PhD placement scheme

The incunabula collection is one of the Library’s most distinguished resources for readers interested in the late medieval and early modern periods. Comprising over 12,000 items, it is the most representative incunabula collection worldwide. This placement offers the opportunity to learn about some of the most extraordinary books produced in the fifteenth century and make bibliographical information available to a wider public through the main catalogue, ISTC, and the Material Evidence in Incunabula database.

Read the full placement profile (PDF, 171.3KB).

This placement aims to develop test cases into the use of digital tools that will enhance the accessibility and interactivity of composer Edward Elgar’s letters, including availability on the online Universal Viewer environment.

Read the full placement profile (PDF, 161.5KB).

This placement offers a unique opportunity to contribute directly to how one of the world’s leading research libraries supports legal scholarship. The placement student will help to build an evidence-based understanding of who legal researchers are, what they research, and how they seek and use information. This includes mapping legal research audiences, analysing enquiry data, and exploring research trends in law and legal studies.

Read the full placement profile (PDF, 161.7KB).

Independent newsletters, creator-led journalism and subscription publishing platforms are reshaping how ideas circulate in the UK. This placement offers an exciting opportunity to explore this fast-moving publishing landscape, and sits at the intersection of digital culture, media studies, law, and digital preservation.

Read the full placement profile (PDF, 163.1KB).

The placement holder will undertake research to document the records relating to war poetry held within the British Library’s modern manuscript collections (1601-1950), including manuscripts and correspondence of well-known poets like Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, alongside lesser-known writers such as Laurence Binyon, Isaac Rosenberg and M J Tambimuttu.

Read the full placement profile (PDF, 186.3KB).

This is an exciting opportunity to tackle one aspect of the most pressing and under-examined challenges of the digital age: the environmental cost of our rapidly expanding digital collections. As global data generation and storage continue to rise, so too do energy and water consumption with its associated greenhouse gas emissions. Understanding and reducing this ‘digital footprint’ is critical if cultural heritage and research institutions are to respond meaningfully to the climate crisis. 

Read the full placement profile (PDF, 162.4KB).

The first illustrated newspaper, The Illustrated London News, appeared in May 1842 and heralded the beginning of the age of the illustrated press. While the Illustrated London News and a small number of its contemporary titles have received attention, many of the others remain largely unknown. This placement will raise the profile of some lesser-known illustrated newspapers including the Daily Graphic, local titles like the Illustrated Derbyshire Chronicle, and international titles such as the Canadian Illustrated News.

Read the full placement profile (PDF, 185.6KB).

In recent years the Library has undertaken an extensive programme of works to decarbonise our estate and to build a state-of-the-art new passive book storage building at our Yorkshire site, Boston Spa. Now, we want to tell the story of these works in a way which inspires and informs action by others by recording oral histories about the Library’s approach to sustainability.

Read the full placement profile (PDF, 177KB).

During their time at the Library, PhD placement students have access to a wide range of workshops, talks and training. Supervisors will offer advice on which opportunities may be of particular interest. 

Depending on when the placement takes place, development and networking opportunities may include, for example, the Digital Scholarship Training Programme, Researcher Lunches, Business & IP Centre workshops, and postgraduate work-in-progress talks and seminars. 

Placement supervisors will provide an induction and facilitate other training that may be required to undertake a specific placement. Details are provided in the individual project descriptions.

The Library welcomes applications to its PhD Placement Scheme from all current PhD students registered with a UK university.

International PhD students are eligible to apply, subject to meeting any UK visa/residency requirements. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they are meeting these requirements. We are unable to provide sponsorship or advice for visas.

The Library is an equal opportunities placement provider and encourages applications from PhD students from all backgrounds.

PhD placement scheme applicants must have the support of their supervisor. Successful applicants must secure the approval of their institution and training grant provider as necessary.

In addition, the following applies:

• If you are in the final year of your PhD: You are eligible to apply, provided that you are able to undertake all of the placement prior to submission of your thesis
• If you have not begun your PhD: If you have been accepted as a PhD student from academic year 2026/27 onwards, you are not eligible to apply in this round. Sign up to our mailing list to hear about future opportunities. Our PhD Placement Scheme runs annually.
• For both on-site and remote placements, you must be based in the UK at the time of undertaking the placement.
• The Library is responsible for all documentation relating to the placements, and no additional paperwork will be completed. The student is advised to check in advance of application that the Library's paperwork is acceptable for their HEI's internal processes.

Applicants are expected to ascertain what funding is available to them through their HEI, doctoral training grant provider or other sources to support the period of the placement. 

We strongly recommend that a PhD student given approval to undertake a placement is in receipt of a stipend at least equivalent to the current UKRI National Minimum Doctoral Rate for the duration of the placement. 

Successful candidates unable to secure sufficient funding through their HEI or other sources are welcome to apply to the Library’s PhD Placement Fund for assistance. The PhD Placement Fund will only be able support a limited number of students, and the level of funding available will depend on individual circumstances and overall demand. The maximum award will be £1898 per month, pro rata. Students who have previously had placement funding of any kind are not eligible to apply. All awards must be allocated prior to June 2026.

PhD placements are offered for 3 months full time or, wherever possible, part-time equivalent. Part-time arrangements will be agreed between the successful applicant and the placement supervisor, but will usually require a minimum of 2-3 days per week to be spent on the placement project. 

Placements available for this round can start no earlier than June 2026 and must be completed by March 2027 at the latest. Unless otherwise stated in the project description, there will be some flexibility around the placement start date. 

Placements will be hosted by a Library department based at the site stated on the placement profile, usually at St Pancras (London) or at Boston Spa (Yorkshire). Where the project allows this, the option to undertake some or all of the placement remotely will also be offered. 

Any remote working arrangements will be discussed between the successful applicant and the placement supervisor. If remote working is agreed, the student will be required to ensure that they have access to the necessary technical equipment (e.g. laptop/PC, internet access) to successfully and safely undertake the agreed placement tasks. When working on site at the Library, all necessary equipment will be provided.

The student must be based in the UK at the time of undertaking the placement, even if the placement is undertaken remotely.

All applications will be assessed against the criteria specified under ‘Required knowledge and skills’ included in each placement description.

We receive a high volume of applications, but all applicants will be notified of the outcome approximately 4–5 weeks after the deadline. Applicants shortlisted for the next stage will be invited to interview in March 2026. Interviews will be held using Microsoft Teams. Interview dates will vary. 

All placement offers and start dates for successful candidates will be subject to the British 

Library’s security clearance processes, which may take up to 6 weeks.

Placements offer student development opportunities within the specific context outlined in each project description and for the duration indicated. A placement offer does not constitute an offer of temporary or permanent employment at the British Library.