The Anna Plowden Trust has two main programmes: Conservation Training Scholarships and Anna Plowden/Clothworkers' Foundation CPD Grants.
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 the 2025/26 academic year is 2nd June 2025, you should use the application form which you can download here. Please note that we have added guidance for your referees so please ensure that you pass this to those who are writing references to support your application.
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 attending short courses and conferences in the UK and abroad. Students and interns are not eligible to apply for CPD grants. Follow this link to find out more.
The last deadline for 2024 is: 9 September.
The 2025 the deadlines are:
January 13th
April 7th
June 2nd
September 8th
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.