WRoCAH Arts and Humanities Research Council Collaborative Doctoral Award Studentship

The White Rose College of Arts and Humanities (WRoCAH) is a Doctoral Training Partnership of the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York. A Collaborative Doctoral Award, where a researcher works closely with a non-academic partner organisation, is available in the School of English.

<p>Collaborative doctoral studentships are 40 months in duration for full-time study and are subject to satisfactory academic progress. Awards must be taken up in October 2025; no deferrals are possible.  Awards may be taken up on a part-time basis if a student is eligible to undertake part-time study; international applicants may be required to study full-time by the terms of their visa.</p> <p>Detailed information can be found on the <a href="https://wrocah.ac.uk/cda-projects-offered-for-2025/" target="_blank">White Rose College of Arts and Humanities website</a>.</p> <p>The award provides:</p> <ul> <li>Fees at standard Research Council rate. The difference between the Home and International fee will be met by the University of Leeds for a successful international applicant.</li> <li>A maintenance grant (£20,780 in Session 2025/26 for full-time study, part-time will be pro-rata at 60%). This amount increases per annum in line with the Research Council UK rate</li> <li>A £600 annual enhancement as a contribution to costs relating to working with your partner organisation.</li> <li>Please be aware that any expenses related to the relocation of international students to the UK (visa, insurance, NHS fees, flights, etc) would be their responsibility and is not covered by this award.</li> </ul> <p>WRoCAH students are required to undertake a bespoke training package and to complete a Researcher Employability Project of at least a month, a Knowledge Exchange Project, and to engage with Internationalisation.</p> <p>All WRoCAH students must submit their thesis for examination with the funded period. This is a requirement of the Arts & Humanities Research Council, which provides the funding for WRoCAH, and is a condition of accepting a Studentship.</p>

<h3><a href="https://wrocah.ac.uk/cda-projects-offered-for-2025/" target="_blank">Available project:</a></h3> <p><strong>School of English, Dr Emily Middleton: <a href="https://wrocah.ac.uk/cda-projects-offered-for-2025/" target="_blank">Everyday Crime, Policing, and (In)Justice: Reinterpreting Historical Narratives at Ripon Prison & Police Museum</a>.</strong> This project explores how historical narratives are constructed and how museums can actively represent them. Centred on Ripon's Prison & Police Museum, it critically interrogates dominant perceptions of policing and (in)justice, offering fresh ways to engage with the museum’s collections that encourage visitors to seek a fairer society. By uncovering stories embedded in the building, the lives of those once connected to it, and archival holdings—including issues of the Illustrated Police News, criminal records, and police handbooks—the project aims to reinterpret the past critically and bring to light overlooked or marginalised narratives. It complicates linear, celebratory histories of law enforcement and connects the past to the present. Drawing on interdisciplinary methodologies from literature, history, museum studies, archival theory and preservation, the research promotes a critical museological approach. It not only reinterprets the past but also interrogates the cultural and institutional frameworks through which the past is curated, remembered, and made meaningful to the present.</p> <p>This is a change to the previously advertised studentship (In)Justice in the Archives: Reinterpreting the Policing Collections at Ripon Museums Trust, and applicants to that project do not need to reapply.</p>

<p><strong>By 12 noon Wednesday 28 May 2025</strong>, applicants are required to submit to WRoCAH an <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgOTj7dgwdfTN61QS_0XSQU1vmkydj6x0BbHmiuggttJAchA/viewform" target="_blank">Expression of Interest</a>, which should include:</p> <ol> <li>A CV with details of academic qualifications</li> <li>A covering letter comprising a two-page statement to convey your motivation and enthusiasm for the project, and to demonstrate your suitability for your intended PhD studies with the University and Project Partner. <em>The covering letter should specifically highlight the following:</em></li> </ol> <ul style="list-style-type:circle;"> <li>Your interest in the project and details on why you have chosen that University and Project Partner.</li> <li>How you will apply your current skills, knowledge and experience to undertake a PhD and the approach you would take to develop the project.</li> <li>How the project fits into your career plans and ambitions.</li> </ul> <p>More details can be found <a href="https://wrocah.ac.uk/cda-projects-offered-for-2025/" target="_blank">here</a> </p> <p>You should <strong>submit an <a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/info/130206/applying/91/applying_for_research_degrees" target="_blank">application for an academic place</a> for a PhD in the relevant School by Wednesday 4 June</strong> so we can ensure you meet the programme requirements.</p> <p>You will need to provide the following supporting documents:</p> <ul style="list-style-type:circle;"> <li>Degree transcripts and certificates</li> <li>Two references (ask your referees to send their <a href="https://ses.leeds.ac.uk/info/22226/research_degree_admissions_and_registration/1157/references_for_research_degree_applications" target="_blank">references</a> directly to the Graduate School. References can be on letter-headed paper or on the University of Leeds reference form).</li> <li>IELTS certificate (if appropriate)</li> </ul> <p><strong>9 June 2025 – </strong>the <strong>short-list</strong> of candidates to be invited for an interview will be announced. </p> <ul style="list-style-type:circle;"> </ul> <p><strong>23-24 June 2025 </strong>- Online<strong> interviews</strong> will involve the academic supervisor, Project Partner supervisor and a member of the WRoCAH Studentships Committee. Please check the <a href="https://wrocah.ac.uk/cda-projects-offered-for-2025/">website</a> for interview dates of the relevant project. </p> <p>Before applying for any WRoCAH Studentship, please first ensure that you have read the WRoCAH webpages about the WRoCAH training programme and requirements, as well as other funding opportunities <a href="http://wrocah.ac.uk/" target="_blank">http://wrocah.ac.uk/</a> </p> <p><em>As an international research-intensive university, we welcome students from all walks of life and from across the world. We foster an inclusive environment where all can flourish and prosper, and we are proud of our strong commitment to student education.  Across all Faculties we are dedicated to diversifying our community and we welcome the unique contributions that individuals can bring, and particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to Black, Asian, people who belong to a minority ethnic community, people who identify as LGBT+; and people with disabilities. Applicants will always be selected based on merit and ability. </em></p>

Applicants should hold a first class or an upper second class Bachelors Honours degree in a relevant discipline as well as holding (or expecting to obtain) a relevant Masters degree with Merit (or its equivalent). Applicants who are uncertain about the requirements are advised to contact the admissions team prior to making an application.

The minimum English language entry requirement for research postgraduate research study is an IELTS of 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each component (reading, writing, listening and speaking) or equivalent. The test must be dated within two years of the start date of the course in order to be valid. Some schools and faculties have a higher requirement.

<p>For further information about the relevant project please contact <a href="mailto:E.J.L.Middleton@leeds.ac.uk?subject=WRoCAH%20Collaborative%20Doctoral%20Award">Dr Emily Middleton</a>. If you require information about the application process please contact <a href="mailto:ahcpgradmissions@leeds.ac.uk?subject=AHRC%20WRoCAH%20Collaborative%20Studentship%202024">ahcpgradmissions@leeds.ac.uk</a>.</p>