AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership FAQs

What are CDP Studentships?

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).

What is the V&A Museum Group (VAMG)?

The V&A is currently undertaking a generational transformation of access to its collections through the creation of new East London sites and the revamp of Young V&A (formerly the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood). These sites, in addition to the South Kensington site and Wedgwood Collection in Barlaston, are all entities of the V&A. For the fourth round of the scheme, the V&A has combined with its sister organisation in Scotland, V&A Dundee, to form the V&A Museum Group (VAMG).

What are CDP studentships at the 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 (or students) 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.

What is the role of the 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 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 to ensure continuity of supervision in the event of staff changes during the PhD period.

What is the role of the VAMG?

The VAMG supervisor is formally the co-supervisor for the studentship. The CDP co-supervisor must be a member of VAMG staff and to that end, all project proposals should be a joint effort 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 VAMG Doctoral School (based within 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.

How many CDP studentships does the VAMG have?

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).

How does the VAMG decide what studentships to support?

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 I am from an HEI and would like to propose a project – how should I do this?)

How long is a CDP studentship and what does the award cover?

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).

Who can be a CDP student?

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.

Where will the student be based?

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 as a volunteer with another department, or undertake a placement elsewhere, to gain additional work experience. 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.

Can a HEI propose more than one CDP working on a topic?

HEI partners can propose two or more studentships working on a larger project (which could involve different HEI and VAMG institutions/departments or sets of supervisors). However, please note that competition for the VAMG's available studentships is strong each year.

Can a proposal be for a particular student (named/nominated student)?

No. In line with AHRC guidance, the VAMG does not support 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 How will applications be assessed?).

What kinds of project is the VAMG looking for?

The VAMG is especially keen to encourage proposals from scholars wishing to develop CDP studentship projects that answer our research themes and crosscutting 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. However, due to a lack of access to certain collections while the move of collections to V&A East continues through to opening in Spring 2025, the VAMG is unable to develop proposals related to the following:

I am from an HEI and would like to propose a project – how should I do this?

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 the Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships page.

What happens after an HEI submits a formal project proposal?

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.

How will applications be assessed?

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

Secondary considerations will include:

What else do I, as a prospective CDP HEI Supervisor, need to know?

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 the web-based Explore the Collections facility 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.

What is the timeline?

Our putative timeline is:

19th June 2023 CDP4 Launch event at V&A South Kensington.
20th June 2023 Scheme open for submission of Expressions of Interest
18 July 2023 CDP4 Project Surgery with VAMG Doctoral School (1)
Early September 2023 CDP4 Project Surgery with VAMG Doctoral School (2)
11th October 2023 Deadline for submission of Expressions of Interest
W/C 16th October 2023 Internal Review Panel for Expressions of Interest
20th October 2023 Selected projects invited to complete Full Application
24th November 2023 Deadline for submission of Full Application
16th January 2024 Selection Panel for Full Application
19th January 2024 Successful applicants notified
From March 2024 Student Recruitment
Autumn 2024 Projects Start

I would like to study for a PhD. Is a CDP PhD right for me?

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.

Where do I find out about applying for a VAMG CDP studentship?

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.

Useful links

V&A Collaborative Doctoral Partnership page

AHRC website

These FAQs were last updated in June 2023.