PhD funding is available for the British Library's collaborative doctoral partnership project with Queen Mary University of London on "Hans Sloane's Books: an early Enlightenment library and its material relationships".

Starting in September 2017, this AHRC-funded project will consider Hans Sloane's library within the British Library in relation to his wider collection of natural and artificial specimens. The doctorate will be co-supervised by the British Library (Dr Karen Limper-Herz) and Queen Mary University of London (Professor Claire Preston). As well as the standard academic doctoral training and supervision, the project offers extensive experience within the British Library, working with Sloane's books, as well as privileged access to the Library's curatorial and digital humanities expertise. The student will become part of the Library cohort of collaborative PhD students and benefit from generous research expenses funding, specialist training and occasional working space within the Library.

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, as will those with interests in library and information sciences.
The studentship begins in September 2017 and lasts for three years initially, at RCUK rates and subject to standard eligibility criteria for RCUK training grants. Additional Student Development Funding (equivalent to an additional 6 months of funding) will be available to allow time for further training and skills development opportunities that are agreed as part of the PhD programme.

A detailed overview of the research theme and full application guidelines are available on the Queen Mary website:

http://www.sed.qmul.ac.uk/newsevents/news/items/190379.html

The application deadline is Sunday 8 January 2017.