Postgraduate Membership

Postgraduate Membership

This category of association is designed to support our graduate community in their studies by providing a supportive academic network of fellow Americanists.

The scheme is open to Oxford students currently enrolled on a research degree programme. To be eligible, Postgraduate Members must work on American history, politics or literature, or study the United States in related fields.

Memberships are awarded for the duration of the course of study on which the student is enrolled at the time of applying.

Members are expected and encouraged to participate in, and contribute to, the Institute's intellectual community by attending academic and social events and (where relevant) using the resources of the Vere Harmsworth Library.

Postgraduate Members of the RAI are entitled to use the kitchen and common room and the tea and coffee provided; apply for a desk in one of our Postgraduate Member offices; apply for RAI research grants; and have a profile on the RAI website.

The RAI offers two or three offices in our building for the sole use of postgraduate members. Desks in the postgraduate offices are allocated at the start of each academic year. A call for applications is circulated to the Postgraduate Member mailing list towards the end of the summer vacation. Priority is given to DPhil students over MPhil students and to those in the later stages of their studies. Desks are awarded on the condition that students use them as their main place of work. 

Apply for Postgraduate Membership

 

To apply for Postgraduate Membership, applicants must submit the following materials:

  • A short statement of around 250 words stating their course and year of study, explaining their field of research and how it relates to the RAI and/or the study of the United States, as well as explaining why they wish to be a member of the RAI and what benefit this will bring to them
  • A short academic biography of around 150 words and a photograph suitable for the website

All application materials should be sent to enquiries@rai.ox.ac.uk. 

Applications are considered as a gathered field three times per year. The deadline is 12.00 noon on Monday of Week 3 each term (Michaelmas term 2024: Monday 28 October, Hilary term 2025: Monday 3 February, Trinity term 2025: Monday 12 May).

Desks in our postgraduate shared offices are allocated at the start of each academic year, following a call for applications during the summer vacation.