Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships

Call for applications

Academics at UK universities and Higher Education Institutions are now invited to collaborate with the British Library on jointly-supervised PhD studentships fully funded for four years through the AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships scheme. We are seeking proposals for four PhD projects, to start in October 2026, developed on the basis of our specially selected research themes listed below.

Before submitting your application, please refer to the Information for HEI applicants below and the relevant research theme profile, and are aware of the specific characteristics of the AHRC CDP scheme, the selection criteria, and the envisaged timetable.

Applicants must be academics of postdoctoral standing based at UK universities or HEIs, and be supported by the applicants’ institutions.

Information for HEI applicants

The Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships (CDP) scheme offers PhD studentships fully funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and supervised jointly by a university/Higher Education Institution (HEI) and an Independent Research Organisation such as the British Library. The Library receives an allocation of studentships for doctoral research projects that draw directly on its collections, expertise and resources. CDP students spend a substantial amount of time working on their projects directly with the Library.

Academic partners provide the lead supervisor and an additional academic supervisor for the studentship. The HEI is also the registering body for the studentship and receives and administers the AHRC grant. The Library provides two co-supervisors, to facilitate access to the Library, advise on collections and resources and offer additional training.

British Library CDP research themes are selected through internal competition and closely aligned with our Knowledge Matters vision, key programmes and overall purpose as a national library. For CDP4 studentships, we have identified four priority research areas:

1. Collection histories
2. New narratives
3. Innovations in library and research services
4. Policy and practice.

Higher Education Institutions are invited in an open competition to submit proposals to further develop and bring their own expertise and perspective to our research themes.

Funding and student development

CDP studentships will be funded by the AHRC for 4 years full-time or part-time equivalent.

The provision of additional professional development opportunities to the student is an integral condition of the CDP training grant. The student will spend 3 to 6 months of the funded period on development activities: this may include placements, training or delivery of impact activities. The supervisory team will be required to support students to plan and undertake development activities within Year 1 to 3, with the last phase of the studentship focussed on completion of the doctoral thesis by the end of Year 4.

In addition to AHRC funding for the studentship, the British Library provides financial support directly to the student for agreed research-related costs of up to £1,000/financial year.

Benefits of the collaborative model

CDP students become part of the British Library’s cohort of collaborative doctoral researchers and benefit from staff-level access to its collections, resources and development opportunities, such as the Digital Scholarship Training Programme. Students also benefit from the dedicated cohort development programme delivered by the Library in tandem with other museums, galleries and heritage organisations in the CDP Consortium.
The AHRC CDP scheme offers a unique opportunity to experience work and practice-based research behind the scenes of a major cultural institution and gain a wide range of transferrable skills, complementing the academic research training and specialist expertise provided by the HEI. Further information about collaborative doctoral research with the British Library is available through a range of short films on our institutional YouTube channel.

Research themes

The British Library now welcomes applications from academics of postgraduate standing currently employed at universities or HEIs in the UK and interested in joint supervision of CDP studentships beginning in October 2025.

We are inviting research proposals that develop one of the following themes:

Research theme 1

The Dispersal of Manuscripts From the Cotton Library
British Library co-supervisors: Julian Harrison (Medieval Historical and Literary Manuscripts) and Dr Andrea Clarke (Medieval and Early Modern Manuscripts)

Research theme 2

Libraries, Literacy, and Learning in Leeds
British Library co-supervisor: Elvie Thompson (Learning North)

Research theme 3

Rediscovering a Woman Collector at the British Library: New Sources and Perspectives on Sarah Sophia Banks
British Library co-supervisors: Felicity Myrone (Western Prints and Drawings), Maddy Smith (Printed Heritage 1600-1900), and Dr Alice Marples (Research Development)

Research theme 4

Cold-War Socialism, Non-Alignment and Anti-Colonialism in the Yugoslav Press, 1961–1979
British Library co-supervisors: Milan Grba (South East European) and Savka Andic (Acquisitions South)

How to apply

To apply, please email pgr@bl.uk stating the research theme you are interested in. You will then be sent an application pack to complete. When completing your application, please:

• refer to the detailed research theme descriptions on our website;
• ensure that your application has the support of your Head of Department and institution;
• include a short CV (max. 2 pages) for each academic supervisor;
• return your full application to pgr@bl.uk by the deadline.

The deadline is 17.00 on Friday 28 November 2025. Late applications cannot be accepted.

Selection process

The selection of academic partners (one for each of the research themes) will take place in December 2025, overseen by a panel of Library staff and one or more external academic representatives.

The assessment panel will consider the following criteria:

• development of the research theme and how well this complements British Library collections, resources or expertise
• how well the proposal fits the overarching aims and objectives of the AHRC CDP Scheme
• how well the proposal fits with the four priority CDP4 research areas outlined by the Library
• how well the proposal fits the applicants’ research interests and expertise
• ability to manage co-supervision with the Library, and the track record of collaborating with non-HEI partners
• ability to support the student’s academic progress, and promote research engagement and impact
• ability to support the student’s wider training and development needs and offer overall support and pastoral care
• commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in student recruitment processes.

Once selected, the joint supervisory team may further refine the research topic in order for each partner to gain maximum benefit from the collaboration. Once recruited, the successful PhD candidate will contribute to the development of the final agreed research project.

Timetable

Open call for HEI partners published: September 2025

Application deadline: 28 November 2025 (17.00)

HEI selection panel: 16 December 2025

Nominations submitted to AHRC: by end of January 2026

TFS submission window: Spring 2026

CDP Consortium Workshop for supervisors: Spring 2026

Student recruitment: Spring/Summer 2026

Studentship agreement: Spring/Summer 2026

CDP Consortium Launch Event for new students: Autumn 2026

Studentships start: 1 October 2026