The University has welcomed the addition of two new members to the Consortium for Humanities and the Arts South-East England (CHASE).
The new members – SOAS, University of London, and Birkbeck, University of London – bring internationally significant research strengths in the arts and humanities to the Consortium, and will contribute to the development of a distinctive CHASE research environment.
Funded by a £17m award from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and more than £10m from its partner institutions (Kent, Courtauld Institute of Art, Goldsmiths, University of London, the Open University, and the Universities of East Anglia, Essex and Sussex), the CHASE Doctorial Training Partnership (DTP) aims to create a research environment that supports a new generation of doctoral students in creating their own cultures of research and practice.
Successful applicants to the Consortium have their fees paid, as well as receiving a stipend to cover living expenses (where eligible), and access to further funds for research expenses. In addition, CHASE-funded students have the opportunity of doing a placement with one of the partner organisations, to apply research skills in a work environment.
Amongst its objectives, CHASE aims to support over 375 PhD students in the arts and humanities across the participating institutions for the next five years.
Whilst Birkbeck and SOAS will not receive studentship funding from the AHRC DTP award, their PhD students will be participating in ‘cohort development’ events supported by the AHRC grant, and the two institutions will make financial contributions to the CHASE cohort development fund.
Professor Diane Houston, Dean of the Graduate School and CHASE Strategy Board Member said: ‘The University of Kent is looking forward to working with Birkbeck and SOAS as part of CHASE. Our new partners will contribute to the development of the CHASE research environment and provide our postgraduate researchers with access to a wider arts and humanities research community.’
Dr Simon Kirchin, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Kent’s Academic Lead for CHASE, added: ‘I am very excited about these new additions to CHASE. Birkbeck and SOAS have subjects and academic departments that will strengthen and complement all that we already offer, both at Kent and the wider consortium.’
Further information is available from the CHASE website or Kent’s postgraduate scholarships and loans section.