AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership – Hans Sloane’s Books: an early Enlightenment library and its material relationships

Queen Mary University of London and the British Library intend to make a PhD studentship appointment under the AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership scheme (CDP) from autumn 2016. The application deadline is July 6th 2016.

The project will investigate the intellectual significance of the library of Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753) to the gathering and dissemination of medical and scientific knowledge in the Enlightenment period. It will focus on Sloane’s library (now housed within the British Library) in relation to his wider collection of natural and artificial specimens, now divided between the Natural History and British Museums.

The research will be co-supervised by the British Library and Queen Mary. The project offers privileged access to Sloane’s books at shelf as well as extensive curatorial support in their study and interpretation, in addition to the standard academic doctoral training and supervision.

The project is open to either full-time or part-time students. Studentships are awarded for 3 years (or part-time equivalent) initially, at RCUK rates and subject to standard eligibility criteria for RCUK training grants. Additional Student Development Funding is available to allow time for further training and skills development opportunities that are agreed as part of the PhD programme. If required, this may be used to extend the studentship by up to six months (or part-time equivalent).

The British Library also offers the student generous research expenses funding, specialist training and access to work-space within its curatorial offices.

Candidates with interests in bibliography, book history, the material book, the history of science and medicine, early-modern scientific literary writing, exchange networks, and the history of collections will be especially welcome. Once recruited, the successful PhD candidate will contribute to the development of the final agreed research topic.

Potential candidates are welcome to contact Professor Claire Preston (Queen Mary – c.prestonqmul.ac.uk) and Dr Karen Limper-Herz (the British Library – Karen.limper-herzbl.uk) for further details.