An ultraviolet-curable resin composition which contains a photopolymerizable compound containing a phosphorus atom and a photopolymerizable compound having a carboxyl group and has a surface tension at 25 DEG C of 30 to 50 mN/m. Preferably, it comprises (a) a compound having one or more (meth)acryloyl groups per molecule and a phosphorus atom, (b) a compound having one carboxyl group and one (meth)acryloyl group per molecule, (c) a compound having one or more (meth)acryloyl groups per molecule, (d) a leveling agent, and (e) a photoinitiator. The ultraviolet-curable resin composition is useful as a protective material for etching, especially as a back-coating material in shadow mask production.