History: Fully Funded PhD Studentship in Early Education, Education, Education: Childcare in the Policy and Imagination of New Labour’s England, 1994-2003

Swansea University and The National Archives are pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded Collaborative doctoral studentship from October 2025, under the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Collaborative Doctoral Partnership scheme.  

This studentship explores the policies and practice of childcare as envisaged by New Labour between 1994 and the early 2000s. The student will use recently opened material held at The National Archives to investigate the politics of childcare, and to consider the ways that it intersected with, and was informed by, governmental interest in poverty, the family, work, and social mobility during this era of contemporary British history. The project will be particularly appealing to students with an interest in the politics of the late-1990s and early 2000s, and students with an interest in the social history of gender and the family in the period. The student will be supported to undertake original oral history interviews with policy makers and childcare professionals alongside archival research, and will receive training to develop these skills.   

It will be jointly supervised by Dr Sarah Crook and Dr Jessamy Carlson. The student will be expected to engage with the research environment of both Swansea University and The National Archives, although there is no residency requirement around proximity to Swansea University. The student will be encouraged to undertake training in oral history methodologies, as well as to undertake training in other approaches as necessary. The student will also be supported to present their work at relevant conferences and seminars.  

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

The majority of the early archival research will be based at TNA at Kew. The supervisory team will support online meetings as the student progresses, so student is not expected to reside near to Swansea University in order to undertake the studentship. 

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.   

Funding Details 

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 UKRI Indicative Fee Level for 2025/26 is £5,005.  

The award also pays a stipend to cover living costs, which will be paid in regular instalments. This stipend will be a minimum of £20,780 per year. CDP students also receive an additional maintenance payment of £600 per year. 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. 

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