PhD Studentship – Family Separation

This is a European Research Council-funded PhD studentship examining family separation during wartime. The successful student will conduct historical research on family separation and/or reunification during the First or Second World War, including the period immediately after. The PhD topic should be based on original research using sources such as archives, published or unpublished memoirs, and oral history. Examples include familial separation during invasion, occupation, civil war, emigration or incarceration, the impact of military men's absence, child evacuees (including Kindertransport), letters used by separated families, and post-war family reconstruction. The studentship provides stipend-only funding over three years starting in September 2026. The PhD will be supervised by Professor Juliette Pattinson and Dr Rebekka Friedman in the King's College London War Studies Department. This represents a unique opportunity for a PhD student to be part of a small community of faculty and postdoctoral scholars working on an interdisciplinary and topical area of knowledge. The stipend amount is higher than the standard UKRI rate which enables the awardee to offset part of the tuition fee. This is a two-stage application process requiring first an Expression of Interest with CV, cover letter, and writing sample, followed by a formal research proposal for shortlisted candidates. The successful candidate must complete the PhD in person in the Department of War Studies and be on campus 1-2 days per week. Contemporary cases of family separation or field research proposals will not be considered.