Overview
Oral histories provide a direct route to the past through people’s memories and experiences, with opportunities to transcend lifetimes and recall generational narratives, providing valuable insights into local histories of place. Working with the National Trust you will explore how oral histories in combination with archives can be used to engage communities in Northern Ireland with the challenging and sometimes (in)tangible aspect of climate change, and its impacts on coastal communities.
About this opportunity
Background
To date there has been limited exploration in Northern Ireland of how oral histories, especially those connected to historic landscapes, places and buildings, can be used to engage coastal communities with climate action. Oral histories provide a direct route to the past through people’s memories and experiences, with opportunities to transcend lifetimes and recall generational narratives, providing valuable insights into local histories of place that are often missing or lost from traditional or formal historical narratives. When combined with sources like archival materials, newspapers, photographs and historic buildings, such accounts offer opportunities for local experiences and/or understandings of change to be recalled and explored. Whilst oral histories are a common and widely used approach in Environmental History, here we seek to extend their use, to explore how such knowledges can be integrated into climate adaptation and resilience planning within local coastal communities in Northern Ireland.
Aim and objectives
To explore the potential of oral histories as a tool in developing and inspiring local adaptation and resilience to climate change at National Trust sites in Northern Ireland.
- Identify existing collections of oral histories exploring accounts of place and environment in Northen Ireland
- Undertake targeted oral history collection.
- Examine how oral histories can be used to illicit engagement and action in Northern Ireland
- Critically identify how oral histories can be used to advocate for climate resilience and adaptation
Methods
It is anticipated that there will be three primary aspects to this research: i) Oral histories, ii) archival analysis and iii) community engagement. Specialist training is available in all aspects as part of the PhD. It is expected that this studentship will contribute to scholarly communities working in environmental history, archival studies, and landscape change and management. In a cultural, intellectual sense the work will afford important insights into how individuals and societies have been affected by, coped with and conceptualized environments and environmental change past, present and within different potential futures.
This project is offered as part of The AHRC-NERC Living Well with Water [LWwW] Doctoral Focal Award at the University’s of Hull and Liverpool, in partnership with National Trust, Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and Tate Liverpool. By applying for one of our fully funded interdisciplinary doctoral awards you will explore the relationship between water, culture and community in coastal regions and become part of a new generation of researchers shaping solutions to urgent human and planetary health challenges.
You will participate in our innovative doctoral training programme, undertake a placement with one of our partner organisations, and learn research skills transferable to a variety of future careers. https://www.hull.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/funded-opportunities/living-well-with-water
Further reading
Please join our webinar on Wednesday 14th January at 6 pm to hear about these exciting opportunities Living Well with Water Doctoral Focal Awards: Fully Funded Opportunities in Water and Wellbeing Research Webinar | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams
Who is this for?
Candidates will have, or be due to obtain, a Master’s Degree or equivalent in a relevant subject. Exceptional candidates with a First Class Bachelor’s Degree in an appropriate field or significant professional experience will also be considered.
How to apply
- Contact supervisors: Candidates wishing to apply should complete the University of Liverpool application form to apply for a PhD in Geography (lab) LGPR.Please review our guide on How to apply for a PhD | Postgraduate research | University of Liverpool carefully and complete the online postgraduate research application form to apply for this PhD project. Please ensure you include the project title and reference number LWwW007 when applying.You will also need to complete a Living Well with Water Doctoral Focal Award Supplementary Application Form which you can download here and upload your completed form, alongside the other supporting documents requested below.As part of our inclusive practices, the Living Well with Water Doctoral Focal Award adopts a process of assessing applications purely based on skills and attributes and does not consider any personal details. As such, we ask applicants to remove any personal details from the Supplementary Form which is used by the Panel to assess and select applicants for interview. The form asks for details of your education, training and employment history as well as some specific questions about your motivations and research experience and interests. It is very important that you do not include any personally identifying information such as name, age, gender, ethnic group, nationality etc.Supervisors:Prof. Neil MacdonaldNeil.macdonald@liverpool.ac.ukProfessor Neil Macdonald | Our people | University of LiverpoolProf. Briony McDonaghProfessor Briony McDonagh | University of HullDr Jade BermanNational Trust
- Prepare your application documentsPrepare your application documentsYou may need the following documents to complete your online application:
- University transcripts and degree certificates to date
- Passport details
- English language certificates (international applicants only)
- A personal statement
- A curriculum vitae (CV)
- Names and contact details of two referees.
- ApplyFinally, register and apply online. You’ll receive an email acknowledgment once you’ve submitted your application. We’ll be in touch with further details about what happens next.
Funding your PhD
The Living Well with Water Doctoral Focal Awards is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), allowing us to provide scholarships that cover 3.5years of fees plus a stipend set at the UKRI nationally agreed rates. The stipend is currently ÂŁ21,196 per annum at 2026/27 rates and will increase in line with the UKRI guidelines for subsequent years (subject to progress).
The Studentship also comes with access to additional funding in the form of a Research Training Support Grant to fund consumables, conference attendance, etc.
UKRI Studentships are available to any prospective student wishing to apply including both home and international students. While UKRI funding will not cover international fees, a limited number of scholarships to meet the fee difference will be available to support outstanding international students.
We want all of our Staff and Students to feel that Liverpool is an inclusive and welcoming environment that actively celebrates and encourages diversity. We are committed to working with students to make all reasonable project adaptations including supporting those with caring responsibilities, disabilities or other personal circumstances. For example, If you have a disability you may be entitled to a Disabled Students Allowance on top of your studentship to help cover the costs of any additional support that a person studying for a doctorate might need as a result. We believe everyone deserves an excellent education and encourage students from all backgrounds and personal circumstances to apply.
Contact us
Have a question about this research opportunity or studying a PhD with us? Please get in touch with us, using the contact details below, and we’ll be happy to assist you.
