2024-2025 PhD Scholarships for Black British Researchers at the University of Birmingham

About the scholarship

Applications for the 2024-2025 PhD Scholarships for Black British Researchers at the University of Birmingham are now open to suitably qualified candidates. The PhD will give a unique chance to connect with an under-researched collection of African art at the University of Birmingham (UoB), a separate collection that is part of Research and Cultural Collections (RCC), a university museum with full museum accreditation by Arts Council England (ACE).

The African Collection is rich and diversified, celebrating broad cultural traditions as well as modern and contemporary creative expression via a variety of artifacts and mediums. Yorùbá, Hausa, and Asante communities are represented, and the exhibition contains works by artists like as Ben Enwonwu and Justus Akeredolu, as well as an important collection of Nigerian modernist paintings by Zaria Arts Society members.

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The PhD has two main aims:

1. It will be the first in-depth critical appraisal of art artifacts from the collection ever conducted. It will examine the relationship between form, content, and aesthetics of artworks and items that have historically been labeled as ‘African’ from a variety of viewpoints. It will critically assess art historical concepts such as ‘decorative art’ or ‘tourist art’ while emphasizing the many uses of the terms ‘African’ and ‘diaspora’.
2. It will look at how African art collections may use new methods and tactics to involve diaspora groups and increase audience participation, such as co-curation strategies and the use of digital technology. By doing so, it will contribute to RCC’s ongoing co-curation initiatives, such as ‘Africanize’ in collaboration with ‘We Don’t Settle’ and Black artists in Birmingham, as well as the ongoing community and artist engagement program, which focuses on co-research and co-production and HEI researchers working with external researchers from source communities.

This PhD is current and essential. It will make an important addition to contemporary discussions about the colonial legacy of museum collections in Europe and North America, with a focus on the items’ diasporic agency and value to source communities. As part of a university collection, study into the African collection will specifically address efforts to decolonize curriculum and university collections.

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Scholarship Details

• Application Deadline: April 30, 2024
• Country to study: United kingdom
• Type: Ph.D.
• Gender: Women and men
• Sponsor: University of Birmingham

Benefits of University of Birmingham Ph.D. Scholarship 2024-2025

1. Financial Support: Scholarship recipients will receive considerable financial support, including a stipend at UKRI rates of £18,622 per year. This funding covers tuition, living expenses, and research-related expenditures, including bench fees. This assistance is intended to reduce the financial strain that typically comes with earning a PhD degree.
2. Mentorship & guidance: Scholarship winners will get mentorship and direction from outstanding faculty members who are committed to helping students achieve in their academic and research endeavors.
3. Research Opportunities: We are devoted to providing an excellent research environment. Students will have access to cutting-edge facilities, resources, and a thriving academic community.
4. Community Building: The scholarship plan includes the establishment of a supportive community of Black British researchers pursuing PhDs. This network will encourage researchers to collaborate and assist one another.
5. Research Assisted Grant: In addition to financial aid, scholarship applicants will get a research training assistance award. This stipend is meant to cover conference attendance, fieldwork, and other critical activities that will help them advance their research and academic careers.
6. Commitment to Inclusivity: We are committed to creating an academic climate that promotes diversity and provides fair access to education.

Requirements for UoB PhD Scholarship

The 2024-2025 PhD Scholarships for Black British Researchers at the University of Birmingham are intended to provide opportunities to remedy the underrepresentation of bright black and black mixed-race students in academics. Applicants who meet all of the following requirements can apply:

1. UK nationals are eligible for registration as home students.

2. Members belong to one of the following ethnic groups:
Black African
Black Caribbean
Black Other Mixed (White and Black Caribbean)
Mixed: white and Black African Other mixed backgrounds (e.g., Black African, Black Caribbean, or Black Other)

3. Not currently enrolled in a PhD program at the University of Birmingham. Selection Process
After you submit your application, we will email you instructions on how to access your applicant portal. You will be able to check the status of your application, update your personal information, review decisions, and accept offers.

Selection Process

While we process your application, it will appear as ‘pending’ on your site.

You can add or change data or documents in your application after it has been filed on your applicant site. Alternatively, email pgadmissions@contacts.bham.ac.uk (with your application ID number), and we will add or amend it for you.

Application Deadline:

April 30, 2024.

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How To Apply

To apply, visit the University of Birmingham website at sits.bham.ac.uk.
Once applicants have reviewed the project facts shown above, they are urged to contact the principal PhD supervisor to discuss the research and their eligibility for it. This is advised before applying for the PhD project.

Contact the lead supervisor.

• After contacting the principal PhD supervisor, candidates should apply to the PhD project using our online application site, selecting ‘125th Anniversary Scholarships (CAL)‘. You will need to establish an account for the online application site and will be requested to sign in when you return.
• You are not required to finish your application in a single session; you can save your application at each step and return to the portal at any time before submission, especially if you do not have all of the essential papers when you start your application.
• You are not need to submit a research proposal for this ‘advertised PhD’, since you will be researching the aforementioned project, which has already been supplied by the academic supervisor(s). Your personal statement will be sufficient to determine your eligibility for the PhD project, as well as your past academic, professional, and personal experiences.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 (UK time) on Tuesday, April 30, 2024.

Possible research questions are:

• What function and relevance does the African Collection have in Birmingham and the United Kingdom’s African diaspora community?
• What gaps and silences could exist in the collection, and how could they be addressed using innovative forms of (co-)curation, public interaction, and museum interpretation?
• How should European museums and collections of African art use digital technology to contextualize their items and interact with source communities?

Applicants for the 2024-2025 PhD Scholarships for Black British Researchers at the University of Birmingham are urged to utilize the ‘Project Overview’ as the foundation of their research proposal, and to use their personal statement to define what they will offer to the project and how they plan to develop it in accordance with their own research interests.

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Application Portal Tips

• Your application does not have to be completed in a single session. Simply save it and return to it whenever you’re ready.
• Avoid delays by ensuring that all of your information is correct and comprehensive.
• Your application will not be processed until you have completed all of the required parts and submitted them.
• If you encounter any technical difficulties with your application, please contact us at directapplicationsystem@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

For additional information, see the UoB website.