UKAHT has secured HSDS Small Grant funding for a project that will support long-term digital preservation while enabling new research into sites at risk from climate change.

The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust has been awarded funding through the Heritage Science Data Service (HSDS) Small Grants Programme, supporting an ambitious new project to enhance access to vital Antarctic heritage data.

Funded as part of a wider £550,000 investment in heritage science across the UK, the programme will support 27 projects working to unlock at-risk datasets and develop innovative research tools.

Making Antarctic heritage data accessible

UKAHT’s funded project, Metadata enhancement of Antarctic Historic Sites and Monuments, will focus on collating and preserving extensive datasets gathered from historic sites across Antarctica. These sites face increasing threats from climate change, with the region warming significantly faster than the global average, placing buildings and artefacts at growing risk.

By transforming complex and dispersed data into a structured, accessible resource, the project will enable researchers, conservationists and the public to better understand and protect this unique heritage.

Advancing digital preservation and research

XR developer Lesley Johnston said the grant marks an important step forward for UKAHT’s long-term digital ambitions:

“We’re delighted to receive support from the HSDS Small Grants Programme. This work will help make Antarctica more accessible while opening new opportunities for collaborative conservation research. The heritage we protect is increasingly at risk from extreme conditions and climate change, so advancing digital preservation and heritage science is essential. We’re excited to work with HSDS and to build new partnerships through this programme.”

She added:

“At UKAHT, we are committed to preserving both the tangible and intangible aspects of Antarctic heritage. Depositing our datasets with HSDS is a vital next step in our long-term Digital Heritage programme, ensuring they remain accessible for research for decades to come. We look forward to the collaborations and discoveries this will enable.”

Unlocking future opportunities

Through the HSDS infrastructure, UKAHT’s data will become part of a wider national effort to make heritage science datasets more discoverable, reusable and impactful. By improving access and interoperability, the project will not only safeguard fragile records but also support new research, innovation and global collaboration in Antarctic conservation.

This funding represents a significant milestone in UKAHT’s mission to protect, share and inspire understanding of Antarctica’s extraordinary heritage, both now and for generations to come.

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