Bumper year of funded PhD opportunities in heritage and culture at the University of Leicester
The University of Leicester’ is opening the door to a wide range of funded PhD opportunities starting in October 2026 within its College of Social Science, Arts and Humanities with projects spanning museum studies, archaeology, history, English, and media and communication.
In a bumper year for PhD funding at the School of Heritage and Culture, projects on offer explore a wide range of themes, from heritage access and museum based mental health support to conflict storytellingand archaeological interpretation.
Funded by the AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership and working in collaboration with major cultural institutions, including the Imperial War Museum, National Museums Northern Ireland, the British Museum and the Fitzwilliam Museum, these opportunities offer prospective researchers with the chance to pursue ambitious, impactful work with expert academic supervision and leading external partners.
Among the opportunities available are:
Museum Studies: AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership with National Museums Northern Ireland
The Ulster Museum: Northern Ireland’s Culture Lab
Supervisor: Professor Suzanne MacLeod
Archaeology: AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership with the British Museum
Hoarding through time: Defining the practice of hoarding and assessing the impact of evolving legislation on its recording and interpretation
Supervisors: Dr Philippa Walton and Dr Wendy Scott
Museum Studies: AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership with the Fitzwilliam Museum
Objects of Care: The Role of Museum Collections in Supporting Young Adults’ Mental Health
Supervisors: Dr Nuala Morse and Dr Kate Noble (Fitzwilliam Museum)
Museum Studies: AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership with the Historic Royal Palaces
Equitable Heritage: Developing New Approaches to Creatively Embedded Access in Heritage Settings
Supervisors: Professor Richard Sandell and Professor Suzanne MacLeod
Museum Studies: AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership with Imperial War Museum
AHRC Recovering the Relics of War: Exploring ways in which the material culture recovered from sites of conflict can be used in affective storytelling
Supervisor: Dr Stacy Boldrick
Co-Director of Research for University of Leicester’s School of Heritage and Culture, Dr Nuala Morse said: “I am particularly pleased with this exceptional year for collaborative doctoral awards with cultural partners in our 60thanniversary year.During this time, the University of Leicester has acquired a global reputation for leading-edge thinking and experimental practice in Museum Studies.We look forward to welcoming our new PhD students in October 2026, when they will join our vibrant research community here at Leicester.