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Could you be a Fellow at UCL Research Institute for Collections? We are offering a new Fellowship intended to focus on the legacies of eugenics at UCL.
As a Fellow, you will help us gain perspectives on our collections by examining the legacies of eugenics at UCL and beyond.
About the Prejudice in Power Project
In 2018, UCL commissioned an inquiry to look at their historical role in the eugenics movement and the benefit from any financial instruments linked to the study of eugenics, and to make recommendations for the current teaching and study of the history of eugenics. The Inquiry's report and its recommendations were published on 28 February 2020 and accepted in principle by the university. On 7 January 2021, UCL issued a formal public apology for its history and legacy of eugenics, as part of a range of actions to acknowledge and address its historical links with the eugenics movement.
The Fellowship is part of a three-year participation programme that will respond to UCL’s historical role in promoting eugenics and examine the legacies of this pseudo-science in a contemporary context. This will also include a creative and dialogic programme of events, displays and exhibitions, the establishing of an online hub and a new public art commission.
About the Research Institute for Collections
The UCL Research Institute for Collections was founded in 2021 to foster research synergies centred on the library, museum, gallery and departmental collections held in UCL by bringing together curatorial and academic expertise.
About the Fellowship
By using our collections to examine the legacies of eugenics at UCL and beyond, the Fellowship will build on current work that addresses this at UCL. We encourage research that will engage with communities of interest and/or people with lived experience relating to the history of eugenics. The Fellowship should have the potential to increase knowledge of, and access to, new perspectives and marginalised voices in the collections.
The application criteria opens the Fellowship up to a wide group of applicants.
The Fellow will receive:
· A grant of £7,000.
· Workspace on the UCL Bloomsbury campus.
· Mediated access to the collections.
· Access to staff with specialist knowledge of the collection(s) in question when available.
The Fellow will be required to provide, as a minimum:
· An article of at least 500 words aimed at a general audience for appropriate UCL blogs and/or websites.
· An output of their choice in any format. This can include academic as well as creative outputs including, but not limited to, a community project or a piece of art or music.
· A public output during the Fellowship, such as an event, a pop-up display or a podcast
· Acknowledgement of the grant in any resulting publications or events.
The suggested timescale of the project is around ten weeks though there is flexibility.
Criteria/eligibility
The Fellowships are open to applicants of any nationality or career stage; from registered doctoral candidates to senior scholars, artists, collection professionals and independent researchers. Groups and communities of interest will also be considered.
Fellows need to ensure that they are eligible to work in the UK before making arrangements. Please use the government website to check what documentation you need.
The Selection Committee will consider applications according to the following criteria:
· Suitability of selected materials in UCL Museums or Special Collections and availability of display and performance spaces at UCL (where relevant)
· How the project engages communities of interest and/or people with lived experience relating to the history of eugenics in a meaningful way
· The potential to increase knowledge of, and access to, new perspectives and marginalised voices in the collections.
How to apply and deadlines
Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact UCL before submitting an application, to discuss the level of access to the collections, spaces and staff and any additional funding that their proposed research project would require. Emails should be sent to Rebekah Seymour, RIC Support Officer (rebekah.seymour@ucl.ac.uk).
The deadline for applications is 5 February 2024. Applicants should send the following documents to Rebekah Seymour, RIC Support Officer (rebekah.seymour@ucl.ac.uk)
- Completed
- Project proposal (1,000 words maximum OR a 5-minute video), detailing your project objectives, your approach, the ethical considerations, and a suggested timeline.
- CV
Applications will be shortlisted by a panel composed of UCL collection and content managers. The final selection panel will comprise senior academics and service managers.
An invitation to take up the fellowship will be subject to agreement on the dates of the visit. Notification of the award will be made by mid March 2024.
Special Collections and Museums
UCL holds wide-ranging and diverse collections that include museum objects, artworks, archives, rare books and manuscripts. For more details, please visit the Research Institute for Collections collections page. Only collections listed on this webpage are in scope.