Leverhulme Trust PhD Studentship: The Slavery-War Nexus in Historical/Contemporary Contexts
King’s College London
Start date: February 2027 King’s College London’s Leverhulme Centre for Research on Slavery in War is pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded doctoral studentship from February 2027. We invite proposals on one of the following two subjects: any aspect of historical war studies and slavery within the period 1791-1926; any aspect of slavery in an occupation context from 2022-present. Please note that this studentship is only open to applicants considered Home students under UKRI guidelines. Please d...
Start date: February 2027 King’s College London’s Leverhulme Centre for Research on Slavery in War is pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded doctoral studentship from February 2027. We invite proposals on one of the following two subjects: any aspect of historical war studies and slavery within the period 1791-1926; any aspect of slavery in an occupation context from 2022-present. Please note that this studentship is only open to applicants considered Home students under UKRI guidelines. Please d...
Opportunity details
Start date: February 2027 King’s College London’s Leverhulme Centre for Research on Slavery in War is pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded doctoral studentship from February 2027. We invite proposals on one of the following two subjects: any aspect of historical war studies and slavery within the period 1791-1926; any aspect of slavery in an occupation context from 2022-present. Please note that this studentship is only open to applicants considered Home students under UKRI guidelines. Please do not submit more than one application to this call. Project Overview This fully funded PhD studentship invites applications from candidates with a strong grounding in war studies to undertake research that will contribute primarily to the centre’s Research Strand 2 (Understanding Slavery in War). We seek projects that fall within one of the following areas, reflecting priority areas of research for the centre. 1. Historical war studies and slavery in the period 1791 to 1926. This period is one of extraordinary significance for both the history of slavery and the history of war. It opens with the Haitian Revolution of 1791 (the only enslaved-people's uprising in world history to result in the founding of a sovereign state) and closes with the 1926 League of Nations Slavery Convention, the first international legal instrument to define and prohibit slavery as a universal norm. In between lie more than a century of global conflicts in which slavery was not incidental but constitutive: the Napoleonic Wars, the American Civil War, the wars of imperial expansion in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, the First World War, and the post-war conflicts and upheavals that reshaped the international order. Across all of these, enslaved people, enslaved combatants, and coerced...
Eligibility
This studentship is only open to Home applicants. To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria: Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or Have settled status, or o Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or Have indefinite leave to remain or enter Further guidance can be found here - https://www.ukri.org/wp content/uploads/2021/02/UKRI-030221-Guidance-International-Eligibility Implementation-training-grant-holders-V2.pdf We are committed to welcoming applications from students from all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds as they are currently underrepresented at this level in this discipline. We require an upper-second class (2:1) honours degree and a Master’s degree at high merit or above in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD (or international equivalent). Please see here for the English-language requirements for PhD students in the Department of War Studies (Band B): Postgraduate English language entry requirements | King's College London Assessment of Applicants Applicants will be assessed by how well they meet the person specification for this position. This may include: An educational and research background that matches this research project. The potential to work effectively and inclusively with a diverse team of people The potential to take initiative and manage a dynamic and complex workload. The potential to develop expertise in new areas related to this subject. A demonstrated interest in and understanding of the proposed area of research, including knowledge of current challenges and opportunities. The potential to undertake continuous personal and professional development. The potential to communicate ideas and findings...
Requirements
This studentship is only open to Home applicants. To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria: Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or Have settled status, or o Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or Have indefinite leave to remain or enter Further guidance can be found here - https://www.ukri.org/wp content/uploads/2021/02/UKRI-030221-Guidance-International-Eligibility Implementation-training-grant-holders-V2.pdf We are committed to welcoming applications from students from all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds as they are currently underrepresented at this level in this discipline. We require an upper-second class (2:1) honours degree and a Master’s degree at high merit or above in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD (or international equivalent). Please see here for the English-language requirements for PhD students in the Department of War Studies (Band B): Postgraduate English language entry requirements | King's College London Assessment of Applicants Applicants will be assessed by how well they meet the person specification for this position. This may include: An educational and research background that matches this research project. The potential to work effectively and inclusively with a diverse team of people The potential to take initiative and manage a dynamic and complex workload. The potential to develop expertise in new areas related to this subject. A demonstrated interest in and understanding of the proposed area of research, including knowledge of current challenges and opportunities. The potential to undertake continuous personal and professional development. The potential to communicate ideas and findings...
Funding and benefits
Funding eligibility: UK Students. Funding amount: Fully funded PhD studentship.
Required documents
Curriculum vitae, reference, personal statement, research proposal
How to apply
If you have questions about the project or the application process, please contact Kelsey Carthew at crsw@kcl.ac.uk Applicants should apply at the link button and submit the following no later than 5 pm on 18 October 2026: Curriculum vitae A personal statement outlining your reasons for pursuing doctoral research at King’s College London A research proposal (5-10 pages in length) that explains your proposed area of focus; primary research question; importance and originality of your topic; initial thoughts on methods and potential case studies; and your familiarity with the existing literature and research on this topic. A sample of academic writing Transcripts of undergraduate and master’s qualifications One academic reference Please submit all materials in English. Use of AI: While we recognise that AI tools can be useful for certain tasks, your application should reflect your own thinking, research interests, skills, and experience rather than AI generated content. Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content will not demonstrate the originality, critical thinking, and personal insight expected for doctoral study Please note, it is the responsibility of applicants to request references from their referees and ensure that they have been received by this deadline. All documents should be submitted in either MS Word or PDF format. Interviews will be held shortly after the application deadline. Following the interview, the successful candidate will also need to formally apply to King’s College London and satisfy its admission requirements.
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Recorded source check: September 25, 2026. A stored check date does not guarantee that every field is complete or still current. Compare the provider, eligibility, funding and deadline with the live official call before applying.
Benefits
Funding eligibility: UK Students. Funding amount: Fully funded PhD studentship.
Eligibility summary
This studentship is only open to Home applicants. To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria: Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or Have settled status, or o Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or Have indefinite leave to remain or enter Further guidance can be found here - https://www.ukri.org/wp content/uploads/2021/02/UKRI-030221-Guidance-International-Eligibility Implementation-training-grant-holders-V2.pdf We are committed to welcoming applications from students from all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds as they are currently underrepresented at this level in this discipline. We require an upper-second class (2:1) honours degree and a Master’s degree at high merit or above in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD (or international equivalent). Please see here for the English-language requirements for PhD students in the Department of War Studies (Band B): Postgraduate English language entry requirements | King's College London Assessment of Applicants Applicants will be assessed by how well they meet the person specification for this position. This may include: An educational and research background that matches this research project. The potential to work effectively and inclusively with a diverse team of people The potential to take initiative and manage a dynamic and complex workload. The potential to develop expertise in new areas related to this subject. A demonstrated interest in and understanding of the proposed area of research, including knowledge of current challenges and opportunities. The potential to undertake continuous personal and professional development. The potential to communicate ideas and findings, verbally and in writing, clearly and effectively. An understanding of relevant research methods. How to apply If you have questions about the project or the application process, please contact Kelsey Carthew at crsw@kcl.ac.uk Applicants should apply at the link button and submit the following no later than 5 pm on 18 October 2026: Curriculum vitae A personal statement outlining your reasons for pursuing doctoral research at King’s College London A research proposal (5-10 pages in length) that explains your proposed area of focus; primary research question; importance and originality of your topic; initial thoughts on methods and potential case studies; and your familiarity with the existing literature and research on this topic. A sample of academic writing Transcripts of undergraduate and master’s qualifications One academic reference
Requirements
This studentship is only open to Home applicants. To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria: Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or Have settled status, or o Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or Have indefinite leave to remain or enter Further guidance can be found here - https://www.ukri.org/wp content/uploads/2021/02/UKRI-030221-Guidance-International-Eligibility Implementation-training-grant-holders-V2.pdf We are committed to welcoming applications from students from all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds as they are currently underrepresented at this level in this discipline. We require an upper-second class (2:1) honours degree and a Master’s degree at high merit or above in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD (or international equivalent). Please see here for the English-language requirements for PhD students in the Department of War Studies (Band B): Postgraduate English language entry requirements | King's College London Assessment of Applicants Applicants will be assessed by how well they meet the person specification for this position. This may include: An educational and research background that matches this research project. The potential to work effectively and inclusively with a diverse team of people The potential to take initiative and manage a dynamic and complex workload. The potential to develop expertise in new areas related to this subject. A demonstrated interest in and understanding of the proposed area of research, including knowledge of current challenges and opportunities. The potential to undertake continuous personal and professional development. The potential to communicate ideas and findings, verbally and in writing, clearly and effectively. An understanding of relevant research methods. How to apply If you have questions about the project or the application process, please contact Kelsey Carthew at crsw@kcl.ac.uk Applicants should apply at the link button and submit the following no later than 5 pm on 18 October 2026: Curriculum vitae A personal statement outlining your reasons for pursuing doctoral research at King’s College London A research proposal (5-10 pages in length) that explains your proposed area of focus; primary research question; importance and originality of your topic; initial thoughts on methods and potential case studies; and your familiarity with the existing literature and research on this topic. A sample of academic writing Transcripts of undergraduate and master’s qualifications One academic reference
Documents required
Curriculum vitae, reference, personal statement, research proposal
Language/test requirements
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