AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership FAQs

The Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) scheme of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is designed to encourage and develop collaboration between UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and non-HEI organisations like museums and galleries.

The AHRC's Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) route is designed for non-HEI organisations with a strong track record of supporting and delivering PhD studentships. Under this route, specific organisations are allocated a cohort of AHRC-funded studentships, for which they can nominate individual doctoral projects jointly developed by museum staff and HEI partners. The CDP scheme is now in in its fourth iteration (CDP4).

For the fourth round of the CDP scheme (CDP4), the V&A has combined with V&A Dundee, its sister organisation in Scotland, to form the V&A Museum Group (VAMG).

VAMG CDP studentships are paid studentships that allow institutions within the VAMG and an HEI to collaborate on a project that falls within the AHRC's subject domain and can provide demonstrable benefits to both partners. Each project is carried out by a research student who is recruited by the partners and jointly supervised by staff from both the VAMG and the HEI. The research student will work towards a doctoral qualification by the end of the studentship. The doctoral qualification will be issued by the collaborating HEI.

The HEI is responsible for administering the studentship in line with the AHRC's terms and conditions, including receiving funds from the AHRC to cover the student's maintenance stipend and university fees. Once the AHRC has checked and approved them, nominated PhD studentship projects will be set up as Doctoral Training Grants to the HEI involved in each project, done via the same process for activating grants and funding students as other PhD 2 awards (i.e. the funding award will be made directly to the collaborating HEI rather than to the VAMG). The HEI partner for a CDP studentship can be anywhere in the UK.

The HEI supervisor is formally the lead supervisor for the studentship. They and their department should demonstrably provide the right expertise and support for the topic. All CDP applications should have both a main HEI supervisor and a second HEI supervisor (based at the same HEI) to ensure continuity of supervision in the event of staff changes during the PhD period.

The VAMG supervisor is formally the co-supervisor for the studentship. The CDP co-supervisor must be a member of VAMG staff, and all project proposals should be jointly written between the proposed HEI supervisor(s) and the proposed VAMG co-supervisor(s). All CDP applications should have both a main VAMG co-supervisor and a second VAMG co-supervisor to ensure continuity of supervision in the event of staff changes during the PhD period.

Staff from the V&A Research Institute (VARI) administer the VAMG's CDP scheme, running the competition and selection process on behalf of (and in collaboration with) the wider VAMG.

As part of CDP4, the AHRC has awarded the VAMG an allocation of three funded studentships to start each year from Autumn 2024 to Autumn 2026 (i.e. nine studentships in total). This is the second year of our allocation of studentships under CDP4.

Each year, the VAMG holds an open competition designed to identify and select which funded studentship projects will be supported, in accordance with AHRC guidelines. Studentship proposals must be submitted by the HEI staff member who would act as the student's main supervisor and must have been co-developed with a VAMG staff member, who would act as the student's co-supervisor. The studentship's subject matter should be developed in close collaboration with the proposed VAMG co-supervisor(s). Proposals chosen for funding will be:

Furthermore, the VAMG requires HEI partners to have clear equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policies and to confirm they will work with the VAMG’s own EDI Action Plan, developed in line with AHRC guidance. More information will be available if your expression of interest is taken forward to full application (see Q.14).

Studentships funded under CDP4 receive four years of funding. The four-year duration is to enable students to undertake development activities as part of their doctoral study. Professional development opportunities should be based on the student's needs, within AHRC's terms and conditions and agreed between the student and their supervisors. Doctoral projects must be designed and supervised in such a way that students are able to submit their thesis within the funded period, as defined at the outset of the project.

Each CDP studentship includes the HEI tuition fees and a student maintenance grant (the exact amount of which is in line with UKRI guidelines and includes the CDP-specific uplift).

Studentships as part of CDP4 are open to UK and international students. However, please note that awards for stipend and fees will be based at UK (Home) level and therefore will not cover the additional student fees normally charged by HEIs to international students. For more information on eligibility criteria please see the UKRI website.

It is anticipated that the student will spend a significant amount of time researching at one (or more) institutions within the VAMG, as well as attending training and other museum-based activities. Depending on the student and their project, they may also be encouraged to spend some time undertaking professional development opportunities during the course of their four years of funding (eight years part time). The VAMG also provides additional financial support to our CDP students for travel and related research costs, up to £1250 per student over the course of the studentship.

There is no limit to the number of applications an individual HEI might make in partnership with the VAMG at the expression of interest phase. However, please note that competition for the VAMG's available studentships is strong each year.

No. In line with AHRC guidance, the VAMG does not supports named/nominated students on CDP PhD projects. This is in order to increase accessibility of the VAMG's CDP award by ensuring equal access to the funding and opportunities these studentships afford. All projects must be subject to an open student application procedure in line with the VAMG's EDI action plan (see Q.16).

The VAMG is especially keen to encourage proposals from scholars wishing to develop CDP studentship projects that answer our research themes and cross-cutting priorities. Broadly, the themes relate to subjects and collections, and the priorities relate to modes of study or theoretical lenses.

The crosscutting priorities are:

The research themes are:

The VAMG welcomes proposals relating to other parts of its collections and activities. With the opening of V&A East Storehouse in 2025, the following collections will now be available to study:

The VAMG runs a two-stage selection process. In the first instance, HEI colleagues are invited to submit an initial expression of interest (EoI). Ideally, this EoI will already be in collaboration with colleagues at an institution within the VAMG. However, EoIs can be submitted without VAMG staff yet identified. Our key assessment criteria for this first stage are:

If the EoI is suitable, you will be asked to submit a formal, more detailed proposal form in collaboration with colleagues at an institution within the VAMG.

For more information about this year's process and deadlines, please visit our Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships page.

A CDP Selection Panel consisting of staff from across the VAMG, HEIs and other heritage organisation representatives, meets in January to consider all the eligible proposals. Panel members will not take part in the review of any proposals where there could be a conflict of interest. Some proposals may be recommended subject to improvements or conditions by the panel. The panel will provide feedback on all proposals.

If your proposal is successful, the VAMG will formally nominate the project to the AHRC. The HEI supervisor will then need to submit a CDP 'application' form via JeS to allow the AHRC to undertake basic eligibility checks and to set up awards. Once this is completed, the studentship can be advertised, and the HEI will then administer it in line with standard AHRC CDP studentships.

The CDP Selection Panel will assess and rank each eligible application using the following four criteria:

a) The academic strength of the proposal

b) How well the proposal supports the VAMG's crosscutting priorities and research themes

c) EDI Principles

d) Career Development Opportunities

The most successful CDP proposals often develop from already established relationships between academics and VAMG-based staff, and ongoing dialogues between them concerning new research.

Museum-based research usually has a different focus and approach from PhD research taking place in HEIs. It often (although not always) relates directly to collections. Its methodology usually involves the in-depth material analysis of museum objects that will form a central body of evidence – along with other types of documentation – for the CDP student. Some of the research questions are raised by the objects and gaps in the museums' knowledge about them, others come from the museums' desire to explore new ways to engage diverse audiences.

The focus for all CDP studentships is the production of the thesis (or equivalent). Additional outcomes may also be appropriate. The results of the CDP research should contribute directly to the interpretation of the VAMG's collections and the information we present to our audiences.

Both supervisors will need to consider the type of student who would be suited to the project. A successful CDP proposal needs to meet the requirements of VAMG themes/priorities as well as relate to relevant academic research interests.

It is recommended that you familiarise yourself with the VAMG's collections via Explore the Collections, and also look at recent publications and exhibitions relevant to your subject. Where appropriate, the VAMG Doctoral School will assist you to make contact with relevant curators, conservators and other museum professionals working with collections or on topics relevant to your field.

Our putative timeline is:

July 2024
Scheme open for submission of expressions of interest

19 September 2024
Deadline for submission of expressions of interest

3 October 2024
Internal review Panel for expressions of interest

10 October 2024
Selected projects invited to complete full application

29 November 2024
Deadline for submission of full application

09 January 2024
Selection panel for full application

17 January 2024
Successful applicants notified

From March 2025
Student recruitment

Autumn 2025
Projects start

Collaborative PhD students work across two locations, with two sets of supervisors, in two different organisations. This enables students to gain valuable first-hand experience in different environments and enhances their employment-related skills and training. However, you should also be prepared to overcome potential challenges specifically related to the nature of collaborative PhDs. This includes working effectively with supervisors who, depending on the institutions involved, may also be geographically distant.

The VAMG's CDP studentships are advertised on the AHRC website, the V&A's Collaborative Doctoral Partnership page and University websites from spring each year.