A PhD History student from the University of Winchester is the first to benefit from a pilot placement offered by Wellcome Collection, the free museum and library which is part of Wellcome, the renowned charitable foundation focused on health research.
Susan Birch is taking part in the six-month pilot scheme which gives her access to the extensive archives held by the Collection.
While her thesis centres on work of the Family Planning Association (FPA), the placement studies the less well-known National Birthday Trust Fund - an organisation which campaigned for wider provision of painkillers in childbirth and improved midwifery services. The Trust’s records are held by Wellcome Collection.
Susan’s PhD focuses on 1945 to 1955 and the differing experiences of women in Birmingham and Winchester in a pre-pill era when the only family planning clinics in the UK were those run by the FPA.
Susan contacted Wellcome Collection for help in her research after hearing one of their Research and Enquiry Team, Dr Elma Brenner, speak at the GuildHE Research (GHER) Doctoral Festival in 2023.
Impressed by Susan’s enthusiasm for her subject, Wellcome, with the support of research consortium GHER and the University, created the new placement which runs over a six-month period, for the equivalent of one day per week.
Susan visits Wellcome Collection in Euston twice a month and also works online with them.
“They have been very supportive and flexible,” said Susan. “This placement has given me access to a great deal of archival material. So far, it’s been a wonderful experience.”
Elma Brenner said: “It’s fantastic having Susan working with us. She is shedding new light on an under-explored archive and providing new perspectives on the recent history of women’s reproductive health.”
Susan’s interest in the topic dates back to her studies at the University of Birmingham where she wrote her undergraduate dissertation on the Catholic Reaction to Family Planning in Birmingham between 1950 and 1970.
After a break in her studies Susan decided to broaden her research beyond Birmingham and made her successful PhD proposal to the University of Winchester, where she’s now a member of the Cluster for the History of Women’s Education.
Susan also volunteers for GHER as a PhD Peer Support Coordinator and has been integral to the co-design of the placement.
Rachel Persad, Head of Research Policy at GuildHE said "GHER is delighted to have partnered with Wellcome Collection and Susan to co-create this innovative and inclusive PhD student placement.
“We are committed to creating the widest opportunities for doctoral students at our member institutions and the pilot scheme provides a framework that can potentially be transferred to other organisations in the future. Expanding the diversity of researchers placed in cultural institutions not only creates opportunities for new and upcoming researchers but also brings new insights to collection material and archives."
As postgraduate representative of the History of Education Society, Susan co-organised a PGR (Postgraduate Research) Skills Day for the History of Education Society (pictured above) held at Wellcome on 18 September.
The event was a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about activities to boost their CVs, such as teaching and publishing, and think about the next steps following their PhD including postdoctoral fellowships. It also provided an opportunity to meet other PhD students and learn more about the History of Education Society and Wellcome Collection.
Wellcome will also be the venue in December when Susan gives a talk on the National Birthday Trust Fund archival material and her experiences on her placement.
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