Major Investment in Arts and Humanities Postgraduate
Research at Newcastle University, Durham University and
Queen’s University Belfast
Newcastle University, Durham University and Queen’s University Belfast are to receive a total of £11.2 million
from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to establish the Northern Bridge Doctoral Training
Partnership to develop the next generation of researchers in the Arts and Humanities.
The AHRC has this week announced that the proposal by Newcastle, Durham and Queen’s University Belfast to
create a collaborative Doctoral Training Partnership for postgraduate research students in the Arts and Humanities
has been successful following a rigorous peer review process. The new Northern Bridge Doctoral Training
Partnership will bring together the research strengths of the three universities, offering postgraduate students a
wealth of opportunities to work with research leaders across a wide range of Arts and Humanities subjects and
partner organizations, and to benefit from training and resources of the highest quality. The AHRC panel highlighted
evidence of the three universities’ research base and partnerships outside higher education as particular strengths of
their proposal along with a clear, shared vision. They also noted the Northern Bridge Doctoral Training Partnership’s
(NBDTP) commitment to investing in additional studentships and new, state-of-the-art facilities for the Arts and
Humanities.
The AHRC has awarded 157 fully-funded studentships across the Arts and Humanities to the NBDTP over the next
five years. This represents over six per cent of the total number of AHRC studentships awarded nationally for this
period and equates to a total investment by the AHRC in the NBDTP of approximately £11.2m.
Commenting on the announcement, Professor Charles Harvey, Pro-Vice Chancellor for the Faculty of Humanities and
Social Sciences at Newcastle University, said:
“The AHRC’s decision to support our bid to establish a joint Doctoral Training Partnership shows the strength
of our universities and our ambitions for the future. Our institutions are already leading centres for research
and teaching in the Arts and Humanities and our collaboration will allow our strengths to complement each
other through joint supervision.
In the current economic climate we are delighted that the AHRC has chosen to continue to support the Arts
and Humanities at Newcastle, Durham and Queen’s University Belfast and help us to continue our
investment in our students, staff and facilities.”
Professor Seth Kunin, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Arts and Humanities) at Durham University commented:
“The AHRC’s decision is excellent news not just for our universities, but also for the wider region. Students
from the NBDTP will be working closely with public, private and charitable organisations and the wider
community across our regions.”
Professor Robin Coningham, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Social Sciences and Health) at Durham University added:
“We are pleased that the quality of our joint bid has been rewarded. The new NBDTP will offer postgraduate
students the very best advanced and specialist research training and support in state-of-the-art facilities.”
Professor Shane O’Neill, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast,
added:
"Our universities are now looking forward to recruiting the next generation of high-calibre Arts and
Humanities students and training them to become leading academics and researchers in their fields. Full
details about the exciting opportunities that will be available through this new Doctoral Training Partnership
will be advertised shortly.
I would strongly encourage anyone interested in undertaking postgraduate study in the Arts and Humanities
to see what the new NBDTP will be able to offer them.”
The NBDTP project team would like to thank all the people in our respective universities and partner organizations
who helped to put together the proposal. The NBDTP team leading the project are:
Newcastle University
Professor Neill Marshall, Dean of Postgraduate Studies
Dr Michael Rossington, Senior Lecturer in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics
Professor Eric Cross, Dean of Cultural Affairs
Ms Ann Williamson-Forster, DTP Administrator
Ms Susan Mitchell, Research Development Funding Manager
Durham University
Professor Jonathan Long, Deputy Head of Faculty (PG), Arts and Humanities
Professor Danny Donoghue, Deputy Head of Faculty (PG), Social Sciences and Health
Mr Chris Harrop, Faculty Business Manager, Faculty of Social Science and Health
Queen’s University Belfast
Professor John Thompson, Director of the Institute for Collaborative Research in the Humanities
Professor Janice Carruthers, Head of the School of Modern Languages
Professor Peter Gray, Head of the School of History and Anthropology
Notes to Editors
The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funds world-class, independent researchers in a wide range of
subjects: ancient history, modern dance, archaeology, digital content, philosophy, English literature, design, the
creative and performing arts, and much more. Over the next five years the AHRC will be providing £164m* of
funding to these subjects which equates to 495 studentships per year. It will support 11 large Doctoral Training
Partnerships and 7 specialist Centres for Doctoral Training. The awards include 75 Higher Education Institutions
(HEIs) which will be working in collaboration with 155 partner organisations including museums, galleries, cultural
organisations and businesses. Postgraduate funding will account for one third of AHRC’s current budget in line with
commitments made in the Delivery Plan and Strategy (2013-18). An additional £63m in matched funding has been
committed from successful HEIs.
The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural
benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK. The new funding arrangement provides greater
flexibility for HEIs, creating rich training environments both within and across disciplines. This will include an
allocation of resources for placement opportunities and additional skills training. The awards will also provide for
cohort development activities to support joint supervision of students, sharing of resources from across the
consortia, further activities such as student events, conferences and the fostering of peer support networks.
For further detail on AHRC doctoral funding see www.ahrc.ac.uk or @ahrcpress on Twitter (the Research Council
recommend using the hashtag #ahrcpg in any tweets). Additional information about AHRC funding is also available
from Danielle Moore-Chick at AHRC: 01793 41 6021 d.moore-chick@ahrc.ac.uk.
*Note the funding allocations referred to above are only committed for the AHRC’s current spending review
settlement, which runs to March 2015. All AHRC postgraduate funding from April 2015 is subject to the outcome of
future Spending Reviews. The AHRC will confirm funding when it has received its settlement from the spending
review process.