Les espaces de la santé

Phd opportunity "Spaces of Health: Connecting Past and Present Experiences of Health and Wellbeing in Heritage" 

Call for applications

 

Historic England and the University of Leeds are pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded, four-year Collaborative Doctoral Studentship from 1 October 2026 under the AHRC’s Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships (CDP) scheme.

From historic hospital buildings to medical museums, England’s health heritage has a powerful role to play in supporting wellbeing — but we don’t yet know how. This PhD project will uncover how these unique sites can draw on their own histories and collections to benefit communities now and in the future. It explores how England’s rich medical and healthcare heritage can be used to support public health and community wellbeing today. While heritage engagement is widely recognised as beneficial, we know surprisingly little about how sites with historic ties to medicine – from former hospital buildings and clinics to medical museums – might offer unique opportunities for promoting wellbeing. These health-related heritage institutions (HRHIs) have distinctive histories that shape how people experience them, yet their potential as public health assets remains underexplored. 

The research project will investigate that potential through a national study of HRHIs in England, complemented by at least two in-depth case studies with additional project partners: St Bartholomew’s Hospital and the Thackray Museum of Medicine. This combination of breadth and depth will allow the researcher to map the landscape of England’s health heritage while also examining, up close, how specific institutions engage visitors, interpret their histories, and design wellbeing-focused programmes. 

Working with archives, collections, heritage professionals, and community participants, the project will develop new insights into how HRHIs can use their unique legacies to benefit local communities. 

You will have the opportunity to shape the project based on your interests, background and experience. Indicative research questions might include: 

• How can HRHIs work most effectively to promote community and audience health and wellbeing?
• How and why do historic and contemporary associations of places with healthcare impact on audience and community experience?
• What are the most effective approaches that HRHIs can take to promote health through their collections?
• What can we extrapolate from the experience of HRHIs to inform practice across the wider heritage sector?

The project will be jointly supervised by researchers at the University of Leeds (James Stark and Helen Graham) and heritage professionals at Historic England (Linda Monckton and Simon Taylor).

The student will be expected to spend time at both Historic England and the University of Leeds, as well as becoming part of the wider cohort of CDP funded students across the UK under the AHRC’s CDP scheme.

This PhD opportunity provides full tuition fees, a maintenance stipend set at UKRI rates (£21,805 for full-time in 2026/27, pro-rata for part-time candidates), and generous travel and training allowances, and is open to both Home and International fee applicants. You can find full details of the award and application process here. 

Deadline: 5pm (UK time) 1 May 2026, with interviews for shortlisted candidates in early June.