The Anna Plowden Trust has two main programmes: Conservation Training Scholarships and Anna Plowden/Clothworkers' Foundation CPD Grants. In addition, we can offer special Covid-19 grants to enable students and recent gradates to undertake work placements.
1. Plowden Scholarships
Support for the primary training of conservation students in the UK by offering grants towards course fees. The Anna Plowden Trust seeks to prevent financial reasons from being an obstacle to entering the conservation sector. The Trust is committed to ensuring its support reaches all under-represented groups.
The deadline for applications for the 2023/24 academic year has passed. The deadline for the 2024/25 academic year will be 3rd June 2024.
Do look at our FAQs before applying as these should answer most of the questions you may have. If you have any queries you can contact us via this website by following this link.
2. Anna Plowden/Clothworkers' Foundation CPD Grants
Thanks to generous support from the Clothworkers' Foundation, we can now offer greatly increased support for CPD opportunities for practising conservators in the UK through our Plowden/Clothworkers' Foundation CPD Grants. Grants are given towards the cost of short courses and of attending conferences (students and interns are not eligible to apply for CPD grants). Follow this link to find out about the latest CPD grant awards.
If you want to apply for a CPD grant the application the remaining deadline for 2023 is:
Septemeber 9th
And for 2024 the deadlines are:
January 15th
April 8th
June 3rd
September 9th
Scholarships and CPD Grants in memory of Robert Shepherd
The Anna Plowden Trust administers a fund established in memory of the late Robert Shepherd, a well-known picture conservator. This fund provides one annual Scholarship to a student of easel painting conservation and one annual CPD Grant to a practising painting conservator.
These are not offered to individuals in addition to our standard grants, recipients can have one or the other. The Trustees will review all eligible applications and inform those who have been selected to receive a Robert Shepherd Fund grant.
For more details see the Scholarships page and the CPD Grant page of this site.
Past grant schemes
Award for Research and Innovation in Conservation
A prize awarded as part of the Conservation Awards organised by Icon. This award is made in those years when Icon holds the Conservation Awards, the last was in 2015.