi (Indian Institute for Human Settlements) and Christina Sabbioni (CNR)
Ege Yildirim (ICOMOS, Turkey): "The Sustainable Development Goals and the Expansion of Heritage"
Trinidad Rico (Rutgers, School of Art and Sciences): "Reconsidering endangerment through a heritage of religion"
Rob Woodside (English Heritage) and Nada Hoskins (Global Heritage Fund): "The Long Tail - strategies for heritage resilience in a post-Covid world"

Heritage risk and resilience round table panel:

Amr Elhusseiny (UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage, UK)

Elia Quijano Quinones (UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage, UK)

Joy Edeoja (UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage, UK)

Lorika Hisari (UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage, UK)

Modern and contemporary heritage

Tuesday 23 March 4pm - 6:30pm
Led by Dr Katherine Curran

Speakers:

Edward Denison (UCL Bartlett School of Architecture): "MoHoA - Modern Heritage of Africa / Modern Heritage in the Anthropocene"
Susan MacDonald (Getty Conservation Institute): "Modern heritage research and the 2020 pivot: catching up and moving forward"
Jill Sterrett (formerly of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Smart Museum, Chicago): "Scaffolds: 21st century Heritage Thinking"
Gus Casely-Hayford (V&A East): "V&A East: How do we inspire a generation?"

Modern and contemporary heritage round table panel:

Alejandra Albuerne (UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage)

Gus Casely-Hayford (V&A East)

Rupert Cole (Science Museum)

Edward Denison (UCL Bartlett School of Architecture)

Susan MacDonald (Getty Conservation Institute)

Jill Sterrett (formerly of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Smart Museum, Chicago)

Heritage science

Wednesday 24 March 4pm - 6:30pm
Led by Dr Josep Grau-Bové

Speakers:

Jenny Richards (St John's College, Oxford) and Peter Brimblecombe (National Sun Yat-sen University, Department of Marine Environment and Engineering): "Modelling of environmental pressures within the heritage sciences"
Scott Orr (UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage): "Heritage data science as exploratory enquiry"
Matthew Collins, Christian Carøe, Alberto Taurozzi, Tuuli Kasso, Alister Sutherland (The GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark), Samuel Johns (Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol), Renée Enevold (Moesgaard Museum, Denmark): "ArcHives - Beeswax as a Biomolecular Record"
John Delaney (National Gallery, Washington DC, USA): "Multimodal Imaging Spectroscopy in Cultural Heritage Science: Future Directions"

Heritage science round table panel:

Cecilia Bembibre (UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage, UK)

Abdelrazek Elnaggar (Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology, Egypt)

Blen Gemeda (University of Oxford, UK)

Marco Leona (Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA)

Future heritage

Thursday 25 March 4pm - 6:45pm
Led by Prof Richard Sandford

Speakers:

Monika Stobiecka (Faculty of Liberal Arts, Warsaw University): Digital sustainability: what happens when we digitize everything?
Shadreck Chirikure (British Academy Global Professor, School of Archaeology in Oxford University & Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town): Imagining heritage futures in Africa and elsewhere: great expectations or great trepidations?
Dan Hicks (Professor of Contemporary Archaeology, University of Oxford): Brutish Heritage
Stephen Witherford (Director, Witherford Watson Mann architects): Constructing Ruins - architecture of imperfection

We are delighted to announce that Prof Raimund Bleischwitz, Director of the Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources will give the Welcome address, on 22 March at 4pm GMT.

The conference will be concluded by a talk by Prof May Cassar, Director of UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage, on 25 March at 6:30pm GMT.

Conference workshops

The following workshops have been organised in collaboration with Social Sciences & Humanities Open Cloud (SSHOC)

Citizen Science & Cultural Heritage - Planning for success.

Workshop organised with Social Sciences & Humanities Open Cloud (SSHOC)
Wednesday 24 March, 1-2pm GMT

Speakers:

Rosie Brigham (UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage)
Josep Grau-Bove (UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage)

About the session

"Well why don't we crowdsource it?!" is an easy suggestion to make in a meeting when facing with a complex task, but in reality, citizen science and crowdsourcing projects are highly complex and require significant resources in order to succeed. In this hour session we will take you thought the planning stages of creating two different Citizen Science projects, one involving data collection and one involving data tagging, and we will take you step by step through the planning stages to show what needs to be considered to ensure your project will be success.

Speakers:
Rosie Brigham is a software engineer and researcher at the Institute for Sustainable Heritage, (ISH) University College London. She is the founder of Monument Monitor, a ground-breaking citizen heritage science project that collects conservation data from visitor photographs. Her PhD explores how artificial intelligence can improve conservation management processes and her previous publications have investigated the reliability of citizen scientist provided data. Follow her on twitter @rosie934 and Instagram @monumentmonitor.

Josep Grau-Bove is a lecturer in Science and Engineering in Arts, Heritage and Archaeology. Joseps' work explores the interface is where technology meets preventive conservation. He is interested in how new computational developments can support preventive conservation management and is currently working on the application of building information modelling, citizen science and system dynamics in heritage science.

Digitising museum objects using basic photogrammetry

Workshop organised with Social Sciences & Humanities Open Cloud (SSHOC)
Thursday 25 March, 1-2pm GMT

Speakers:

Kira Zumkley (Association for Historical and Fine Art Photography and UCL Centre for Digital Humanities)
Adam Gibson (UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage)

About the session

This workshop will introduce participants to the field of imaging applications in the study and management of heritage. The focus will be paced on developing skills for the use of photogrammetry in heritage. It will look at the process of creating a 3D model of a museum object from start to finish using basic photogrammetry equipment. As such, workshop participants will gain insight into the photogrammetric process, understand what is achievable with basic equipment and become more aware of the requirements 3D digitsation of museum objects entails and how these might differ from every day objects.

Kira Zumkley has been working in the heritage sector for over 10 years both as an archaeologist, photographer, and researcher. She is the Chair of the Association for Historical and Fine Art Photography and Honorary Lecturer at the Centre for Digital Humanities at University College London. In addition, she is currently working as a researcher on a joint project between the Victoria and Albert Museum, University of Brighton and University College London. Prior to moving into academia, Kira worked as the photography manager at the Science Museum Group and carried out her own creative photography practices focusing on the contrasting experiences of urban and natural spaces.

Adam Gibson is Professor of Heritage Science at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage. His group applies imaging techniques to aspects of heritage, predominantly multispectral and hyperspectral imaging. His work has looked, among other things, at painting analysis and feature recovery in historical documents.

Conference publications

A Conference Booklet will be available before the event and will contain summaries of the invited talks.
Presenters shall submit a chapter for the edited volume Strategic Research Directions for Heritage Research 2021 to be published open access. All submissions will be reviewed and edited.

Expert committee

Conference chair

Our bidecennial conference will be chaired by Prof Matija Strlic, Professor of Heritage Science.

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To mark 20 years of Sustainable Heritage at UCL, we are holding a Bidecennial Conference in March 2021. The Sustainable Heritage Bidecennial Conference will take place over four days from 22-25 March 2021, starting at 4pm GMT each day. This event will be held on Zoom. Participation is free of charge.

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Supports the development of partnerships and collaborative projects in Archaeological and Heritage Science

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Dr Paola Ricciardi and Prof Marcos Martinón-Torres
Cambridge is home to world-leading researchers across Technical Art History, Heritage Science and Archaeological Science, based at the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Hamilton Kerr Institute and the Department of Archaeology/McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. There are multiple synergies across the three institutions in terms of research methodologies, goals and ambitions in the field of technical and scientific investigation of works of art and archaeological objects. We are therefore developing a connected research community for Archaeological and Heritage Science in Cambridge, which takes full advantage of our collective strengths.

Building on multiple joint projects already underway, the Cambridge Heritage Science Hub (CHERISH) Initiative will support the development of partnerships and collaborative projects and ultimately lead to embedding partnership-focused working in the area of Archaeological and Heritage Science across a large number of institutions, including not only the three mentioned so far, but also Cambridge University Library (CUL), the other University of Cambridge Museums (UCMs) and the Department of History of Art (HoA).

At the core of this initiative is our conviction that scientific approaches are key to the characterisation, preservation, understanding and dissemination of heritage but also that these studies should be grounded in the broader intellectual frameworks of the arts and humanities, in order to maximise benefits to communities, economies and the environment. We promote a critical approach to archaeological and heritage science that is both robust in its scientific foundations and humanistic in its engagement with artefacts, people and their multifaceted cultural and natural contexts.

We expect this endeavour to generate productive areas of inquiry that cross the current research interests at the different institutions; and to streamline the shared use of existing as well as future facilities for Archaeological Science, Conservation and Heritage Science. In doing so, we are putting structures in place for the full development of Archaeological and Heritage Science at Cambridge, including through increased grant capture and philanthropic donations, and for its national and international advocacy, through our contribution to the work of the National Heritage Science Forum ( NHSF) and to the ongoing AHRC push for Heritage Science Infrastructure and initiatives.

Dr Paola Ricciardi is the Fitzwilliam Museum's Senior Research Scientist. Before joining the Fitzwilliam Museum in October 2011, she spent three years at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC as the Samuel H. Kress post-doctoral Fellow in Imaging Science. At the Fitzwilliam, Paola is responsible for the scientific aspects of the MINIARE research project ( www.miniare.org), which uses a cross-disciplinary approach to study medieval and Renaissance illuminated manuscripts. She is also engaged in research on medieval polychrome wood sculptures, early Modern portrait miniatures, and 18th century ceramics and glass. Paola's main research interests include the technical analysis of cultural heritage objects, particularly with non-invasive imaging and spectroscopic methods; the study of artists' materials and techniques; and the transfer of knowledge between artists and craftsmen working in different media.

Prof Marcos Martinón-Torres is the Pitt-Rivers Professor of Archaeological Science. He joined the Department of Archaeology in Cambridge in 2018, after over a decade at UCL. He has a background in history, archaeology and archaeological science. Much of his research focuses on the analysis of material culture and the reverse engineering of archaeological technologies, as a starting point to understand the evolution and movement of knowledge, people and things. He is very fond of collaborative and exploratory research, and greatly enjoys teaching.

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The Cambridge Heritage Science Hub (CHERISH) Initiative, 2020-2022

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Dr Paola Ricciardi and Prof Marcos Martinón-Torres Cambridge is home to world-leading researchers across Technical Art History, Heritage Science and Archaeological Science, based at the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Hamilton Kerr Institute and the Department of Archaeology/McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research.

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Heritage and our sustainable future: research, practice, policy and impact

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Research, Practice, Policy and Impact / Virtual Conference 22nd February - 2nd March 2021

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Societal challenges and heritage science research.
Five societal challenges identified. Encouraging reflection on research questions and research practices, thinking about how heritage science research can contribute to addressing the challenges, and how new partnerships and collaborations can help.

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Societal challenges and heritage science research

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At the meeting on 10th December, members heard from five speakers who had been asked to give lightning presentations on work they are involved in to provide strategic context for thinking about how heritage science links to the societal challenges.

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Collaborative research in Heritage BIM (Building  Information Modelling) leading to sectoral advice and guidance

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Collaborative research in Heritage BIM (Building  Information Modelling) leading to sectoral advice and guidance

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The potential advantages of a BIM approach to help users successfully implement BIM in heritage projects

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The creation of the Heritage Council in Spring 2018 presents a way of engaging across government

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The Heritage Council seeks to strengthen the link between the country's heritage and the wider regeneration and placemaking agenda as well as helping government to best support the heritage sector.

Heritage Minister Michael Ellis said:

Heritage is an important part of our communities. It helps us to make sense of our past and shape the places we live, work and visit. The sector provides employment for hundreds and thousands of people and is an economic driver in our economy.

Our history and heritage are part of what make our country an attractive place to live and visit and I am committed to ensuring that we continue to be a world-leader in the protection and preservation of our historic sites so that we remain a go to destination.

The Council will create closer links between the government and the sector and will enable dialogue to drive progress in key policy areas affecting heritage. It will support the government in the implementation of policy and raise issues affecting the sector. In addition the Council and government will work together on issues such as planning, environmental protection, social and economic development and education.

Core membership of the Heritage Council is made up of: DCMS; DEFRA; MHCLG and HMT along with Historic England; The Heritage Lottery Fund; The Heritage Alliance; Natural England; The National Trust and Historic Houses.

The aim of the Council will enable collaboration and the exchange of ideas so that government and the sector can work together to protect and preserve Britain's heritage for future generations.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Core members of the Council:

DCMS - Michael Ellis, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism

DEFRA - Lord Gardiner of Kimble, Minister for Rural Affairs and Biosecurity

MHCLG - Heather Wheeler MP, Minister for Housing and Homelessness

HMT - John Glen MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury

Historic England - Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive

The Heritage Lottery Fund - Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive

The Heritage Alliance - Lizzie Glithero-West, Chief Executive

Natural England - James Cross, Chief Executive

The National Trust - Hilary McGrady, Director General

Historic Houses - Dr Ben Cowell, Director General

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Newly formed Heritage Council will help ensure sector thrives

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The Heritage Council seeks to strengthen the link between the country's heritage and the wider regeneration and placemaking agenda as well as helping government to best support the heritage sector. Heritage Minister Michael Ellis said: Heritage is an important part of our communities.

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Provides information on equipment used for heritage science research that is held by NHSF member organisations.

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Equipment sharing: NHSF Kit-Catalogue | National Heritage Science Forum

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The NHSF Kit-Catalogue is a searchable database of equipment and facilities used for heritage science research. It aims to facilitate collaboration and best use of existing resources.

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Launched in 2018, with 'a focus on cross-cutting issues that are outside the core remits of current funding bodies, such as multi-and inter-disciplinary research'.

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In this role Sir Mark will lead the establishment of UKRI and ensure it plays a central role at the heart of the Industrial Strategy.

Subject to the passage of the Higher Education and Research Bill through parliament, UKRI will be established as a single, strategic body that will bring together the 7 Research Councils, Innovate UK and the research and knowledge exchange functions of the Higher Education Funding Council for England ( HEFCE).

The Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation Jo Johnson said:

I am delighted that Mark has agreed to take on this pivotal role. With his experience of running a large scale research organisation, collaboration with businesses in all sectors and his work at the heart of government, Mark is uniquely placed to lead the establishment of UKRI and ensure the organisation becomes a major voice for UK research and innovation.

Following his appointment Mark will now work closely with the UKRI Chair Sir John Kingman and the research and innovation communities across the UK to shape the new organisation over the coming months, delivering on the Industrial Strategy proposals for investing in science, research and innovation in the UK.

UKRI Chief Executive Designate Prof Sir Mark Walport said:

I am honoured to be appointed as the first Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation ( UKRI). My ambition is to make UKRI the world's leading research and innovation public funding agency.

I look forward to working closely with the Research Councils, Innovate UK and Higher Education Funding Council for England ( HEFCE) as we work together to create UKRI. I also look forward to working closely with all of our research and innovation communities to provide a strong and coherent voice for UK science and innovation.

UKRI Non-Executive Chair Sir John Kingman said:

I have worked closely with Mark over many years; he is a superb scientific leader who believes passionately in the potential for great science and innovation to make a profound difference to society and to the economy. He is the ideal first leader for UKRI.

Detail on UKRI

Science, research and innovation are key strengths of the UK; vital underpinning elements of our economy and national wellbeing. The UK research and innovation system is world-leading, but there is an opportunity to make it even more effective.

The purpose of Part 3 of the Higher Education and Research Bill is to put in place the legal powers and safeguards that will enable government to protect the UK's status as a full-spectrum scientific power in the future. The proposals before parliament are to create UKRI, a strong, agile and joined up funder of research and innovation for the UK.

Through UKRI, we are implementing the recommendations of Nobel Prize winning scientist Sir Paul Nurse, who the government asked to lead a review of the UK's research landscape. In his report, published in November 2015, Sir Paul called on government to "support the Research Councils to collectively make up more than the sum of their parts", and develop a "smoother pathway to more applied research".

Subject to the passage of the Higher Education and Research Bill through parliament, UKRI will include the 7 Research Councils, Innovate UK and the research and knowledge exchange functions of HEFCE. This will create a single strategic research and innovation funding body, which will build on and protect the strengths and values of the current system.

UKRI will deliver a strengthened strategic approach to future challenges and a maximisation of the value and benefit from government's investment of over £6 billion per annum in research and innovation. It will provide a greater focus on cross-cutting issues that are outside the core remits of the current funding bodies, such as multi- and inter-disciplinary research, enabling the system to respond rapidly and effectively to current and future challenges. It will be a strengthened, unified voice for the UK's research and innovation funding system, facilitating the dialogue with government and partners on the global stage. Furthermore, it will create a smoother pathway for innovation, enabling improved collaboration between businesses and researchers and better alignment of research outputs with business needs.

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Sir Mark Walport will lead UK Research and Innovation

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In this role Sir Mark will lead the establishment of UKRI and ensure it plays a central role at the heart of the Industrial Strategy. Subject to the passage of the Higher Education and Research Bill through parliament, UKRI will be established as a single, strategic body that will bring together the 7 Research Councils, Innovate UK and the research and knowledge exchange functions of the Higher Education Funding Council for England ( HEFCE).

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The Mobile Heritage Lab is a unique research and public engagement vehicle. It is a joint venture of University College London, the University of Oxford and the University of Brighton, and it is funded by EPSRC.

The Mobile Heritage Lab is available to any institution or organisation that wishes to apply, through our online application form, to use it for research and public engagement projects. It is part of the SEAHA CDT, and will aid the delivery of projects related to the research of SEAHA students. The purpose of the 'Lab-on-Wheels' is to make Heritage Science as accessible as possible, bringing the innovative science developed by SEAHA students to the places where it is most needed.

Users of the Mobile Heritage Lab will have access to scientific equipment from leading laboratories that participate in SEAHA including UCL, Oxford and Brighton. The equipment covers different areas of heritage science interest, such as environmental monitoring, imaging and chemical analysis. The extensive range of instruments available, allows the contents of the Lab to be reconfigured on-demand. It includes ground penetrating radar, hyperspectral cameras, a weather station and pollution monitors, to name only a few.

Read some testimonials of visits we've done in the past here.

In order to apply, read the Project Guidelines and have a look at the Online Application Form. Feel free to contact Dr. Josep Grau-Bové if you want to know more.

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The Mobile Heritage Lab is a unique research and public engagement vehicle. It is a joint venture of University College London, the University of Oxford and the University of Brighton, and it is funded by EPSRC. The Mobile Heritage Lab is available to any institution or organisation that wishes t

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ISAAC (Imaging & Sensing for Archaeology, Art History & Conservation) 

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ISAAC (Imaging & Sensing for Archaeology, Art History & Conservation) 

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Our research and work focuses on:

the development of novel non-invasive optical instruments for imaging and sensing;

applications of science to heritage (heritage science) including the use of our unique instruments; and

develop applications of our imaging instrumentation expertise to a broad range of disciplines and industries including making economic and societal impacts.

Our work on advanced optical imaging and remote sensing applied to cultural heritage in solving conservation, art history and archaeology problems for museums and cultural heritage institutes is internationally recognised as leading the field. We are unique in developing advanced non-invasive imaging systems that are not only novel in optical and remote sensing instrumentation but also novel in applications to cultural heritage. Consequently, the instruments we develop are in demand in a variety of industries. We have collaborated closely with all major cultural heritage institutes in the UK and many institutions internationally.

We are engaged in the preparatory phase for the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS) which was put on the European Roadmap in 2016. The European-wide project will see different platforms supporting the new research infrastructure, which include mobile laboratories, fixed laboratories, digital and archival facilities.

NTU's ISAAC mobile laboratory provision will contribute to E-RIHS both on the European and UK front.

Projects

Our archaeology, art history and conservation related projects take the research team across the globe, to galleries, museums and heritage sites. We have worked on a number of projects at internationally-renowned sites, from our European projects at the V&A, the Louvre in Paris and Fondation Beyeler, Switzerland, to American sites such as the Brooklyn Museum and the Getty Conservation Institution (GCI) in LA. We have also visited several sites throughout China, such as the Shaan Xi History Museum, the Dunhuang Research Academy and the National Museum of China in Beijing. Visit our Projects page for more information on our work.

Collaboration

Research has been conducted in collaboration with conservation scientists, conservators, archaeologists, archaeological scientists and art historians and curators from the following heritage organisations:

The British Museum

The National Gallery (London)

Tate

Victoria and Albert Museum

English Heritage

Historic England

National Trust

Science Museum

Nottingham Castle Museum

Birmingham Museum and Gallery

Royal Horticultural Society

Historic Royal Palaces

Fitzwilliam Museum

Bodleian Library

Peterborough Cathedral

National Museum of Ireland

Louvre Museum and C2RMF (France)

LRMH (France)

National Museum of China

Shaan Xi History Museum (China)

Dunhuang Academy (China)

Getty Conservation Institution (USA)

Brooklyn Museum (USA)

Museums of New Mexico (USA)

Museum of International Folk Art (USA)

Fondation Beyeler (Switzerland)

and a range of UK and international universities, with support from

EPSRC

AHRC

NERC

RCUK

EU

HEIF

The Royal Society

Leverhulme Trust

English Heritage

The National Gallery

Tate

The British Museum

Science Museum

Fondation Beyeler

National Museum of Ireland

Dunhuang Academy

Bodleian Library

News

ISAAC Mobile Lab was at St Barnabas' Cathedral in Nottingham on 22nd October 2018 as a warm up session for the upcoming Heritage Lottery Funded project

Professor Liang visited Shaan Xi Archaeological Institute and the Liu Jia Wa archaeological site, Shaan Xi History Museum, Northwest University in Xi'an, Shanghai Museum and Shanghai University in China in September 2018

Professor Liang was invited to talk about the collaborative project with DunHuang academy at the "The 3rd Silk Road International Cultural Expo Special Forum, The Alliance on Technological Innovations of Cultural Heritage along the Silk Road" in Dunhuang in September 2018

Three members of ISAAC team attended LACONA XII in Paris, PhD student Yu Li presented a poster on remote Raman spectroscopy at stand-off distances which won the best poster prize, PhD student Margaret Read gave a talk on Multi-wavelength OCT and vitreous objects, Professor Liang gave an invited talk on OCT

Professor Liang was invited to give a talk on OCT at the Gordon Research Conference in July 2018

Professor Liang was invited to give a keynote talk at the Gordon Research Seminar in July 2018

Margaret Read presented a poster on OCT imaging of Enamels at ENAMEL 2018: 7th Experts' Meeting on Enamel on Metal Conservation in June 2018 in Stuttgart

ISAAC members will contribute to 14 presentation at the Global Heritage: Science, Management and Development Research Theme showcase event on 18th May 2018.

ISAAC Mobile lab provided access to the Abbey Library of Saint Gall in Switzerland (part of a UNESCO world heritage site together with Abbey of St Gall) to image a medieval manuscript of astronomical interest. This trip was funded by the Centre for Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology, University of Zurich. MSci Physics student Luke Butler assisted Professor Haida Liang on the data gathering at the end of May 2018.

In March 2018, Professor Haida Liang and Dr Sotiria Kogou took the ISAAC mobile lab to the Museum of International Folk Art (MIOF) in Santa Fe and the Getty Conservation Institute to study a collection of Chinese export paintings of Peruvian subjects at MOIFA and paintings of similar subject matter attributed to the Peruvian artist Pancho Fierro in the Getty collection. This is a collaboration with the Getty Conservation Institute, MOIFA and the Museums of New Mexico-Conservation unit.

Professor Haida Liang was invited by the Getty Conservation Institute to attend the Microfade Tester Expert meeting in March 2018

Professor Haida Liang, Dr Sammy Cheung and Dr Natasha Hodgson (NTU, Medieval History) visited University of Canterbury in Christchurch (UCC), New Zealand for the Canterbury Roll Project. Access to the ISAAC mobile lab was provided to UCC as a collaborative project to examine the Canterbury Roll, the only medieval manuscript in New Zealand. The visit was broadcasted on TVNZ 6 News on the 8th Jan 2018.

The NTU team also participated in a digital humanities symposium on the Canterbury roll. Professor Haida Liang gave a public talk on "From the Selden Map to the Canterbury Roll - a holistic approach to scientific investigation of historic manuscripts." January 2018

Related Staff
Head of the Group Professor Haida Liang Research Fellows

Dr Sammy Cheung

Dr Sotiria Kogou

Dr Alexandra Vichi

Dr Florence Liggins

Research Students

Patrick Atkinson

Margaret Read

Yu Li

Chris Pickup

Hannah Cooper-Smithson

Alex Hogg

Luke Butler

Rachel Jacques

Mixon Faluweki

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Imaging & Sensing for Archaeology, Art History & Conservation (ISAAC)

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Our research and work focuses on: the development of novel non-invasive optical instruments for imaging and sensing; applications of science to heritage (heritage science) including the use of our unique instruments; and develop applications of our imaging instrumentation expertise to a broad range of disciplines and industries including making economic and societal impacts.

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European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS)

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European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS)

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E-RIHS and its UK hub will recognise and strengthen distributed families in Higher Education, Independent Research Organisations and Public Sector Research establishments.

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TECHNART 2019 (Bruges, 7-10 May 2019) Organized by the University of Antwerp and the Municipal Museums of Bruges, the 2019 edition of TECHNART, the European conference on the use of Analytical methods for Characterization of Works of Art, will be held in Bruges on...

Call for Papers The next SEAHA Conference on Heritage Science will be held in the University of Oxford's School of Geography and the Environment between April 1st and 3rd 2019. About the Event The theme of this year's conference is 'Bridging the Gap' and through this...

O3A: Optics for Art, Architecture and Archaeology 2019 International Congress Center, Münich, 24-27 June 2019 The 9th conference on O3A: Optics for Arts, Architecture and Archaeology under the SPIE Optical Metrology symposium series is being held again in Munich at...

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TECHNART 2019 (Bruges, 7-10 May 2019) Organized by the University of Antwerp and the Municipal Museums of Bruges, the 2019 edition of TECHNART, the European conference on the use of Analytical methods for Characterization of Works of Art, will be held in Bruges on...

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£8.1 million programme of investment from AHRC and EPSRC that ran between 2007-2014. It funded 48 projects, involving more than 300 researchers, 234 institutions and 50 industry partners both in the UK and overseas, It is an example of how academic, industry and heritage are able to work together in innovative ways.

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The Science and Heritage Programme has been established in order to take forward recommendations made by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee report on Science and Heritage. The Programme will draw on a range of disciplinary expertise and resources in order to transform the ways in which changes to our cultural heritage and its conservation are understood.

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Research by NHSF to show what research has been carried out since 2009 to address the research priorities identified in the 2010 National Heritage Science Strategy

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Filling the Gaps | National Heritage Science Forum

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In 2015, the NHSF commissioned an initial review of the heritage science research that had been carried out since 2009. The resulting report Filling the Gaps maps research listed on the Gateway to Research (i.e.

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Partnership working here

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Introductory webinar: Why Linked Data? | Linked Conservation Data

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This webinar will introduce conservators to the ideas of the Semantic Web and will demonstrate cases where Linked Data is a useful technology for disseminating conservation records. The webinar will also be an opportunity for the Network partners to meet online for the first time.

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FAIRsFAIR - Fostering Fair Data Practices in Europe - aims to supply practical solutions for the use of the FAIR data principles throughout the research data life cycle. Emphasis is on fostering FAIR data culture and the uptake of good practices in making data FAIR.

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Publication of UKRI research findings - research and innovation infrastructure programme

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Publication of UKRI research findings - research and innovation infrastructure programme

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Two reports have been published 'Opportunities to grow our capability' and 'Landscape analysis'. Both make reference to heritage science.
"This report and accompanying Landscape
Analysis provide an overview and assessment of
existing UK infrastructure and key international
facilities in which the UK participates. This
report is intended as a strategic guide to inform
future investment decisions and identification of
priorities for the next-generation of infrastructure
to 2030"

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What is research and innovation infrastructure?

The UK's world-leading status in research and innovation is in large part founded upon its network of internationally competitive, high-quality and accessible research and innovation infrastructure. This includes:

large-scale physical research facilities, equipment and sets of instruments, such as synchrotrons, research ships, scientific satellites and 'living labs' like The National Virology Centre

networks of technologies and e-infrastructures including data and computing systems and communication networks, including the high-performance computing service ARCHER

knowledge-based resources, including scientific, cultural and artistic collections and archives

To meet the ambitions of the Government's Industrial Strategy and the target to increase total R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027, the UK will need to invest in research and innovation infrastructure.

To increase our understanding of the UK's current capabilities and to plan for the future, UK Research and Innovation has provided an assessment of the UK's infrastructure for the first time, on behalf of the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Findings of the infrastructure programme

The findings of the infrastructure programme are summarised in the two reports below.

Opportunities to grow our capability (PDF, 6.2MB) - This report assesses the future infrastructure landscape and identifies needs, opportunities and key themes that could be a major benefit to the UK's capability to 2030. It is intended as a strategic guide to inform investment decisions for the next generation of infrastructure.

Landscape analysis (PDF, 4.9MB) - This report provides a detailed picture of the UK's infrastructure. It builds on the Initial analysis of the UK's landscape of infrastructures, filling gaps in the data and exploring key issues in more depth.

The reports build on the findings of two interim reports: see our Programme background and objectives.

The UK research and infrastructure portal

As part of this programme, we have created a portal that catalogues hundreds of research and innovation infrastructures across the UK, whether they come under UKRI's remit or not. It is available as a resource for researchers, innovators, international partners and businesses with an interest in using UK infrastructure in their work. View the portal online.

International links: UK proposals to the 2021 ESFRI Roadmap

The European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) is updating its Roadmap of pan-European Research Infrastructures and has launched a process for new proposals to be considered for inclusion on the 2021 Roadmap. For more information please see the International links: UK proposals to the 2021 ESFRI Roadmap. Submissions must be made by 10 February 2020.

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The UK's world-leading status in research and innovation is in large part founded upon its network of internationally competitive, high-quality and accessible research and innovation infrastructure.

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A pan-European infrastructure for arts and humanities scholars working with computational methods

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DARIAH | Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities

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DARIAH is a pan-european infrastructure for arts and humanities scholars working with computational methods. It supports digital research as well as the teaching of digital research methods.

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With a closing date of 13th October 2020, this new Fund is part of the World Class Labs Fund and is for funding for the renewal and upgrade of research facilities for conservation and heritage science.

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Summary

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is pleased to invite applications to the Capability for Collections Fund (CapCo). It will support a series of targeted, capital investments to renew and upgrade research facilities within UK galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAMs), including university collections, focusing on conservation and heritage science facilities, digital capture equipment and specialist study spaces and reading rooms. Projects must be completed within the current Financial Year.

CapCo is in line with the strategic vision for future investment in arts and humanities infrastructure set out in Chapter 5 of UKRI's Opportunities to grow our capability report. This noted that the 'national GVA of the heritage economy is estimated at £29 billion and identified that investment in conservation and heritage science facilities; and physical spaces bringing practitioners, curators and scientists together would be critical to the heritage sector's continued success.

The investment will fund two types of activity for collections-led research in eligible institutions:

1. refresh / upgrade of major facilities, costed at up to £3 million per bid

2. urgent replacement or upgrade of core equipment and instruments, including instrumentation for spectrometry, spectroscopy, digitisation and imaging, and conservation equipment, costed at £10,000-£1 million per bid.

The assessment of the applications will focus, in part, on feasibility of spend within Q3 and Q4 of 20/21, and funds will only be committed where it can clearly be demonstrated that the project will be completed within the current Financial Year, i.e. by 31 March 2021.

For the full call specification please see the Capability for Collections Fund call guidance (PDF, 255KB).

Update: The call guidance has been updated with amendments to the required attachment list; page limits have been updated for the Justification of Resources section.

Opening Dates
Call Opens: TBC
Closing Dates
Closing Date: 13/10/2020
The deadline for proposals in Je-S is: 13 October 2020, 16:00 GMT.

How to make an application

Please see the 'Application Process' section of the Capability for Collections Fund call guidance for further details.

There is a cap in place on the number of bids that can be submitted by a single organisation. Only one bid per stream (upgrade of major facilities; core equipment upgrade) per organisation is allowed (two bids in total).

Further Information

Read our news story about ' Building capability in collections: potential new funding opportunities for infrastructure in Arts and Humanities'.

Q&A session event downloads

Since the Q&A event on Monday August 10, the AHRC Infrastructure team has taken on board some of the comments and suggestions from participants who were in attendance on the day. The recorded event (Access Password: 1F5bb&=k) should be viewed as an initial iteration, which has been adjusted, so far as the constraints of the funding will allow, to better reflect communities' needs and priorities. The questions (PDF, 162KB) have been compiled, condensed, and formalised for circulation.

- Infrastructure Q&A session - event summary (PDF, 89KB)

Contacts

Enquiries regarding this call should be directed to: Infrastructure@ahrc.ukri.org.

Return to opportunities

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The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is pleased to invite applications to the Capability for Collections Fund (CapCo). It will support a series of targeted, capital investments to renew and upgrade research facilities within UK galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAMs), including university collections, focusing on conservation and heritage science facilities, digital capture equipment and specialist study spaces and reading rooms. Projects must be completed within the current Financial Year.