Our Process

Ancient Rome Live (ARL) identifies and supports projects through two complementary pathways: open calls and targeted research.

Open Call

ARL issues periodic open calls for proposals, supported by a publicly available application and clearly defined eligibility and selection criteria. The 2025 open call attracted approximately 150 submissions from across the archaeological and cultural heritage sectors worldwide.

This effort is sustained through collaboration among ARL’s internal leadership and operations team, its scientific committee, an international network of scholars, advisors, and heritage professionals supporting application management and review. Together, they help ensure that funding translates into meaningful discovery, preservation, and public engagement on the ground.

Targeted Research

In parallel, ARL conducts focused, behind-the-scenes research to identify organizations, research teams, and cultural initiatives advancing the study, preservation, and public understanding of the Greco-Roman world. Projects are evaluated based on criteria aligned with their scale, geography, and mission, with particular attention to long-term impact, sustainability, scholarly rigor, measurable outcomes, and experienced leadership.

This work is carried out as diligently as possible to minimize administrative burden and allow researchers and institutions to remain focused on fieldwork, conservation, and outreach. Selected organizations are then contacted directly and invited to receive flexible support for ongoing or emerging initiatives.

The process draws on the expertise of ARL’s extended network, including its scientific committee and  an international community  of scholars, advisors, and heritage professionals across archaeology, conservation, digital humanities, and cultural management.