AHRC Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership
Nottingham Trent University is proud to be a part of the Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership (M4C).
M4C studentships
The Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership supports arts and humanities students with AHRC funding for studentships, as well as placements, supervision and training opportunities. Last year M4C awarded studentships to both UK and international applicants and 13 Collaborative Doctoral Awards (CDA) through a linked competition with partner organisations in the cultural, creative and heritage sector.
The scheme brings together eight leading universities across the Midlands to support the professional and personal development of the next generation of arts and humanities doctoral researchers:
- Birmingham City University
- Coventry University
- De Montfort University
- Nottingham Trent University
- The University of Nottingham
- University of Birmingham
- University of Leicester
- University of Warwick
Visit the M4C website to find out more details about the training partnership. Check back soon for more information on the next round of applications for AHRC funding and studentships .
What is the Open Doctoral Award?
The eight universities of Midlands4Cities provide doctoral researchers with access to world-class supervisory expertise and support across the breadth of arts and humanities subjects. The Open Doctoral Award invites you to design and agree a research project with academic supervisors within the M4C partnership.
- Your supervisory team should include at least two academic supervisors.
- You can draw on supervisory expertise from across the eight universities that comprise M4C.
- Where relevant, your supervisory team may also include a member from a non-university partner organisation, for example from the cultural, creative or heritage sector.
Nottingham Trent University offers supervisory expertise in the following areas, departments, research centres, and research groups:
Centre for Business and Insolvency Law
The Centre for Business and Insolvency Law (CBIL) was founded in 2012 and brings together expertise in legal and business practice, both nationally and internationally, addressing important challenges and contributing to debates.
Centre for Legal Education
Nottingham Law School's Centre for Legal Education drives the Law School's excellence and innovation in academic and professional legal education.
Centre for Research in History, Heritage and Memory Studies
The Centre connects NTU researchers and projects in policy, religion, conflict, race, gender, memory & welfare through varied methodologies & knowledge exchange
Centre for Research in Literature Linguistics and Culture
The Centre for Research in Literature, Linguistics and Culture is a multi- and interdisciplinary hub that promotes research innovation across Literary Studies, Linguistics, and Media, Film and TV Studies.
Centre for Rights and Justice
The Centre for Rights and Justice (CRJ) was established in 2013. It is an inclusive Centre with a diverse membership, bringing together research, practice and scholarship, in the broad areas of human rights and criminal justice.
Fashion and Textile Research Centre
Representing a complex field in a global context, research in this centre focuses on cultures, heritage, design, business, sustainability and advanced textiles.
Collaborative Doctoral Award
These awards are jointly developed and co-supervised between Nottingham Trent University and an external partner organisation. CDAs offer diverse and unique research projects that support the work of the partner organisation.
We have two CDA projects available. Find out more below and apply here:
Engaging audiences with stories of marginalised communities in rugby through a case study of Nottingham Rugby Football Club
This project will focus on two areas. Firstly, it will produce a searchable catalogue to allow other researchers to access the archives, opening up the project to an international audience. Secondly, this project will uncover hidden stories attentive to questions of race, class, sexuality, and gender by highlighting relevant parts of the club’s history and producing a public-facing output that tells these stories.
Unearthly Ecologies: Exploring Environmentalism and Sustainability Beyond Earth Through Literature and Culture
This project will explore environmental and ecological issues relating to space exploration and establishing habitats beyond the earth. Ambitions to expand human activity in low-earth orbit, on the Lunar surface, and on Mars have escalated significantly in recent years, with geological sample and return missions to the Lunar surface and Mars intensifying, night sky pollution producing new inequalities on Earth, future space exploration threatened by a substantial increase in orbiting objects and debris and national and commercial space agencies stepping-up plans to establish low earth orbit, lunar, and Mars habitations.
'I wanted to do a PhD that had ‘real world’ impact. The Collaborative Doctoral Awards offered by Midlands4Cities, in partnership with organisations that have pre-determined research needs, felt like it was the best of both worlds' - Laura Ewart
Information for doctoral applicants
NTU Doctoral School
The NTU Doctoral School provides a multi-disciplinary home for all our researchers, here to support you throughout your entire doctoral degree. Explore our research community.
Support for Researchers
Details about training support, Worktribe and other professional development opportunities for our researchers.
PhD fees and funding
Find out more about the fees and funding options available for research study at Nottingham Trent University.