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HomeDepartment of ArchaeologyAbout usNewsNews 2026York scientists secure funding to analyse the Naburn Whale

York scientists secure funding to analyse the Naburn Whale

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Posted on Thursday 23 July 2026

Three projects involving staff at BioArCh have been awarded funding through the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) Access Fund.
The Naburn Whale skeleton, currently in storage at York Museums Trust. Image courtesy of York Museums Trust :: https://www.yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk :: CC BY-SA 4.0. Accession no. YORYM 2006.221.

RICHeS (Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science) has announced the successful applications in the first access fund. BioArCh has had three successful applicants - in DNA analysis, organic residue analysis and ZooMS - and we hope to uncover some exciting results. The access fund allows organisations and researchers access to specialist heritage science facilities, collections and expertise that would otherwise have been beyond their reach. It is open to a range of heritage science organisations and individuals including museums, galleries, libraries, archives, charities, community organisations, freelancers, independent researchers and universities.

BioArCh’s Biomolecular tools for Archaeological, Conservation and Heritage Science (BIOARCH-HS) facility will provide access to specialist bioarchaeological techniques for three of the successful applicants. Included among the projects selected is “The Naburn Whale: A new Yorkshire icon”, a project that aims to confirm the species identification of a historic whale skeleton housed at York Museums Trust, unlocking its potential for research, learning and public engagement. 

The scheme, which is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) - part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is open to a range of heritage science organisations and individuals including museums, galleries, libraries, archives, charities, community organisations, freelancers, independent researchers and universities. A second RICHeS Access Fund call is planned to launch this autumn, creating further opportunities for organisations to access the RICHeS infrastructure and develop ambitious new research. You can read more about the fund and the 43 organisations that have been awarded funding in the first round in the RICHeS press release.