Studentships
Studentships documents
Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD) is a leading centre for research in the creative arts, architecture and design. As holders of an AHRC Block Grant Partnership Award we are in a position to offer a range of Masters and Doctoral Studentships in Design and Fine Art.
In addition to our AHRC Block Grant allocation, as part of our strategic commitment to research training and development in art and design, we are creating further BIAD PhD Studentship annually, in alignment with our research strengths and strategic priorities.
Further details on research interests and areas of supervisory strength can be found here.
These pages provide information on the availability of awards, eligibility and how to apply. If you know which award you are applying for please select one of the links below; if not, please read the information below first.
AHRC Doctoral Award in Fine Art
AHRC Professional Preparation Masters Award in Design
All applicants are advised to read these pages carefully and contact us with any queries before submitting an application.
Since October 2009, the AHRC has funded the majority of its postgraduate studentships through a Block Grant Partnership (BGP). BGPs are awards held by certain universities for a period of 5 years. Each BGP will include a number of studentship awards and these will be advertised and administered by the individual university. Universities that do not hold a BGP award will be eligible to enter postgraduate students into the Studentship Competition.
Birmingham City University holds a BGP for the period 2009-2013 and is therefore able to offer a number of AHRC postgraduate studentships for an October 2010 start.
Further information on the BGP Scheme is available here: http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundingOpportunities/Pages/BGP.aspx
The studentships include the following types of awards:
Doctoral
Provides support for a minimum of one year and up to three years of full-time study, or between two and five years of part-time study, leading to a doctoral degree. A full award includes tuition fees and a maintenance grant. The maintenance grant will meet the National Minimum Doctoral Stipend level set by the UK Research Councils. The full-time maintenance stipend level for 2009/10 for Doctoral Awards was £13,290 p.a.
Research Preparation Masters
Provides support for students who intend to proceed to doctoral study and are undertaking a Masters course that will prepare them for doctoral study. The focus must be on advanced study and research training that is explicitly intended to provide a foundation for further research at doctoral level. The full-time maintenance stipend level for 2009/10 for Research Preparation Masters Awards was £9,280 p.a.
Professional Preparation Masters
Provides 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.
Birmingham City University has the following AHRC studentships available for October 2010 start:
Design
• Professional Preparation Masters x3 - APPLY
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.
Fine Art
• Doctoral x1 - APPLY
Fine art includes painting, illustration, public art, social art practice/art in the public realm, sculpture, performance art, installation, time-based art, printmaking. Arts therapy is supported where the predominant focus of the study is based in the arts and humanities, rather than medicine and psychology.
Additionally we have one BIAD Doctoral Studentship award available for October 2010 start:
BIAD Studentship
• Doctoral x1 - APPLY
Applications are sought which align with our areas of research strength in: Art History and Theory, Architecture, Design, Fine Art, Jewellery, Landscape Architecture, Photography and Visual Communication.
The AHRC Masters level awards relate to MA Programmes in the following way:
| AHRC Subject | Eligible Programmes | Available Awards |
| Design | MA Design Management MA Interior Design MA Jewellery, Silversmithing and Related Products MA Product Design MA Textiles, Fashion and Surface Design |
3 Professional Preparation Masters |
| Fine Art | MA Art, Health and Wellbeing MA Art Practice and Education MA Contemporary Curatorial Practice MA Digital Arts in Performance MA Fine Art MA Queer Studies in Arts and Culture |
Further awards will be available for October 2011 start |
Please note: the above list details studentships for 2010 entry, for which applications are currently being accepted. Available studentships for future years within the BGP award period (2009-2013) will be posted in advance of the relevant admissions cycle.
For further details and application forms follow one of the links below:
AHRC Doctoral Award in Fine Art
AHRC Professional Preparation Masters Award in Design
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
Research: BIADResearch@bcu.ac.uk
BIAD, Birmingham City University, Gosta Green, Birmingham B4 7DX