Stipendium: 12 PhD scholarships Leverhulme Amplification Project 2025 (Huddersfield, UK)

The Department of Media, Humanities and the Arts at the University of Huddersfield is pleased to invite applications for 12 full scholarships for PhD studies as part of the Amplification Project, for new UK, EU and International PhD students, starting in April 2025.

Deadline: 21 January 2025.

The scholarship is open to applicants from the UK or overseas who are engaged in research on any subject related to amplification and its contribution to music cultures. Projects may be analytical, theoretical, socio-cultural, empirical, historical, or ethnomusicological. Relevant topics might include but are not limited to:

The role of the amplifier and associated technologies in musical practice, listener experience, and social and cultural life;

  • Studies involving loudspeakers or microphones;

  • Musical instrument amplifiers;

  • Pedals and effects and their relationships with amplification;

  • History of science and technology focused on amplification technical design and engineering;

  • Music cultural studies analyzing broad cultural trends related to amplification

  • Ethnography or ethnomusicology projects focused on amplification related material;

  • Oral history research focused on amplification related stories

  • Music theory or analysis related to amplification;

  • The relation of DJ cultures and electronic music dance cultures to amplification;

  • Soundsystem cultures related to Jamaican or hip hop cultures;

  • Focus on the role of amplification in rock or metal;

  • Studies focused on amplification and music cognition;

  • Research that explores amplification related material in terms of environment and architectural acoustics in public and private space including music venues;

  • The role of amplification and related technologies in keyboards and synthesizers;

The successful candidate’s primary affiliation will be within the Popular Music Studies Research Group (PMSRG), which is part of the Centre for Research in Music and its Technologies (CRMT). The PMSRG is a hub for research around popular music. It has a track record of international research events such as: the Practice Based and Led Popular Music Studies Research Symposium in 2017; the Crosstown Traffic Conference, a joint event with academic societies specialised in the art of record production (ARP), popular music (IASPM), and electronic dance music (Dancecult) in 2018; the Ambient @ 40 symposium in 2018; the symposium Afro-Futurism, Arena Rap, The Self-Producer in 2021; the industry-focused day Creative Sampling, Sound Design, Artificial Intelligence in Mixing in 2022; the Dancecult Conference in 2023.

The successful candidate can expect:

  • Full payment of tuition fees.

  • An annual stipend of £19,237 per year for 4 years.

  • Full-time PhD study for four years beginning in April 2025.

  • Supervision from relevant staff, including, if appropriate to the subject of the research project, some support from Leverhulme Professor Steve Waksman.

  • Opportunities for contribution to the Amplification Project, collaborative projects, publication, and the possibility of gaining teaching experience.

  • Access to the Teaching Assistant Preparation Programme (TAPP), which can lead to the qualification of Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA).

  • Access to additional financial support through the Postgraduate Support Fund of the School of Arts and Humanities.

The successful candidate will be required to be resident in or near Huddersfield during the period of registration.

With over 100 students representing numerous fields of study and more than 20 nationalities, our postgraduate community is a vital, diverse and vibrant part of the department. The University features a wide range of music, music technology, and production facilities. All studios are equipped with top-of-the-line hardware, software and plug-ins, and we offer an impressive collection of industry-leading microphones and recording equipment. The University of Huddersfield is ranked 20th in the world for Music in the QS World University Subject Rankings, and in the Times World University Rankings Arts and Humanities at the University of Huddersfield is ranked in the top 300. Huddersfield was ranked 5th for Music in the recent 2021 Research Excellence Framework results ranking UK Higher Education Research, one of only four departments to achieve a 4* ranking for its research environment.

Additional information: https://research.hud.ac.uk/music/

To apply: https://www.hud.ac.uk/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

Closing date: 21 January 2025.

Applications should be accompanied by a proposal outlining your proposed project, samples of written work, or examples of other materials relevant to the scope of the scholarship. Please indicate clearly on the online application form that you are applying for the Leverhulme Amplification Project PhD Scholarship.

Enquiries: 

Prof. Rupert Till (Professor of Music); r.till[at]hud[dot]ac[dot]uk

Dr Jan Herbst (Music and Music Technology Research Coordinator); J.Herbst[at]hud[dot]ac[dot]uk

News, ScholarshipHelene Heuser