The RoleAs part of the V&A's Doctoral Placement Programme, we are pleased to offer a unique opportunity for a PhD student to undertake a short-term research placement within the Conservation and Science section of the museum. The V&A's doctoral placements are designed to support early-career training by offering hands-on, mentored experience within the museum's collections, research, and conservation departments. In addition to project-based supervision, placement students are invited to participate in museum-wide training and postgraduate professional development opportunities.This placement will focus on the non-invasive scientific analysis of four Western illuminated manuscript cuttings from the V&A's collection. Working closely with conservation scientists, the student will apply techniques such as infrared reflectography, digital microscopy, XRF mapping, and Raman microscopy to explore materials, assess authenticity, and refine dating and attribution. The research will inform provenance narratives, support conservation decision-making, and contribute to catalogue enhancement and future scholarly outputs.In addition to producing an internal scientific report and enhanced object records, the student will be expected to publish a blog post and deliver an internal presentation of findings. Depending on the outcome of the research, there may also be the opportunity to co-author a peer-reviewed article. This placement is particularly well suited to a student with an interest in heritage science, manuscript studies, or technical art history, and offers direct experience with cross-disciplinary museum research.Please note that V&A doctoral placements are unpaid and open only to students currently enrolled on a funded PhD programme. Students must be in receipt of a stipend equivalent to or above the UKRI minimum doctoral rate for the duration of the placement. Some remote working may be possible, but attendance on-site at the museum will be required for key aspects of the research. For full eligibility and application details, please consult the Application Guidance.The CompanyThe Company has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years. We have a vast number of employees, and provide support to clients from all over the country.
