PhD Placement - Cataloguing and Rehousing the Royal Photographic Society Collection

About the V&A PhD Placement Scheme

The V&A PhD Placement Scheme offers PhD researchers in the UK and internationally the chance to gain professional experience outside a university setting. Placements are designed by V&A staff across collections departments, archives, the National Art Library, research, and collections care and access. Through them, researchers contribute to the V&A's strategic objectives. Alongside hands-on experience and mentoring from their supervisors, placement students can join the museum's wider programme of workshops, talks and postgraduate training, as well as a training package designed for the placement cohort.

V&A doctoral placements are unpaid and are only open to students currently studying on a funded PhD programme. Applicants will be asked to show that they receive a stipend for the duration of the placement that is at least equivalent to the UKRI national minimum doctoral rate. International students are welcome to apply.

About the Role

The V&A holds the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) Collection, one of the most significant photography collections in the world. This placement introduces core archive practice through work on a series of photographic documentary material in the RPS Archive's institutional records. You'll help to describe, catalogue and rehouse the series, and use it as a practical case study to learn how archives are organised, described and preserved so that material is physically safe and discoverable by researchers. You'll also come to understand photographs not only as images, but as records and physical objects with their own provenance, histories and material needs. The placement is supervised by Isidora Bell, Project Manager for the Royal Photographic Society.

Our mission is to be recognised as the world's leading museum of art, design and performance, and to enrich people's lives by promoting research, knowledge and enjoyment of the designed world to the widest possible audience. We strive to make the V&A matter to more people and in that context we work to the following six strategic objectives:

• To create a world class visitor and learning experience across all V&A sites and collections.

• Focus and deepen the relevance of our collections to the UK creative and knowledge economy.

• Expand the V&A's international reach, reputation and impact.

• To operate with financial and organisational initiative and efficiency.

• Showcase the best of digital design and deliver an outstanding digital experience.

• Diversify and increase private and commercial funding sources.