Many of our research projects are undertaken in partnership. We work not just with academics and commercial research companies, but with third sector and community groups too. We are always open to working with others on research projects - please check our research priorities before getting in touch. Some examples of the current research partnerships we are involved in can be found on our Featured Projects page.
Independent Research Organisation Status
We are recognised by UK Research and Innovation: Arts and Humanities Research Council as an Independent Research Organisation (IRO). This allows us to apply for funding for research through UKRI: our current collaborative project on Scotland's Rock Art is funded this way.
Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships
Through our IRO status we hold a joint award with other Scottish cultural and heritage organisations to support PhD studentships through the AHRC's Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) scheme. CDPs act as a bridge between universities and the heritage sector by supporting applied research into a topic of interest to a museum, archive, library, or heritage organisation. By undertaking research that neither we nor a university could not undertake alone, these studentships significantly advance our knowledge and practice.
We identify priorities for CDP research each year, and put out an open call for topics to address these. Each proposal requires a university academic and a Historic Environment Scotland member of staff to act as co-supervisors. Proposals are assessed first by an internal panel at HES, and successful applications are put forward to a full review panel of the Scottish Cultural Heritage Consortium which decides which studentships to fund.
Current and Recent PhDs
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How to get in touch
If you are interested in partnering with us on a research project, or in discussing an idea for a CDP studentship, you can get in touch at research@hes.scot