Collaborative Doctoral Landscape Award studentships at MOLA
From October 2027 we are supporting new research students to study for a PhD at a UK university, co-supervised by members of our staff.
Through the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council’s (AHRC) Collaborative Doctoral Landscape Award we hope to develop future leaders, specialists and advocates for archaeology, as well as extend our strong record for academic collaboration and engagement. The wider range of awards are designed to support the next generation of arts and humanities researchers through partnerships between higher education institutions (HEIs) and non-HEI organisations such as galleries, libraries, archives and museums. The training partnerships aim to identify and address short and long-term skills challenges and foster interdisciplinarity between the cultural, creative and heritage sectors, academia and other employers.
We are now accepting outline project proposals from UK university supervisors to be co-developed with our staff. Following a selection process, three projects will be advertised to potential doctoral students next spring, and successful candidates will begin their studentships in October 2027. This will be the first of four annual cohorts of PhD studentships awarded through the Collaborative Doctoral Landscape Award at MOLA.
We are particularly keen to encourage project proposals that address one of our four priority research themes:
Our priority research themes
Thinking beyond the site: data and synthesis
Taking advantage of the data generated by our complex projects, with a wide temporal and geographical reach, the scale of different kinds of data available for study, and our exceptional body of staff with relevant expertise.
Sustainability, ecology, and the environment
Intersections of environmental archaeology, modelling and mapping of ecological and environmental change, land use, geoarchaeology, and contemporary concerns for climate action and sustainability.
New futures for archaeology
Applying a creative and speculative lens to archaeology as a field of research, practice, and interpretation. Archaeology’s contribution to the Anthropocene, to wellbeing, and to what a de-colonised development-led archaeology might entail. Devising alternative approaches to storytelling, to citizen leadership in research, and public engagement, to innovations with visual and sensorial practices - helping to conceive radically different futures for the discipline.
Digital, data and archives for collective benefit, and immersive and interactive production
Priming data and their infrastructures (FAIR: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and utilising primed data to experiment with outputs that support social, emotive, reflective, climate accountable, and sustainable outcomes that draw on the affordances of the digital.
To submit a project proposal you must be a current member of academic staff at a Research Organisation directly supported by the UK funding councils. This includes most UK universities and PhD-awarding colleges. Please note, prospective students cannot apply for the scheme at this stage.
Selection process
Interest in the scheme is likely to be high, and we are only able to select three studentships to nominate to the AHRC. The selection process will therefore be very competitive.
The selection process will take place in two stages.
Stage 1:
The first stage is a call for outline proposals from UK university supervisors. These should be submitted using our outline application form by Monday 9 October 2026.
It is recommended that you discuss your project idea with the Research team at MOLA, and co-design your project with a member of MOLA staff before completing and submitting this form. MOLA is happy to work with HEI applicants to identify suitable members of staff and queries should be sent in the first instance to phd@mola.org.uk by Monday 14 September 2026.
We will review all outline proposals received by the deadline of 9 October and will select outline proposals to be worked into full proposals. Outline proposals received after the deadline will not be considered.
Decisions will be made based on the following selection criteria:
- Availability of member(s) of staff at MOLA with expertise to co-supervise the PhD
- Importance, originality, innovativeness and feasibility of the proposed research
- Demonstrable links to MOLA’s research priorities
- Likely contribution to MOLA’s strategic objectives and plans
We will contact all project proposers in October 2027 to inform them of the outcome.
Download the outline application form
Stage 2:
The second stage of the process will involve shortlisted project proposers being invited to complete a full proposal in collaboration with a MOLA staff member(s). In addition to an expanded case for support and information about the qualifications and experience of the supervisory team, the full proposal will also need to include details of training and career development opportunities that would be available to a student ultimately undertaking the project, and how the opportunity would be advertised in order to attract the widest possible pool of applicants.
A panel comprising MOLA staff, trustees, and representatives from universities and other doctoral award-holding organisations will review the full proposals and make the final selection of two studentships to nominate to the AHRC. This panel will score each proposal based on the AHRC’s grading scale and consider its academic quality, the suitability of the proposed project to PhD-level research, and the potential benefits to MOLA and the student.
Only in Spring 2027, when the two selected studentship projects are approved by the AHRC, will the opportunities be advertised to prospective students.
Current students
You can find out more about our current doctoral award students and their projects here.