UPDATE 10 November 2022: The Robert Anderson Research Charitable Trust (RARCT) invites postgraduate students and scholars to apply for the opportunity to visit London in 2023 for a period of one month of intensive study and research.

Approximately twenty places will be available and the successful candidates will be accommodated in one of the Trust’s two properties, in the Highgate and Kensington districts of London respectively.

Further information about the scholars who visited us in 2022 is available here.

The Trust provides £150 to all successful candidates to assist with the costs of travel within London. Additional funds may be provided to assist candidates who would otherwise not be able to take up an award. The Trust cannot otherwise cover any additional costs e.g. of flights, subsistence etc.

Priority will be given to those who stand to benefit most from a visit in terms of their work and future careers. Our visitors are often specialists in subjects in which the Founder, Robert Anderson, was actively involved, particularly musicology, archaeology, classical history and Egyptology. Many come from countries with which Dr Anderson had particular connections, including Egypt and other countries of the Middle East, Greece, Turkey, Russia, Poland, Serbia, and Ukraine. We encourage applications from specialists in all subjects, however, and from anywhere in the world. A list of those awarded places in 2022 is here.

Conditions

• Applicants must be current MA / PhD students or within five years of having been awarded their MA / PhD.
• They must have a good grasp of English in both spoken and written forms.
• The successful candidates will be offered a place to be taken up between April and November 2023 (inclusive).
• Candidates who have visited London with the Trust in the past may apply for a second visit but awards will not be given to the same person more than twice.
• Candidates are required to make their own provision for 1) travel insurance and 2) health insurance cover unless reciprocal arrangements exist between their country and the UK, and to advise the Trust of any pre-existing medical condition or other circumstances (e.g. pregnancy) which might affect their visit to London.

To apply: Applicants should complete the online application form, here and are also asked to send a letter of recommendation from a tutor or supervisor by e-mail to: cnaunton@robertandersontrust.org.

The deadline for applications is 5.00 pm (UK time) on Wednesday 4 January 2023. No application received after that time will be considered. If necessary, interviews for shortlisted candidates will be conducted via Skype in January or February 2023; applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application no later than Friday 10 February 2023.

Any enquiries should also be sent via the contact form here.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

When an award is made:

Once an offer of an award has been made the successful candidate will be asked to accept or decline within seven days; it may be possible to adjust the timing of a visit depending on the availability of rooms within the London premises, but once an offer has been accepted it will not normally be possible to make any further changes.

All successful candidates are asked to make the necessary application to secure a UK entry visa (if required) three months in advance of the visit, and also to arrange their travel to the UK in good time, to ensure no delays. We also ask candidates to provide a letter confirming that their university or employer will release them for the period of their stay in London.

Guidance on applying for a visa to enter the UK is available here.

On arrival in the UK:

The Trust’s representatives receive all visitors in person, assisting them in settling into their surroundings, and making introductions to libraries and academic colleagues if necessary.

The Trust encourages independent study however, and all candidates are asked to make arrangements well in advance as regards, for example, initiating library applications; reserving space in specialist libraries, and requesting specialist literature or access to specialist items.

Accommodation:

Visitors are provided with a private bedroom with bedding and towels, and access to a shared kitchen and bathroom. There are also communal areas and free access to wifi. The Trust does not provide any other IT facilities however and candidates will be required to bring their own computer or similar device to undertake their work. Candidates will be asked to ensure that all work undertaken electronically during their stay is backed up – the Trust will not be responsible for the cost to recover any data lost as a result of device failure.

Both the Trust’s properties are private homes, occupied by Trust representatives, and also by lodgers and other beneficiaries of the Trust including, in Kensington, its resident music scholar. As facilities in both houses including the kitchens and bathrooms are shared, visitors are asked at all times to help keep these areas clean and tidy, and to respect the privacy of other residents.