Value
Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) doctoral training grants fund full-time studentships for 4 years or part-time equivalent up to a maximum of 7 years.
The award pays tuition fees up to the value of the full-time home UKRI rate for PhD degrees and the University of Edinburgh is waiving the difference between international and home fees for international students. Research Councils UK Indicative Fee Level for 2024/25 £4,786.
The award pays full maintenance for all students both, home and international students. The minimum UKRI National Doctoral Stipend will be £19,237 (based on 2024/25), plus the Half London weighting of £1,000 and the CDP maintenance payment of £600 per year.
The student is eligible to receive an additional travel and related expenses grant during the course of the project courtesy of V&A worth up to £1,250 total over the duration of their project.
Eligibility
Applications are open to both home fee status (including EU nationals with pre/settled status who meet residency requirements - see document further down the page) as well as international students. International students are eligible to receive the same full award for maintenance as home students and the University of Edinburgh will cover the difference between Overseas to Home fee rates. The project can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis but the University is only able to provide UKVI sponsorship to full time PhD students.
Please note the residency requirements as detailed in this document.
Background
The University of Edinburgh and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (V&A) are pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) studentship from September 2024 under the AHRC’s Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Scheme.
The project has been awarded funding by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) through their CDP studentship scheme. The PhD will be based in the School of History of Art at Edinburgh College of Art in the University of Edinburgh. The student will be jointly supervised by Dr. Caroline McCaffrey-Howarth (Lecturer, History of Art 1600-1900, Edinburgh College of Art) and Dr. Simon Spier (Curator, Ceramics and Glass, 1600-1800, V&A), in addition to supervision from Prof. Juliette MacDonald (Chair of Craft History and Theory, School of Design, Edinburgh College of Art), and Dr. Simona Valeriani (Senior Lecturer, V&A).
The student will be expected to spend time at both the University of Edinburgh and the V&A and will also become part of the wider cohort of Collaborative Doctoral Partnership students across the UK.
The Extractive Museum: The formation, evolution and dispersal of the Museum of Practical Geology collections, 1835-c.1901
Project overview
This object- and archive-based CDP explores the formation, evolution and dispersal of the Museum of Practical Geology (MPG), from its establishment in 1835 to 1901, when c.4000 objects were absorbed by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (V&A). The diverse collection comprised raw materials, moulds, kiln furniture, fragments and complete ceramic objects; from models of kilns to Wedgwood’s copy of the Portland Vase to sherds from excavations of British ceramic factory sites. The MPG amassed this collection, dedicated to displaying raw materials as applied to industry and for ornament, through local, national and global trade networks which demonstrate British colonial power and an institutional programme proposing the supremacy of its arts and industries. The project aims to investigate how the MPG collections were classified and displayed and ultimately transferred to the V&A in 1901.
At a time of evolving discourses in the Decorative Arts, when ceramic art was categorised broadly within the natural sciences and ‘applied’ geology, and such terms were used almost interchangeably, the formation, evolution and dispersal of the MPG marks a pivotal and little-explored moment in the formation of ceramic histories and the broader history of applied arts museums. Despite the MPG collection at the V&A comprising over 3000 extant objects, and there being a wealth of associated archival material relating to it, the role that the ceramics played institutionally remains very understudied, as do the processes of and the reasons behind their dispersal. This project will situate the MPG and its collections within the sphere of Victorian museological developments, questioning what was collected and why, how the museum was received by contemporaries, and tracing the dispersal of its collection and its absorption into an art and design museum. This project aims to not only contextualise the MPG collections in London, but also consider its impact across regions, including ‘branch’ art and industry museums in Edinburgh, Dublin and Stoke-on-Trent, and other sites where MPG objects are now thought to reside.
The history of the MPG is currently not represented whatsoever in any present V&A interpretation, in its galleries or online, and this CDP PhD will be transformative for the curatorial interpretation and scholarly and public knowledge of this little-known aspect of its institutional history. The studentship will contribute to the wider programme of increasing the accessibility of the V&A historic ceramics and glass collections through research, cataloguing and digitisation, contributing to the visitor experience of the V&A’s collections on multiple sites.
Research questions include:
- How did the MPG use global and regional networks to acquire collections that supported a national British agenda for the study and promotion of ceramic art?
- What role did the MPG, scholars and collectors play in cataloguing, categorising and disseminating knowledge about the ceramic collections at the MPG? And how did this inform a nascent decorative art history?
- What are the interconnections between art, design and natural science in the museological space of the MPG during its formation? And how did this impact the subsequent dispersal of the collection from a ‘practical geology’ museum to a civic museum dedicated to art and industry? In particular, why was the V&A Museum chosen as the most appropriate institution for this collection?
The successful applicant will be expected to tailor these themes, and the methodology to their research questions and skillset.
Location
This studentship is open to both Home and international applicants. The student must be based in the UK and complete their studies at the University of Edinburgh. PhD by Distance study is not eligible for this award.
Prior experience and key attributes
Essential:
First or upper-second class Honours degree or equivalent.
Applicants should ideally have or expect to receive a Masters-level qualification in a relevant subject (History, Art History, Design History, Museum and Gallery Studies), or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience in a professional setting such as museums, galleries or the heritage sector that includes responsibility for relevant archival or object research, collections curation, and/or public engagement activity.
Applicants must demonstrate a knowledge of material culture and decorative art, ideally ceramics and/or glass, between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries.
A demonstrable interest in current debates surrounding the history of museums, histories of collecting and colonial legacies.
Demonstrable ability to work independently and willingness to work within a project context with the Ceramics and Glass team at the V&A.
Willingness and ability to engage with a broad range of audiences to disseminate the work.
Willingness to work on site with collections and archives at V&A as required.
How to apply
Apply for the PhD History of Art through the University of Edinburgh’s online postgraduate application system by no later than: THURSDAY 23 MAY 2024
Applications should be accompanied by:
a) A CV, certified copies of degree certificates and transcripts, the details of two referees
b) A short example of writing of no more than 3,000 words (eg. chapter, paper, blog or article)
c) A statement/proposal, tailored to the call, of no more than two pages describing:
- Your particular interest in and understanding of the research project;
- How your experience to date makes you suitable for this studentship, and what you would hope to learn through this opportunity;
- The impact you hope to make through working with us on this project.
IMPORTANT: please also send an email to the ECA Postgraduate Research team: ecaresearchdegrees@ed.ac.uk stating that you wish to be considered for The Extractive Museum: The formation, evolution and dispersal of the Museum of Practical Geology collections, 1835-c.1901 AHRC CDP studentship, and noting that you have made an online application. This allows us to fast track your application on the online postgraduate application system.
Application process
We want to encourage the widest range of potential students to study for this CDP studentship and are committed to welcoming students from different backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from widening participation (WP) backgrounds and Black, Asian, Minority, Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds as they are currently underrepresented at this level in this area.
We welcome questions from potential candidates, please feel free to get in touch directly with the Lead Supervisors on caroline.mccaffrey-howarth@ed.ac.uk or s.spier@vam.ac.uk
Should you require any reasonable adjustments of support throughout the application process or during the interview process please contact Dr Oliver Cox, Head of Academic Partnerships, V&A o.cox@vam.ac.uk
Applicants will need to meet the requirements of postgraduate studies at the university, and will also apply through the University of Edinburgh’s online application system.
For queries about the application process
Please contact the ECA Postgraduate Research team ecaresearchdegrees@ed.ac.uk
For further information about the PhD project
Please contact the Lead Supervisors Dr Caroline McCaffrey-Howarth caroline.mccaffrey-howarth@ed.ac.uk or Dr Simon Spier s.spier@vam.ac.uk
Timetable
Closing date for applications: Thursday 23 May 2024
Interview date: Thursday 6 or Friday 7 June 2024 (interviews will be held online)
PhD start date: September 2024