The Open University, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge have been awarded funding by the Arts and Humanities Research Council to create a new training partnership for up to 400 doctoral students over five years.
The Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership is a consortium of the three universities, underpinned by world-class research and training environments and supported by partnerships with the BBC World Service, the National Trust and British Telecom.
An exciting prospect for doctoral students
Bringing together these institutions will deliver an exciting prospect, offering the best of face-to-face, distance and online doctoral training.
Professor Kevin Hetherington (pictured), Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Academic Strategy), The Open University, said:
“The Open University is delighted that the AHRC has chosen to recognise the commitment to innovation and diversity inherent in the Open-Oxford-Cambridge DTP, and looks forward to participating fully in the delivery of an exciting training programme for our PhD students.”
Professor David Rechter, the incoming Director of the Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP, said: “I am pleased by the success of our bid, and look forward to recruiting our first cohort of students next year. Supported by our partners the National Trust, the BBC World Service and British Telecom, the Open-Oxford-Cambridge DTP will offer students a wealth of opportunities to pursue research and engage in training, and to learn from each other as part of a large multi-disciplinary group. These opportunities will equip our DTP students with the research expertise and skills that will allow them to go on to wide range of careers in academia and beyond.”
Securing the future of UK arts and humanities
Professor Edward Harcourt, the AHRC’s Director of Research, Strategy and Innovation, said: “The AHRC is delighted to announce its renewed commitment to the Doctoral Training Partnerships model. Our support for the next generation of arts and humanities researchers is critical to securing the future of the UK arts and humanities sector, which accounts for nearly a third of all UK academic staff, is renowned the world over for its outstanding quality, and which plays a vital part in our higher education ecosystem as a whole.”
Partners welcome new consortium
Jamie Angus, Director, BBC World Service Group, said: “We look forward to working with world-class doctoral students in the Humanities drawing on their research skills and subject expertise, as well as making the most of the huge range of languages studied at Oxford, Cambridge and the OU. Working together we will play our part so that the Consortium can provide DTP-funded students with skills and experience they need to communicate their ideas beyond academia so that they may be better able to reach a wider audience.”
Nino Strachey, Head of Research and Specialist Advice at the National Trust, said: “With a long history of hosting and co-supervising PhDs, we look forward to offering opportunities for students to gain experience of the heritage sector and to work with Europe’s largest conservation charity.”
Information on how to apply for scholarships via the Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership for entry in 2019/20 will be available from www.oocdtp.ac.uk from 1 September 2018.
