TECHNE Open Competition for Autumn 2025 entry

TECHNE comprises nine universities and is one of the ten Doctoral Training Partnerships awarded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). TECHNE's vision is to produce scholars who are highly motivated and prepared for academic, public or professional life. Its students will benefit from a diverse and rich range of training workshops and opportunities to engage with partners in the arts and cultural sector.

TECHNE will offer up to 60 doctoral awards per annum for students in the arts and humanities who are applying to undertake PhD study. This includes those who are applying initially as an MPhil student with the intention to upgrade to PhD study. October 2025 will be the last Techne cohort.

Application deadline: 12 noon, Thursday 14 November 2024.

TECHNE Open Event

There will be an online open evening hosted by the University of Westminster on 2 October 2024 4.30pm–6.30pm. This is an opportunity to meet Academics from all Techne institutions in your subject area or from an institution you are interested in studying at. Please register on Eventbrite.

Kingston School of Art Events

• Online Open Event (online): 10 October 6–8pm.
  Please register on Ticketsource for the Open Event.
• Techne Application workshop (online): 30 October 1–2pm.
  Please register on Ticketsource for the workshop.

For more information about the above events, please email ksaresearch-applications@kingston.ac.uk.

Open competition for doctoral awards

Kingston School of Art, Kingston University, has a vibrant PhD community with over 200 research students working across the arts and humanities.

We are now inviting applications to the last TECHNE Open Competition for doctoral awards through Kingston University for 2025 entry. Note that it is not possible to submit an application directly to TECHNE – you must apply through one of the member universities.

Please watch the Techne PhD Life Cycle videos if you are considering applying.

Learn more about the TECHNE research community.

TECHNE subject areas at Kingston University

• Architecture, urbanism and landscape – history, theory, reflective practice
• Archival practices – history, theory, practice
• Art history and critical theory
• Contemporary art practice
• Creative arts
• Creative writing
• Critical and Historical Studies: Art, Design, Film, Museums and Archives
• Curating
• Dance
• Design history and material culture
• Design for healthcare
• Design for sustainability
• Designer maker spaces
• Drama
• English language
• English literature
• Film practice
• Film and television studies
• Heritage, museum and galleries
• Illustration practice theory
• Media and culture/cultural studies
• Music
• Photography practice
• Photography, history, theory and culture
• Sound studies

Funding and eligibility

• UK applicants who have been resident in the UK for at least three years immediately preceding the start of their course are eligible for the full scholarship covering stipend and tuition fees.
• International students are eligible for a full stipend to support living costs and tuition fees at the UK Home rate. UKRI funding will not cover international fees set by universities. See KU tuition fees for more information about fees and EU/Irish eligibility for Home fees status.

Awards are available for both full-time and part-time students. AHRC eligibility criteria apply and all AHRC awards are subject to the AHRC and UKRI terms and conditions. Please ensure that you are familiar with them: they are set out in three documents which can be accessed on the AHRC website:

• Research Council Terms and Conditions of Training Grants
• UKRI Training Grant Guide
• AHRC's Training Grant Funding Guide

The full-time doctoral stipend for 2024/25 is £21,237; levels are likely to rise slightly each year. Awards will be for 3.5 years full-time or 7 years part-time.

Application process for doctoral funding

1. Read the TECHNE guidance notes

 Application guidance for students applying to TECHNE 2025 (PDF).

2. Contact a potential supervisor at Kingston University

This is to discuss your research proposal, the supervision that may be available, and whether you might be considered a suitable candidate for a TECHNE award. If you are not sure who to contact, please see the How to Apply section on the research webpages for Kingston School of Art.

Alternatively, please email the Faculty Research Student Coordinator for Kingston School of Art for advice, including "TECHNE" in the subject line.

3a. Draft application stage for new applicants

Complete a Kingston TECHNE Draft Application Form (word document) ready to attach to your Kingston online applications. Note that you do not need to complete sections 5 and 6 as this information is already covered by your online application.

Submit a Kingston University online application for October 2025 entry, attaching your draft TECHNE application form.

Email the faculty research student coordinator for Kingston School of Art with 'TECHNE' and your research area in the subject line, and confirm that you have applied online. Please include your application reference number.

Complete our short Equal Opportunities Form (note: this is anonymous and will not be linked to your application).

• Deadline: 12 noon (UK time) on Thursday 14 November 2024
• Interviews: held from week beginning 25 November onwards

Successful applicants will be invited to work on their application with a proposed supervisory team.

We work closely with researchers to develop their applications, so please leave plenty of time for this stage.

We actively support diversity in Higher Education and we are able to offer additional mentoring support to those from underrepresented groups including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic applicants, those with disabilities, carers, and first-generation university students. Please contact the faculty research student coordinator for further information.

3b. Draft application stage for current Kingston students

Please first check your eligibility and discuss your intention to apply with your supervisors and the PGR Coordinator for your subject area.

Complete a Kingston TECHNE Draft Application Form (word document) and add it to a OneDrive folder named "Techne application" and your name. Please share the OneDrive folder with your supervisors, and Emily Bowles, inviting them all as Editors.

Once you have done this please email the faculty research student coordinator for Kingston School of Art with 'TECHNE' and your research area in the subject line and include the link to your OneDrive folder.

Complete our short Equal Opportunities Form (note: this will not be linked to your application form).

Note that current Kingston PhD students do not need to complete a new KU online application form. You will, however, need to obtain an up-to-date reference from your supervisor discussing your progress so far.

Current students may not be required to attend another interview but may be invited for an informal meeting to discuss your research project.

• Deadline: 12 noon (UK time) on Thursday 14 November 2024

4. Final application stage (by invitation only)

Your draft application will be reviewed and, if successful, you will be given feedback and invited to submit a finalised application via the online Techne application portal. 

Assessment process

If successful at interview you will receive further support to develop your application which will then be considered by an internal panel of subject experts at Kingston University. You will be informed of the outcome by 14 February 2025. If successful, you may be given further feedback to help improve your application which will need to be completed by 18 February 2025.

If your application does go forward, Techne will contact you with the outcome of your application by early May.

Further details of the assessment process can be found on the TECHNE website.

Enquiries are best addressed to the relevant faculty or potential supervisor, but general questions may be sent to: rachel.graham@kingston.ac.uk.