SGSAH funds PhDs across the full range of arts and humanities disciplinary areas supported by the AHRC. For 2021, SGSAH has designated the following strategic themes and priority areas:

• Modern Languages
• Celtic Languages and Studies
• Creative Industries/Economies
• Cultural and Heritage Studies
• Environmental Humanities
• Equalities, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice

Modern Languages: SGSAH recognizes the central importance of developing future research leaders with an open and global outlook as well as acknowledging the potential threat to the discipline posed by low application numbers. This priority area links to SGSAH’s Modern Languages Discipline+ Catalyst. 

Celtic Languages and Studies: Coincident with SGSAH’s prioritization of recruitment activity to Modern Languages, we intend to capitalize and build on the legacy of the AHRC Centre for Doctoral Training for Celtic Languages (led by the University of Glasgow), which had significant impact on connectivity across the UK and has benefited all students undertaking research in this area. This priority area links to SGSAH’s Modern Languages Discipline+ Catalyst. 

Creative Industries/Economies: Alongside the establishment of SGSAH’s Creative Economy Knowledge Exchange Hub in 2019, SGSAH seeks to prioritise studentships within the areas of creative industries and economies, both within the formal CDA (collaborative doctoral award) scheme, but also for projects in the open competition which seek to explore aspects of the creative industries and economy. 

Cultural and Heritage Studies: Alongside the establishment of SGSAH’s Heritage Knowledge Exchange Hub in 2019, SGSAH seeks to prioritise studentships within the areas of cultural and heritage studies, both within the formal CDA (collaborative doctoral award) scheme, but also for projects in the open competition which seek to explore aspects of heritage. 

Environmental Humanities: In addition to the areas above, SGSAH seeks to recruit doctoral researchers working on projects relating to environmental crisis, climate change and the anthropocene across a variety of disciplinary, multi- and interdisciplinary approaches. 

Equalities, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice: SGSAH additionally seeks to recruit doctoral researchers working on projects relating to aspects of social justice within arts and humanities contexts, including projects which examine aspects of decolonising academia or focusing on under-represented or studied demographics (historically or in the present day, across a range of disciplinary, multi- and interdisciplinary approaches. 

NB. SGSAH is not permitted to ringfence funding for these strategic themes and priority areas, and applicants can apply in any subject area. However, we strongly encourage applications within our strategic themes and priority areas, and for applicants to indicate if their applications fall within one or more of them.

First published: 21 October 2020