History: AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Studentship (Fully Funded) in History with The National Archives (RS948)

Funding Providers: Arts and Humanities Research Council

Subject Area: History

Project Start Dates: 

• October 2026*

* (Please see the note below regarding potential later start dates.)

*In exceptional circumstances, and subject to the discretion of the University and/or the relevant funding body, a deferral of offer may be granted to the next available enrolment period. Such deferral will typically not exceed a duration of three calendar months from the originally stipulated commencement date. Please note that only one deferral may be considered, and any such deferral is not guaranteed.

Supervisors:

• Professor Tomás Irish (Swansea)
• Dr Leah Owen (Swansea)
• Dr William Butler (The National Archives)
• Dr Samuel Amos (The National Archives)

Aligned programme of study: PhD in History

Mode of study: Full time or Part time

Place of study:  Swansea University (Singleton Campus)

Project description:

Rethinking Reparations: A Cultural and Social History of Post-First World War Compensation to Civilians in Britain and its Empire, 1918-25

Swansea University and The National Archives are pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded Collaborative doctoral studentship from October 2026, under the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Collaborative Doctoral Partnership scheme.

This studentship explores the reparations claims made by civilians in Britain and its empire following the First World War (1914-18). The project will explore post-First World War reparations - which are perhaps the most famous instance of reparations in modern history - in a new and original way. Rather than the traditional emphasis on finance, the project analyses reparations through the experience of individuals: its central focus will be on the claims made by civilians for personal compensation for property that was damaged, destroyed or taken in the course of the war. This source material will be used to explore the processes through which societies exited the violence and disruption of modern warfare in different contexts.

The sources at the heart of this project are claims made by civilians to post-war reparations agencies, the Foreign Office, and the Colonial Office, all of which are housed at The National Archives. This rich source material will allow the candidate to explore claims for damage done to property in Britain primarily as a result of enemy bombing, to property owned by British civilians living in Europe, and for damage/theft of property in imperial and colonial settings (primarily Africa and the Middle East). The project will use this extensive archival record to explore the following key research questions. It will question what contemporaries understood the term ‘reparations’ to mean in different contexts. It will analyse how claims for civilian compensation were made and processed in different settings. It will also question what personal narratives in compensation claims reveal about civilian wartime experience and the memory of the conflict and the ways in which societies exited total war.

This studentship presents a unique opportunity to develop the expertise, experience, and skills required for future engagement within both the academia and the Heritage Sector. The student will be expected to shape the project in accordance with their own interests and expertise and develop public engagement outputs related to the project, with an opportunity to work with relevant departments at TNA to enhance future employability. It will be jointly supervised by Tomás Irish (Swansea University) and William Butler (The National Archives). The student will be expected to spend time at both Swansea University and The National Archives. The studentship can be studied either full- or part-time the student will become part of the wider group of CDP-funded students across the UK, with access to events and training delivered in partnership with a range of cultural heritage institutions.

Note for international and European applicants:

Details of how your qualification compares to the published academic entry requirements can be found on our Country Specific Entry Requirements page.

If you have any questions regarding your academic or fee eligibility based on the above, please email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with the web-link to the scholarship(s) you are interested in.

PhD: Applicants for PhD must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level and a master’s degree with a minimum overall grade at ‘Merit’. Alternatively, applicants with a UK first class honours degree (or non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) not holding a master’s degree, will be considered on an individual basis.

English Language
IELTS 6.5 Overall (with no individual component below 6.5) or Swansea University recognised equivalent. Full details of our English Language policy, including certificate time validity, can be found here.

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £21,805 for October 2026).

This studentship also receives an enhanced stipend of £600 per annum. 

Additional research expenses of up to £750 per year will also be available.

To apply, please complete the entire application form here:

History PhD, Full Time, October 2026

History PhD, Part Time, October 2026

To be considered for this scholarship award the following steps are also required.

1) In section ‘Programme Related Information’ please input the relevant RS Code for the scholarship award i.e. RS948

2) In section ‘Research’ you will see ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’* (Mandatory)

• In ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’ please input:

• the RS Code, RS948
• the scholarship title

• Please leave Proposed Supervisor field blank
• Please leave Research Project (if applicable) blank
• In ‘Do you have a proposal to upload? *’(Mandatory) Please select Yes
• Then upload copy of advert (you can save the advert by clicking print, and then print to pdf)

3) In section ‘Funding information’ please choose the option ‘Scholarship Funding’ only. Please ensure no other options are selected.

*It is the responsibility of the applicant to list the above information accurately when applying, please note that applications received without the above information listed will not be considered for the scholarship award.

If you’ve previously applied for this programme, the system will display an “Application Submitted” warning and block a new submission. In this case:

1.            Apply for the same course with the next available start date (e.g., select January if October is unavailable).

2.            Email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with your student number and the relevant scholarship RS code, requesting the start date be amended to match the advert.

3.            Admissions staff will then update your application accordingly.

Important: If you have previously applied for the same programme & intake, do not re‑apply using a different email address. Applications submitted with an email address that differs from the one used in your original application will not be accepted or considered.

One application is required per individual Swansea University led research scholarship award; applications cannot be considered listing multiple Swansea University led research scholarship awards.

NOTE: Applicants for PhD/EngD/ProfD/EdD - to support our commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination and celebrating diversity at Swansea University you are required to complete an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring Form in addition to your programme application form.   

Please note that completion of the EDI Monitoring Form is mandatory; your application may not progress if this information is not submitted.

As part of your online application, you MUST upload the following documents (please do not send these via email):

•           CV

•           Degree certificates and transcripts (if you are currently studying for a degree, screenshots of your grades to date are sufficient)

•           A cover letter including a ‘Supplementary Personal Statement’ to explain why the position particularly matches your skills and experience and how you choose to develop the project.

•           One reference (academic or previous employer) on headed paper or using the Swansea University reference form. Please note that we are not able to accept references received citing private email accounts, e.g. Hotmail. Referees should cite their employment email address for verification of reference.

•           Evidence of meeting English Language requirement (if applicable).

•           Copy of UK resident visa (if applicable)

•           Confirmation of EDI form submission

Informal enquiries are welcome; please contact:

NAME: Tomás Irish

EMAIL: t.d.irish@swansea.ac.uk

*External Partner Application Data Sharing – Please note that as part of the scholarship application selection process, application data sharing may occur with external partners outside of the University, when joint/co- funding of a scholarship project is applicable.