The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in collaboration with King’s College London (KCL) is inviting applications for a fully funded AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) studentship beginning in October 2025.
This unique opportunity allows one lucky doctoral researcher to immerse themselves in the world of museum collections, user engagement, and institutional identity, with a special focus on the V&A East Storehouse—a pioneering £50M+ museum space opening in May 2025 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
If you’ve ever dreamed of combining scholarly research with real-world impact in the museum and heritage sector—this is it.
Funding Package
This is a fully funded studentship awarded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) under its prestigious CDP scheme and the package includes:
- Annual Stipend: £20,780 (tax-free)
- Full Tuition Fees: Covered for both home and international students
- Research Training & Support Grant: £1,250 for project-related travel and expenses over 4 years
- Additional CDP Maintenance Payment: £600 per year
KCL will cover the tuition fee difference for international applicants, ensuring truly equitable access to all qualified candidates.
Research Area and Project Focus
Main Project Title: Exploring the impact of dynamic approaches to stored collections on museum identity, user engagement and collections management.
You’ll critically examine the evolution of museum collection storage and explore what a transparent, dynamic access model for stored collections means for museums like the V&A. Research themes include:
- Institutional identity & transparency in storage practices
- Community engagement with stored collections
- Reimagining traditional collections management
- Museum ethics, values, and public access
- Impacts on museum staff, diverse audiences, and user experience
The research will combine qualitative case studies and fieldwork at the new V&A East Storehouse, and possibly other museum storage sites in the UK or overseas. You will be jointly supervised by scholars from KCL and senior professionals from the V&A and the University of Stirling, becoming part of a vibrant, national CDP research community.
Eligibility Criteria
- Open to Home and International applicants
- Must hold a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline, such as:
- Museum, Heritage or Art Gallery Studies
- Heritage Management
- Arts Management
- Anthropology
OR
Demonstrate equivalent professional experience involving research, critical thinking, and contributions to public or policy discussions.
- Must have a Bachelor’s degree
- Show a strong interest in museums, heritage, and user-focused research
- Willing to spend time at both KCL (Strand Campus) and V&A East Storehouse
- Committed to collaborative, interdisciplinary research.
Application Timeline
Here are the key dates you don’t want to miss:
- Online Q&A Session: 15th April 2025, 13:30–14:30 (UK Time)
- Application Deadline: 20th May 2025 (by 11:59 AM UK Time)
- Reference Deadline: 27th May 2025.
- Online Interviews: 2nd July 2025.
Application Portal: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study-legacy/funding/ahrc-collaborative-doctoral-partnership-cdp-studentship-va-east-storehouse.
