The Joan Russell Scholarship

For this scholarship priority will be given to African candidates or those who identify themselves as having an African background, and be a native or fluent speaker of the language(s) under study.* We encourage individuals meeting these criteria to apply and seize this exceptional opportunity for academic and personal growth.

By offering the Joan Russell Scholarship, we aim to contribute to the promotion of linguistic research on African languages and encourage the exploration of Africa's rich linguistic heritage. We strongly believe that supporting African scholars will foster greater understanding and appreciation of the diverse linguistic traditions that exist in sub-Saharan Africa.

*Under sections 158-159 of the Equality Act 2010, positive action is allowed where members of protected groups have been underrepresented within the workforce, or in a particular work group, in the preceding 12 months. At York, our data show that people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups are underrepresented at postgraduate researcher level, so this scheme looks to offer them targeted support.  

These are lawful measures designed to redress imbalances and counteract the effects of past discrimination. They ensure that people from previously excluded groups can compete on equal terms with other applicants.

In the first instance candidates are encouraged to explore the research interests of staff in the Department of Language and Linguistic Science and initiate a conversation with potential supervisors.

Once a supervisor has been identified, candidates must follow the standard application process for a PhD in Linguistics and select the "Joan Russell Scholarship" tag as their desired funding source.

Application Deadline: Thursday 30 November 2023 

The earliest the PhD can start is January 2024.

General questions should be addressed to Dr Norman Yeo.