PhD Studentship: Right Up My Street: A place-based approach to the cultural heritage dimension of street names

AHRC WRoCAH funded Collaborative Doctoral Award based in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Sheffield, with Sheffield City Council starting on 1 October 2024.

Supervisors: Professor Lizzy Craig-Atkins, Dr Katherine Fennelly (University of Sheffield) and Ms Rebecca Maddox (Sheffield City Council)

About the project

Street names communicate place-based legacies of power and civic identity. This project will examine colonial legacies of street names by exploring the interdisciplinary heritage context of street naming and examining responses to contested street names. It will develop a theoretical and methodological framework for the study of street names as cultural heritage, advance a strategy for communicating their heritage value and generate implementable objectives for policymakers.

The successful student will work with cultural heritage specialists at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield City Council (SCC). They will also join Roots and Futures - a place-based project which aims to elevate the voices of people underserved by heritage policy and practice in Sheffield.  The partnership will include an extended placement with the SCC Economy, Skills and Culture department, to explore ways of communicating street name legacy in Sheffield.

Full project details are available on the WRoCAH website .

Application deadline: 12 noon Wednesday 6 March 2024

How to apply

Applicants are required to submit to WRoCAH an Expression of Interest via this form .  The submission should include:

• A CV with details of academic qualifications
• A covering letter comprising a two-page statement to convey your motivation and enthusiasm for the project, and to demonstrate your suitability for your intended PhD studies with the University and Project Partner.

Award details

Studentships for doctoral research are 40 months in duration for full-time study. Awards are subject to satisfactory academic progress. Awards must be taken up in October 2024; no deferrals are possible. Awards will comprise fees at Research Council rates and a maintenance grant (£18,622 in 2023/24). The grant pays the fees at the Home/UK rate; international students are, however, eligible to apply for this Studentship and the difference between the Home/UK and International fee will be met by the University of Sheffield for a successful international applicant.

Qualifications

Strong applicants will have a good first degree in an appropriate subject, as well as a Distinction at Master’s degree (or be working towards one) and/or professional experience relevant to the scope of the project. The supervisory team welcomes applications based on professional experience equivalent to the stated academic qualifications and candidates with lived experience of relevance to the topic.

Contact details:

Professor Lizzy Craig-Atkins

Dr Katherine Fennelly