PhD studentship opportunity with The National Archives

New PhD Studentship to Tackle ‘Strayed’ Records at The National Archives Using Crowdsourcing Innovation

University College London and The National Archives have announced a fully funded PhD opportunity beginning in October 2025, under the prestigious Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) scheme.

The studentship, titled “Document Detectives: A Crowdsourced Approach for Reuniting Strayed Documents at the UK National Archives”, aims to tackle the issue of ‘strayed’ records—materials separated from their original collections over time due to mishandling or oversight. With nearly 3,000 strays identified at TNA, the project will explore how public participation and expert crowdsourcing can help reunite these important historical records more efficiently.

Jointly supervised by Dr Pakhee Kumar and Dr Josep Grau-Bové (UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage), and Debbie French and Greg Cole (The National Archives), the project offers hands-on experience across both institutions. The four-year studentship includes tuition coverage (home and potentially international rates), a generous stipend with London weighting, and research expenses.

This interdisciplinary project welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds such as archival studies, digital humanities, information management, and heritage conservation. Candidates must submit a pre-application by 23 June 2025 to be considered.

Key information

Stipend

CDP doctoral training grants fund full-time studentships for 48 months (4 years), or part-time equivalent. 

The award pays tuition fees up to the value of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) full-time home rate for PhD degrees. 

The studentship may be able to cover international fees.

Please note UKRI regulations (point 2 fees) do allow for the difference between UK and Overseas to be covered  by the student /family or via any additional funding the candidate may have already secured. 

Applicants should be familiar with the changes to EU and International Eligibility for UKRI funded studentships.

The award also pays a stipend to cover living costs, which will be paid in regular instalments. Further details can be found on the UKRI website. 

The student will also be eligible to claim up to £4,000 worth of research-related expenses from The National Archives. 

This stipend will be a minimum of £20,780* per year, plus London Weighting of £2,000 per year. CDP students also receive an additional maintenance payment of £600 per year.

*Exact amounts still to be confirmed each year.

Duration

Four years starting from 1 October 2025.

Application deadline

Monday 23 June 2025, 23:59 BST.

Interviews: Mid to late July 2025. Date are to be confirmed, depending on applications.

More about the studentship

The student will be expected to spend time at both HEI and The National Archives. As part of their studentship, they have the opportunity to work alongside The National Archives colleagues in the document services department.

The student would also be required to take relevant training activities offered by University College London or The National Archives. 

There is also an opportunity for the student to work at The National Archives on a placement as part of their CDP, supporting the work of archive practitioners.

The student will become part of the wider group of CDP funded students across the UK, with access to events and training delivered in partnership with a range of cultural heritage institutions.

Despite existing preventative measures at TNA, thousands of records—including books, maps, and documents—become separated from their original collections. These records often become separated due to mishandling or oversight. While archivists manage and catalogue records, researchers bring expert knowledge of specific subjects, which can help identify and reunite these separated records.  The current reunification process is slow and resource-intensive, necessitating an innovative approach to prevent the backlog from growing. By engaging both archivists and archive users, the project seeks to develop a novel method to reunite strays in archival collections.

The objective is to develop a sustainable method using crowdsourcing to reunite the strays, minimising staff time and resources while keeping a good balance of accuracy and engagement with the public of the archive.

Research questions include: 

• How can crowdsourcing effectively assist in reuniting strayed archival records? 
• What other methodologies can enhance the efficiency and accuracy of this process? 
• How can a sustainable, scalable model be developed for long-term impact?

Person specification

Applicants should meet the Sustainable Heritage MPhil/PhD entry requirements, for which a diverse range of backgrounds and expertise (including, but not limited to, archaeology, heritage, statistics, engineering) are welcomed.

Applicants should ideally have or expect to receive a relevant master's level qualification or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience in a setting involving knowledge of and critical reflection on relevant topics, such as crowdsourcing, archives and records management, cultural heritage management. Suitable disciplines are flexible but might include digital humanities, archival studies, heritage management, and/or information and Knowledge Management.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate an interest in the archives sector and potential and enthusiasm for developing skills more widely in related areas.

Applicants must be willing to spend time working with the HEI and The National Archives, both in person and online.

All applicants must also meet the minimum language requirements of UCL.The English language level for this programme is: Level 2.

This studentship is open to both Home UK  and Overseas applicants. To be classed as a Home UK  student, candidates must meet the following criteria: 

• Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or 
• Have settled status, or Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements),
• Have indefinite leave to remain or enter

The studentship can be studied either full or part-time. 

Further guidance can be found on the UKRI website. 

All applicants must meet the UKRI terms and conditions for funding.

How to apply

Stage 1 - Eligibility 

We understand that you might use artificial intelligence (AI) and other resources to assist with your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice. 

To apply please submit a pre-application by email to bseer-phd-admin@ucl.ac.uk with subject reference: 'Document Detectives PhD application'.

Your pre-application should include only the following two documents:

• Your CV;
• A statement, up to 2,000 words, explaining your interest in this topic, what you bring to the project, and providing a proposal for how you would like to approach the questions it asks.

Any additional documents sent will not be taken into consideration during shortlisting.

Stage 2 - Interview process

Only shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview. 

The interview panel will consist of the project’s academic supervisors at UCL and representatives of the National Archives 

For the interview shortlisted candidates will be asked to:

• send proof of their university level  grade certificate(s) and transcript(s) of degree(s), and
•  evidence of their fees background.
• Provide contact details for two referees, who may be contacted around the time of interview
• The interview will include a short presentation from the candidate on their ideas of how to approach this PhD project. 

Following the interview, the successful candidate will be invited to make a formal application to the UCL Institute of Sustainable Resources

CDP students will have access to training and development opportunities throughout the course of their PhD, supported and facilitated by the CDP Consortium, UCL and The National Archives. CDP students would be expected to undertake a work placement or development opportunity for a period of 1 to 3 months (or part-time equivalent).

Reasonable adjustments and support for applicants 

Should you require any reasonable adjustments or support throughout the application process, please contact bseer-phd-admin@ucl.ac.uk  or research@nationalarchives.gov.uk 

Support or adjustments may include (but are not limited to): 

• Opportunity to speak with supervisors about the project and the process. 
• Opportunity to speak with contacts within UCL and/or The National Archives regarding institutional support systems (e.g. Neurodiversity, Racial Diversity and LGBTIAQ+ networks, mental health support, support for carers, and more). 
• Access to interview questions and insight into the interview process.
• Opportunity to speak with active CDP students to ask questions regarding student experience as part of the CDP scheme.

Equality, diversity and inclusion 

The National Archives is part of the Civil Service. The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and identities, and are especially keen to hear from candidates from underrepresented communities and different disciplinary backgrounds, language skills and familiarity with relevant historical and geopolitical contexts. University College London’s EDI policy can be found on the UCL website.