Applications are invited for a fully funded PhD studentship based in the Department of Geography, UCL for a studentship 'Domestic Material Cultures in Suburban Faith Communities funded by the AHRC

Start date: 1st  January 2015
Supervisors: Dr Claire Dwyer (UCL Geography), Professor David Gilbert (RHUL Geography)
Funding: Annual maintenance stipend of £15,863 for three years and payment of full fees.

This PhD studentship is funded by the AHRC for the project ‘Design, material culture and popular creativity in suburban faith communities’, a project led by Dr Claire Dwyer (UCL) and Professor David Gilbert (RHUL).  This project explores the aesthetics of faith in suburbia and the material cultures and practices of diverse suburban faith communities focused on eight communities located in West London. The project team will consist of Dr Dwyer (PI), Professor Gilbert, a post-doctoral research assistant and project administrator based at UCL, and two PhD students, one based at UCL and one based at RHUL.  The project also involves artistic and practice-based collaboration involving architect Ali Mangera; photographer Liz Hingley and artist Katie Beinart. The PhD students will be full members of the project team, participating in project meetings, sharing research findings and collaborating in a range of outputs from the project including papers and public engagement activities such as exhibitions. 
This PhD, based in the department of Geography, under the supervision of Dr Claire Dwyer, with Professor David Gilbert acting as a second supervisor, will explore the domestic material cultures of suburban faith. While there is scope for the student to develop their own ideas and approach the project will build on the wider research and networks of the ‘Design, material culture and popular creativity in suburban faith communities’  project in West London. In particular we expect that the candidate will be involved in exploring the everyday and domestic material cultures of faith in suburbia through a range of documentary and participatory approaches which will include innovative visual methods in collaboration with the artistic projects. The specific questions which this PHD project will address include:  What are the material cultures, practices and performances of faith in suburbia? How are these realised in congregational, public and domestic spaces?

For more details of the position see: http://www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/admissions/phd-research/files/funded-phd-studentship-domestic-material-cultures-in-suburban-faith-communities

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Applications should be sent to Fiona Mannion, Post-graduate Admissions Assistant at UCL via email: [log in to unmask]

Applications should include a covering letter, a curriculum vitae, and the contact details of referees
•	• a curriculum vitae which should include
	education history (institution name, start and end dates of courses, qualification gained), 
	details of membership of any professional organisations or learned societies, 
	details of current or most recent employer (name and address of current organisation, job title, salary and duties), 
	details of previous employment 
	research interests or experience

	details of any awards, grants or publications 

•	a cover letter with a statement explaining your motivations for  applying for this PhD position and how your previous experience and academic background relates to the studentship
•	contact details of 2 referees

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 31st October and interviews will take place in mid November.

Eligibility 
Applicants must have a first degree in an appropriate subject (minimum 2.1) plus a Master’s degree or other professional experience and/or qualifications relevant to the project. Applicants must fulfil the AHRC’s residency criteria. Home students and those EU students who satisfy home residency criteria are eligible for a full Research Council studentship, comprising fees and an annual maintenance stipend (which will be £15,863 in 2014/15). Other EU students are eligible for a fees-only award. The successful candidate will be required to apply for admission to UCL through the online graduate admissions portal to secure the position. 

For further enquiries please contact either Fiona Mannion via email [log in to unmask] or by phone :020 7679 7579 (ex 27579) 
or Claire Dwyer via email at [log in to unmask] or phone: 0207 679 5526.
For information about the second PhD studentship Music and popular creativity in suburban faith communities please see https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/geography/news/newsarticles/fundedphdopportunitywithprofgilbert.aspx.