Deadline: July 23, 2021
Applications are open for the Association of Commonwelth Universities Routledge/Roundtable Commonwealth Studentships 2022. The PhD studentships provide support for research projects on Commonwealth related themes. Two studentships are available each year, one for UK-registered students and one for Commonwealth students in other countries.
Applications are welcomed from a broad range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, but preference may be given to disciplines usually covered by the Round Table journal, including (but not exclusively) politics, international relations, economics, international history, geography, law, development studies, and area studies.
The studentships are funded by The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and the journal’s publisher, Routledge, in association with the ACU.
Funding
- The studentships have a maximum value of GBP 5,500 each. Due to the pandemic, the studentship will not fund travel.
Eligibility
- The first studentship is open to registered PhD students from UK universities, although not necessarily UK citizens.
- The second is open to registered PhD students from ACU member universities in Commonwealth counties other than the UK, and to Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarship alumni who are PhD students at any Commonwealth university outside the UK.
Mentorship
As part of the studentship, applicants are required to identify and work with a mentor at an ACU member university in a country other than their own. This should be an expert in a subject linked to the applicant’s subject of research, who will be able to provide support and advice during the studentship. Before applying, applicants are encouraged to informally approach at least one potential mentor and, if their application is successful, will then be required to obtain a letter of support from their mentor to agree to the mentorship before their studentship is confirmed.
The role of the mentor
- The mentor will be expected to hold a minimum of two virtual meetings with the student during the period of the studentship. They will be expected to be in contact with the student by email to share their experiences in their relevant field, provide advice around publishing, events and trends in their field, and to challenge and empower the student to consider new ways of thinking.
- The mentor will also be expected to contribute to either the podcast or the article submitted by the student (see post-studentship requirements section below for more information) and will be paid an honorarium of GBP 500, payable at the end of the studentship. Mentors must read and abide by the mentor code of conduct guidelines.
Application
As part of the application, you should submit:
- A CV
- A studentship plan, outlining:
- The work you plan to carry out during the studentship, in non-technical language
- The likely impact of your studentship work, and how it will advance knowledge in your field and contribute to greater understanding of the Commonwealth
- The planned outcomes and outputs of the studentship
- Letters of support from referees, one academic (preferably your PhD/DPhil supervisor) and one personal
- An outline of the intended use of the funds
Applications should be submitted by 15:00 UTC on July 23 via the online application form.
For more information, visit Commonwealth Studentships.
