AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) PhD Studentship: Eighteenth-Century Knowledge Work in the Harleian Collection, 1704-1812

Start date: 1 October 2025

Application Deadline: Wednesday 7 May 2025

Interviews will take place online on Tuesday 20 May 2025

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.

This project provides an opportunity to work hands-on with one of the richest collections of manuscripts in existence, developing scholarly understanding of how the Harleian Collection came into existence in the wider context of eighteenth-century knowledge work. As well as producing an original piece of groundbreaking scholarship, the successful candidate will work with the team at the British Library that is currently re-cataloguing this Collection.

Please see here Eighteenth-Century Knowledge Work in the Harleian Collection - Keele University for fuller details of the project, including possible research questions.

The project will be jointly supervised by Prof. Nicholas Seager and Prof. Siobhan Talbott at Keele and by Dr Alice Marples and Dr Alice Zamboni 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.

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.

Applicants 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, History, Literature, Library and Information Studies, Human Geography, and Cultural and Museum Studies. The History of Collecting and History of Knowledge are rapidly growing fields with the scope to adopt holistic, cross-disciplinary approaches that connect historical evidence with the realities of modern knowledge institutions and cultures.

Equivalent professional 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.

Collaborative doctoral students are expected to spend time at both the University and the British Library.

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

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