Basic PhD/Research Degree Studentship Advert Details
Description
- Offering School/Department
School of History
- Details of any external co-funders/partners
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
- Eligibility
Open to UK/EU applicants and to international applicants who fulfill strict RCUK residency requirements (see pp. 11–12, para 42–44)
- Mode of Study (full-time, part-time, distance learning)
Full time
- Expected Start Date
1 October 2015
Funding Available
- Type of Award, e.g. – Full-/Partial-Studentship, Graduate Teaching Assistantship, Bursary, etc.
AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership
- Award Components and Values, e.g. – Fee Waiver, Stipend, Training Support Grant, Conference Allowance, Fixed-Sum Bursary, etc.
Stipend of £14,057 + fees
- Duration of Funding
3 years
Closing Date for Applications
Friday 5 June, 5pm
Research Areas and Supervision
Applications are invited for a doctoral studentship tenable at the University of Leicester in collaboration with the National Maritime Museum (NMM). This doctoral award is funded though the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) under its Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships (CDP) scheme. The project will be supervised by Clare Anderson, Professor of History at Leicester, and Dr James Davey, Curator of Naval History at the NMM.
The successful candidate will undertake a project of their choice on the history of prison hulks, in Britain and/or the British Empire, during the period from their founding to their abandonment, 1776-1864. The student will explore the form and function of these ‘floating prisons’ - as jails for criminal prisoners; as sites of confinement for prisoners of war; and/or as holding places for transportation convicts.
The student will join the vibrant academic community at Leicester; our research excellence was exemplified in the recent ranking of the School of History at 6th nationally in The Guardian’s REF subject tables (January 2015.) There are many academic staff, post-doctoral researchers, and postgraduate students who work on the history of Empire, and the history of crime and punishment. There are also several other collaborative doctoral award students. The award holderwill participate in History seminars and events (including the postgraduates’ New History Lab and the annual postgraduate conference). They will also become a research associate on Professor Anderson’s major European Research Council project on the global history of penal colonies, ‘The Carceral Archipelago: transnational circulations in global perspective, 1415-1960’ They will also be expected to present their findings in seminars and conferences beyond Leicester, and as their work progresses to publish papers in academic books and journals. They will automatically become part of the UK-wide CDP development scheme ( which will provide training in a range of skills needed for research within museums, archives, galleries and heritage organisations. They will also be encouraged to become fully involved in the life of the NMM, and to take part in other forms of public engagement.
Entry Requirements
We are looking for a highly promising student who will relish the opportunity of combining academic research on this topic with involvement with a national museum. No prior experience of the history of prisons or hulks is required, though applicants with an understanding of the history of punishment during this period will be welcome. Individuals with backgrounds in any relevant aspect of British eighteenth and/or nineteenth century history are encouraged to apply, including those with an interest in the Admiralty, prisoners of war, penal reform, forced labour, health and wellbeing, sexuality, religion, and education. We are keen to recruit a student with interests in one or more of the following broad areas: maritime history, new imperial and global history, cultural and social history, science and technology studies, labour history, space and spatiality, and material culture. The appointee will be expected to attend relevant training courses run for doctoral students within the School of History and University of Leicester.
It is expected that applicants will have a good first degree (minimum 2.1 or equivalent) in history or a related discipline, and be due to complete a Masters degree by September 2015.
How to apply
To apply you need to complete the standard University of Leicester online application form here:
In place of the research proposal requested on this form, you should provide a statement of up to 1,000 words on:
1. How you propose to develop the project theme.
2. How your education and experience to date has prepared you for this position.
Applicants should also submit a 4-5,000 word sample of their written work.
Informal Enquiries
Informal enquiries should be sent to Professor Clare Anderson ()
National Maritime Museum, London
The National Maritime Museum was founded in 1934 and holds the world’s pre-eminent maritime collections which comprise around 2.5 million items and include manuscripts, rare books, film and historic photographs, charts and maps, oil paintings, prints and drawings, ship models, ship plans, decorative arts and artefacts.
Alongside its better-known mission, to ‘illustrate for everyone the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars and their relationship with people’ through its permanent galleries and temporary exhibitions, the Museum is committed to the conservation, understanding, and interpretation of its collections and historic buildings, including the Queen’s House and the Royal Observatory.
The Museum has a strong research record in its own right, and in January 2006 successfully applied to the AHRC for Academic Analogue Status (now known as Independent Research Organisation status).Since then, the Museum has established a thriving inter-disciplinary and collaborative research culture. There are currently 11 doctoral students affiliated to the Museum. 15 successful studentships have already been completed.
You can find further information about the National Maritime Museum at