The funding has been awarded by the Research England Museums, Galleries and Collections Fund

The £1.1m funding will be received annually as £218,700 over the next 5 years. This is one of the largest grants received by an archive and museum service from Research England, and it’s the first time Manuscripts and Special Collections has applied for the fund, which aims to support institutions that serve a wider research community.

This grant recognises the importance of the collections held by Manuscripts and Special Collections, which includes the University of Nottingham Museums, and the significant contribution that the team and the collections make to research both nationally and internationally. It also acknowledges the positive impact Manuscripts and Special Collections has on undergraduate and postgraduate students at the university, supporting students through teaching, student placements and volunteer programmes.

Hayley Cotterill, Associate Director and Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections, said: “This funding is a fantastic acknowledgement of the work already being done by everyone in Manuscripts and Special Collections to support research and scholarship within the University of Nottingham and amongst the wider research community. I am excited for the opportunities this gives us, we hope to use the funding to increase access to the collections by improving the availability of collection information, collaborating on academic projects and reviewing our digital provision.”

Manuscripts and Special Collections, part of the University of Nottingham Libraries, holds over 3.5 million archives and 80,000 printed items in its archival and special collections, ranging in dates from the 12th – 21st centuries. The archives of the Dukes of Portland, the archives of the Dukes of Newcastle and the DH Lawrence collection have all been designated as being of outstanding national and international significance.

The University of Nottingham Museum holds the University’s collections of mainly regional archaeology covering a 250,000 year period. The University of Nottingham Museum received Museum Accreditation in 2010. Manuscripts and Special Collections received Archive Accreditation in 2016.

Manuscripts and Special Collections reading room on King’s Meadow Campus and University of Nottingham Museum based at Lakeside Arts are open to visitors, opening times are available on their webpages.

Manuscripts and Special Collections current exhibition at Lakeside Arts, Dear sisters: activists’ archives runs until 1 September.

The current display, Fascinating Finds from Nottingham’s Caves at the University of Nottingham Museum is open until 7 July.