The University of York has launched a major new research partnership that will allow its art historians to work alongside experts at London's Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum.

Staff from the museum will spend time at the York institution to present their research and collaborate on new projects with scholars in the Department of History of Art as part of the new agreement. Academics will be given the opportunity to work with the V&A's museum curators and research department through the partnership, which is due to come into effect from the start of the new academic year.

The agreement will also see university art historians and museum staff spending two years exploring a particular topic covered by the department's research schools, with medieval experts from the V&A working with the Research School in Medieval Art and Medievalisms between 2010 and 2012. Professor Mark Hallett, head of the university's Department of History and Art, said: "This new partnership is an ambitious and innovative new venture that will bring leading academics and curators together to address important art-historical issues and will enable our students to benefit from the remarkable range of learning and expertise found at the V&A.

"It perfectly complements our recently instituted partnership with Tate Britain, which has already seen colleagues from both institutions working together on an exciting range of teaching, research and exhibition projects."