The British Institute Of Persian Studies

Quick Stats

• Annual Income: £254,892 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Up to 1 month after deadline
• Grant Range: £1,200 - £20,000
• Geographic Focus: UK-based researchers studying the Persianate world
• Application Schedule: Twice yearly (typically March and July) for research grants; annual for fellowship and outreach grants

Contact Details

Website: www.bips.ac.uk

Email: bips@britac.ac.uk

Phone: 020 7969 5203

Office: British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH

Overview

The British Institute of Persian Studies (BIPS) was established in 1961 and is the UK's foremost learned society dedicated to promoting and supporting scholarship and research excellence on all aspects of Iran and the wider Persianate world. BIPS is associated with and financially supported by the British Academy. As a registered charity (231161), it operates as a self-governing membership organisation with income of £254,892 in 2024, of which 86.7% comes from government grants. BIPS' primary mission is to promote and encourage the study of Iran, its history, civilization and culture through grant-making, publications (including the prestigious journal Iran), and an extensive programme of seminars, lectures, symposia, and workshops. The organization supports researchers across diverse disciplines including archaeology, anthropology, art, history, language, literature, politics, religious studies, cultural studies, sociology, and classics.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Research Grants: £1,200 - £5,000

Applications invited twice yearly (typically March and July). Can be used for fieldwork, archival research, conferences or workshops with intended academic publication output. Applications accepted on a rolling basis during open periods.

Research Fellowship: £20,000

Postdoctoral grant for a one-year research project. Applications invited once annually. While Early Career Researchers (within 10 years of PhD) are strongly encouraged, the fellowship is open to all postdoctoral applicants. Can cover research assistants, fieldwork, visiting scholar fees, visa and travel costs, conference fees, subsistence during fieldwork, and publication costs.

Research Assistant Grants: Up to £5,000

For UK research institutions to employ short-term doctoral or post-doctoral research assistants. Applications invited twice yearly.

Student Travel Grants: Up to £1,200

For students enrolled at UK Higher Education Institutions. Limited number awarded. Applications invited twice yearly.

Outreach Project Grants: Up to £2,000

To promote knowledge of the Persianate world among non-academic audiences. Applications invited once annually.

Priority Areas

• Arts, humanities and social science research relating to the Persianate world
• Research on Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Transcaucasia, Iraq, the Persian Gulf littoral, and South Asia
• Projects with academic publication outputs
• Interdisciplinary studies across archaeology, anthropology, art history, language, literature, history, politics, religious studies, and cultural studies
• Digital humanities projects (e.g., manuscript digitization, journal indexing)
• Public engagement and outreach to non-academic audiences

What They Don't Fund

• Publication subventions
• Office overheads
• Subsistence costs (except for Research Fellowship)
• Course work or tuition fees
• University or college fees
• Living expenses
• Travel to countries where the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against travel
• Applicants not affiliated with UK Higher Education Institutions or UK museums

Ready to write a winning application for The British Institute Of Persian Studies?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Join the Launch List

Governance and Leadership

BIPS is governed by an elected Governing Council whose members serve as trustees of the charity and directors of the company. Council members are elected by BIPS members on a three-yearly basis, with the possibility of re-election for a second consecutive term, after which they must retire for at least one year.

Current Governing Council:

• Professor Ali Ansari - President
• Dr Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis - Vice-President
• Dr Sarah Stewart - Honorary Secretary
• Mr Hossein Hamedani - Honorary Treasurer
• Dr Shabnam Holliday - Research Director
• Professor Andrew J. Newman - Outreach Director
• Mr David Gye - Council Member
• Dr Mariano Errichiello - Council Member
• Dr Evaleila Pesaran - Council Member
• Dr Arezou Azad - Council Member
• Dr Roham Alvandi - Council Member
• Dr Saeed Talajooy - Council Member
• Dr Cameron Petrie - Council Member

Honorary Vice Presidents:

• Professor Robert Hillenbrand
• Professor Paul Luft

UK Staff:

• Ms Silvia Ferreri - Executive Manager
• Dr Brenden Benjamin - Outreach Associate

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

All grant applications must be submitted through the BIPS website during open application periods. Applications are considered by the Research Committee, and recommendations are reviewed and ratified by the BIPS Council.

Key Requirements:

• Applicants must be affiliated to a UK Higher Education Institution or UK museum
• Research and Research Assistant Grant applicants must have been awarded a PhD
• Successful applicants must be members of BIPS at the time of commencing their grant project (membership applications are reviewed three times yearly in February, June, and October)
• All applications must include detailed estimated costs and realistic budgets
• Applications involving travel must include a risk assessment
• Research Fellowship applications require two academic references on official institutional letterhead

Applications for research grants, research assistant grants, and student travel grants typically open twice yearly (calls have opened on 25 March and 1 July in recent years). The Research Fellowship and Outreach Project Grants open once annually.

Decision Timeline

The decision process can take up to one month after each application deadline. All grant applications are first considered by the Research Committee, then recommendations are reviewed and ratified by the BIPS Council.

Success Rates

BIPS does not publicly disclose specific success rates or the number of applications received per grant cycle. However, the 2024 grant holders' workshops featured 13 presentations from recent grantees, indicating active grant-making across multiple disciplines and career stages, from MA students through established scholars.

Reapplication Policy

Information about reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants is not publicly specified. Applicants should contact BIPS directly for guidance on reapplication.

Application Success Factors

Based on BIPS' stated requirements and recent grant awards, successful applications demonstrate:

Clear Academic Merit and Publication Potential: Research grants are specifically designed to support projects “where there is an intended academic publication output.” Applications should articulate clear plans for disseminating research findings through academic publications.

Disciplinary Diversity Within Persian Studies: Recent grant holders' workshops (July and November 2024) showcased the breadth of BIPS-funded research, with the July workshop noting that presentations “demonstrated the diverse disciplinary areas of Iranian and Persianate studies in the UK that are being supported by BIPS.” Successful projects have ranged from archaeology to digital archives, manuscript studies to visual arts.

Detailed and Realistic Budgeting: BIPS explicitly requires “detailed estimated costs and realistic budgets” in all applications. Given the modest grant sizes (£1,200-£5,000 for most programs), applications should demonstrate efficient use of resources.

Risk Assessment for Travel: All applications involving travel must be accompanied by a risk assessment, demonstrating awareness of practical and safety considerations. Travel must comply with FCDO guidelines.

Engagement with the BIPS Community: Successful applicants must become BIPS members, and the organization hosts regular grant holders' workshops to build community. Active engagement with BIPS events, publications, and networks may strengthen applications.

Impact Beyond Academia (for Outreach Grants): Outreach Project Grants specifically support projects that “promote knowledge of the Persianate world among a non-academic audience,” requiring clear plans for public engagement.

Examples of Recent Funded Projects:

• Persian and English indexing of the journal Tehran Musavar (now freely accessible on the Golistan website)
• International conference marking the 400th anniversary of the capture of Hormuz (Professor Edmund Herzig, University of Oxford)
• Projects spanning archaeology, digital humanities, manuscript studies, and visual arts

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• UK affiliation is mandatory: All applicants must be affiliated with a UK Higher Education Institution or UK museum; this is strictly enforced
• Membership required before project start: Budget time for the membership approval process, which occurs three times yearly (February, June, October)
• Small grants, high expectations: Most grants are modest (£1,200-£5,000), so demonstrate how these funds will enable high-impact research with publication outputs
• Decision timeline is quick: One month from deadline to decision is faster than many funders; be prepared to launch projects quickly after approval
• Interdisciplinary breadth welcomed: BIPS funds across a wide range of disciplines within Persian studies, from hard sciences (archaeology) to digital humanities to traditional textual scholarship
• Publication output is essential: For research grants, clearly articulate your publication plans—this is explicitly stated as a requirement
• Join the community: BIPS hosts workshops, lectures, and events that successful applicants are expected to engage with; consider attending events before applying to understand the community

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Prisoners of Conscience Appeal Fund
• The Carmela & Ronnie Pignatelli Foundation
• Old Possum's Practical Trust
• Royal Female School of Art Foundation
• People's Trust for Endangered Species
• The British Institute for the Study of Iraq (Gertrude Bell Memorial)
• The Humanitarian Trust
• Honor Frost Foundation
• THE GOLDSMITHS' COMPANY CHARITY
• The British Academy for the Promotion of Historical Philosophical and Philological Studies

References

1. British Institute of Persian Studies official website - www.bips.ac.uk
2. BIPS Grants page - Research, Research Assistant and Student Travel Grants: https://www.bips.ac.uk/apply-for-grants-rap/
3. BIPS Outreach Project Grants page: https://www.bips.ac.uk/outreach-project-grants/
4. BIPS Governing Council, Committees & Staff page: https://www.bips.ac.uk/governing-council-committees-staff/
5. UK Charity Commission Register - The British Institute of Persian Studies (Charity 231161): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/about-the-register-of-charities/-/charity-details/231161/full-print
6. BIPS Grant Holders' Workshop 2024: https://www.bips.ac.uk/grant-holders-workshop-2024/
7. BIPS Annual Review 2025: https://www.bips.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Annual-Review-2025.pdf