Midlands4Cities Fully Funded PhD Studentships

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in the Arts and Humanities

An exciting opportunity exists for five Midlands4Cities Postdoctoral Fellowships based in either the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media (ADM) or the School of Law (Faculty of Business, Law, and Social Sciences) at Birmingham City University for a fixed term of two years starting from April 2023. M4C Postdoctoral Fellowships offer outstanding early career researchers a context in which to strengthen their experience of research and teaching in an academic environment and participate in an interdisciplinary research community. 

The Fellowships are open to eligible Midlands3Cities and Midlands4Cities award holders who submitted their PhD (before viva voce) from 1 September 2020 onwards. Applicants have received notification of their PhD award by 1 December 2022.

The primary objective is on the completion of high-quality research outputs based on their PhD and the integration of the award holder into a community of established researchers within their field.

Convert their PhD Research Project into high quality research outputs.

  1. Develop an externally funded project application on which they would be a named researcher.
  2. Engage in mobility, networking, and impactful activities.
  3. Gain experience of research informed teaching and learning activities.
  4. Enhance the research community at Birmingham City University.
  5. Participate in a bespoke researcher development programme that results in the creation of a five-year career plan.

A Case for Support form, a CV and an online application though the BCU jobs portal are required by 23:59 GMT Thursday 16 March to be considered for an April 2023 start.

Please contact BCU Midlands4Cities for a copy of the Case for Support Form.

Find out more about the post.

AHRC Midlands4Cities PhD funding for UK and International Applicants

The AHRC-funded Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership (M4C) brings together eight leading universities across the Midlands, to support research students to become experts in their field and to employ their knowledge and skills in their career destinations.

M4C is a collaboration between the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, University of Warwick, Coventry University, University of Leicester, De Montfort University, Nottingham Trent University and The University of Nottingham.

AHRC funding is open to all UK and International students who meet the academic and residency eligibility criteria as detailed in the M4C application guidance.

Recruitment for 2023/24 will open on Monday 17 October 2022.

The deadline for AHRC funding applications is 11 January 2023 - 12pm (UTC+0). The application for a Midlands4Cities studentship is a two-part process: applying for a place to study and applying for funding. It is essential that you read the Midlands4Cities applicant guidance notes before starting your application.

For full details of eligibility, funding, research supervision areas and CDA projects, and for dates of our November application writing workshops, please visit the M4C website or contact enquiries@midlands4cities.ac.uk.

Applying to study at Birmingham City University for Midlands4Cities 

Please download the expression of interest form, complete it and send it to M4C@bcu.ac.uk. This will ensure that you receive all BCU-specific guidance for applying for M4C funding.

In order to ensure that there is sufficient time to develop a full application, the deadline for the submission of an expression of interest is 17 November 2022. If you miss this deadline and would still like to be considered, please contact M4C@bcu.ac.uk.

Download expression of interest form

International Applicants

International applicants comply with all international admissions requirements, including a valid Academic IELTS certificate with an overall score of 7.0 with no band below 6.5 or equivalent.  We encourage international applicants to visit the international pages of the BCU website for full information.

If you are unsure of your status, UKCISA provides information on tuition fees to help you assess your fee status, with guidance on whether you have UK or international student status.

Research degree programmes in the arts and humanities at BCU.

Top tips for writing your research proposal

Don't know where to start with your PhD application? Dr John Mercer, Professor of Gender and Sexuality at Birmingham School of Media, shares his advice.

John's top tips:

  • What’s your topic and what’s the problem?
  • Who cares and why does it matter?
  • Every word counts, so choose them carefully!

Read more