The Department of Media Arts invites applications for AHRC studentships from applicants who are accepted for the MPhil/PhD degree to commence in 2022. The AHRC studentships are offered through the Techne Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP).
The Department
The Department of Media Arts at Royal Holloway, University of London is one of the major research departments in the UK. Our cohort of research students create a vibrant academic community and our academic staff offer supervision on a remarkably varied geographical, historical, and conceptual range of media practices and disciplines.
We encourage applications on under-represented topics and practice-based projects. In our selection process, we prioritise applications from under-represented and non-traditional applicants. Our distinctive areas of specialist expertise include digital cultures and digital media theory, television history and practice, modernist studies, national and transnational cinemas, media and cultural identity, postcolonial studies, and cinema’s political cultures. Our research is underpinned by a commitment to social justice and an inclusive vision of the role of media arts in today’s world.
The Department values its collaborations with partners in the creative industries and several major national and international arts and cultural institutions including the British Film Institute (London), Learning on Screen, BBC, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Modern, Canada Film Council, and Shanghai Science & Technology Museum.
Awards
The AHRC studentships (stipend and fee waiver) are offered through the Techne Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). Please see the Techne website and the College’s AHRC-related webpages for fuller details.
The Techne consortium comprises nine universities in London and the South-East and has approximately 60 AHRC studentships to award each year across a range of arts and humanities disciplines. The consortium also has 15 organisational partners (including the ICA, BFI, National Archives, Natural History Museum, Heathrow, Kew, and UNICEF) who will provide training and development opportunities for students.
Techne’s vision is to produce scholars who are highly motivated and prepared for academic, public, or professional life: its students benefit from an exceptional range of training workshops and opportunities to engage with partners in the arts and cultural sector. Techne is committed to developing cross-member supervision and therefore welcomes and encourages cross-institutional and/or cross-disciplinary supervisory teams. The training programme is enhanced by engagement with Technē’s partner organisations in the cultural sector (including the Barbican, BFI, Natural History Museum, Museum of London, and Science Museum).
The Techne competition is now open to all international students who can apply for a full fees and stipend award(please note that students may be responsible for the difference between home fees and international fees).
Students who are unsuccessful in their application for a Technē studentship will be considered for the award of College studentships (which may consist of a stipend and/or fee waiver): further details on these will be circulated as appropriate to relevant applicants.
How to apply
Prospective doctoral applicants who are interested in applying for a studentship should proceed as follows:
Contact one or more prospective supervisors directly to discuss your project at the earliest opportunity. Please check here for details of core areas of research within the Department and here for details of the research expertise of academic staff. Alternatively, contact Dr Manishita Dass (Manishita.Dass@rhul.ac.uk), Postgraduate Research Lead for Media Arts, who can advise you on supervision and put you in touch with relevant staff.
If you and your supervisor/s agree that the proposal may be suitable for a Techne or College studentship, applications must be submitted online through the Techne Application Portal, FlexiGrant. The online application form has sections to be completed by the applicant, lead supervisor, referees, and Royal Holloway Technetech administrator. Please note that you will also need to complete a College application form.
Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications is 12 noon on Monday 17 January 2022.
Your application is first considered by internal panels of subject experts at Royal Holloway. You should hear in March whether the College will forward your application for consideration by the Techne Peer Review College. If your application does go forward, you will hear in April whether it has been successful.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch directly if you have any questions about postgraduate study at Royal Holloway.
Dr Manishita Dass (Manishita.Dass@rhul.ac.uk)
Postgraduate Research Lead for Media Arts
Department of Media Arts
Royal Holloway, University of London
