Rem@ke PhD Studentship
The School of Arts and Creative Technologies at the University of York is pleased to invite applications for a fully funded PhD studentship as part of the ERC Synergy Project “REM@KE” (Reconstructing Embodied Musical Knowledge at the Keyboard).
The School of Arts and Creative Technologies at the University of York is pleased to invite applications for a fully funded PhD studentship as part of the ERC Synergy Project “REM@KE” (Reconstructing Embodied Musical Knowledge at the Keyboard). The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary research team based in the UK, Italy and Sweden, collaborating with leading scholars in music cognition, performance, organology, historical musicology, psychoacoustics, and digital humanities.
The Research Project
The REM@KE project, a collaboration between the Universities of Pavia, Gothenburg, and York, explores how embodied knowledge has shaped keyboard musicianship and instrument building throughout history. The project combines historical analysis, organological study, empirical research, practice-based exploration, and physical and digital reconstruction. It investigates the diverse ways in which musicians, instrument builders, listeners, and educators engage with historical keyboard instruments and their replicas, inspiring innovative approaches to their reconstruction. This PhD project at York will focus on how builders, performers, educators, and listeners use their bodies to transform their musical experiences with these instruments. The PhD candidate will design and implement interview protocols, conduct qualitative interviews, and contribute to all stages of data collection and analysis to develop insights into the embodied processes involved in instrument engagement, which will inform aspects of instrument reconstruction developed in the other project hubs.
Funding and Benefits
The studentship is fully funded for four years (full-time) and includes:
- Tuition fees will be covered in full for home or overseas students.
- Tax-free stipend of £20,780 per year (2025/26), with annual increases.
- Travel allowance for conferences, workshops, and research trips.
Open to International (including EU) and UK (home) students.
Essential Criteria
- A Master’s degree in Music, Psychology, Musicology, Digital Humanities, Cognitive Science, or a related discipline.
- Exceptional research and analytical skills, with specific experience in qualitative methods.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team.
- Strong understanding of empirical musicology and embodied cognitive science.
- Familiarity with quantitative research methods and computational musicology.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience in historical performance practices and organology.
- Knowledge of historical sources relating to music performance.
- Interest in practice-based research and digital humanities.
- Understanding of acoustics and psychoacoustics.
- Interest in instrument building techniques.
Application deadline: Thursday 8 May 2025, 12pm BST
To apply, please submit the following documents via the University of York’s online application portal by Thursday, 8 May 2025, 2 noon (UK time):
- CV (max 2 pages).
- Personal statement (max 1,500 words)
- Degree transcripts and certificates (for completed and ongoing qualifications).
- Two academic references (contact details required).
- Evidence of English language proficiency (if applicable).
Applicants must enter REM@KE Studentship in the 'How my sources will be funded' field within the application portal. If you experience any problems please contact act-pg-admissions
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an online interview shortly after the deadline.
Informal Enquiries
- For an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact Dr Andrea Schiavio – andrea.schiavio
@york.ac.uk - For broader project inquiries, contact the Corresponding PI of REM@KE, Prof Massimiliano Guido – massimiliano.guido
@unipv.it
We encourage applications from diverse backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive research community.