PhD studentship: Reawakening the Living Landscape: Integrating Heritage and Sustainability at the Ulster Folk Museum

Award Summary

Home tuition fees paid and an annual stipend (living expenses) of £21,805 (2026-27 UKRI rates). A successful international candidate may be required to fund the difference between the home fees and international fees.

Overview

Newcastle University (School of History, Classics & Archaeology) in partnership with National Museums NI, invites applications for a funded AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) studentship.

The Ulster Folk Museum (UFM) hosts a remarkable range of ecological and historical data sets which remains largely untapped as a unified resource. This PhD will reconnect those layers, through a blend of history, heritage and ecology, to comprehend the site’s history and future planning.

Number Of Awards

One

Start Date

1 October 2026

Award Duration

Full-time for four years: part-time for up to a maximum of 8 years.

Application Closing Date

20 April 2026 at 5pm

Interviews will take place on 11 May 2026. All interviews will be online.

Sponsor

AHRC CDP National Museums NI

Supervisors

Prof Annie Tindley, Newcastle University: Annie.Tindley@newcastle.ac.uk

Dr Damian McFerran, Ulster Folk Museum: damian.mcferran@nationalmuseumsni.org

Eligibility Criteria

This studentship is open to both home and international applicants. 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 or pre-settled status, or have indefinite leave to remain or enter.
• A successful international student may be required to pay the difference between what the AHRC provide to the university for tuition and the charge made by the university for tuition fees for international students.
• A minimum of a 2:1 honours degree and a Masters degree at Merit level, or international equivalent, in a related subject (History, Heritage, Ecology); or equivalent professional experience. We will give specific consideration to any independent research you do as part of your studies and/or appropriate professional experience.
• For non-native English speakers an International English Language Testing System minimum of 6.5 overall, with at least 5.5 in each of the four sub-skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking).
• All applicants must meet UKRI terms and conditions for funding. See: https://www.ukri.org/funding/information-for-award-holders/grant-terms-and-conditions/

How To Apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal

Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study

• select 'Postgraduate Research' in the Type of Study field
• search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8210F
• select History in the ‘Research Area’ field
• select ‘PhD School of History, Classic and Archaeology (full time) – History’ as the programme of study

You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:

• a research proposal (750 words): outlining from an academic perspective the independent research that you anticipate undertaking in relation to this project.
• a statement of purpose (750 words): explaining how your academic and/or professional experience has prepared you to fulfil the terms of this project (250 words) and your personal and/or academic motivation for pursuing this Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (500 words).
• studentship reference HCA015

You will also need to submit

• a current academic/professional CV.
• two references, which should normally be by academics (or other professionals) who are familiar with your recent work in relevant fields.

Contact Details

Prof. Annie Tindley: Annie.Tindley@newcastle.ac.uk

£21,805 annual stipend (living expenses) plus home tuition fees paid