Fully Funded PhD Scholarship in History: From Crusade to Magna Carta: The Crusades and Political Life and Thought in Medieval England

Funded PhD Project (UK or International Students)

Funding provider: Northeastern University London (NU London)

Subject areas: History

Project start date: 1 October 2024

Supervisors (*lead):

• Lars Kjær* (Northeastern University London)
• Edward Roberts (University of Kent)

Aligned programme of study: PhD in History

Mode of study: Full-time

Northeastern University London

As part of a major investment, Northeastern University London (NU London) has multiple, fully-funded PhD studentships available to accelerate its interdisciplinary research in the humanities, social sciences, and computing, maths, engineering and natural sciences. Each scholarship is fully-funded for three and a half years (UKRI rates) and includes full course fees, an annual stipend (including an additional London allowance) and associated costs, such as training.

NU London is both a UK university governed by UK higher education regulations, and the European campus of Northeastern University – a large, top-tier research intensive, Boston-based institution. Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is known for its high-impact research, aimed at solving problems across the globe. Interdisciplinarity, experiential learning, and connection to partners beyond academia are at the heart of the Northeastern University ethos. Northeastern received $230.7m of external research funding in 2022, and is the recognized leader in experience-driven lifelong learning. It has campuses across the United States and Canada (in Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; Portland, Maine; Oakland, California; San Francisco; Seattle; Silicon Valley; Arlington, Virginia; the Massachusetts communities of Burlington and Nahant; Toronto and Vancouver). Whilst the PhD will be a UK qualification, students will have the opportunity to engage with and visit the Northeastern University network overseas as part of their London-based doctoral studies, providing a truly unique and highly sought-after dimension to their research training.

The Project

The successful candidate will explore how the crusading movement shaped political life and thought in medieval England between the end of the First Crusade and the constitutional conflicts of the thirteenth century, including the introduction of Magna Carta in 1215 and the struggles over political reform in the 1250-1260s. They must have interest in and experience of studying the medieval period, but also an interest in bringing insights from other disciplines and new methodological approaches to bear in exploring the medieval past.

The crusades involved a mass mobilisation of human, financial and spiritual resources in western Europe. Often without direct involvement of kings and emperors, crusaders achieved stunning successes that made a deep impact on medieval culture and society, but scholars are only now beginning to connect this with the developments in political ideas and practices in the period.

The successful candidate will explore how the crusades, and the stories that were told about them, shaped political ideas and action in England in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. They will also explore how personal experiences and family traditions of crusading impacted political action in the period, making use of approaches from Network Science, and drawing on the expertise found in Northeastern University London’s Institute of Network Science. The successful candidate will be expected to take the leading role in shaping the project, identifying the most promising materials to explore and the methodological approaches to apply.

The successful candidates will:

• Have a proven, strong educational background in history or a related subject (see eligibility criteria)
• Be excited and inspired by the proposed project area
• Be a self starter
• Have good communication skills
• Have an inquiring mind and be willing to challenge themselves

The successful candidates will benefit from a brand new campus on the banks of the River Thames next to Tower Bridge. This is an interdisciplinary, vibrant research environment with international collaboration and networking opportunities and dedicated research space. It will form the hub of a highly experienced, multi-institution supervisory team from NU London, Northeastern University and the University of Kent. In addition, successful candidates will benefit from the unique connection to the wider Northeastern University network in North America, providing a range of additional research opportunities and learning resources.

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed at the beginning of July. Candidates are welcome to contact the NU London supervisor with informal enquiries before the application deadline: Lars Kjær (lars.kjaer@nulondon.ac.uk)

Eligibility

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject - 2:1 or 1st (essential)
• Master’s degree in a relevant subject (optional)

English Language requirements:

If applicable – IELTS 7 overall (with a score of at least 6.5 in each individual component) or equivalent.

Nationality

Applications are open to UK and international students. Please indicate if you are likely to require a visa on your application. We are unable to support visa costs.

Funding

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees, an annual stipend and an additional London allowance (set at UKRI rates) for 3.5 years.

International travel

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees, an annual stipend and an additional London allowance (set at UKRI rates) for 3.5 years. For the 2024/2025 academic year the annual stipend is £21,237. Annual increments will be in line with UKRI rates.

How to Apply

Please submit a CV and a Covering Letter stating how you meet the requirements and why you are interested in the proposed research project by clicking on the 'Apply' button above by 23:59 on the 12th of July 2024.

Please reference your application “PHDM0624”