PhD Studentship: Colonial Natural Historical Collecting in the South Asian Indian Ocean

Found in: Talent UK C2 - 7 days ago


Cambridge, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

AHRC Collections & Communities in the East of England Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP)

Start date: 1st October 2024 (fixed term for 4 years)

Interviews will take place online on Tuesday 11 June.

The University Museum of Zoology and Cambridge University Herbarium have exceptional collections from South Asia and the Mascarene Islands (taken to include Mauritius, Réunion and Rodrigues). These collections have underpinned scientific research into evolution, extinction and natural history, but their human social stories have yet to be explored.

Together with the team of supervisors, the successful candidate will develop a project to interrogate the history of these collections or some parts of them with respect to colonialism and Indigenous, local and indentured practices and contexts.

This region is of massive importance to the European colonial story. It has some of the world's most celebrated animals and plants, from tigers to dodos and rhododendrons and tea. Such specimens in our collections represent how colonial histories and environmental histories became tied to the same processes, and how natural history practices reinforced and were reinforced by the workings of empire. This project will shed light on the entwined human and environmental costs of the colonial project.

This project will be jointly supervised by Professor Sujit Sivasundaram and Jack Ashby together with Dr. Charu Singh and Professor Sam Brockington. The student will undertake research at both the University Museum of Zoology and the Faculty of History at the University of Cambridge, while also having access to the Department of History and Philosophy of Science and the University's Herbarium. They will become part of the wider cohort of CDP-funded students across the UK.

Funding for each studentship will be for four years' duration with the expectation that this will include development activities, as applicable to meet the student's needs. The project can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis.

We welcome applications from both International and UK (home) students.

Applicants should ideally have or expect to receive a relevant Master's-level qualification, or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience in a professional setting. Suitable disciplines are flexible, but might include History, Archive Studies, History of Science/Natural History, or Geography.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate an interest in natural history and the museums, archives, library, and heritage sector and potential and enthusiasm for developing skills more widely in related areas.

All applications will need to be made through the University Graduate Application Portal (for which we provide guidance in the further details document):

Applicants are encouraged to contact the supervisory team with informal enquiries about the studentship:

Professor Sujit Sivasundaram, Faculty of History, University of Cambridge -

Jack Ashby, University Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge -


  • Phd Studentship

    3 days ago


    Cambridge, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    Applications are invited for a 3-year PhD studentship funded by Kidney Research UK under the supervision of Dr Sarah Hosgood. The studentship will be based in the University of Cambridge Department of Surgery on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The proposed start date is 1 October 2024. - Assessing the efficacy of a new enzyme, FucOB, to convert human type O...

  • PhD Studentship

    Found in: beBee jobs GB - 2 weeks ago


    Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    Applications are invited for a PhD student to work on machine-learning guided and verifiably correct code generation.Creating optimised libraries is a difficult and time-consuming task, requiring significant manual engineering effort. This process must be repeated for each new processor to take advantage of additional features, especially when it implements...

  • EPSRC FIBE3 CDT PhD studentships

    Found in: Talent UK C2 - 7 days ago


    Cambridge, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    We have funding for a number of 4-year PhDs, in collaboration with industry, on net zero infrastructure and built environment under the four following themes: Current and disruptive technologies Circularity and whole life approach AI, digitalisation and data Risk-based systems thinking and connectivity Studentships are fully-funded (fees and...

  • Phd Studentships

    4 days ago


    Cambridge, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    The Department of Pathology has an excellent reputation in pure biological and biomedical research and is offering four fully funded* studentships from October 2023 to work with one of the Research Group Leaders in this large and vibrant Department. Funding* will cover the student's stipend at the current Research Council rate and University Fees....


  • Cambridge, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    Applications are invited for a fully-funded 3-year studentship based in the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge under the supervision of Prof Nicholas Coleman and Dr Anton Enright. **Project title: Investigating Alternative Splicing As A Driver Mechanism And Therapeutic Target In Squamous Cell Carcinoma** Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs)...


  • Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    We have funding for a number of 4-year PhDs, in collaboration with industry, as part of our EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Infrastructure and Built Environment: Unlocking Net Zero (FIBE3 CDT), under the four following themes: Current and disruptive technologies Circularity and whole life approach Risk-based systems thinking and connectivity...


  • Cambridge, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    Applications are invited for a 3-year PhD studentship funded by Kidney Research UK under the supervision of Dr Sarah Hosgood. The studentship will be based in the University of Cambridge Department of Surgery on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The proposed start date is 1 October 2024. In kidney transplantation, blood group compatibility is a major...


  • Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    Decarbonizing the global economy can only be achieved by reducing the carbon intensity of energy sources. A key to achieving this is reducing the techno-economic barriers to replacing fossil fuel usage with low carbon and renewable sources. Solutions which reduce plant costs, improve plant efficiency, and increase plant flexibility with other energy sources,...


  • Cambridge, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    Come and join us in a small but passionate team in the Office of the School of Technology where we work together to propose, consult and implement policies and procedures across our Departments and Institute. Your role will be focused on education matters and PhD studentship funding within the School of Technology. It will involve working closely with the...

  • EPSRC iCASE Studentship

    Found in: Talent UK C2 - 7 days ago


    Cambridge, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    A fully paid PhD studentship is offered at the Cambridge University Engineering Department in the area of nuclear reactor core analysis methods development. It is offered under Industrial Cooperative Awards in Science & Technology (iCASE) scheme of the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in collaboration with EDF Energy, the owner...

  • Phd Studentship

    4 days ago


    Cambridge, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    Title: Cosmic dust as a feedstock for prebiotic chemistry on Mars and exoplanets Funding: Fully funded 4 year PhD position supervised by Dr Oli Shortle Summary: Uncovering the processes that led to the origin of life on Earth, and are required for life to emerge elsewhere in the galaxy, remains one of the outstanding questions in science. What is clear is...

  • EPSRC iCASE Studentship

    Found in: Talent UK C2 - 7 days ago


    Cambridge, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    Decarbonizing the global economy can only be achieved by reducing the carbon intensity of energy sources. A key to achieving this is reducing the techno-economic barriers to replacing fossil fuel usage with low carbon and renewable sources. Solutions which reduce plant costs, improve plant efficiency, and increase plant flexibility with other energy...

  • EPSRC DTP Studentship

    Found in: beBee S GB - 2 weeks ago


    Cambridge, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) transport nearly 80% of the goods in the UK and are responsible for 5% of total UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Electrification of HGVs has been widely recognised as one of the most viable decarbonisation solutions to road freight transport system. However, this will introduce enormous challenges to the existing system for...

  • Collection Specialist

    2 weeks ago


    Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom Digital Preservation Coalition Full time

    ~ Vacancy for Metadata Specialist at University of Cambridge Vacancy for Metadata Specialist at University of Cambridge 28 March 2021 Cambridge Fixed Term Cambridge University Libraries are about to embark on an exciting five-year Digital Preservation Programme to establish the Cambridge University Libraries Digital Preservation Service. ...


  • Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom ECO Magazine Full time

    Ocean Career: Bird Island Science Manager with the British Antarctic Survey ECO Posted On October 25, 2021 The British Antarctic Survey are looking for a Bird Island Science Manager to manage the long-term monitoring and targeted research projects on higher predators (seals, albatrosses, penguins and petrels) at Bird Island. This includes: management of...


  • Cambridge, United Kingdom Earth & Mind CIC Full time

    **Overview** The role of Nature Wellbeing Officer plays a pivotal role in creating meaningful and impactful experiences that empower individuals to connect with nature, cultivate resilience, and enhance their mental health and wellbeing. As the Nature Wellbeing Officer, your role will be multifaceted and dynamic, encompassing various responsibilities aimed...

  • Assistant Director

    7 days ago


    Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom The Biodiversity Consultancy Ltd Full time

    Assistant Director – Nature Strategies Closing Date: 30th April 2024 Purpose The purpose of this role is to support The Biodiversity Consultancy (TBC)’s Nature Strategies team to implement our goal of delivering measurable positive impacts on biodiversityat the societal scale, by enabling our corporate clients to: Assess their impacts and...


  • Cambridge, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 36 months in the first instance. Summary: Full-time 3 year PhD position funded by UKRI, in the context of the ERC doctoral network GLITTER (12 PhD students), to perform doctoral research in the development of modern antenna technology and radio instrumentation for GNSS-R and Radio Astronomy from space....

  • PhD Studentship in Machine-Learning Guided Compilation

    Found in: Talent UK C2 - 7 days ago


    Cambridge, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 48 months. The Project Applications are invited for a PhD student to work on machine-learning guided and verifiably correct code generation. Creating optimised libraries is a difficult and time-consuming task, requiring significant manual engineering effort. This process must be repeated for each...


  • Cambridge, United Kingdom University of Cambridge Full time

    Applications are invited for a PhD student to work on developing computer architecture for quantum computers, under the supervision of Dr. Prakash Murali. Quantum computers hold immense potential for applications that can revolutionise society, including domains such as drug design, agriculture, climate change and more. To cater to applications in these...