Level: Masters Course: Any full time Masters programme offered by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in any of the disciplines covered by the AHRC (except LLM and MSc degrees in Law and Legal Studies). More detail on AHRC Disciplines can be found here: https://ahrc.ukri.org/funding/research/subjectcoverage/ahr Country: Home Value: Full fee waiver and £18,062 living stipend No. of awards: At least 4 Deadline: Monday 31 July 2023 (noon)
The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen Mary University of London is committed to increasing the representation of, and opportunities for, UK Black and Global Majority* applicants who wish to pursue postgraduate degrees in the Humanities. We recognise that funding opportunities across humanities disciplines at PGT level are particularly limited, and that this may inhibit Black and Global Majority students from going on to undertake doctoral research and following an academic career. This is why we are continuing to offer HSS PGT Studentships.
*The terminology we use is aligned with that of the London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP), the body funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) that supports PhD research in the humanities at Queen Mary and several other universities.
Since 2019-20, we have offered a number of fully funded PGT studentships to talented UK applicants from a Black and Global Majority background who may be interested in a research career and/or further postgraduate study. The studentships include a full fee waiver and a stipend to cover living costs (£18,062).
Applicants must be graduates of Queen Mary and wish to pursue a Master’s degree at Queen Mary in any of the Primary Research Areas relevant to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences that are covered by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
Histories, Cultures and Heritage Archaeology, Classics, Cultural and Museum Studies, Development Studies, History, Information and Communication Technologies, Law and Legal Studies (except LLM and MSc degrees), Library and Information Studies, Philosophy, Political Science and International Studies, Theology and Divinity and Religion.Creative and Performing Arts Dance, Design, Drama and Theatre Studies, Media, Music and Visual ArtsLanguages and Literature Languages and Literature and Linguistics.
More detail on AHRC Disciplines can be found here.
Applicants who identify as People of Colour, BAME and/or part of Black and Global Majority racial and ethnic groups will be eligible to be considered for one of these studentships. A minimum of two studentships will be awarded to Black British students (Black or Black British African, Black or Black British Caribbean, Black or Black British other or Mixed Black or Black British) because these students are disproportionately under-represented among Queen Mary home postgraduates in the Humanities.
This is what some recent award holders told us:
“Receiving the studentship has allowed me to continue to benefit from the specialist teaching and expertise of Queen Mary staff, which in turn has opened up numerous pathways for my career. Before receiving the studentship, I had never thought about pursuing a career in research; however, I can now consider this as an option as a result of the knowledge and research skills I have gained during my MA studies. I knew that pursuing an MA in English Literature would be daunting as a minority individual, however, as Sheryl Sandberg remarks: “If you're offered a seat on a rocket ship, don't ask what seat.. Just get on”. Rather than viewing disproportions as discouraging, I knew that I had to view it as an opportunity to make a difference, and overall, I am pleased that the studentship award allowed me to widen the representation of BAME students studying at MA level. I believe that to tackle ethnic disparities in higher education, students must make that first step to create change.” Sahara Ahmed, MA English Literature, 2020-2021
“The HSS BAME scholarship, without a doubt, is what enabled me to pursue my MA in Comparative Literature. By removing the financial burden that is felt so keenly by students in London, I was able to commit to the MA course. Being able to focus solely on my studies meant that I was able to achieve a distinction, and produce what I hope will be the start of a PhD thesis. I am currently training as a teacher, but hope to return to academia when some normalcy resumes in the world. I encourage all those who are eligible to apply.” Mohamed Omar-Ejjbair, MA Comparative Literature, 2019-2020
“I received this studentship in the summer of 2020, and since then, it has supported me through my academic and personal life. Doing a Masters is time consuming and this opportunity removed the weight of working long hours to be able to pay for living expenses and gave me time to put my complete attention towards my academic career. The relaxation of intense stress over fees and expenses makes a big difference; a difference I appreciate the most during stressful deadline periods. Additionally, being funded in a period where the future is uncertain has given me the drive to work through my difficult days and focus on the opportunities this studentship has opened up for me. This opportunity has given me the confidence to pursue my passions in researching and developing the scholarship around Postcolonial History.” Mareeam Ahmed, MA History of Political Thought and Intellectual History, 2020-2021
To be eligible to apply for this Studentship you must:
To apply you will need to provide:
The application form can be found here: HSS UK Black and Global Majority Studentships Application Form [DOC 32KB]
Your completed application form and required supporting details should be emailed to hss-feedback@qmul.ac.uk by 12 noon on Monday 31 July 2023.
Queries relating to these studentships may be addressed to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at hss-feedback@qmul.ac.uk
The studentships cover all tuition fees and provide a stipend for living expenses at UK Research Council Rates (£18,062). Awards are made for the full duration of the period of fee liability for the agreed course. Please note that these awards cannot be deferred.