AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) studentship – Critical Heritage Stories, Communities, and Technologies: Eastney Engine Houses and the Past, Present, and Future of Industrial Heritage Museums

• The studentship is open to both home and international applicants (see above for fees information for international students).
• Students can take up the studentship as either full or part-time. 
• Students should have a Masters Degree in a relevant subject (including, but not limited to: Art, Anthropology, Art History, History, Curating, Literature and Creative Writing, Exhibition Studies, Conservation Science, Critical Infrastructure Studies, Science and Technology Studies), or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience in a professional setting in critical and creative practice (including, but not limited to art, curating, design, media, technology).
• Applicants must be able to demonstrate an interest in the museum and heritage sector, galleries and exhibition studies, curatorial and/or artistic practice and research, and potential and enthusiasm for developing skills more widely in related areas.
• We encourage applications from a diverse range of people, from different backgrounds and career stages. Thinking of applying but concerned you might not meet all the requirements? Studies show that certain groups are less likely to apply to a role if they don’t meet 100% of the requirements. Accordingly, if you are (for example) a women, Black, Asian, from a Global Majority background, LGBTQI+, neurodivergent or disabled and are interested in this opportunity, we encourage you to apply, even if you personally feel you may not be ready or qualified. 

To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria: 

• Be a UK or Irish National (meeting residency requirements), or
• Have settled status, or 
• Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
• Have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

More details: the latest revision of the AHRC Training Grant Funding Guide is available here. All applicants must meet UKRI terms and conditions for funding.

CDP doctoral training grants fund full-time studentships for 4 years or part-time equivalent up to a maximum of 8 years.

The award pays tuition fees up to the value of the full-time home fee (Research Councils UK Indicative Fee Level is £5,238 per year). Students with an ‘overseas’ fee status are welcome to apply but will need to pay themselves the difference between the covered fee and the international fee for PhD in Art or Design (indicative international fee is £20,100 per year). The successful candidate will be required to reside in the UK until completion of the PhD.

The award pays an annual stipend for all students (both home and international). This stipend is tax free, and is the equivalent of an annual salary, enabling the student to pay living costs. The UKRI Minimum Doctoral Stipend for full-time candidates is £21,805. There is also a CDP maintenance payment of £600 per year. The successful candidate is eligible to receive an additional travel and related expenses grant during the course of the project courtesy of Portsmouth City Council worth up to £500 per year for 4 years. If undertaking part-time study these amounts will be pro-rated.

The successful candidate will be encouraged to participate in professional development events and activities organised for all Collaborative Doctoral Partnership students who are registered with different universities and studying with cultural and heritage organisations across the UK. These activities are organised by a coordination team based at the V&A and are designed to provide CDP researchers with the knowledge, networks and skills to thrive in their future careers.

Further details can be found on the UKRI website. The CDP consortium also hosted an online webinar for prospective applicants on 13 April 2026. A recording can be found here.

Please apply through the University of Southampton’s online PhD Application Portal, noting in the application that you would like to be considered for the AHRC CDP project at Eastney Engine Houses. We would also advise you to contact the Admissions team (fah-pgr-apply@southampton.ac.uk) directly to ensure they are aware of your application and can support you from the start with any documentation needed.

You will need to select either the ‘PhD Fine Art’ or ‘PhD Design’ to be considered for this opportunity. It does not matter which option you choose, or whether you feel your project explicitly fits one of these two descriptions.

All CDP projects are part of a nationwide programme called the Collaborative Doctoral Partnership consortium. The CDP asks all applicants to complete a voluntary EDI monitoring form here. All responses are anonymous.

Support and Reasonable Adjustments for the Application Process

Please reach out to project supervisors and/or the University of Southampton Doctoral Admissions team in the course of the application process with any access riders or reasonable adjustments. Support or adjustments may include (but are not limited to):

• Opportunity to speak with project supervisors at HEI and CDP Award Holder about the project and the process.
• Opportunity to speak with contacts within the HEI and/or CDP Award Holder regarding institutional support systems (e.g. neurodiversity, racial diversity and LGBTQIA+ networks, mental health support, support for carers).
• Access to interview questions and an insight into the interview process (e.g. selection criteria used).
• Opportunity to speak with active CDP students to ask questions regarding student experience as part of the CDP scheme—in this case through the central coordination group at the V&A.

Faculty of Arts and Humanities

If you have a general question, email our doctoral college: fah-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk.

Project leader

For an initial conversation, please email Megen de Bruin-Mole: M.J.De-Bruin-Mole@soton.ac.uk