AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) - The Making of the National Archive: The First Century of the Public Record Office

This fully-funded history PhD project will research the first hundred years of the UK's Public Record Office, in anticipation of its bicentenary in 2038. This PhD is an exciting opportunity to pursue postgraduate research in history, archive studies, and heritage.

<p>The PhD is a collaboration between the University of Leeds and the UK’s National Archives, under the AHRC’s Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships (CDP) scheme. The student will be expected to spend time at both The National Archives and the University of Leeds, as well as becoming part of the wider cohort of CDP funded students across the UK under the <a href="https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/developing-people-and-skills/ahrc/training-and-support-before-the-future-doctoral-provision-programme/collaborative-doctoral-partnerships-cdp/">AHRC’s Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships (CDP) scheme</a>. </p> <p>This PhD scholarship builds on existing collaborations and research strengths of the School of History and the UK’s National Archives. You will become a member of the School of History’s specialist <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/galleries-libraries-archives-museums">GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums)</a> research group that holds regular talks, workshops, and networking opportunities. You will also be embedded in the vibrant research environment at The National Archives, where you will be encouraged to present at their research seminars and write updates for their internal research newsletter. </p> <p>This PhD place is a fully funded four-year Collaborative Doctoral Studentship available from 1 October 2026. This award provides tuition fees with a tax-free maintenance allowance that matches UKRI rates (GBP 21,805 in 2026/27) as well as funding for research expenses and training.</p> <p>We encourage applications from a diverse range of people, from different backgrounds and career stages. Researchers from Global Majority backgrounds are particularly welcomed. UK black and minority ethnic (BME) researchers are currently under-represented in our Postgraduate Research (PGR) community, and we would therefore also encourage applications from UK BME candidates. All scholarships will be awarded on the basis of merit.</p> <p>Applicants are encouraged to complete EDI Monitoring Form: <a href="https://forms.office.com/e/tvHq0qB97W">https://forms.office.com/e/tvHq0qB97W</a>  </p> <p>Applicants should have or expect to receive a relevant Masters-level qualification in a relevant subject area, or be able to demonstrate equivalent professional experience in an archive setting involving knowledge of and critical reflection on relevant topics. </p> <p>The studentship is open to both home and international applicants. UK applicants can study either full or part-time, while International applicants can study full-time.</p> <h2>Project Overview</h2> <p>The studentship will research the first hundred years of the UK’s Public Record Office (now The National Archives), in anticipation of its bicentenary in 2038. The project will focus on how the office was created, early record-keeping practices, and what effect the formative years of the organisation still have today. In particular, it will explore the preservation of historical documents and communication of historical knowledge, both at The National Archives and in the wider archives and museum sector. It will, thereby, contribute to cutting edge historical research into how the constitution of the archive itself affects what it is possible to know about the past.</p> <p>Utilising the underused PRO series of records created by the institution’s staff, the PhD will explore the development of archive practice within the 1838, 1877, and 1898 legislative frameworks. John D. Cantwell’s The Public Record Office, 1838-1958, published in 1991, is the last full history of the office, and does not focus on the ways in which the record office’s creation affects contemporary engagements with the records. This project will build on this and earlier extant histories of TNA. You will investigate the files on the early history of the PRO, reading correspondence and minutes around the creation and subsequent legislative shifts in the nineteenth century. </p> <p>The research aims of the PhD project are to address: </p> <ul> <li>Early PRO decision-making and the impact it has on how records are accessed today. How records policy developed/changed in the early years of the PRO. And if these policies influenced or responded to the legislative frameworks. </li> <li>Record-keeping priorities in the early years of the PRO (particularly series, subjects, departments), and changes over the century. </li> <li>The influence of early record-keeping practices on the wider archival sector. </li> <li>The continuing influence of early PRO practices and policy on what kinds of records are available and therefore what kinds of history can be written.</li> </ul> <p>Through case studies to explore these issues you will have the opportunity to shape the project based on your interests, background and experience. For example, you may wish to interrogate the racialised or gendered assumptions inherent in the early creation of the PRO, how the PRO’s developing practice impacted local archives, or the way medieval records were sorted and catalogued in the institution’s early years. </p> <p>This studentship presents a unique opportunity to develop the expertise, experience, and skills required for future engagement within both academia and the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) sector. You will develop public engagement outputs related to the project, with an opportunity to work with relevant departments at TNA to enhance your future employability.</p> <p>The studentship will be jointly supervised by Kevin Linch and Katie Carpenter at the University of Leeds and Kathryn Maude and Will Butler at The National Archives. The student will be expected to spend time at both the University of Leeds and The National Archives. The student will become part of the wider group of CDA funded students across the UK, with access to events and training delivered in partnership with a range of cultural heritage institutions.</p> <h2>Information about this award</h2> <p><strong>Duration of the Award</strong></p> <ul> <li>Full-time (4 years), or part-time (for UK candidates only, the maximum duration of study is 8 years). The award will be made for one year in the first instance and renewable for a further period of up to 3 years (pro-rata for part-time), subject to satisfactory academic progress. </li> </ul> <p><strong>Funding</strong></p> <ul> <li>Tuition fees up to the value of the full-time home fee (£5,238 for 2026/27, subject to change in future years). Overseas-fee rated students would not be expected to pay the difference between the home fee and the international fee rate. This will be covered by the University. The successful student will be required to reside in the UK until completion of the PhD.</li> <li>An annual tax-free stipend equivalent of an annual salary, enabling the student to pay living costs. The UKRI stipend is £21,805 in Session 2026/27 for full-time study (part-time will be pro-rata). This amount increases per annum in line with the Research Council UK rate.  </li> <li>£1,000 per year for collaborative doctoral students who are at a non-London university but working with a London based non-HEI.</li> <li>A Research Training and Support Grant (RTSG) of £3,000 in total (can be used to support study visits, conference attendance, training and development opportunities which are necessary for the student’s primary research)</li> <li>The successful candidate is eligible to receive an additional travel and related expenses grant during the course of the project courtesy of the National Archives worth up to £1000 per year for 4 years.</li> <li>A CDP uplift. An additional £600 per year to go towards any additional cost students incur whilst undertaking a collaborative award, e.g. costs of travel between the non-HEI and HEI. HEIs must ensure that students receive this uplift in their yearly stipend amount.</li> <li>Please be aware that any expenses related to the relocation of international students to the UK (<a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/international-visas-immigration/doc/applying-student-visa">visa, insurance, NHS fees, flights, etc</a>) would be their responsibility and is not covered by this award.</li> <li>Note that all applicants must meet UKRI terms and conditions for funding. Please see: <a href="https://www.ukri.org/publications/terms-and-conditions-for-training-funding/">https://www.ukri.org/publications/terms-and-conditions-for-training-funding/</a>  </li> <li>Further information about these AHRC-funded collaborative awards can be found on the <a href="https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/developing-people-and-skills/ahrc/training-and-support-before-the-future-doctoral-provision-programme/collaborative-doctoral-partnerships-cdp/">UKRI website</a> and in the <a href="https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/AHRC-090625-TrainingGrantFundingGuide2025.pdf">AHRC Training Grant Funding Guide 2025</a>.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Selection process</strong></p> <ul> <li>The deadline to be considered for this Collaborative Doctoral Partnership is <strong>8 May 2026.</strong> All applications will be considered after the deadline. Only complete applications will be considered. </li> <li><strong>We will hold remote interviews for shortlisted candidates in early June 2026. We will share interview questions with shortlisted candidates at least one week prior to the interview.</strong></li> <li>All applicants will be e-mailed within 10 weeks of the deadline to confirm the outcome.</li> <li>The final list of awards are based on academic merit and no other factors such as financial hardship are taken into account.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Other Information</strong></p> <ul> <li>Awards must be taken up by 1 October 2026</li> <li>The awards are available for new Postgraduate Researchers undertaking full-time or part-time research study leading to the degree of PhD. Students who are already registered for or who have previously been awarded a PhD are excluded from applying. Students who were previously registered on a PhD but withdrew from their studies, and who can provide formal confirmation of their withdrawal, may be considered. </li> <li>Applicants must live within a reasonable distance of the University of Leeds whilst in receipt of this CDP.</li> </ul> <p>This studentship is open to both Home and International applicants. To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria: </p> <ul> <li>Be a UK or Irish National (meeting residency requirements), or</li> <li>Have settled status, or </li> <li>Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or</li> <li>Have indefinite leave to remain or enter</li> <li>For information relating to the regulations surrounding how we assess residency and fee status, we would advise that you visit the website of the <a href="https://ukcisa.org.uk/">UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)</a>, which is the UK’s national advisory body who offer guidance and support to international students. They provide information and interpretation of the law that governs fee status assessments, available here.</li> </ul> <p>International students are eligible to receive the full award for maintenance as are home students. The fee gap between the home and overseas fee rates will be covered by the University through internal co-funding for international candidates.</p>

<p><strong>Application deadline: 5pm (UK time), Friday 8 May 2026</strong></p> <p>You should apply for a research place of study, through the <a href="https://prod.banner.leeds.ac.uk/ssb/bwskalog_uol.P_DispLoginNon">online application form</a>. Please state clearly that the funding you wish to be considered for is <strong>“AHRC National Archives CDP Scholarship”.</strong> You will be expected to meet our <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/history-research-degrees/doc/doctor-philosophy-phd-2">eligibility criteria</a> for PhD candidates. </p> <p>In order to be considered for the Scholarship you must submit all the following <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/history-research-degrees/doc/apply-7">supporting documentation</a> with your application for PhD study:</p> <ul> <li>transcript and certificates from your previous or current degrees</li> <li>your CV</li> <li><strong>a supporting statement (see below)</strong></li> <li>two academic references</li> <li>if applicable, evidence of English language proficiency</li> </ul> <p><strong>Your supporting statement should be no more than 1,000 words.</strong> In this document you should address: </p> <ul> <li>Your interest in the archives sector, including relevant experience, skills, and knowledge </li> <li>How you would approach this PhD project</li> <li>Your potential and enthusiasm for developing skills during this PhD related to your career plans</li> </ul> <p>Any study applications that are not accompanied by the documents requested by the deadline will not be considered for the award.</p> <ul> <li>Please note that an unsuccessful application for this scholarship does not exclude you from applying for other research study opportunities or scholarships offered by the University of Leeds. </li> <li>Please note that, due to the large volume of applications, the University of Leeds will not enter into any correspondence regarding the progress of an application until the outcome is known. </li> <li>If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence that you meet the minimum English language requirements (below).  </li> </ul> <p>Please let us know if you require any adjustments for the application process or interview. Support or adjustments may include, but are not limited to:</p> <ul> <li>Opportunity to speak with project supervisors at the HEI and a CDP Award Holder about the project and the process.</li> <li>Opportunity to speak with contacts within the HEI and/or a CDP Award Holder regarding institutional support systems (e.g. neurodiversity, racial diversity, LGBTQIA+ networks, mental health support, support for carers).</li> <li>Opportunity to speak with active CDP students to ask questions regarding student experience as part of the CDP scheme.</li> </ul> <p>Your application will not be adversely affected by disclosing a disability, and it will be processed in exactly the same way as any other application.</p>

Applicants to PhD research degree programmes should normally have a first class or an Upper Second Class Bachelors Honours degree. Applicants should ideally have or expect to receive a relevant Masters-level qualification, or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience in an archive setting involving knowledge of and critical reflection on relevant topics. Relevant disciplines include but are not limited to: information studies, archives and records management, history, cultural studies, or literary studies.<br /> Applicants who are uncertain about the requirements for a particular research degree are advised to contact the Graduate School prior to making an application.

The minimum English language entry requirement for research postgraduate study in the School of History 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.

<p>For further information please contact the Admissions team at ahcpgradmissions@leeds.ac.uk. </p>