Royal Holloway has become one of only 50 higher education institutions to receive the Doctoral Landscape studentship funding by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

AHRC’s funding of landscape awards will support the equivalent of at least 150 discovery-led student projects per year, in higher education institutions across all regions and nations of the UK.

In light of rising costs to support doctoral study, investment needs to be provided to ensure the sector continues to enable outstanding students to engage with the highest quality of collaborative, cohort-based and interdisciplinary research training for arts and humanities.

Royal Holloway will use the funding to support innovative research projects that draw upon our strengths with interdisciplinary and collaborative working.

The University will build on its knowledge gained through leading AHRC Techne and the Economic Social Research Council and South East Doctoral Training Doctoral Training Partnerships to implement widening participation initiatives.

This will begin with supporting the development of applications through to supporting awardees throughout their postgraduate researcher experience.

It will allow the University to recognise, support, and develop doctoral researchers in Arts and Humanities.

Professor Dawn Watling, from the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, said: “We are very pleased to be announced as one of the 50 institutions to receive the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award.

“This reflects Royal Holloway’s strength as research leaders in the Arts and Humanities, our strength and commitment to widening access and to building collaborative research training and projects that will support the development of future research leaders in the Arts and Humanities.”

Professor Ruth Livesey, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) at Royal Holloway, added: “The AHRC Doctoral Landscape award enables us to support and develop outstanding researchers and practitioners at the beginning of their careers.

“As future research leaders, doctoral students are a key part of Royal Holloway’s strategy and of our community here.

“This Award enables us to support more of these brilliant minds, and to develop future-facing collaborating with regional partners, building new pathways to innovation and creativity for doctoral researchers in the arts and humanities.”