AHRC Collaborative PhD Studentship at Royal Holloway and the
Science Museum
The 2LO Transmitter: Technology, Material Culture and Metropolitan
Modernity in Inter-War London
This PhD project is focused on an iconic object within the history of
British radio broadcasting, the 2LO transmitter used for early BBC
broadcasts in London.
The project will develop two inter-linked strands of interest ?
first, the
project considers the relationship between the 2L0 transmitter and
British
radio broadcasting in the specific context of inter-war London.
Second, it
will consider how the transmitter has been stored, restored and
displayed in
a variety of geographical locations.
At present, the 2LO transmitter is currently stored in the Science
Museum
and there are plans to develop a gallery exhibiting objects such as
2L0
within a major gallery featuring communications history. The
project will
build on the technical histories of early broadcasting and seek to
locate
2LO within a variety of societal, technological and media related
contexts
from the 1920s onwards.
The PhD student will be an enrolled student in the Geography
Department at
Royal Holloway, University of London, and will also have staff
status at
the Science Museum. All fees are paid by the AHRC, with a tax-free
maintenance grant (currently £13,600 + £2000 London weighting for
2007/8
students who meet AHRC eligibility criteria).
The studentship will be co- supervised by Professor Klaus Dodds and
Professor David Gilbert at Royal Holloway, and by Dr Tim Boon, Chief
Curator and John Liffen, Curator of Communications, at the Science
Museum..
Applications are invited from suitably qualified and/or experienced
candidates. A minimum of a 2.1 degree at undergraduate level is
normally
required in an appropriate subject area, plus a recognised
postgraduate
programme of research training or its equivalent in a relevant
specialist
area (e.g. media history, urban studies, cultural geography, modern
history, cultural studies, history of science or technology,
museum studies
etc).
An ability to work both independently and as part of a team will be
important to the success of the project.
Interested candidates are strongly recommended to contact either
Professor
Dodds or Professor Gilbert before making an application:
k.dodds@xxxxxxxxxx
and d.gilbert@xxxxxxxxxx
Full details of the studentship are available at:
http://www.gg.rhul.ac.uk/postgrads/AHRC-SM.html
All candidates must make a formal application for a PhD place at Royal
Holloway before Tuesday 27 May 2008. Applications can be made at
http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Studying/Admissions/pgapplication.html
Candidates should indicate clearly that they are applying for the AHRC
Collaborative PhD Studentship with the Science Museum, and should
attach a
full CV and short statement (max 1000 words) indicating their
suitability
for the project.
Short-listed candidates will be interviewed at the Science Museum
in June.
The studentship commences on 22 September 2008.