Birmingham Institute of Art and Design: Research

AHRC PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION MASTERS AWARDS IN DESIGN 2010/11

We have three AHRC Professional Preparation Masters studentships in Design available for October 2010 start:

Design includes fashion design, printed textiles, woven textiles, constructed textiles, knit, three-dimensional design, art and design in the landscape, interior and environmental design, theatre design, exhibition and events design, automotive design, product design, furniture, pedagogy in art and design.

Eligible Programmes:

MA Design Management
MA Interior Design
MA Jewellery, Silversmithing and Related Products
MA Product Design
MA Textiles, Fashion and Surface Design

Professional Preparation Masters Awards provide support for students undertaking Masters or Postgraduate Diploma courses. The focus must be on the development of high-level skills and competences as a preparation for professional practice in a field relevant to the content of the course. The full-time maintenance stipend level for 2009/10 for Professional Preparation Masters Awards was £8,650 p.a.

Eligibility

AHRC Studentships are available only to UK and EU students.

To be eligible for a full studentship award (fees plus maintenance stipend) a student must have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the start of the course. British citizenship or holding a British passport in itself does not satisfy the residential eligibility requirement. To be eligible for the full award, EU Nationals must satisfy the UK residency requirement.

EU Nationals who do not meet the residency requirement are eligible for a fees-only award, provided that they have been ordinarily resident in the EU for at least 3 years prior to the start of their proposed programme of study.

Applicants must have gained an undergraduate degree from a recognised university, or be a current undergraduate expecting to graduate before 31 July 2010.

Full information on AHRC eligibility criteria can be found here.

If you are unsure about eligibility please contact us prior to submitting your application.

HOW TO APPLY

Students are strongly advised to contact the course director before submitting an application. If you do not know who this is, please email your enquiry to the address below and you will be put in touch with the appropriate person.

Masters applications will need to contain the following:

A completed application form.
These can be downloaded here (Professional Preparation Masters Application Form). The form requires you to compose a supporting statement, the content of which is described below. (Please note there is a strict limit of 500 words. The number of words used must be provided. Please use a font size no smaller than 10 point.) Please ensure you use the correct form for the type of award you are seeking, and append any supporting documents to the application (e.g. transcripts of degree results)
Supporting visual material.
Where appropriate you may supply additional visual material.
Two letters of support from academic referees.
These should be from individuals who are in a position to assess your suitability for postgraduate study and the appropriateness of the course to your career/research goals. You should provide your referees with copies of your application form, including the supporting statement and any supporting documents, and ask them to complete the following reference form (AHRC Masters Reference Form) and return it by email or post to the BIAD Research Office at the address below by 12 April 2010.

Supporting Statement

This is a key document in assessing your application. In preparing this statement you should consider the following (you may wish to use these as subheadings):

Professional Preparation scheme

How will taking this programme contribute to your career aims?
1. State briefly why you wish to pursue this programme;
2. How will the programme support your future career aims?
Brief description of the programme of study
1. How does the programme relate to practice in your chosen field and how will it be of benefit to you in developing your career? This will enable you to convey your interest in the programme of study;
2. Major project/dissertation: give a brief description of the area in which you anticipate doing your major project/dissertation.
Preparation and previous experience
1. Give an indication of any previous professional experience in your field of study (including relevant paid and voluntary work);
2. Give an indication of the training and preparation you have already undertaken that is relevant to your proposed study, how this training has prepared you for the programme and your future career, and what further training you will require.

Students wishing to be considered for an AHRC studentship must submit their application as an email attachment (word or PDF) or by post to the BIAD Research Office at the email/address given below no later than 4.00pm on Monday 12 April 2010.

*Students who have already been accepted for an Autumn 2010 start and wish to be considered for a studentship should contact the relevant course director to discuss their application.

The Selection Process

All applications will be assessed by a BGP Panel consisting of Course Directors and Senior Academic Staff, chaired by the BGP Co-ordinator. The panel will evaluate the applications against the following criteria:

Quality and preparedness of the applicant – taking into account prior academic performance, and, if relevant, professional experience, and the extent to which the applicant’s academic studies and/or professional experience prepare the applicant for the proposed project or programme.
The proposed project or programme of study – taking into account the intrinsic quality, coherence and feasibility of the project or programme, the merits of the applicant’s intellectual and/or professional goals, and, in the case of doctoral applicants, the potential contribution to knowledge.
The alignment with our strengths and priorities – taking into account: a) how well the applicant’s research/professional goals fit with our course and/or research training provision and strategic priorities; and b) the specific support available to the applicant, in terms of supervision and teaching, subject-specific training opportunities, and library and other appropriate resources.

Following the application deadline, the BGP Panel will shortlist applicants to be invited for interview. The dates for these have been set as follows:

Week beginning 10 May 2010

All applicants should ensure they are available to be invited for interview. We regret that we will unable to consider applications where the candidate is not able to attend for interview. A final list of successful applicants for nomination will be identified following the interviews.

Timetable:
12 April (4.00pm) – Deadline for Applications
Late April – Short-listing
w.b. 10 May - Interviews for Short-listed Masters Applicants
Mid-late May – Applicants informed of outcomes and Nominations forwarded to AHRC

The final offer of an AHRC Studentship is subject to confirmation by AHRC.

Please Note: Students can only apply for an AHRC studentship under one of the AHRC’s competitions. The AHRC will only accept nominations for students who have not submitted an application to the Studentship Competition. In addition, students cannot be nominated for a BGP award by withdrawing their application to the Studentship Competition.

ENQUIRIES

Please direct all enquiries in the first instance to the BIAD Research Office.

Research Office
Birmingham Institute of Art and Design
Birmingham City University
Gosta Green
Birmingham
B4 7DX

Tel. 0121 331 7824/7850
Fax. 0121 331 7824
Email: biadresearch@bcu.ac.uk

This information and downloadable application and referee forms can be found online at: http://www.biad.bcu.ac.uk/research/studentships/

Research: BIADResearch@bcu.ac.uk

BIAD, Birmingham City University, Gosta Green, Birmingham B4 7DX

Birmingham Institute of Art and Design - Research