Sir Winston Churchill Archive Trust

The Sir Winston Churchill Archive Trust, established in 1995, safeguards the nation's acquisition of Sir Winston Churchill's personal and official papers—over 1 million documents in 3,000 boxes, designated by UNESCO as a Memory of the World collection—for public benefit through conservation, accessibility, and educational use. Housed at the Churchill Archives Centre in Churchill College, Cambridge, the Trust advances public education in 20th-century history and Churchill's legacy via physical stewardship, digital platforms like Churchill Archive Online, and resources such as Churchill Archive for Schools. Governed by trustees from Cambridge University, Churchill College, the British Library, and Imperial War Museum, it emphasizes archival excellence, scholarship, and authentic historical engagement, funding primarily Churchill College for conservation, cataloguing, digitisation, staff, acquisitions, and interpretive outreach benefiting academics, historians, teachers, students, and the global public.

It supports tightly focused activities: core operational grants to the Archives Centre and small research awards to individuals—including undergraduates, postgraduates, academics, and independent scholars—for projects extensively using Churchill collections, such as Archives By-Fellowships (£ up to £4,500 for a term), Churchill Fellowship Annual Grants, and Jennie Churchill Fund travel/subsistence (£500+).

Unsolicited applications from organisations or charities are not accepted; eligibility is limited to individuals worldwide with no income thresholds, requiring research proposals, CVs, and references tied directly to the archive—not external projects, core costs, or general charities. Applications go via email/post to the Director; deadlines are 31 December (fellowships/annual grants), 31 May/31 October (Jennie Fund), with decisions in 4-6 weeks. Typical grants: £500–£4,500 (individuals), up to £48,000 (College operations). Uniquely specialist, it rejects broad heritage funding, prioritizing embedded, mission-driven preservation of Churchill's documentary legacy for enduring scholarship and public learning.