AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards – 3 Collaborative Doctoral Awards (PhD) University of Westminster in United Kingdom

[Home fee tuition waiver; 3.5 year tax-free stipend at UKRI minimum rate plus London weighting (£22,780 per annum for 2025/26); CDA projects are 4 years; international students pay the difference between Home and International fees; access to professional development, placements, additional funding, and the London and East of England Hub.]

The University of Westminster is offering three Collaborative Doctoral Awards (CDAs) as part of the prestigious AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award, a new initiative from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) designed to expand doctoral research capacity and foster an inclusive research culture in the UK. These awards are open for 2026 entry and provide a unique opportunity for PhD candidates to engage in innovative, interdisciplinary research projects in partnership with leading cultural organisations and archives.

Each CDA is distinct in its focus:

• CDA 1: Mapping Creative R&D in Art–Technology Ecosystems – This project, in collaboration with the Serpentine, explores the challenges of evaluating and measuring creative Research & Development within cultural organisations. The successful candidate will work closely with the Serpentine’s R&D Strategic Lead to develop new methodologies for research, data gathering, and evaluation, aiming to better understand how knowledge, value, and relationships are produced across creative ecosystems.
• CDA 2: The Development of a Gayborhood in post-war London: Mapping Soho and its archives – This project addresses gaps in the literature on gayborhoods by mapping the history of queer businesses in Soho. Using materials from Westminster City Archives and other sources, the research will document the establishment, growth, and survival of LGBTQ+ businesses, providing the first detailed analysis of their history and contributing to our understanding of urban social development.
• CDA 3: Collaborative Research as Pedagogical Method: Reinterpreting Photographic Collections at the RGS-IBG – Partnering with the Royal Geographical Society (RGS-IBG), this project focuses on the largely overlooked photographic work of Elizabeth Wilhelmina Ness (1881-1962) FRGS. The aim is to develop innovative pedagogical approaches to colonial-era photography, embedding principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion, and enhancing the educational mission of cultural and higher education institutions.

The Landscape Award includes a Home fee tuition waiver (with international students responsible for the difference between Home and International fees), a 3.5-year tax-free stipend at the UKRI minimum rate plus London weighting (£22,780 per annum for 2025/26; CDA projects are 4 years), and access to professional development opportunities, placements, additional funding, and the London and East of England Hub.

Applicants should submit their applications via the University of Westminster’s online system, clearly stating the name of the CDA they wish to apply for. Project teams will review and shortlist applications for interview. The application deadline is 30 April 2026. For further details and to access the application portal, visit the official studentship page.

This is an excellent opportunity for prospective PhD students interested in arts, humanities, creative research, social history, media studies, and educational innovation. The projects offer the chance to work with renowned partners, access unique archival materials, and contribute to groundbreaking research in vibrant, supportive environments.