Studentship at Science Museum, London and and Imperial College London

AHRC Collaborative PhD studentship:
"Conserving Doped Fabric Aircraft: historic origins to heritage
    outcomes"
Science Museum and Imperial College London

Supervisors: Dr Louisa Burden and Professor Mary Ryan
Duration: 36 months

Applications are invited for a fully funded PhD studentship for
three years offered as an Arts and Humanities Research Council
(AHRC) funded Collaborative Doctoral Award between Imperial College
London and the Science Museum.  This is an exciting opportunity for
a science graduate with an interest in the arts to apply the
principles of surface science to the conservation of materials in
museum collections.  The doctorate will be jointly supervised by
Professor Mary Ryan (Imperial) and Dr Louisa Burden (SM).

The project will investigate the history and current practice of
manufacture and repair systems for fabric skinned aircraft now held
in the Science Museum collections.  This will range from the
earliest repairs to those used within the last 5 years, identify
damage mechanisms related to the deterioration of the fabric and
develop practical recommendations for future repairs using a sound
ethical conservation approach.  The studentship will be based at
Imperial College, with regular interaction with conservation
scientists at the Science Museum.  You will work within a team of
dynamic PhD Students and Research Associates, in newly refurbished
laboratories on the South Kensington Campus.  You will have access
to advanced characterization facilities within the department
(including SIMS, LEIS, FIB SIMS, Titan 80/300 TEM/STEM and the
recently funded ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy (APPES)
facility).

You should have a strong interest in working in an interdisciplinary
environment; have a background in a relevant discipline with an
upper-second or first class degree (or equivalent) in material
science, chemistry, physics or a related discipline and have an
enquiring and rigorous approach to your work. For those meeting the
criterion of having been ordinarily resident in the UK for the past
three years, the studentship will cover fees at the home/EU rate
plus the standard maintenance stipend of UKP15,863 per annum.  Both
partners will provide opportunities for training and career
development, including a new joint training programme for all
Collaborative Doctoral Award students supported by London-based
National Museums, the British Library and the National Archives. The
successful student must also meet residency eligibility requirements
for the Arts and Humanities Research Council Postgraduate
Studentships

    <URL:http://www.ahrc.ac.uk>

Applications will be assessed as received.  Formal applications can
be completed online (only after informal enquiries):

    <URL:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/materials/research/phdopportunities>

while information about the Department can be found at

    <URL:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/materials>

Informal enquiries and requests for additional technical information
for this post can be made via email to Professor Mary Ryan
<m.p.ryan<-a t->imperial< . >ac< . >uk>.  For questions regarding the admissions
process, please contact Fiona Thomson <fiona.thomson<-a t->imperial< . >ac< . >uk>

Closing date: 26 June 2014

Jannicke Langfeldt
Conservation and Collections Care Manager
Science Museum


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 28:2
                   Distributed: Monday, June 16, 2014
                        Message Id: cdl-28-2-020
                                  ***