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Doctoral studentships in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Landscape Award

The Museum Collections in Scotland Consortium has been awarded funding through the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Collaborative Doctoral Landscape Award (CDLA) programme. 

About the Museum Collections in Scotland (M-CollS) Consortium

The Museum Collections in Scotland Consortium brings together national, university and independent collections to deliver world-class collaborative doctoral training. 

Through partnership working with universities across the UK, the consortium supports innovative research, strengthen capacity in the cultural sector and ensure Scotland's collections continue to generate new knowledge, public benefit and meaningful engagement for generations to come. 

Members

The Consortium brings together: 

  • National Museums Scotland
  • University Museums in Scotland (UMIS), representing 9 institutions with Collections across Scotland: the University of Aberdeen, the University of Dundee, the University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, the University of Glasgow, Glasgow School of Art, Robert Gordon University, the University of Stirling and the University of St Andrews
  • National Trust for Scotland 

Together, we represent some of Scotland's richest and most diverse collections, spanning archaeology, history, art, design, literature, science, technology, natural history, heritage and cultural landscapes.  

About the collaborative PhD scheme 

The first cohort of three doctoral researchers will start in 2027, followed by further cohorts in 2028, 2029 and 2030.  The programme aims to strengthen collaboration between museums and universities while addressing strategic skills needs across the museum, heritage and cultural sectors.

Projects should deliver excellent research while also producing tangible benefits for museums, communities, collections and audiences. They should also align with M-CollS core principles. 

Core principles

Collaborative

Research that promotes participation, inclusion, co-creation and community engagement.

Interdisciplinary

Research that connects disciplines, collections, methodologies and technologies, including innovative digital approaches (demonstrated by each studentship connecting to at least two AHRC subject areas).

Challenge-led

Research addressing significant contemporary issues, including: 

  • Identity and representation
  • Climate change and environmental sustainability
  • Colonial histories and legacies.

M-CollS representatives

Please contact your M-CollS representative for advice on project development or signposting, or to your museum partner directly, if known, to develop projects: 

National Museums Scotland

  • Andrea Cop

    Role
    Research and Academic Liaison Manager, Grant Manager for M-CollS

University Museums in Scotland (UMIS)

National Trust for Scotland

Museum Collections in Scotland Consortium

An Arts and Humanities Research Council Collaborative Doctoral Landscape Award

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