The Royal Historical Society (RHS) is delighted to announce the award of six Masters’ Scholarships, each worth £5000, to students from groups underrepresented in academic History, who will begin an MA degree at a UK university, 2022-23.

The Masters’ Scholarships seek to address underrepresentation and encourage Black and Asian students to consider academic research in History. By doing so, we hope to improve the educational experience of six early career historians engaging in a further degree from September 2022.

The scheme initially intended to offer four Scholarships in 2022; however, the quality of applications was such that awards are being made to a further two students for this inaugural year. Five of these awards will be supported by the Society. We are extremely grateful to an anonymous donor who will fund the sixth scholarship.

The Society received many strong applications from students from underrepresented groups looking to train as historians. The Masters’ programme will continue in 2023 with a new round of awards, and we hope other organisations will join with us to ensure more Masters’ students may be funded in 2023-24.

The six recipients of this year’s Scholarships will study, full- or part-time, for MAs in History at the universities of Cambridge, Lancaster, Nottingham, the School of Oriental and African Studies, Strathclyde and University College London. Recipients will also become Postgraduate members of the RHS.

 

The Royal Historical Society is very pleased to offer this first set of Masters’ Scholarships, and to provide additional financial support to six talented early career historians as they progress to postgraduate study.

This year’s programme has made clear the very real need for such support. The Society will continue the scheme for 2023-24, and we now seek ways to assist more students from underrepresented groups to consider and pursue a Masters’ course in History. By collaborating with partner organisations, we can help to address the inequalities that prevent many talented undergraduate historians from continuing in higher education.

We wish this year’s six recipients well in their studies, and look forward to welcoming them in the Society and hearing more about their work in the coming months. We are also extremely grateful to the generous donor who has made possible a sixth award in 2022.

Professor Emma Griffin, President of the Royal Historical Society

 

Individuals and organisations interested in partnering with the Society for the 2023 programme, in whatever way they can, are welcome to get in touch: president@royalhistsoc.org. Further details of the Masters’ Scholarships programme are available here.