TWO FULLY FUNDED RESEARCH STUDENTSHIPS AT LONDON UNIVERSITY WITH POTENTIAL
LINKS TO THE BRITISH ISLES HISTORICAL GIS
The Department of Geography at Queen Mary & Westfield College, London
University, has two internally-funded research studentships available,
covering three years from September 1999, to undertake MPhil/PhD research
in any area of human and/or physical geography. The studentships cover
fees plus living expenses, at the same rates paid by the UK Economic and
Social Research Council.
While the studentships are not tied to any topic or research group, we will
give preference to applicants whose interests are complementary to those of
our research school, and this is therefore an opportunity to be funded to
do research WORKING WITH the established historical GIS research group
within the department, and or USING the very large historical GIS for
Britain, and linked statistical database, that we have developed. More
details of our work, and that resource, are available from our web site:
http://www.geog.qmw.ac.uk/hgis
The database contains a large assembly of data from:
---- The UK Censuses of Population, from 1801 to the present,
down to parish-level (we are working with the Office of National
Statistics to create an atlas marking the census bi-centenary
in 2001).
---- Mortality statistics, from the 1840s to the present, at
county and district levels (we have a sub-project funded
under the ESRC Health Variations Programme).
---- Unemployment, poor law statistics and similar from 1851 on,
annually, quarterly and even monthly.
---- Election results, from 1885 to the present.
---- We have links to researchers working with spatial data
from the pre-1800 period, as far back as the Domesday Book (1086).
Overall, the GIS and database document long-run geographical change in
Britain with a level of detail available for no other country in the world.
A wide range of analytical projects are possible, but we would be
particularly interested in projects concerned with VISUALISING change: the
historical GIS team would welcome applications, in particular, from people
with existing training in GIS (preferably at MA/MSc level) wishing to
develop a research career, and planning to use the historical GIS to
explore visualisation methodologies applicable to long-run geographical
processes, and their presentation to wide audiences -- including web-based
on-line viewing. Some work in this direction has already been undertaken
under a now-completed project on electronic historical atlases funded by
the Joint Information Systems Committee, and as well as the QMW team Daniel
Dorling (Bristol) has been closely involved in the development of the
historical GIS.
We would encourage all applicants for college studentships to apply also
for ESRC studentships. We would like to work closely with applicants in
completing such applications to the ESRC. The deadline for receipt of ESRC
applications is 1 May 1999.
Anyone with possible PhD projects linked to historical applications of GIS
should contact Dr. Humphrey Southall ([log in to unmask]; +44 (0) 171
975 5413). For further details of the studentships, and information about
the full range of the department's research interests, contact Professor
Roger Lee ([log in to unmask]; +44 (0) 171 975 5410).
The College deadline for receipt of applications is 25 June 1999. However,
interviews for QMW Studentships in Geography will be held earlier than that
in May or June 1999. Applications from outside the European Union are
welcome, but NB a higher level of fees applies, so to cover waiving these
we would be able to make only a contribution towards living expenses;
there may well be opportunities for further income from tutorial teaching.
NB ACTUAL APPLICATIONS MUST BE MADE BY POST, AND THE SELECTION PROCESS WILL
NORMALLY INVOLVE AN INTERVIEW. YOU MUST CONTACT US FOR MORE DETAILS OF HOW
TO APPLY -- SENDING US A CURRICULUM VITAE BY E-MAIL IS HELPFUL, BUT DOES
NOT CONSTITUTE AN APPLICATION.
========================================================
Dr. Humphrey Southall,
Reader in Geography,
Department of Geography,
Queen Mary and Westfield College,
UNIVERSITY OF LONDON,
Mile End Road,
London E1 4NS, ENGLAND
Direct Line: 0171-975-5413
Dept. Fax: 0181-981-6276
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