ACU Routledge PhD Studentship 2020/2021 for Commonwealth Countries

Routledge, the publisher of The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs, established an annual award to sponsor students undertaking PhD in Understanding and Securing Human Rights.

ACU Routledge PhD Studentship

The PhD studentships provide support for research projects on Commonwealth related themes. The studentships are funded by The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and the journal’s publisher, Routledge, in association with the ACU.

Two studentships are available each year, to the maximum value of GBP 5500 each. The first is open to registered PhD students from UK universities, although not necessarily UK citizens.

The second is open to registered PhD students from ACU member universities anywhere in the Commonwealth, and to Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarship alumni who are PhD students at any Commonwealth university outside the UK.

In 2019-20, one of the two studentships available supported a PhD student to travel to the UK for their research. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020-21, this studentship will support the successful applicant to carry out research in their home country. If restrictions then permit, it may be possible to offer a travel research award again in 2021-22.

Proposed research must either:

1. relate to the Commonwealth as a whole or to any Commonwealth-wide institution or organisation, or
2. have a strong Commonwealth comparative aspect, or
3. be of relevance to a Commonwealth country other than the UK.

For example, a research project comparing LGBT rights in South Africa and Uganda would be eligible, as would a project on the reform of colonial-era anti-LGBT legislation in India, but a project on the role of Stonewall in advocating for LGBT rights in the UK would not.

Applications are welcome from a broad range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, but preference may be given to disciplines usually covered by the Round Table journal, including (but not exclusively) politics, international relations, economics, international history, geography, law, development studies, and area studies.

ACU Routledge PhD Studentship Eligibility

• The first studentship is open to registered PhD students from UK universities, although not necessarily UK citizens.
• The second is open to registered PhD students from ACU member universities in Commonwealth counties other than the UK, and to Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarship alumni who are PhD students at any Commonwealth university outside the UK.

Value of Award: Two studentships are available each year, to the maximum value of GBP 5500 each.

How to Apply for ACU Routledge PhD Studentship

Applications should be submitted by 23:59 BST on Friday 31 July via the online application form.

As part of the application, applicants should submit:

1. A CV
2. A studentship plan, outlining:
   1. The work you plan to carry out during the studentship, in non-technical language
   2. The likely impact of your studentship work, and how it will advance knowledge in your field and contribute to greater understanding of the Commonwealth
   3. The planned outcomes and outputs of the studentship
3. Letters of support from referees, one academic (preferably your PhD/DPhil supervisor) and one personal
4. An outline of the intended use of the funds

For more information, visit the ACU Routledge PhD Studentship.

Application Deadline: 31st July 2020.