New PhD students to help explore Portsmouth's heritage, culture and collections in new depth

Portsmouth City Council has been awarded nine fully-funded PhD studentships as part of the Arts and Humanities Research Council's Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships programme.

The programme will see the city's museums and archive team working closely with researchers from the University of Portsmouth as well as other higher education institutions, to design and co-supervise research projects based on Portsmouth historic collections, heritage and culture.

Cllr Steve Pitt, the leader of the council, said: ‘This is a real coup for the city as the programme typically supports national organisations - it shows the strength and depth of our heritage and collections. This programme will help us uncover new perspectives on the city's past and help us to share our story and heritage in new and exciting ways.’

Professor Anne Murphy, executive dean of the faculty of humanities and social sciences at the University of Portsmouth added: ‘These funded PhD studentships are a fantastic opportunity for university-based researchers to collaborate with Portsmouth City Council's museums, archives and libraries on innovative projects to support their work and objectives. Their discoveries will open up Portsmouth's amazing heritage and culture to new perspectives and audiences in and beyond the city. We look forward to working with Portsmouth City Council's museums and archives team as part of this exciting programme.’

More information for aspiring PhD students on how to apply will be shared over the coming months on portsmouthmuseums.co.uk and librariesandarchives.portsmouth.gov.uk

The first projects are likely to begin in October 2024.