Robinson Bequest Bursaries and Special Placements

Applications for seven Robinson Bequest bursaries are now open until midnight on Friday 25^th October.

These placements are all aimed at Masters and Doctoral students studying at Newcastle University who are interested in gaining experience of working and researching in Archives and Special Collections services or working with the Academic Skills Team. They are additional to any government or university funding.

The number of bursaries available is agreed each year between the University Library and the Development Trust which administers the generous bequest left to the Library by Philip and Marjorie Robinson.

About the awards

• Each bursary is worth £3,000 per annum (paid in 3 instalments) and is tenable for one year.
• Applications will be shortlisted and shortlisted candidates will be invited to the Philip Robinson Library for an informal interview.
• Successful candidates will have the opportunity to gain work experience in the Library’s Special Collections and Archives and Education Outreach departments or the Academic Skills Team for 100 hours spread over the academic year.
• The awards provide opportunities to students to gain an insight into the management of Special Collections and Archives service or the Academic Skills Team to complement their studies and to develop their graduate skills and enhance their employability.

There are three areas in which the Bequest bursaries are being offered this year:

Academic Skills: Content Creation/ Technical and Scientific Academic Skills Resource Development

Academic Skills Team (1 bursary): You will be based within the Library Academic Skills team. We are looking for one person to help create and produce resources around a range of topics including notetaking, reading strategies and content to enhance the current “Understanding Academic Culture Collection” on ASK. Working with the team you will help us create relevant, inclusive resources to sit on ASK as well as social media channels which support students with bite-sized content.

The project would include working with Academic Skills to:

• Design and script the resources, embedding the student voice.
• Creation of the resources including if required, being filmed.
• Reviewing and editing the resources ensuring that the tone and content is appropriate and relevant for students.
• Support with framing the resources on the Academic Skills Kit
• Planning out social media posts and content to be shared in line with key points in the academic calendar.
• Signpost and promote the resources on a range of platforms.

Academic Skills Team (1 bursary): You will be based within the Library Academic Skills Team. We are looking for one person to help us create resources to support students with technical and scientific related academic skills such as technical report writing and writing lab reports with a focus on supporting students studying science, engineering, and computing subjects. 

The project would include working with Academic Skills Team to:

Use student feedback and undertake a benchmarking exercise across comparable institutions to establish the content and type of resources required.

• Design and script the resources, embedding the student voice.
• Support the creation of the resources.
• Review and edit the resources ensuring that the tone and content is appropriate and relevant for the students.
• Support with framing the resources on the Academic Skills Kit
• Signpost and promote the resources on a range of platforms.

Testimonies From previous Bequest holders:

I like that whenever I come into the library, I see a project I worked on and put a lot of time and effort into. Being a reading room supervisor held a lot of responsibility which I enjoyed. I love speaking to the readers who come in and I found my confidence in this part of my role develop very quickly. - MA History placement

This opportunity has been an exceptional experience from which I have gained so many skills and further knowledge. - PhD English Literature

Everyone in the Special Collections team was helpful, encouraging, and friendly which made the transition to working in the reading room so much easier. My experience of the Philip Robinson Bursary is overwhelmingly positive, and I would encourage all MA and Postgrad students to consider it. MA Archaeology with Museum Studies

The Special Collections room offers a safe, calm and productive environment in which to do some interesting research in. - PhD Glaciology

I thoroughly enjoyed working with the Education Outreach team as they always provided so much support, humour and expertise that made the placement such a wonderful place to work, even whilst I was completing my Masters.   - MRes Medical & Molecular Biosciences student.

As a current second year PhD student,  I am still in the data collection and data analysis stage, but the skills I have developed while on the placement will be useful as I look towards seeking publication in academic journals and writing chapters of my thesis. - PhD student, SNES

Eligibility

• You must be a Masters or Doctoral student and be a registered student at Newcastle University.
• You should be able to demonstrate a link between your studies and the Library’s Special Collections and Archives/Outreach work/ Academic Skills Team and the aims of the placement.
• You must be able to commit to spend up to 100 hours in the University Library during the academic year.
• You must be available on a regular basis throughout the year (hours will be agreed with successful applicants). There is a degree of flexibility, but the expectation will be that agreed hours are honoured.

How to apply

You should send your application to Sara Bellwood in the Philip Robinson Library (email: sara.bellwood@ncl.ac.uk) Please ensure that you include:

• A personal statement detailing how the Library would benefit from your skills and experience and how you think you would benefit from work experience in the Library. The statement should indicate a clear link between your studies or research and the Library’s special collections and archives/outreach work/ Academic Skills Team.
• A full curriculum vitae (including your University email address).
• The names and contact details of two referees (at least one of these should be an academic referee).
• Please specify in your email which strand of the bursaries you would like to apply for – Core Collections , Collections for Teaching or Academic Skills.

The closing date for applications is: Midnight on Friday 25^th October.