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PhD Grants

Pasold Research Fund PhD Bursaries for Textile History


Applications are invited from postgraduate students at UK institutions for PhD bursaries of up to £2,500, to support their research which may take the form of a subsidy for fees or direct research costs in any area or period of textile history.

The bursaries can be used for such purposes as conference attendance, securing visual materials, extra travel or research expenses or to support students when a dissertation is close to completion. Students starting their first year of their PhD are not eligible for these awards, which will normally be for one year, with the opportunity to renew for a second year. The Pasold Research Fund offers support for a maximum of two years, with priority being given to those applications where it is demonstrated that the bursary will enable the student to complete a PhD. If candidates have applied before and were turned down they are eligible to re-apply.

Please use the Application for PhD Grant Form and submit your application and a brief CV by email to pasold@leeds.ac.uk.

These should be accompanied by a statement of support from their supervisor. The statement of support should be sent by the supervisor through their insitutional email account to pasold@leeds.ac.uk and clearly state the name of the candidate in the email subject. In addition to an academic assessment of the proposal and the likelihood of a satisfactory completion of the doctorate, the supervisor's statement should give an indication of other sources of support obtained and the importance of support to the viability of the project. In addition, candidates should supply the name and address of one further referee. It is the responsibility of the candidate to make sure that the supervisor is aware of what they need to include in their reference.

If you have further queries as to whether you are eligible or about the type of support do please e-mail pasold@leeds.ac.uk

Other information:

Where applicants wish to renew for a second year of support, this will be subject to satisfactory progress in year one of the award evidenced by a detailed report from the supervisor and one from the student at the end of the first year of the award.

Applications for travel, photocopying and similar must demonstrate clearly the way in which their PhD research will benefit from the grant and why it cannot be funded from other sources.

When completing the form please be careful to apply for no more than the upper limit of £2,500 and give detailed breakdown of anticipated costs.

Please note that the Fund is unable to finance the purchase of equipment or computer software.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 15th June


PhD students may also wish to consider:

K.G. Ponting Memorial Bursaries

Since 1984 the Pasold Research Fund has funded a number of bursaries in memory of the late Kenneth Ponting to enable students to study the collections at the Museum of Costume and Fashion Research Centre in Bath.

Kenneth Ponting, the founding Director of the Fund and an authority on the wool textile industry lived in Bath and took an active interest in the museum and its Research Centre. He was also eager to promote the serious study of both the history of textiles and the history of dress. It is felt that there are a number of students studying these subjects who would benefit from a short visit to Bath to use the collections but who may be unable to find the costs of travel and subsistence. A number of bursaries up to a maximum of £250 each are available and applications are normally invited in the autumn of each year.

For further details and an application form contact:
The Curator, Museum of Costume & Fashion Research Centre, 4 Circus, BATH, Somerset BA1 2EW. Telephone: 01225 477752. Fax: 01225 444793