PhD Studentship: Set in stone?: Tracing Changing Cultural & Natural Landscapes on the Isle of Portland

Nottingham Trent University and University of Birmingham

The Midlands Graduate School is an accredited Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). One of 15 such partnerships in the UK, the Midlands Graduate School is a collaboration between the Universities of Warwick, Birmingham, Nottingham, Aston Leicester, Loughborough, De Montfort and Nottingham Trent.

We are now inviting applications for an ESRC Strategic Joint Studentship between Nottingham Trent University (where the student will be registered) and the University of Birminghamto commence in October 2024.

This PhD is a unique interdisciplinary project working at the intersection of the fields of economic and social history, memory studies, and geomorphology. The research will examine the way cultural and social memories are linked to the landscape and the way the landscape preserves “memories” of its natural evolution and human influence in its topography.

The Person: We are looking for someone with intellectual curiosity who is open to working with different fields and methodologies, with a background in social science, geography, geology or ecology. Some experience with quantitative and qualitative methods is desirable. Must be comfortable conducting interviews and undertaking public engagement activities.

Study Area: The primary case study will be the Isle of Portland (Dorset), which has a long history of stone quarrying/mining. The built and natural environment and its communities reflect distinctive traces of extracting and building, with changing physical and social landscapes inextricably linked with the stone industry. Portland has been a witness to key geopolitical shifts due to its strategic position and has recently experienced a drastic socio-economic transformation, including a move from open quarrying to mining. This has meant the creation of vast underground spaces, alongside the historic quarry sites – some utilised as public spaces and artistic venues, some sitting idle. The changes have brought considerable social deprivation and demographic challenges. The unique island environment with high biodiversity and (post)industrial spaces, the economic and social heritage of the stone industry, and Portland’s relatively marginal status make it an ideal case study, but its insights will be applicable to other former industrial sites, where rich histories of landscapes and societies shape each other.

Key research questions :

For more information on the methodology of the PhD and the supervision team, please see https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mgsdtp/collaborativeandjoint/wustenberg_ntu_-_strategic_joint_advert_2024.pdf .

Application Process

To be considered for this PhD, please complete the strategic Joint Studentship application form available online here . Please upload an anonymised CV and cover letter as part of the online application process. Shortlisted applicants will also be required to provide transcripts and two references.

Midlands Graduate School ESRC DTP

Our ESRC studentships cover fees at the home rate, a maintenance stipend, and extensive support for research training, as well as research activity support grants. Support is available to both home and international applicants. For further details, visit: www.mgsdtp.ac.uk/studentships/eligibility/ .

Informal enquiries about the research or the Department of History prior to application can be directed to [email protected] .