Montague Burton PhD Fee Bursary in Jewish Studies
One Montague Burton PhD Bursary in Jewish Studies is available in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies for session 2018/19.
The bursary will cover fees at the Home/EU rate.
The aim of this bursary is particularly to encourage engagement with Judaica held in Special Collections at Leeds University Library, first and foremost the renowned Cecil Roth Collection, which includes illuminated Hebrew manuscripts from the medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods. The Joseph Porton collection of Judaic books is a rare testimony of the collecting patterns and scholarship of the English rabbinate of the late 19th and early 20th century.
A rich archive of works by Jewish artists, and objects and documents relating mainly to the history of Jews in Leeds and Yorkshire can be found at Leeds Museums and Galleries. The West Yorkshire Archive Service also keeps a collection of documents relating to Jewish history in the region.
The bursary is intended for a doctoral project that focusses on one of the following areas:
- Jewish visualities and/or materialities (between the medieval and the contemporary period, and including fine art, book art, architecture, photography and the moving image);
- Jewish studies resources held in Leeds and/or Yorkshire;
- the study of Jewish museums and collections (nationally or internationally).
Applicants can also propose a practice-led research project, provided it ties in with the above research areas. Respective protocols for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures can be found here.
We furthermore invite practitioners based in Jewish museums to contact us with research proposals that would benefit from a collaboration with the Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Leeds.
The bursary is especially suited to candidates with an interest/background in Jewish studies and visual cultures.
The PhD studentship will be based at the University of Leeds in the Centre for Jewish Studies. The Centre fosters an active research programme in several aspects of Jewish culture, foremost relating to Jewish visualities, musicalities, performativities; memory culture; the Holocaust in cultural memory.
Supervisors: Dr Eva Frojmovic / other staff associated with the Centre for Jewish Studies.
The Cecil Roth Collection
The holdings comprise medieval and early modern manuscripts in Hebrew and other Jewish languages; pre-1850 Hebrew printed books going back to the 16th century, among which a significant collection of books authored or printed by Menasseh ben Israel; Anglo-Judaica, many of which in English and relating to both Anglo-Jewish history and anti-Judaism.
Funding and Support
The bursary will pay for Home/EU fees over 3 years full-time or 5 years part-time. NB: The bursary will not cover accommodation and living costs.
The project start date will be 1 October 2018, and the successful applicant will be able to undertake study on a full- or part-time basis.
How to Apply
See here for full details including how to apply. The closing date for applications is 15 June 2018.