Beyond the Burger: USA Food Stories in the British Library’s Oral History and Food Industry Literature Collections

Beyond the Burger: USA Food Stories in the British Library’s Oral History and Food Industry Literature Collections

Start date: 1 October 2025

Application Deadline: 5pm on May 12

Interviews will take place online in the week of June 9 

Keele University and the British Library are pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded Collaborative Doctoral Studentship from 1 October 2025 under the AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Scheme.

The project will examine labour and production conditions, attitudes to different foodstuffs and their novelty and/or ubiquity; it will provide a unique view of the negotiations of structure and agency in food purchasing and consumption. This project will be jointly supervised by Rebecca Bowler and David Ballantyne at Keele University and by Lola Gomes de Mattos, Polly Russell and Mary Stewart at the British Library. The student will spend time with both Keele University and the British Library and will become part of the wider cohort of AHRC CDP funded PhD students across the UK.

Please see here USA Food Stories in the British Library’s Oral History and Food Industry Literature Collections - Keele University for fuller details of the project, including possible research questions.

Keele University and the British Library are keen to encourage applications from a diverse range of people, from different backgrounds and career stages, and particularly welcome those currently underrepresented in doctoral student cohorts.

The Award

The PhD studentship can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis. It is open to both Home and International applicants. The funding is for 4 years full-time or part-time equivalent up to a maximum of 8 years, covering fees, maintenance, and funding for student development activities.

The maintenance stipend is tax free, increases slightly each year, and is the equivalent of an annual salary, enabling the student to pay living costs. The UKRI Minimum Doctoral Stipend for 2025/26 is £20,780.

An additional London Weighting allowance of £1,000/year will be applied for this studentship. The successful candidate will receive a CDP maintenance payment of £600/year and will be eligible for an additional research allowance courtesy of the British Library, up to £1,000 per financial year or part-time equivalent, for the duration of the project.

Applicant Information

Applicants should have or expect to receive a Masters-level qualification in a relevant discipline or equivalent experience in a professional setting.

Relevant disciplines include, but are not limited to, American Studies, English and American Literatures, History, Food Studies, Archives and Records Management, Human Geography, Science and Technology Studies, or Sociology.

Equivalent experience might include, but is not restricted to, a strong track record of employment in a library, museum, or heritage institution, that includes responsibility for relevant archival research, collections curation, and/or public engagement activity; professional experience in the food industry, such as marketing, production, category management, or retail.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate an interest in the museums, galleries, archives and library sector; an interest in and awareness of food history and/or culinary culture; enthusiasm for developing skills more widely in related areas.

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