Support for your career journey
The Members Support Fund offers grants to support:
- The advancement of education, training and development of members participating in programmes and events organised by the Museums Association, including working towards the AMA and the FMA
- The advancement of education, training and development of members participating in programmes and events organised by other external providers – please note that funding of this nature is only available to current core programme participants and/or programme alumni
Applicants must be a current individual member of the Museums Association and preference is given to those self-funding and paying their own expenses.
Application criteria
Each year, the Trustees announce the amount that is available to individual members undertaking professional development.
Applications should be submitted to tamsin@museumsassociation.org.
Each application will be considered individually but, in general:
1.1 If you are undertaking one of our core professional development programmes – the AMA or the FMA – you are able to apply for financial support for professional development opportunities both run by the MA and by external providers where it meets the needs of your professional development plan. This continues as an alumni benefit.
1.2 If you are a member but not participating in a core MA professional development programme, then you are able to apply for financial support for professional development opportunities ONLY run by the MA.
1.3 Please note where funds are requested to pay for participation in the core programmes then this will cover a maximum of 75% part-payment for the financial year.
1.4 Please note funding can be sought to enable participation in professional development activities – for example travel and subsistence or childcare costs.
1.5 Applicants must be a current individual member of the Museums Association and preference is given to those self-funding and paying their own expenses.
1.6 We welcome applications from paid members of staff, volunteers and freelancers.
1.7 Please see the below for guidance on how to complete your application.
Guidance Note 1 – Summary of professional development activity for which funding is required
In describing the professional development activity for which funding is required, you should include the following:
- Category of professional development activity, whether accredited, formal or informal.
- If the activity constitutes accredited professional development (courses, workshops or seminars) please give details of the course provider, the title of the course, workshop or seminar and a description of the qualification. You should provide as much detail as possible.
- If the activity constitutes formal professional development (courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, coaching or mentoring) please give details of the provider, the title and the conference organiser.
- If you are applying for funding for an informal professional development activity, for example, to help with the purchase of learning materials, such as books, online learning materials, etc., you should also provide as much detail as possible.
- Timescale – an estimate of the number of hours of professional development the activity will constitute and over what time period.
Guidance Note 2 – Describe how the activity will contribute towards your professional development
You should explain to what extent the activity will enable you to achieve your identified professional development goal(s) and career aspirations, and where applicable make direct reference to your professional development plan to identify which goal(s) the activity will contribute towards, and/or how it will benefit your career aspirations.
Guidance Note 3 – Benefits of undertaking professional development activity for which funding is required
In outlining what you anticipate will be the benefits of the activity for which funding is required, you should think about the following areas:
- How the activity will contribute to your own personal and professional development, enhancing your current role and/or contributing to future aspirations.
- Whether and in which ways the activity will contribute towards the organisational objectives of your museum, museum-related organisation and/or the sector.
- Whether and in which ways the activity will have benefits for the wider museum profession and sector.
To ensure inclusion we will be monitoring applications for diversity characteristics.
Funding for Conference 2026
The Members Support Fund also helps individual members of the Museums Association to access our annual conference through a number of free places and wrap-around financial support for travel and accommodation.
There are two ways you can apply:
Inclusive Places
The MSF provides 26 free in-person and online places for individual MA members who face barriers due to ethnicity, disability, socio-economic background, and gender identity or sexual orientation (LGBTQ).
Successful applicants can also claim up to £250 to support their travel and/or accommodation. Applicants can make as many claims as needed (up to the £250 limit) before or after conference takes place. You just need to fill in an expense claims form and send us receipts as proof of payment.
Professional development support
The MSF provides free in-person and online places to any individual MA members – you don’t have to participate in one of our core professional development programmes (the AMA or the FMA) to apply. Please note this support will only fund your conference place and there is no wrap-around funding available.
You can only apply to one of the above strands of funding.
The deadline to apply for an Inclusive Place or professional development support to attend Conference 2026 in person in Birmingham is 1200 on 21 August 2026. The deadline to apply for an online place is 1200 on 21 October 2026.
We will let all applicants know if they have been successful as soon after the deadline as possible.
Please email events@museumsassociation.org if you have any questions or require the below form in a different format for access reasons.