Co-design a collaborative PhD project

Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are key to the positive, inclusive, and supportive environment M-CollS will engender, both in the recruitment and delivery of projects. We want the award to be accessible to a diverse range of people and as far as possible we will remove barriers to participation. 

As studentships progress, applicants should consider how equality, diversity, and inclusion will be embedded, monitored, and evaluated, and how potential risks will be addressed to achieve intended outcomes.

A distinctive feature of this programme is its integrated training model. 

Projects are not conceived simply as individual PhD studentships. Instead, they form part of a wider doctoral training ecosystem that combines academic excellence, professional museum practice, interdisciplinary collaboration and sector-wide skills development.  

Students and supervisors will become part of a connected network spanning museums, universities and national training providers. 

At the centre of the programme is the Museum Collections in Scotland Consortium Training Cluster. 

This will bring together students, supervisors and practitioners from across the consortium through regular cohort events, workshops, peer-learning opportunities and networking activities. The intention is to create a vibrant community of practice that extends across museums and universities.  

Students will also access UKRI and AHRC cohort development activities as well as Scottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities (SGSAH) training opportunities.

University-Based Research Training

Partner universities will provide advanced disciplinary and methodological training appropriate to each project, ensuring students develop deep subject expertise alongside broader research skills.  

Museum practice and professional development

Students will gain practical experience through active engagement with collections, museum practice and professional networks.

Applications can be submitted at Expression of Interest (EOI) stage by any employee at an M-CollS partner. The member of staff should check with their line manager/own institution before submitting the EOI to have the best chance of being taken forward to the next stage.  Projects should be aligned strategically and to Core principles with attention being paid to the training opportunities that can be provided.

In addition to the AHRC stipend, Research Training Support Grant and Collaborative Doctoral Award top-up awarded to the university and dispersed to the student, the M-CollS partner make a commitment to provide an additional cash commitment directly with student. In terms of the latter, NMS and NTS will commit £500–£1000 per year per student supervised; UMIS members will offer up to £1,000 per year per student on a case-by case basis. Applicants are advised to check with their line manager that this is accepted at EOI stage with details provided at the full stage application. 

Note that:

• Only an application submitted by the M-CollS partner will be accepted
• Applications submitted by the academic partner will not normally be accepted
• Projects will be subject to an open competition and no named studentships will be accepted.

We are seeking university-based collaborators who wish to engage fully in the co-design of collaborative doctoral research with an M-CollS eligible partner. Note that only an application submitted by the M-CollS partner will be accepted. Applications submitted by the academic partner will not normally be accepted.  

Projects will be subject to an open competition and no named studentships will be accepted.

Successful collaborations will: 

• Jointly develop projects with HEIs from the earliest stage
• Ensure projects combine academic rigour with practical relevance
• Adhere to core principles
• Contribute to students' research and professional development
• Support in collaborative and inclusive supervisory arrangements which go beyond "collections access"
• Embed EDI to ensure the widest number of possible prospective students can apply.

Higher Education partners commit to sharing EDI data of applicants, under an appropriate agreement if required.

The consortium is particularly interested in developing new disciplinary partnerships and bringing fresh perspectives to Scotland's collections.

Prospective students should note that EOIs can only be submitted by the M-CollS partner. M-CollS will not accept EOI applications from directly students.

Successful projects will be widely advertised from March - May each year with application processes being governed the HEI partner. 

Applicants can register interest via the Expression of Interest form. The form should be completed by the lead museum or heritage organisation in partnership with an eligible Higher Education Institution (HEI) and relevant academic supervisors. 

The key sections to be completed are:  

Project summary (up to 250 words) 

Applicants will be asked to provide: 

• A proposed project title
• Lead M-CollS institution
• Higher Education partner
• Details of any additional collaborators
• A plain-English project summary suitable for a non-specialist audience
• The proposed PhD model:
  • Traditional PhD
  • Practice-Based PhD
  • Practice-Led PhD.

Alignment with M-CollS priorities (up to 250 words) 

Projects should demonstrate how they contribute to the M-CollS collaborative doctoral programme through: 

Collaboration 

Evidence of meaningful partnership working between museums, heritage organisations, universities, and other stakeholders. 

Challenge-led research 

Projects should address one or more of the following themes: 

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

Interdisciplinarity 

Projects are expected to draw on multiple disciplines and demonstrate innovative approaches across areas such as: 

• Heritage and museum studies
• Arts and humanities
• Social sciences
• Digital and creative practices
• Heritage science and related disciplines. 

Core team information 

Applicants are invited to identify: 

• Primary and secondary museum supervisors
• Academic supervisors
• Relevant departments and institutions
• Key project partners.

Project proposal details 

Applicants are invited to outline: 

Vision (Up to 250 words) 

• The challenge or opportunity being addressed
• The project's originality and contribution to knowledge
• Anticipated academic, social, cultural, or policy impacts
• Potential beneficiaries and longer-term outcomes.

Approach (Up to 250 words) 

• Proposed methodology
• Feasibility within the doctoral timeframe
• Placement opportunities beyond embedded co-location of the student at them-CollS partner for the PhD
• Training requirements
• Access to specialist facilities, collections, equipment, or expertise.

Doctoral Training Opportunity (Up to 100 words) 

A brief statement describing why the project would provide an excellent doctoral training experience, including skills development and future career opportunities. 

Additional information 

Projects should be designed to be achievable within a four-year doctoral programme (or pro-rata equivalent for part-time study). 

M-CollS partners provide additional financial support for doctoral candidates, typically ranging from £500 to £1,000 per student per year, with some UMIS members able to offer additional support subject to local arrangements.

Applicants are encouraged to discuss resource requirements and support arrangements with relevant partners before submitting an Expression of Interest.

As with the Expression of Interest Stage, the form should be completed by the lead museum or heritage organisation in partnership with an eligible Higher Education Institution (HEI) and relevant academic supervisors. 

The lead M-CollS partner will be sent the full stage URL directly.

An online Town Hall event will provide an opportunity to: 

• Learn about the programme
• Meet consortium representatives
• Understand eligibility and assessment criteria
• Q&A about M-CollS.

Museum and university partners will work together to prepare and submit an Expression of Interest. 

Expressions of Interest need to be submitted by the M-CollS museum partner (even if based at the same institution) via the EOI web form.

Expressions of Interest will be reviewed against criteria including: 

• Collaborative potential
• Interdisciplinary approaches
• Alignment with consortium priorities
• Skills development opportunities
• Public benefit and impact.

Selected teams will be invited to develop a full proposal. 

Deadline: End of November / First Week of December 2026.

Support and guidance will be available throughout this stage. 

Full proposals will be considered by a review panel. 

Successful projects will proceed to the doctoral student recruitment stage for entry in September/ October 2027.