PhD Studentship in Reimagining Caribbean Collections (Fixed Term)

AHRC Collections & Communities in the East of England Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP)

PhD studentship: Reimagining Caribbean Collections: Unveiling Histories of Identity and Wellbeing through Material Culture

• Start date: 1st October 2025
• Application Deadline: 30 April 
• Interviews will take place online on 19 May 
• Pre-application online information session for interested applications: 16th April, 10 am BST (UTC+1) Register your interest

The University of Cambridge and its Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) are pleased to announce a fully-funded Collaborative Doctoral studentship from October 2025, under the AHRC's Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Scheme.

This interdisciplinary project explores over 3,000 pre-Columbian archaeological objects and extensive botanical specimens from the Caribbean, housed across the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) and the University Herbarium, both at Cambridge. Through participatory research with Caribbean communities, the successful candidate will investigate material culture, the shared knowledge of bush medicine and ceremonial uses of objects like the queen conch, and the broader contexts of wellbeing, identity, and ecological resilience across colonial and post-colonial Caribbean histories. Findings will support future reinterpretation and curation at MAA, contributing to more inclusive and community-driven approaches to heritage and collections.

This project will be jointly supervised by: 

• Dr Jimena Lobo Guerrero Arenas (Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology)
• Dr Dacia Viejo-Rose (University of Cambridge)¿(University of Cambridge)
• Professor Karen Brown (University of St Andrews)
• Sarah-Jane Harknett (Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology)

The student will undertake research at both the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and the University of Cambridge, as well as becoming part of the wider cohort of CDP-funded students across the UK.

Funding for each studentship will be for four years duration (or up to eight years part time) with the expectation that this will include development activities, as applicable, to meet the student's needs, and the thesis will be submitted within the funding period. The studentship can be studied either full or part-time.

The studentship is open to both Home and International applicants.

Applicants should ideally have or expect to receive a relevant Masters-level qualification or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience in a professional setting. Suitable disciplines are flexible but might include Archaeology, Heritage Studies, Museum Studies, Anthropology or related areas.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate an interest in the museums, galleries, archives, and heritage sector and show potential and enthusiasm for developing skills more widely in related areas.

We encourage the widest range of potential students to study for this CDP studentship and are committed to welcoming students from different backgrounds to apply. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, and other Ethnically Diverse backgrounds, as they are currently underrepresented at this level in this area. Because this project focuses on the Caribbean region, we additionally encourage applications from individuals with lived experience or heritage connections to the Caribbean.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 4 years in the first instance.

Informal enquiries about the project should be directed to:  Dr Jimena Lobo Guerrero Arenas (jl2283@cam.ac.uk)

If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process, please contact the Archaeology Postgraduate Admission Administrator: arc-pg-admissions@cam.ac.uk).

Further details about the CDP scheme: cc-ee@fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

The University of Cambridge values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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