Scholarships & funding

USYD UofG Joint PhD Scholarship: Living with Print in the Eighteenth Century

Information on the School/Research Groups:

The University of Sydney's School of Art Communication and English explores how people perceive the world and express themselves through various literary, verbal, visual, digital, and performative modes. This project is located in the discipline of English and Writing, which hosts a significant concentration of research expertise in eighteenth and nineteenth century literary studies. The student will join a large and vibrant cohort of doctoral researchers characterised by collaboration, intellectual exchange, and strong peer networks.

The University of Glasgow's School of Critical Studies reflects a core commitment to criticism, textual interpretation and the analysis of language, over diverse but inter-related subject areas.  This project will be based in the English Literature subject area and the student will work with the Eighteenth-Century and Romantic Studies research cluster, which comprises a significant concentration of world-leading scholars. The cluster includes a strong cohort of doctoral researchers, supported by the University’s world-class Archives and Special Collections holdings in eighteenth-century and Romantic-period material.

 

Abstract:

We invite applications from qualified candidates who wish to complete a fully-funded doctorate examining the diverse ways in which eighteenth-century readers lived actively with print. The project will focus on underutilised archival materials—including manuscript commonplace books, annotated copies, collections of anecdotes, scrapbooks, and albums—to explore how reading practices extended beyond passive consumption to encompass a wide range of dynamic engagements with texts and with the material forms of books. By tracing practices of annotation, excerpting, compilation, and reuse, this PhD will provide opportunities to shed new light on how eighteenth-century readers actively participated in knowledge circulation and the production of literary meaning.

Bringing new materials into the centre of analysis will allow the project to develop a rich account of reading as a creative and materially embedded practice, contributing to broader debates in eighteenth-century studies, book history, and the history of reading about the entangled relationships between manuscript, print, and lived experience. The student will be guided by two experienced supervisors, Nicola Parsons (Sydney) and Matthew Sangster (Glasgow), but will have considerable scope for shaping the project based on their interests.

The project takes full advantage of the Sydney–Glasgow joint PhD structure to bring together unique archival holdings and specialised scholarly expertise. The successful applicant will spend the first year undertaking a literature review and initial archival work in Sydney, followed by a substantial period of research in Glasgow engaging with extensive eighteenth-century collections held across Scotland and the UK, before returning to Sydney for a final year of intensive writing and synthesis. This structure supports a research approach that reconnects geographically dispersed but methodologically connected materials, allowing for an analytical breadth that would not be possible within a single institutional or national context. The student's studies will also incorporate extensive opportunities for professional development, including bespoke training in rare book and manuscript studies; public-facing writing; and collaborations with cultural heritage professionals on physical and digital exhibitions.

Eligibility

-Offer holder for PhD in English Literature at UofG / Doctor of Philosophy (Arts and Social Sciences) at USYD: Applicants must be able to commit to enrolling/registering on PhD programmes at both institutions simultaneously and spend time physically based at each institution during the PhD

- Applicants will have a First Class Honours degree, or Masters by Research with outstanding results (at least 80%) [or overseas equivalent]

- Applicants who will be expected to enrol in a Doctor of Philosophy (Arts and Social Sciences) at USYD must also have completed a 20,000 word (approximate) honours or Master’s thesis

- Applicants will have a demonstratable interest in the topic area under investigation

- Applicants must be able to study on a full-time basis only

 

Selection process

Applications will be assessed by the project team. You may be requested to attend an interview.

Shortlisted applicants will be asked to provide a writing sample consisting of one or more pieces of academic writing totalling between 5,000 to 8,000 words prior to interview.

All scholarship awards are subject to the successful candidate securing admission to PhD programmes within the UofG (PhD in English Literature) and USYD (PhD (Arts and Social Sciences). The successful candidate will be invited to apply for admission to the relevant PhD programme.

Number of Scholarships

1

Value

The funding is available as a +3 (3 year) scholarship only. The programme will commence in January 2027. The full funding package includes:

• An annual stipend valued at 42,754 p.a. (2026 rate) via a UPA for domestic students or USYDIS for international students
• Tuition fees covered by RTP fee offset for domestic students or covered by University of Sydney Tuition fee scholarship for international students
• A one-off Sydney Global Mobility Joint PhD Travel Scholarship ($5000 AUD)

How to apply

Applicants must apply via the Scholarships Application Portal, uploading the following documentation:

• Microsoft Word application form: USYD application form
• Academic transcripts (all relevant Undergraduate and Master’s level degree transcripts (and translations, if not originally in English) – provisional transcripts are sufficient if you are yet to complete your degree)
• Contact details for two referees (where possible your referees cannot be a member of the Funded Project Team (i.e., supervisory team). Both referees can be academics but you may include a work referee, especially if you have been out of academia for more than 5 years). Please note, a CoAH PGR Funding Reference template will be sent to your referees for completion.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) (academic where applicable)

Applications close on 21st April 2026