Dave Laing PhD Scholarship at the Institute of Popular Music

Posted on: 8 August 2022 in Posts

Applications are invited for the Dave Laing PhD Scholarship funded by the Margaret Wethered Bequest.

The scholarship is attached to the Institute of Popular Music, homed in the Department of Music at the University of Liverpool. It is established in honour of Dave Laing, who was closely associated with the institute, from its foundation in 1988 until his death in 2019.

Dave was a prolific writer and editor, with a wide range of interests and abilities, and his work spanned the history and breadth of British popular music studies. He was a central contributor to the leading journals and encyclopaedias in the field, and authored numerous publications, including the first work of British popular music studies, The Sound of Our Time (1969), the pioneering book on punk, One Chord Wonders, and two monographs on Buddy Holly. First and foremost, however, Dave was a music journalist and in this role he also broke new ground. He was a contributor to the rock magazine Cream before becoming a founding editor of Let it Rock, but he also had a strong interest in the music business. He became an early leader in the detailed and rigorous study of the music industries, authoring numerous industry reports, while also acting as press officer for IFPI, deputy editor of Music Week, and founding editor of Music Business International.

The scholarship is intended to support three years of study towards a PhD. Proposals relating to any area of popular music research are welcome, and potential candidates with an interest in Dave's areas of research specialism (e.g. Music Journalism, Punk, Popular music history, Folk and Music Industries) are encouraged to apply. Applicants should normally hold an MA (or equivalent), preferably with distinction, in popular music studies or a cognate field such as media studies/communication, musicology, ethnomusicology, anthropology or sociology. Professional experience may be seen as equivalent to an MA, at the discretion of the selection committee. UK and EU students will receive living allowances in addition to tuition fees; international students will receive fees-only awards, due to the cost. The holder of the award will be expected to reside in Liverpool and participate in the research culture of the School of Music and its Institute of Popular Music.

To apply, please submit a full C.V. and a research proposal as detailed above to artsrecruit@liverpool.ac.uk by no later than 5pm on 21st October 2022.

You should arrange for TWO academic references to be sent independently by referees to artsrecruit@liverpool.ac.uk by the closing date, clearly marked with your name and the studentship you are applying for.

Informal enquiries can be sent to Mat Flynn at matf73@liverpool.ac.uk