Residential Training Course for Postgraduate Students

University of Warwick
Radcliffe Conference Centre
3 – 6 December 2025

The Economic History Society offers 12 part-funded places on an intensive residential course designed to raise the quality and analytical rigour of doctoral dissertations; to prepare postgraduates for the job market; to improve their communication skills; to widen their approach to their subjects; and to encourage them to form networks with established scholars and fellow students in their areas of expertise.

The course is open to 12 graduate students who are currently engaged in work on a doctoral thesis on any topic in social, economic, or business history, or economics in the medieval, early modern or modern periods. Preference will be given to students who will be in their 2nd or 3rd year of doctoral study or equivalent in November 2025 (FTE). Five academics (with diverse research expertise and from a range of institutions) will act as tutors and designated mentors on the course. Past courses have been very successful and have received very positive feedback from students.

Each student will:

• present a pre-circulated 3,000-word written paper (excluding footnotes) setting out some of their research findings to the full group in a 70-minute session. This paper is equivalent to a shortened ‘job-market’ paper and will draw on a section/chapter of the student’s thesis but should not simply be cut and pasted verbatim from it.
• provide a one-page synopsis of the thesis setting out how the 3,000-word paper fits into it; which three journals, history and/or social science, it would seek to target; and how the paper or thesis would aim to engage with non-academic audiences.
• give a 2-minute ‘coffee-break pitch’ on their thesis research (instructions on how to create a strong pitch will be provided).
• read other students’ papers before the course, and be prepared to comment on them in the research sessions;
• act as respondent on one paper and provide the author with written comments after the course is completed;
• chair another session under the guidance of your academic mentor.

Apart from the plenary sessions, there will be workshops discussing academic careers, integrating ‘impact’ into research projects, and how to get published. There will also be a number of opportunities for informal discussion between participants and mentors as all are required to be resident for the full duration of the course, i.e. from Wednesday evening to Saturday lunchtime; please note that this is compulsory. Students will be required to complete an evaluation questionnaire after the course.

Students are expected to apply, in the first instance, to their departments for their travel costs and a contribution of £330 towards the cost of the course*, which will include all accommodation (in private ensuite rooms) and meals. The Society will support students who can demonstrate hardship and lack of access to departmental funds.

*A place on the course is not contingent on a contribution of £330.

Deadline for applications: 16:00 (UK time) Friday, 12 September 2025.

Other important dates:

• 24 September 2025: notification to candidates of the outcome of their application.
• 3 November 2025:  submission of synopses and papers (to Dropbox folder).
• 3 December 2025: arrival at venue (Radcliffe, University of Warwick).
• 22 December 2025: deadline for respondents to send final written comments on papers.

Any queries should please be directed to the Society’s administrators.

Testimonials from students who have attended the course are available.

Please note that you must be logged in as a member, or become a member of the Society in order to apply.

You must be logged in as a member of the EHS to view and submit an application to the Residential Course for Postgraduate Students.