AHRC COLLABORATIVE DOCTORAL PARTNERSHIP SCHEME Applying for a CDP studentship from the British Museum

AHRC COLLABORATIVE DOCTORAL PARTNERSHIP SCHEME Applying for a CDP studentship from the British Museum July 2017 UNRESTRICTED The British Museum has six fully funded Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) studentships to allocate to projects that will start in October 2018. The Deadline for proposals for these studentships is 5pm on 24 November 2017. Completed forms should be emailed to Andrew Meek cda@britishmuseum.org The studentships will be jointly supervised by a member of Museum staff and a supervisor from their University. Students have the opportunity to base their research at the Museum and learn more about how the cultural heritage sector operates. Topics are proposed by a member of Museum staff in collaboration with a colleague from a UK University and chosen on their academic strengths and clear support for the Museum s research strategy. The studentships are administered by the universities, with AHRC funds supporting academic fees and student maintenance and the British Museum providing additional financial support for travel and related research costs. Students can also take advantage of a joint training scheme run by jointly by all the Collecting and Heritage institutions that support the Collaborative Doctoral Partnership scheme (see http://www.ahrccdp.org/) The Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships scheme Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships are allocations of AHRC funded collaborative research studentships made to a museum, library, archive or heritage organisation, or group of such organisations to allocate to collaborative projects that support their work and research strategy. The scheme began in 2013 as a development out of the existing successful AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Awards scheme, which most CDP holders actively supported. A second round of Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships began in 2015. These partnerships will support students who will start their studies in the academic years 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20. Every CDP studentship is a collaborative doctoral studentship. This means the student is jointly supervised by someone in the University where the student is registered and by someone in the partner organisation. Collaboration is the essential feature of these studentships. Applying for a CDP studentship from the British Museum 1

The subject matter for the studentship is proposed in advance, and must clearly support the work of the British Museum. It must also fall inside the remit of the AHRC. The studentship is a fully funded AHRC research studentship with funds to cover the student s tuition fees, maintenance (living costs) and some funds to support research costs. The studentship covers three years of tuition fees and maintenance, with scope for a further six months of funding through a Student Development Fund. These studentships are covered by standard AHRC rules and guidance for research students they fund and support. Please see the AHRC website for further information. Additional financial support is provided for joint activities, training and cohort development for all the students supported by the CDP consortium through a Cohort Development Fund. The British Museum also provides financial support (up to 1000 a year) towards the student s travel etc. to carry out research, fieldwork, speak at conferences etc. Proposals are judged on their academic quality and on how well they support the British Museum s research strategy. A panel that includes staff from UK Universities, other Museums as well as British Museum staff will assess and grade each proposal at a meeting following the submission deadline. Successful proposals will be passed to the AHRC, who will open up a studentship nomination page of the JES website. This enables the University partner to then receive the funding and administer the award. Successful applicants are notified after the panel meeting and studentships are then advertised to recruit a student. Overseas students should check the eligibility rules of the AHRC if they want to apply for a studentship. The British Museum s Research Strategy The British Museum actively promotes research to support, directly or indirectly, the future care, display or other uses of objects in the Museum's collection, and in other collections, and to help people learn, understand and be inspired by human history through objects. We are looking for collaborative doctoral research projects that will investigate: How the 'lives' of objects from their making, use, reception, loss, collection and later use, can contribute to their understanding. How objects can reveal the social, cultural, religious, creative, economic and political history of their makers, users, owners, depositors and collectors. How objects can be best cared for in order to ensure their preservation for future generations of researchers and the general public. How objects and their histories can most effectively be presented, exhibited and explored through different media and forms of public and learning programmes. Within these four areas, a priority will be given to proposals that support future exhibitions and galleries, other museum objectives or help the museum meet one of its five research challenges. These challenges identify areas where the Museum needs new research, perspectives and thinking to develop future programming and displays, build the collection, establish different ways of working with the collection, and challenge our visitors perceptions about the past and about the Museum. The research challenges are: Changing Things, Changing People: Carry out new research to help our audiences to better appreciate how objects expressed, created or changed relationships between people themselves, and between people and their Applying for a CDP studentship from the British Museum 2

environment: research that can reveal how objects reflected, contested and drove changing human experiences and identities. Objects in the Modern World: Develop distinctive object-centred approaches to explore, develop and present recent histories: approaches that allow the Museum to communicate compelling social, political and cultural-historical narratives about global, imperial and post-colonial histories. Connections, Movement and Globalisations: Learn more about how objects and collections challenge our perspectives on the scale and impact of the movement of things, people and ideas between different parts of the world and across history. Collecting the Museum: Gain a better understanding of how the Museum s collection has been acquired and interpreted: develop new perspectives on the historical contexts of the growth and development of the collection, and explore the different meanings of objects in the collection now. Making and Using: Establish what distinctive approaches the British Museum needs to understand what objects can tell us about their makers and users, their technologies, materials and their changing meanings. The Application Form This form should be filled out jointly between a named member of staff from the British Museum and a named member of staff from a Higher Education Institution (HEI). As with all CDP Studentships, the proposal must clearly support the research strategy of the heritage organisation, and must be suitable for PhD-level research. The successful student candidate is expected to spend a significant period of time researching at, or with, the British Museum. They are also expected to meet with both supervisors once a month in the first year of the studentship, at the British Museum or the HEI, and at least once every two months thereafter. Question 1 Title of the proposal: Please provide a title for the proposal 1.1 Abstract: Please provide a concise summary of the proposed research (a more detailed description of the proposed research will be requested below). (Maximum 100 words) Question 2 Heritage organisation: Please provide the name of the heritage organisation here. 2.1 Heritage organisation supervisors: Please include the name, email address, job title and department of the lead heritage organisation supervisor. Please include the name, email address, job title and department of (a potential) second cultural heritage organisation supervisor (to ensure continuity of supervision in the event of staff changes). 2.2 Has the Head of Department for each proposed supervisor given consent for their involvement? Please indicate yes or no. Question 3 Higher Education Institution (HEI) supervisors: Please include the name, email address, job title, department and university of the lead HEI supervisor, and if appropriate, of the second HEI supervisor. 3.1 Has the Head of Department for each proposed supervisor given consent for their involvement? Please indicate yes or no. 3.2 HEI Research Administration contact for this proposal: Please include a name, email address and job title of the HEI research administration contact. Applying for a CDP studentship from the British Museum 3

Question 4 Number of CDP studentships applied for in this proposal: Most applications are for a single studentship, but it is possible to apply for 2 or 3 studentships in the same year, or over 2 or 3 years. If this proposal is linked to other proposals for CDP awards at the British Museum or other CDP holders please detail. Question 5 Other partner organisations involved in this proposal: If there are other partners, please name them and describe their roles. Question 6 Is the proposal for a named student? The British Museum will not currently accept proposals with a named student. Please leave this section blank. Question 7 Summary of the proposed research: Please describe the proposed project in more detail, indicating why it is important and original. Please make this summary as clear and concise as possible assuming a readership outside your own particular discipline. The summary must cover the following points. What is the project about? Why is the project important and original? What are the key research questions to be addressed? Outline of research likely to be undertaken the data to be collected and studied; fieldwork or research visits in the UK or abroad required; the type of approach or analysis to be used etc. What scope is available to the successful student candidate for moulding the project? (Maximum 1 side A4; AHRC require a summary of this size if the application is successful). Question 8 How will the studentship contribute towards the priorities and objectives of the heritage organisation? Provide details as to how the studentship will support the general aims, ambitions, objectives, initiatives and research strategy of the heritage organisation. Clearly explain how the proposal will assist the work of the British Museum by supporting, directly or indirectly, the future care, display or other uses of objects in the Museum's collection, and in other collections, and to help people learn, understand and be inspired by human history through objects. Explain how the proposal will support research in one of the following strands of research: How the 'lives' of objects from their making, use, reception, loss, collection and later use, can contribute to their understanding. How objects can reveal the social, cultural, religious, creative, economic and political history of their makers, users, owners, depositors and collectors. How objects can be best cared for in order to ensure their preservation for future generations of researchers and the general public. How objects and their histories can most effectively be presented, exhibited and explored through different media and forms of public and learning programmes. Explain how the proposal supports any specific highlighted area or topic for studentships. Applying for a CDP studentship from the British Museum 4

Does the proposed studentship link to any other (existing or planned) projects, initiatives or partnerships? (Maximum ½ side A4). 8.1 Please outline any engagement, outreach, dissemination and impact initiatives that will be supported by the studentship: How will the studentship support the public-engagement or audience-development aims of the heritage organisation or university? Will the student contribute towards an exhibition or gallery display, or other events and initiatives such as public talks, guided tours, lectures, conferences and symposia? Will the student contribute towards cataloguing initiatives, website content or other forms of publication? Please detail. (Maximum ½ side A4) Question 9 Please provide details of any additional financial (or other) support required to undertake the research: Does the research require extensive travel, research trips or fieldwork in the UK or internationally? If so, how much might this cost and how will this cost be covered? (Please note that the maximum level of support from the heritage organisation is usually 1,000 a year). Does the project require the support of additional departments/individuals within the heritage organisation, or externally is this support assured? Will the successful student candidate require specialist training? How will this be provided? Does the project require access to specific equipment or software? How will this be provided? (Maximum ½ side A4). 9.1 Please outline how it is proposed to use the additional six months of funding available through the Student Development Fund to support the student: Provide details as to how the SDF will be used to support the student, including likely cost and duration for each proposed activity (see Appendix: AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships Student Development Fund (SDF)). This funding is primarily available to extend the duration of PhD studentships flexibly and responsively. It must be used to support needs-based training for individual students, in the form of development opportunities beneficial to a student s doctoral research. In many cases the SDF funding will mean that a studentship is extended beyond the normal 3 year period for full-time registration. Equally there may be uses of SDF funding (e.g. to cover the costs of a specific training course relevant to a student s research or practice) which do not entail an extension to the period of the studentship. British Museum CDP studentships require that a portion of this funding is used to allow the student to undertake a work placement at the Museum of at least one month in duration. This placement must be organised by the heritage organisation supervisor. Question 10 Heritage organisation lead supervisor Please provide an outline CV/research profile with details of previous supervisory experience and relevant publications or other outputs: How does the proposal fit with the research profile, interests and/or role of the proposed supervisor? Applying for a CDP studentship from the British Museum 5

What experiences, achievements, expertise, capabilities and skills make the proposed supervisor an appropriate person for supervising PhD research in general and this particular research project in particular? What is the proposed supervisor's experience in supervising PhD students? How many research students have they supervised that have successfully completed? How many research students are they currently supervising? What other commitments does the supervisor have over the three-four year life of the CDP project, if awarded? Applications from early career researchers / more inexperienced members of staff will be welcome, as long as assurances are given that they will be mentored and supported by more experienced members of staff. CVs for second supervisors do not need to be provided unless they will play a substantial role in the studentship. (Maximum 1 side A4 for each named supervisor). Question 11 HEI lead supervisor Please provide an outline CV/research profile with details of previous supervisory experience and relevant publications or other outputs: How does the proposal fit with the research profile, interests and/or role of the proposed supervisor? What experiences, achievements, expertise, capabilities and skills make the proposed supervisor an appropriate person for supervising PhD research in general and this particular research project in particular? What is the proposed supervisor's experience in supervising PhD students? How many research students have they supervised that have successfully completed? How many research students are they currently supervising? What other commitments does the supervisor have over the three-four year life of the CDP project, if awarded? Applications from early career researchers / more inexperienced members of staff will be welcome, as long as assurances are given that they will be mentored and supported by more experienced members of staff. CVs for second supervisors do not need to be provided unless they will play a substantial role in the studentship. (Maximum 1 side A4 for each named supervisor). 11.1 HEI department(s) Please provide a synopsis of the department, including the support it will provide to the successful CDP student, its experience of engaging with heritage organisations (including the one listed in this proposal) and its research profile: Briefly outline the research profile of the department, highlighting grants successes, on-going and completed projects and wider impacts and engagements. Please provide evidence of previous collaborations with non-hei partners. How will the department support the CDP student(s)? How many PhD students are currently based within the department? What opportunities in terms of training, teaching, resources and career guidance will be made available to the student? (Maximum ½ side A4). Question 12 Applying for a CDP studentship from the British Museum 6

How will the heritage organisation and HEI supervisors work together for the benefit of the student? How will the collaboration operate? How will supervisory meetings be organised and structured? Where will they be held and how often (at least once a month in the first year)? How will the student's work and progress be reviewed? What mechanisms will be established for delivering joint and constructive feedback? What role will the student have in shaping the direction of the project? If the distance between the heritage organisation and university is considerable, how will this issue be addressed? NB the CDP studentship needs to be truly collaborative and work for the benefit of the student and the project. (Maximum ½ side A4) Applying for a CDP studentship from the British Museum 7

Appendix: AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships Student Development Fund (SDF) Students funded through an AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership studentship that started in October 2016 or later are eligible to draw additional funding from a Student Development Fund to support the cost of training, work placements, and other development opportunities that will benefit the student s doctoral research and future career development as a researcher in a University or Museum/Library/Archive/Heritage sector organisation. The SDF will enable students to develop skills for both the university and the non-university sector, these might be research roles but, they might also use the skills they have developed in their PhD in roles which may not involve research. These options are covered in the Research Training Framework: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/skills/earlycareerresearchers/rtframeworks/ This funding is primarily available to extend the duration of the PhD studentship flexibly and responsively. For more detail on how the fund can be used please refer to the AHRC s Training Grant Funding Guide 2015/2016. The guide includes clarification on RTSG (Research Training Support Grant) and the SDF in respect of fieldwork: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/documents/guides/training-grant-funding-guide-2015-16/ The total funding available to each full-time student has been calculated by the AHRC on the basis of a six month extension per funded studentship. This is NOT an automatic extension of the student s maintenance payments by six months. Students are able to apply for funds up to this notional amount over the course of their programme of study. Any use of the Student Development Fund must be mutually agreed by the student, their University Supervisor and their Partner Supervisor, and approved by the appropriate administrative authorities of the University and the Partner. The Student Development Fund can be applied to in order to cover a wide range of activities. Students may apply to the Fund multiple times provided they do not exceed the total funding allocation available to them. The fund cannot be used retrospectively to pay for expenditure that has already taken place, so students must ensure they leave sufficient time for a decision to be made on their application. In many cases the Student Development Fund will cover funded extensions to PhD study for: Placements of up to six months duration in total over the period of the studentship: where a student is undertaking a placement that is not an integral part of the research project. This placement can be with another organisation, NGO or company that might have a positive impact on that project, on the student s overall development as a researcher, or on the student s broader career development; International placements to develop language skills: where a student requires an extended period overseas to develop specific language skills to undertake their research project successfully. It is expected that the need to develop language skills will have been agreed at the start of the award. Specific skills development: here extended time is intended for students who need to acquire additional skills, for example high-level methodological skills, or significant and demanding new discipline skills e.g. particular scientific, digital humanities or methodological techniques and skills. Impact activity: e.g. planning and delivering a public engagement project of significant scale such as a programme of activities, involvement with staging an exhibition, or creating web resources. Longer study visits which are not integral to the PhD project, but might benefit that project, the student s overall development as a researcher, or the student s broader career development Applying for a CDP studentship from the British Museum 8

In addition, the Student Development Fund can be used to pay for the direct costs of undertaking a development activity, such as: Placements: Costs of accommodation and travel to enable a student to undertake a placement. High-cost additional training: The course costs to attend specific training activities, as well as costs of accommodation and travel to participate in training. Fieldwork, Archival Work or Work with Collections: Where fieldwork etc is considered eligible, the SDF can be used to extend the award and/or to cover reasonable travel and subsistence during the period. Development Opportunities to facilitate impact from the Student s research: e.g. materials, equipment, room hire etc. Students can not apply to make use of the Student Development Fund after they have submitted their thesis. How the Student Develop Fund can be used? The primary use of the Student Development Fund will be to extend the period the student is paid their student maintenance payments by up to an additional six months to cover the time they have spent carrying out a placement, undertaking additional training, completing extended periods of fieldwork, archival work etc. For example, if a student spends 3 months on such a placement or training opportunity, their maintenance payments and tuition fees are paid for over that time period, and they can extend their award, and their maintenance payments for an additional 3 months on top of the 3 years of standard payments (a stipend for 39 months instead of 36). Where an activity will involve paying for travel, accommodation, course fees, materials etc., these will be deducted from the total available to cover the 6 months additional maintenance payments. As such, if the student spent 1 month on a training course, the SDF would cover the costs of the course, accommodation and travel for the student, and cover extending their award by an additional one month on top of the 3 years of standard payments, so long as the total of both does not exceed the total available in each SDF. Part-Time and Fees only Students Part-time students can use the SDF as well as full-time students. If the student is registered as a part-time student when the activity then the length of the studentship can be extended the equivalent length of time. So three months part time placement would extend the studentship by three months, but a three month full-time placement would only extend the length of the part time study for one and half months. Where a student is in receipt of fees only funding, they may also benefit from both extensions to PhD training and additional costs of training funded from the SDF, e.g. Knowledge Engagement activity, fieldwork etc, provided this does not take the form of a stipend award. Administering the Use of the Student Development Fund The Student Development Fund for each Collaborative Doctoral Partnership student will need to be administered individually through their University. The available funding is given to the University by the AHRC, and the use of the fund will need to be recorded on the JeS system by the University. Whenever students agree an extension of their award as a result of a Student Development Fund opportunity it is important that the University changes the end date of the award is recorded in Je-S Student Details, noting that the end date but not the submission date would be changed. A brief note should be added to state the reason for the change, e.g. 3 month placement opportunity. The Student Development Fund will need to be administered differently to the similar funding provided to Doctoral Training Partnerships. For these, the fund is administered as a central pot of money pooled for all the students within a DTP to Applying for a CDP studentship from the British Museum 9

apply for funding from. For Collaborative Doctoral Partnership studentships the Student Development Fund is linked to each individual studentship. This is likely to cause confusion and problems for some University administrators. Our general line is that the studentships are for 3 years and the additional support is to allow flexibility for development opportunities which arise during the award. Each individual studentship will need to record and monitor the agreed use of the individual Studentship s Student Development Fund. Students and both their cosupervisors at their University and Partner institution will need to agree in writing how the fund will be used by each student and the final decision will be made by the partner organisation's student coordinator. Copies of all decisions about the use of the Student Development Fund will need to be kept by the relevant person in the Partner Institution who oversees that Institution s Collaborative Doctoral Partnership and who will also be responsible for monitoring spend, as well as communicated to the relevant person in the University s Graduate office. As the Student Development Fund will be administered by the University, expenses for travel and accommodation, course fees etc. will need to be administered through the University s finance systems and comply to the University s finance rules and regulations. Where a partner or other organisation may be responsible for directly paying for materials or others costs incurred because of the Student s opportunity, they will need to invoice the University for this sum (e.g. room hire, or specific costs involved for public engagement or impact activities). It is important to remember that for full-time students who have taken the opportunity to use the SDF that they are still expected to have submitted their thesis with in four years of starting. Applying for a CDP studentship from the British Museum 10