PhD Studentship: Visual & Material Mythologies of Sherlock Holmes

AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) studentship – The Visual and Material Mythologies of Sherlock Holmes, 1887-present day with Portsmouth City Council and University of Chichester.

This is a fully funded collaborative doctoral studentship.
The studentship can be studied either full or part-time.
1 October 2026 start

About this opportunity
The Portsmouth City Council and the University of Chichester are pleased to announce the availability of a fully funded Collaborative doctoral studentship from October 2026 under the AHRC’s  https://www.ahrc-cdp.org/2025-ahrc-collaborative-doctoral-partnership-studentships/

The project is to use the Portsmouth Museum and Library Conan Doyle Collection to analyse the visual and material remediations of Sherlock Holmes.

This project will be jointly supervised by Professor Hugo Frey and Laura Weston and the student will be expected to spend time at both University of Chichester and Portsmouth Museum and Central Library, as well as becoming part of the wider cohort of CDP funded students across the UK. 

Informal enquiries are welcomed. Please contact Professor Hugo Frey, via email at H.Frey@chi.ac.uk or Laura Weston at Laura.Weston@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

We encourage applications from a diverse range of people, from different backgrounds and career stages.

Students should have a Masters Degree in a relevant subject or can demonstrate relevant equivalent experience.

The studentship is open to both home and international applicants.

Project Overview
The doctoral project researches the social meanings of the visual and material representation of Sherlock Holmes. It sheds new light on the portrayal of the sleuth in popular culture, exploring the multiple meanings of the Holmes myth. The project researcher gains unsurpassed access to the Lancelyn Green Doyle collection in Portsmouth where they will analyse the shifting patterns of portrayal of this iconic figure. Working with an inter-disciplinary humanities approach, that emphasizes context and close reading, the researcher will analyse how ideas of Sherlock Holmes gain symbolic power for different people in different periods of history and how these representations are made across multiple international visual and material media-formats.

Research Questions include:
The added value of this doctoral project is its openness for the appointed researcher to develop their own research questions  in the light of three dominant shaping vectors: (i) selection of important historical period/s of Holmes mythologizing (e.g. during the Second World War, in the 1960s-1970s); (ii) analysis of medium specific representations of Holmes (e.g. in illustration [Paget, Dorr Steele, and many others], film, radio, television, continuity novels, comics, graphic novels, video games [Frogwares], fine art or commercial graphic design); and (iii) opportunities for comparative discussion of UK and non-UK contexts of Holmes myth-making. Doyle’s hero is famous all over the world and has been used for different creative purposes from California to Tokyo. The French writer Pierre Bayard has even theorized Holme’s ‘mistakes’ when solving the mystery of the Hound of the Baskervilles (2008). This doctorate expands research on the after-lives of Holmes to a global-setting.   

Research with Portsmouth City Council/Portsmouth Museum and Library:
This research studentship is one allocated to Portsmouth City Council by the AHRC. The successful student will be expected to spend time carrying out research and gaining relevant experience with the partner in Portsmouth Museum and Library as part of the studentship. These bodies are the home of the Lancelyn Green Conan Doyle Collection, one of the largest public archives related to Doyle and Holmes in the world. 

Detail of Award
CDP doctoral training grants fund full-time studentships for 48 months (4 years) or part-time equivalent up to a maximum of 7 years.   

The award pays tuition fees up to the value of the full-time home fee. Research Councils UK Indicative Fee Level is £5,238* Students with an ‘overseas’ fee status are welcome to apply, (a successful international applicant will have the difference of fee waived by the University) and will be required to reside in the UK until completion of the PhD.

The award pays an annual stipend for all students, both home and international students. This stipend is tax free, and is the equivalent of an annual salary, enabling the student to pay living costs. The UKRI Minimum Doctoral Stipend is £21,805*. There is also a CDP maintenance payment of £750 per year.

Further details can be found on the UKRI website.

The successful candidate is eligible to receive an additional travel and related expenses grant during the course of the project courtesy of University of Chichester worth up to £600 per year for 4 years.

The successful candidate will be encouraged to participate in professional development events and activities organised for all Collaborative Doctoral Partnership students who are registered with different universities and studying with cultural and heritage organisations across the UK. These activities are organised by a coordination team based at the V&A and are designed to provide CDP researchers with the knowledge, networks and skills to thrive in their future careers. 

Eligibility

• This studentship is open to both Home and International applicants.
• To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:
  • Be a UK or Irish National (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have settled status, or
  • Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have indefinite leave to remain or enter
• The latest revision of the AHRC Training Grant Funding Guide is available here.
• International students are eligible to receive the full award for maintenance as are home students. The difference in home and international fee is to be waived by the University.
• We want to encourage the widest range of potential students to study for a CDP studentship and are committed to welcoming students from different backgrounds to apply. We particularly welcome applications from people of Global Majority backgrounds as they are currently underrepresented at this level in this area.
• Applicants should ideally have or expect to receive a relevant Masters-level qualification in a relevant subject (Art History, History, Media Studies, Cultural Studies, Heritage Studies), or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience in a professional setting such as the heritage or media sectors.
• Applicants must be able to demonstrate an interest in the heritage and cultural history of Sherlock Holmes and potential and enthusiasm for developing skills more widely in related areas.

As a collaborative award, students will be expected to spend time at both the University and the Portsmouth Museum and Library.

Note: All applicants must meet UKRI terms and conditions for funding. See

The Application Process & How to Apply:

To apply, please answer the enclosed questions and email your answers along with your CV to HR@chi.ac.uk no later than Monday 17th August 2026. Please use the following subject title for your email: PhD Studentship : Sherlock Holmes : [insert your name].

We aim to contact all shortlisted candidates by the end of August. If you have not received any communication from us by this time, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion.

Due to the anticipated high volume of applications, we regret that we are unable to provide individual feedback.       

We ask all applicants to complete a voluntary EDI monitoring form here. All responses are anonymous.

Application Timeline:
Closing Date for Applications: Monday 17th August 2026
Interview Date: Wednesday 2nd September 2026      

Click here to view the PhD Person specification.

Format of Interview:
For shortlisted candidates, a set of questions will be shared with you in advance of the interview. These are to help you understand if this studentship matches your expectation and helps you prepare for the interview which is aimed to be a supportive experience.

If you require any support or adjustment throughout the application process, please contact the recruitment team; staffrecruitment@chi.ac.uk

We actively encourage applications from first-generation university graduates and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds.

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is central to our values, because we know that diverse perspectives strengthen our community.