The University of Manchester is leading a new Northern Hub that will connect postgraduate arts and humanities researchers across the North of England from the 2026/27 academic year. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the hub is designed to expand training, networking and professional development for doctoral researchers across 10 higher education institutions.
Key facts
- The hub is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
- It will support 46 postgraduate researchers across 10 higher education institutions.
- The programme launches with the 2026/27 academic year.
- It is one of seven regional hubs supported by AHRC.
- The University of Manchester led the official launch on 15 October.
What does the Northern Hub mean for postgraduate researchers?
The hub gives eligible postgraduate researchers access to a wider programme of activity than they would receive within a single university. That includes specialist skills workshops, conferences, writing residencies, knowledge exchange retreats and student network events, with training also covering equality, diversity and inclusion, artificial intelligence, climate change, publishing and career development.
Its core group is postgraduate researchers funded through AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards, but some opportunities will also be open to legacy AHRC doctoral training partnership researchers and self-funded postgraduate researchers in arts and humanities across the 10 partner institutions. The partner universities are The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Liverpool, Lancaster University, the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, Durham University, Newcastle University, the University of Leeds and the University of York.
- Core participants: AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award postgraduate researchers.
- Other groups: legacy AHRC DTP researchers and some self-funded arts and humanities postgraduates.
- Geography: the North of England, across 10 institutions.
- Next step: researchers can look for hub activities through the participating universities and the AHRC Northern Hub.
How does the new hub fit AHRC’s doctoral training plans?
The Northern Hub is part of an evolving AHRC approach to doctoral training. From 2026, AHRC will use a funding formula for its Doctoral Landscape Awards covering 50 UK higher education institutions, with 15 studentships at each institution over five years.
For the University of Manchester, the launch adds a regional layer to existing university-level support. The hub is intended to complement, not replace, training already available inside each institution by bringing researchers together across disciplines and universities.
What happened at the launch?
The hub’s official launch took place on Thursday 15 October at the University of Manchester. The programme brought postgraduate researchers together for a day of learning, creativity and connection, combining cohort training with a PhDoodle arts and crafts workshop and an EDI Fellows Showcase.
Professor Jermone de Groot, AHRC DLA Northern Hub Director, said the goal was to support postgraduate researchers to excel and to work closely with colleagues across the North to deliver training and developmental opportunities.
Who is involved in the Northern Hub?
The hub brings together 10 institutions: The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Liverpool, Lancaster University, the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, Durham University, Newcastle University, the University of Leeds and the University of York. It is one of seven regional hubs supported by AHRC.
The programme is built to connect researchers with peers, expertise and non-academic partners across the region, while supporting a broader cohort-based model for doctoral training.
