Queen Mary University of London awarded AHRC funding to support PhD research in arts and humanities

Queen Mary University of London is one of 50 universities across the UK to receive this funding, which has been allocated based on a formula set by the AHRC. The award will support 25 full-time PhD students over five years (five per year), including two match-funded studentships annually, supported by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Students will begin their studies in October 2026.

Dr Joanna Cohen, Reader in American History at Queen Mary University of London, said:

“We are delighted to be one of the new members of the Doctoral Landscape Award scheme. This award offers Queen Mary an exciting opportunity to train a new cohort of Arts and Humanities scholars in this country. These awards will support those who are the future of these disciplines and we look forward to opening our doors wide to ensure that we have the best range of talented doctoral candidates to train and support in the coming years.”

AHRC Executive Chair, Professor Christopher Smith, said:

“The AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards provide flexible funding to allow universities to build on existing excellence in research and opportunities for innovation across the arts and humanities.

“They will support the development of talented people and, alongside our other doctoral schemes, contribute to a vibrant, diverse and internationally attractive research and innovation system.”

As part of the award, Queen Mary University of London will join the AHRC-supported London Hub, alongside Birkbeck College, King's College London, the Royal College of Art, SOAS, the University of Westminster, UCL, and the University of the Arts. This collaboration will strengthen relationships between these institutions, supporting a thriving doctoral research community in the arts and humanities.