The Etihad Museum Research Grant Programme, launched by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, invites researchers, thinkers, writers, and artists to submit original proposals exploring Emirati history, culture, and national identity — with a prize of AED 50,000 to support the winning project.
What the Etihad Museum Research Grant Offers
The grant forms part of the Etihad Museum Cultural Season and targets UAE-based academics, historians, and creatives. Successful applicants receive funding to develop research that complements the stories told at the Etihad Museum, helping to position it as a leading educational platform for national history.
Proposals must present fresh perspectives on Emirati heritage. Ideas that have been featured in other programmes are not eligible. The initiative draws on the museum's extensive collection — archives, artefacts, and historical photographs — covering the period from 1968 to 1974, when the UAE was formed and the federation's founding fathers laid the groundwork for the nation.
Evaluation Criteria and Application Deadline
Submissions close on December 20. A panel of specialists will assess each proposal based on:
- Originality and alignment with the Etihad Museum's thematic focus - Data collection methodology and feasibility within the proposed timeline and budget - Potential to engage audiences and activate museum spaces in meaningful ways
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed before recipients are announced.
Strengthening UAE Cultural Identity Research
Museums and Heritage Sector Chief Executive Muna Faisal Al Gurg emphasised the significance of the programme in transforming Dubai's museums into knowledge hubs — centres that advance understanding of Emirati cultural identity locally and internationally.
The grant also reflects Dubai Culture's broader commitment to growing scholarship in museum studies and deepening public engagement with the UAE's history. By tapping the Etihad Museum's rich archive of the pre- and post-unification era, the programme aims to generate new academic content that resonates with both residents and visitors to the country.
The Etihad Museum sits at the site where the UAE's founding document was signed in 1971, making it one of the most symbolically significant cultural institutions in the country. This grant programme extends that legacy by encouraging the next generation of researchers to build on it.
