The archives and records of UK charities, voluntary organisations, campaigning bodies and NGOs are at risk. Such records are sources of institutional identity and accountability, can give access to personal and collective memories and preserve the histories of marginalised individuals and communities whose voices might otherwise go unheard.
To address this important research gap, I am delighted to announced that we are looking to recruit a candidate for a fully funded collaborative doctoral studentship from October 2021. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) under its Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Scheme, the project will explore archives and records management practices across the UK voluntary sector. We are looking for candidates with an interest in the voluntary/charity sector and archives/history. They will have knowledge and experience gained through professional or volunteering roles in charities/NGOs, archives, heritage bodies, museums or elsewhere. The student will be based at UCL and work in collaboration with The National Archives.
The project builds on groundwork laid since 2014 by this British Academy Research Project (ARP) and TNA’s sector development team. The PhD will be jointly supervised by Dr Georgina Brewis and Professor Elizabeth Shepherd at UCL and Kathryn Preston and Tina Morton at TNA. Supported by extensive training and professional development opportunities, the student will be expected to spend time at both UCL and TNA. The studentship covers tuition fees, maintenance grant and research expenses for 45 months (3.75 years). Full details on the studentship and how to apply are available here.
Today, the voluntary sector faces the perfect storm: a major loss of income during the COVID-19 pandemic combined with unprecedented calls on organisations’ services. This is a timely and urgent project that will produce a practical action plan to address identified challenges, propose improvements to support infrastructure and contribute to TNA’s strategic vision for the archives sector.
