An Official Oral History of Women Veterans in the UK
Ministry of Defence
Award
£150k – £250k
Total fund Up to £250k
Deadline
Closes in 30 days (22 September 2026)
Where
UK-wide
Summary
The Minister for Veterans and People has committed to recognising and celebrating the contributions of women veterans' service in the UK Armed Forces. The UK Government’s Veterans Strategy includes a commitment to commission a new oral history project to capture and preserve the experiences of women veterans. The aim of this project is to create an official, digitised oral history collection documenting the lived experiences of women veterans. The project should capture experiences from recruitment and military service through to transition from the Armed Forces, including the impact on family life. The primary audience is the general public, with outputs also intended to inform policy officials, researchers, veterans and the wider armed forces community.
Who can apply
All applicants must: Be based in the UK. Be a UK Higher Education Institution , registered UK charity , not-for-profit organisation or UK research institute . Demonstrate robust financial governance and data management arrangements, including the capacity to manage public funding and meet reporting requirements. Demonstrate appropriate project management and governance arrangements. Demonstrate experience of delivering research, heritage, oral history or archival projects. For ethical and legal compliance, applicants must confirm that they can: Comply with UK research ethics standards. Comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Demonstrate appropriate procedures for the ethical handling of oral history testimony and sensitive historical material, including participant support and appropriate training for all research staff where required. Applicants must declare any actual or potential conflicts of interest in relation to this project.
Full details
The Minister for Veterans and People has made a firm commitment to recognise and celebrate the invaluable contributions made by women veterans throughout their service in the UK Armed Forces. This commitment forms part of the UK Government’s Veterans Strategy, which includes a commitment to commission a new oral history project dedicated to capturing and preserving the diverse experiences of women veterans. The primary objective of this project is to create an official, comprehensive and digitised oral history collection documenting the lived experiences of women who have served in the UK Armed Forces. This collection will be preserved for future generations as a lasting resource for education, research and public understanding. The project will ensure that the experiences and perspectives of women veterans are formally recognised and become part of the UK’s military heritage. The project is expected to produce a range of outputs, which may include interview recordings, written transcripts, digital resources, exhibitions and educational materials for schools, universities and community settings. These outputs should reflect the breadth and diversity of women veterans’ experiences, highlighting their contributions, achievements and challenges. They should also recognise the wider impact of military service on family life and communities. The project should capture experiences across the full military journey, from recruitment and training through active service to transition from the Armed Forces into civilian life. This whole-life approach will provide a rich and balanced understanding of women’s experiences across different Services, roles, ranks and periods of service. The project’s outputs should be accessible to a broad audience, including the general public, policy officials, researchers, veterans and the wider veteran community. By engaging these audiences, the project should improve public understanding of women’s military service, support future research, inform policy development and promote wider recognition of the contribution of women veterans.