Introduction

Imperial War Museums – founded at the end of the First World War – is a global authority on conflict and its impact on people’s lives. We collect objects and stories that provide an insight into people’s experiences of war, preserve them for future generations, and bring them to today’s audiences in the most powerful way possible.

Our collection has over 33.5 million objects including over 20,000 collections of private papers; the museum corporate records; over 25,000 hours of moving image; 33,000 sound recordings; which make it the largest collection of its kind in the world; approximately 11 million photographs; a large and comprehensive library collection; an exceptional collection of twentieth and twenty first century British art; and many objects and artefacts.

Across its five sites, IWM illustrates and records all aspects of modern war and of the individual’s experience of it.  This remit is vast, both geographically and in terms of the momentous events covered.  IWM aims for a presentation of history which is balanced, dynamic and very thoroughly researched.   Our mission is to help people, as global citizens, make sense of today by having a deeper understanding of the connections between past conflict and the contemporary world. 

Research is deeply embedded in IWM’s culture, and we are keen to guide, encourage and support research of the highest quality which will assist us in the attainment of our long-term goals in the fields of public programming, Public Engagement and Learning, Documentation and Digital Engagement.

All our research activity is guided by our published Research Strategy, and it is further enriched by our extensive networks of academic and university partners, PhD students, researchers, visiting fellows, artists-in-residence and the IWM Institute Associates.  IWM staff proactively engage with our subject matter, and IWM’s world class collections, to produce fresh approaches to understanding world conflict.

Our Independent Research Organisation (IRO) status, first awarded in 2011, gives us the opportunity to devise and apply for research grants which allow us to direct research effort to our most pressing issues.