PhD Studentship - Narratives of Enslavement and their Legacies

Start date: February 2027

King’s College London’s Leverhulme Centre for Research on Slavery in War is pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded AHRC doctoral studentship from October 2026, to be jointly supervised across the English and War Studies departments by Dr. Michael Collins(English) and Dr. Maeve Ryan (War Studies).

We invite proposals under the theme of: “Narratives of Enslavement and their Legacies”

Project scope and research questions

Applicants are invited to propose innovative research exploring any element of the relationship between narratives of slavery broadly defined (including post-enslavement life-writing and the “slave narrative” genre; the legacies of enslavement in fiction and the transatlantic literary traditions; and critical theories of race and racialisation emerging from histories of enslavement and indenture) written in English between the period of 1776 and the mid twentieth century.

Due to the specialisms of the proposed supervisors, focus on the British Empire and the U.S. is preferred, but modes of transnational engagement and comparativist readings across national and linguistic traditions are highly encouraged. Since the candidate will be situated across two faculties, The Department of English and the Department of War Studies, an interest in questions of how geopolitical conflict, conflict-based diasporic movement, and the conditions of war have affected and shaped narrative traditions would be an advantage.

The LCRSW is driven by a singular, transformative vision: to learn from the past in order fundamentally to change how the world understands, forecasts, and tackles the enduring problem of slavery in war. How, where and why has slavery in war emerged over time? How has slavery influenced the course, conduct, and consequences of war? How have slavery and war shaped the evolution of legal and normative frameworks throughout history? What are the needs of survivors of slavery in conflict?

Consequently, potential methodological and conceptual areas of interest for proposals may include (but are not limited to) readings of narratives of enslavement through theories of:

• Racial Capitalism (Robinson)
• Narratology
• Environmental Humanities/ The Plantationcene (McKittrick)
• Ontologies and “Genres” of the Human (Wynter)
• Transnationalism
• Human Rights and Legal Frameworks
• British Studies, American Studies, Settler Colonial Studies, Multicultural Studies

It is expected that the candidate will have strong skills in use of archives (identifying and defining their archival focus will be a major element of the first year of the doctorate) and a willingness to engage in forms of public outreach work appropriate to their research, in conjunction with the ‘Leverhulme Centre for Research on Slavery in War' and The Department of English.

The studentship can be taken up either full or part-time. Students should have an excellent academic record. A master’s degree in a relevant subject (such as Literature, History, American Studies, War Studies, Development Studies, Anthropology, Cultural Studies) is a requirement. If you are unsure about the appropriateness of your disciplinary training, please reach out to either potential supervisor to discuss the proposal in advance.

Details of award

The award pays UKRI Home Tuition Fees (£5,238 for 2026/27) for PhD students.

The award pays full maintenance for all students both home and international. The UKRI Doctoral Stipend for 2026/2027 is £21,805, plus a London Weighting of £2,000/year, plus Collaborative Activity funding at a rate of £600/year.

Further details can be found on the UKRI website: www.ukri.org/manage-your award/studentship-guidance/support-for-ukri-funded-students

The student is eligible to receive an additional Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) during the course of the project

The project can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis.

Eligibility

• This studentship is open to both Home and International applicants. However, the CRSW is limited to one Overseas studentship across the opportunities currently advertised.
  • To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:
  • Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have settled status, or
  • Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have indefinite leave to remain or enter o Further guidance can be found here - www.ukri.org/wp content/uploads/2021/02/UKRI-030221-Guidance-International Eligibility-Implementation-training-grant-holders-V2.pdf
• We are committed to welcoming applications from students from all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds as they are currently underrepresented at this level in this discipline.
• We require an upper-second class (2:1) honours degree and a Master’s degree at high merit or above in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD (or international equivalent).
• Please see here for the English-language requirements for PhD students in the Department of War Studies (Band B): Postgraduate English language entry requirements | King's College London

Assessment of applicants

Applicants will be assessed by how well they meet the person specification for this position.

This may include:

• An educational and research background that matches this research project.
• The potential to work effectively and inclusively with a diverse team of people
• The potential to take initiative and manage a dynamic and complex workload.
• The potential to develop expertise in new areas related to this subject.
• A demonstrated interest in and understanding of the proposed area of research, including knowledge of current challenges and opportunities.
• The potential to undertake continuous personal and professional development.
• The potential to communicate ideas and findings, verbally and in writing, clearly and effectively.
• An understanding of relevant research methods.

How to apply

If you have questions about the project or the application process, please contact Kelsey Carthew at crsw@kcl.ac.uk

Applicants should apply at the link below and submit the following no later than 5pm on 1^st September 2026: qualtrics.kcl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_0UQML35ytEOvOHc

• Curriculum vitae
• A personal statement outlining your reasons for pursuing doctoral research at King’s College London
• A research proposal (5-10 pages in length) that explains your proposed area of focus; primary research question; importance and originality of your topic; initial thoughts on methods and potential case studies; and your familiarity with the existing literature and research on this topic.
• A sample of academic writing. If you are a current MA student awaiting results of your dissertation, please upload your submitted dissertation as your writing sample.
• Transcripts of undergraduate and master’s qualifications
• One academic reference

Please submit all materials in English.

Use of AI:

While we recognise that AI tools can be useful for certain tasks, your application should reflect your own thinking, research interests, skills, and experience rather than AI generated content. Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may not demonstrate the originality, critical thinking, and personal insight expected for doctoral study.

Please note it is the responsibility of applicants to request references from their referees and ensure that they have been received by this deadline. All documents should be submitted in either MS Word or PDF format.

Interviews will be held in September with offers expected by the end of the month. Following the interview, the successful candidate will also need to formally apply to King’s College London and satisfy its admission requirements.

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