PhD research on the Collections

Little-researched items in the Society’s Collections are being delved into by doctoral students and a new round of projects has just been selected. 

Partnering with the Royal Society, and working with universities, the Society is supporting nine doctoral studentships. The research is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council through their Collaborative Doctoral Programme. 

The first studentships were awarded in 2013 and applications are opening for the second round of studentships, which will commence in autumn 2014. The projects for 2014 are: 

• ‘Picturing Mato Grosso, 1967-69: Expeditionary Science and Salvage Fieldwork' (Birkbeck, University of London) 
• 'Geography in Dialogue: Print Culture at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), c. 1830–c. 2000’ (Royal Holloway, University of London
• 'Scientific Instruments and Expeditionary Science in the Nineteenth Century: Robert Were Fox’s Dip Circle' (University of Glasgow)

Through this and previous funding schemes, the Society currently supports eight PhD students through Collaborative Doctoral Awards. Emily Hayes is in the third year of her research on the Society’s lantern slides (small glass plates designed to be projected). “I think they are unique collections which are of world value and deserve to be brought to wider light,” she says. "I’ve been really lucky have been based at the Society and to have had access to the Collections on daily basis.“ 

Emily is giving a Be Inspired talk on Monday 2 June. Held at the Society in London, this talk is open to members (free) and non-members (£5).