Routledge/Round Table Commonwealth Studentships

Proposed research must meet at least one of the following criteria: 

• Relate to the Commonwealth as a whole or to any Commonwealth-wide institution or organisation.
• Have a Commonwealth comparative aspect.
• Be of relevance to more than one Commonwealth country.

Successful applicants will be required to submit an article of between 4,000 and 6,000 words based on their research, for consideration for publication in The Round Table journal. They will also be required to make a podcast on their research, for publication on the journal’s website. 

Mentorship

As part of the studentship, applicants are required to identify and work with a mentor at a university in a Commonwealth country other than that in which they are based. This should be an expert in a subject linked to the applicant’s subject of research, who will be able to provide support and advice during the studentship.

The mentor will be expected to hold a minimum of two virtual meetings with the student during the period of the studentship. They will be expected to be in contact with the student by email to share their experiences in their relevant field, provide advice around publishing, events and trends in their field, and to challenge and empower the student to consider new ways of thinking. 

The mentor will also be expected to contribute to either the podcast or the article that the student is expected to produce at the end of the studentship and will be paid an honorarium of £500 GBP, payable at the end of the studentship. Mentors must read and abide by the mentor code of conduct guidelines. 

The role of the mentor

The mentor will be expected to hold a minimum of two virtual meetings with the student during the period of the studentship. They will be expected to be in contact with the student by email to share their experiences in their relevant field, provide advice around publishing, events and trends in their field, and to challenge and empower the student to consider new ways of thinking.

The mentor will also be expected to contribute to either the podcast or the article and will be paid an honorarium of GBP 500, payable at the end of the studentship. Mentors must read and abide by the mentor code of conduct guidelines.

Mentor code of conduct guidelines

• The relationship between mentor and mentee should not be exploitative in any way, nor open to misinterpretation
• Mentors are responsible for setting and keeping appropriate boundaries that govern interactions with mentees
• Mentors should maintain a clear mentoring relationship with mentees and not allow personal bias to influence their actions
• Mentors should maintain confidentiality, objectivity and equal partnership
• The mentor’s role is to respond to the mentee’s needs and agenda rather than imposing their own agenda
• Mentors will share the responsibility for creating a smooth end to the relationship with the mentee, once it has achieved its purpose
• Any personal data relating to the mentee held by the mentor should be deleted as soon as it is no longer needed.

Post-studentship requirements

Successful applicants will be required to submit, no more than twelve months after the take-up of the award, an article of between 4,000 and 6,000 words based on their research, for consideration for publication in the Round Table journal. Successful applicants will also be required to make a podcast on their research, for publication on the journal’s website.

Application

• Applications open: 1 May 2024
• Applications close: 13 August 2024, 16:00 UTC

Contact us

If you have a query which is not answered here, please contact alex.may@oup.com.