The Royal Historical Society is the UK's foremost society promoting the scholarly study of the past. Our membership is an international community of historians.
.
@RoyalHistSoc
is deeply concerned by the scale and speed of further
#History
redundancies
@GoldsmithsUoL
. These cuts will remove student choice, wreak havoc on careers, and end specialist teaching and research.
Our statement:
#twitterstorians
1/5 🧵⬇️
The President and Officers of the Royal Historical Society are delighted to announce the election of Professor Olivette Otele, Professor of History at Bath Spa University, as a Vice-President: .
@OlivetteOtele
@BathSpaUni
Today we are launching a landmark report on race and ethnicity in UK History, highlighting the need for greater diversity in our discipline. Read more about our report here:
This morning
@RoyalHistSoc
issues 'History in UK Higher Education: A Statement from the Royal Historical Society'
The statement addresses the extent, consequences and causes of ongoing cuts and closures at UK
#History
departments.
#twitterstorians
Students! If you have loved a class, please NEVER feel shy about letting your tutor or lecturer know. Academics and teachers put their heart, soul and love for research into preparing teaching. A message from you will mean more than you can imagine!
The Royal Historical Society is appalled today to see our colleague, Fellow, and Vice President
@OlivetteOtele
subjected to racist hate mail. This underscores the need to deepen our commitment to addressing the inequalities which foster such vile, unacceptable attitudes.
.
@RoyalHistSoc
has today issued a statement on the proposed cuts and closures
@oxfordbrookes
in
#History
& other depts
These cuts are extensive. They risk the future of staff students, and the very research culture for which Brookes historians are known.
We're delighted to publish - today - Stephen Mullen's important new book, 'The Glasgow Sugar Aristocracy. Scotland and Caribbean Slavery, 1775-1838'
Available as p/back print & free
#OpenAccess
download from
@UoLPress
#twitterstorians
Good morning everyone.
In case anyone needs it, here's an appearance from the official RHS kitten.
Can we get an update
@_simonparsons
- how's our best little tiger doing?
We're seeing lots of queries about how to end a
#virtualmeeting
.
The correct etiquette is to have a print out of the Telly Test Card to quickly hold up to your camera.
You're very welcome. Take care of each other over the weekend x
Given the extent of the use of "historic" today, we are unashamedly and legitimately jumping on the
#BlackHolePicture
bandwagon. Congratulations Dr. Bouman!
This is Dr. Katie Bouman. She's the computer scientist behind the first-ever image of a black hole.
She developed the algorithm that turned telescopic data into the historic photo we see today.
We are extremely concerned about the strong evidence of negative gender bias in student evaluations and the resulting discriminatory effect of their widespread use in staff reviews, promotion processes, and TEF.
What's the role of empathy in studying & teaching history, & for research? How might we categorise empathy in historical practice? What is history without empathy?
@sarahfoxhistory
's article, 'Archival Intimacies', now available in 'Transactions
@RoyalHistSoc
'
#twitterstorians
In 2019, the RHS established a working group to look at the experiences of LGBT+ historians, and the teaching of LGBT+ & queer histories.
Today we publish the LGBT+ Histories and Historians report, together with a set of online resources.
Find out more:
.
@RoyalHistSoc
is currently meeting with UK parliamentarians in the Commons & Lords to raise the profile of
#History
at Westminster and discuss challenges currently facing historians.
Today's meeting was with members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for History & Archives.
The Council
@RoyalHistSoc
is deeply concerned by the extent, speed and very damaging impact of proposed cuts and closures announced yesterday across Arts & Humanities
@oxford_brookes
.
This affects colleagues in
#History
as well historians in depts such as
@musicatbrookes
1/2
The
@RoyalHistSoc
is shocked and very concerned by this news. Recently we've worked with colleagues at other depts - to defend their work, contribution and livelihoods. We're now in contact with historians
@GoldsmithsUoL
to gather information for the most effective response.
BREAKING: We now know the full picture on redundancies planned by
@GoldsmithsUoL
- at least 52 jobs. Alongside 32 professional services staff, SMT today served notice they are seeking to cut the equivalent of 20 full time lecturers in English & Creative Writing and History. 1/4
When the dust settles we need to have a serious conversation about how we equip people with the critical analytical skills they need in an increasingly online world. Sifting fact from friction must be everyone’s core skill.
Hi everyone - in these difficult times, we would like to play any role we can in supporting and sharing resources for the
#twitterstorian
community.
❓New resources online? Tag us in!
❓Need a reference? Tag us.
❓Need a source? Let us know and we'll share it forward...
.
@royalhistsoc
has written to managers
@unilincoln
to protest proposed redundancies among historians. Plans will cut the dept by one quarter.
Lincoln History is v. successful. This should not be happening to historians who excel and perform great service for their university.
RHS President Margot Finn co-signs today's letter in
@thetimes
calling for government funding to
#TeachMigrationRaceEmpire
.
We thank
@RunnymedeTrust
for their hugely important ongoing work, and are delighted to be supporting this campaign.
✉️ Runnymede has coordinated a letter in
@thetimes
today calling for schools to be supported to teach empire and migration.
✔️ Teachers require training, professional development
✔️
@UCL_Holocaust
(part govt funded) is a useful model to follow
#TeachMigrationRaceEmpire
"If anyone is being too ‘political’...it is politicians who violate the principles of arm’s-length governance by seeking to dictate what research heritage bodies can and cannot support."
RHS defends research in today's
@thesundaytimes
Letters
1/2
The RHS has a new working group focussing on the experience of LGBT+ historians and on the teaching of LGBT+ histories in the UK. Please get in touch with ideas and if you'd like to be involved! More on our new blog post here:
This will be a brilliant resource for
#twitterstorians
looking for free-to-use images for research, publication and teaching: CC Search is out of beta with 300M images and easier attribution via
@creativecommons
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Lucy Noakes (
@Uni_of_Essex
) as the next President of
@RoyalHistSoc
:
Lucy takes up the Presidency from November 2024 when she succeeds Emma Griffin whose term comes to an close later this year 1/2
We're delighted to welcome 282 new Fellows & Members to
@RoyalHistSoc
today: Congratulations!
Along with university researchers, new members include broadcasters, film-makers, curators, librarians & community historians
#twitterstorians
#historymatters
As staff
@britishlibrary
work to restore services following the cyber attack,
@RoyalHistSoc
has a listing of guides, alternative content & workarounds for use by historians:
We also invite recommendations for additional content for use by
#twitterstorians
Today we launch a new Masters' Scholarships programme.
Four Scholarships for MA students from groups underrepresented in academic history. Scholarships (£5000 each) to be spent how students choose during an MA at a UK university, 2022-23
#twitterstorians
Today, we launch 2 schemes to support UK-based ECR historians during
#COVID19
:
➡️ a partnership with
@AdamMatthewGrp
to offer 200 digital collection subscriptions.
➡️ an emergency Hardship Fund to offer individual grants of up to £500.
#twitterstorians
We're really pleased to see The Times valuing the importance of studying the past with the appointment of
@mbridge82
as its first dedicated history correspondent. We are always delighted to work with those interested in history, and look forward to seeing more!
Following our recent race report we are delighted to advertise a two year postdoctoral research fellowship working with our Race, Ethnicity & Equality Working Group, in association with
@PastPresentSoc
&
@ihr_history
. Full details are available here:
We are launching a new grant scheme for 2021:
The RHS Early Career Fellowship Grant provides recipients with up to £2000 for career-building research or activities, with a lot of flexibility in what maintenance and research costs can be applied for.
The
@RoyalHistSoc
has issued the following response to news of the closure of
@KingstonUni
’s History Dept.
The RHS is committed to promoting and defending history across the HE sector and beyond, as set out in its statement of May 2021
#twitterstorians
The Council of
@RoyalHistSoc
is deeply concerned by recent decisions at the University of Chichester, resulting in closure of the MRes in the History of Africa and the African Diaspora, and the redundancy of Professor Hakim Adi
#twitterstorians
1/3
Women are consistently under-represented among our applications for the Fellowship and Membership. Please help us address this imbalance (next deadline 8 April). Lists of current Fellows and Members are available from:
#WomensHistoryMonth
We are advertising a Past & Present Fellowship: Race, Ethnicity and Equality in History with
@ihr_history
@PastPresentSoc
.
The Fellow will work with the RHS President & Race, Ethnicity & Equality Working group, and develop their own research.
Details:
.
@RoyalHistSoc
President, Emma Griffin, is among those expressing concern at emerging 'cold spots' - of courses and options - for humanities provision in UK Higher Education, in an article published today
@timeshighered
1/2
Calling early career
#historians
📢
@RoyalHistSoc
is holding an online workshop on publishing your first
#History
monograph. Join us at 2pm BST on Friday 14 June to learn more about the publishing process from PhD to book. Booking now:
#twitterstorians
We're very pleased to welcome 281 new Fellows and Members to
@RoyalHistSoc
today, following their election by the RHS Council. Congratulations to you all
Thanks also to everyone who supports these applications. Your help is essential
#twitterstorians
Today we are launching our second report on promoting gender equality in UK History, drawing on a survey of hundreds of historians and making a wide range of recommendations for good practice. The report is now available at
#twitterstorians
“The RHS is in a position to place history...at the heart of its agenda & to advocate for what is best rather than what is expedient.”
Tonight, we announce our new President-Elect. Read Prof. Emma Griffin's hopes for her term here:
We're delighted to welcome 170 new Fellows and Members to
@RoyalHistSoc
today
Many congratulations to all. Applications for the next election round are also welcome, closing date 10 January
#twitterstorians
We are very pleased to announce the latest round of elections to
@RoyalHistSoc
following our recent Council meeting.
Today we welcome 102 new Fellows, 49 Associate Fellows, 64 Members and 93 Postgraduate Members
#twitterstorians
The winner of the Film & TV
#PublicHistory
Prize is
@BBCTwo
's "Black & British: A Forgotten History", presented by
@DavidOlusoga
! You can find more on the series here:
.
@RoyalHistSoc
has been speaking this week to historians
@unilincoln
and will be contacting university senior managers. The Society visited historians at Lincoln in May 2022: it's a v. impressive department with vital ties to the region in terms of students, teaching & research.
Incredibly sad as we face 6 more redundancies in History at UoLincoln on top of the loss of 3 valued colleagues (via voluntary severance). We've always punched above our weight in terms of research + teaching and this is such a sad comment on all of that work and UK HE overall.
Calling early career
#historians
📢
The RHS is holding an online workshop on publishing monographs next month. Join us on 14 June at 2pm BST if you'd like to learn more about the publishing process.
Register for free here:
.
@RoyalHistSoc
Research Funding. Applications now invited for following 4 programmes:
• RHS Workshop Grants - *closes 19 January*
• Early Career Research Fellowships
• Open Research Support Grants
• David Berry Fellowship in the History of Scotland
We are delighted that Dr Diya Gupta has joined us as Past & Present Fellow: Race, Ethnicity & Equality in History.
Dr Gupta will develop the work of the Race, Ethnicity & Equality Working Group, as well as her own research at
@ihr_history
:
@PastPresentSoc
Open letter, available to sign, calls on
@GoldsmithsUoL
to rethink proposed cuts to History (and English) teaching, research & staffing
@HistoryGold
is an important UK department, run by specialists, & home to pioneering courses & centres
#twitterstorians
Join us, 18 July, for 'Scholarly Editing for Historians', an online workshop for those working with primary sources: .
Hosted by Siobhan Talbott (
@KeeleUniversity
) and Richard Gaunt (
@UniofNottingham
), co-editors of RHS Camden Series
#twitterstorians
1/2
We strongly support funding for the BCA and its important work. As our recent report emphasised, we need far greater attention to issues of race and ethnicity in UK History.
We are the only national heritage centre dedicated to collecting and preserving the histories of black people in Britain. Today more than 100 MPs have signed a letter calling on government to act to support our work.
#BackBCA
What funding opportunities are available for historians?
From school prizes to research fellowships, Dr
@EilishGregory
has researched and compiled a list for the
#RHSTeachingPortal
,
Please get in touch if you know of more!
Like so many, all
@RoyalHistSoc
are deeply saddened to learn of the death of our friend, Arthur Burns.
Arthur was a true champion of History and a member of the RHS Council, 2008-16. We are very grateful to
@PeterMandler1
for his words in our statement
At the start of the academic year, we're highlighting specialist guides in
@RoyalHistSoc
's online 'Teaching Portal'.
Today it's all about research: our listing of archives and research libraries in the UK and Ireland
#twitterstorians
#PhD
#History
Calling
#twitterstorians
! Do you have a favourite history picture? We are reviewing our publicity & website, & would love to use some new images that represent current historical research. Any format, period, topic or place, it just must be free for all uses. Please get in touch!
.
@RoyalHistSoc
has today submitted a response to
@ref2029
's consultation on Open Access mandates for the next research assessment:
We believe the proposals, esp. for books, 'go too far, too fast' and lack sufficient infrastructure and resources 1/3
.
@RoyalHistSoc
Councillors will review
@MoJGovUK
's proposal early in the new year with a view to submitting a response.
The proposal is here and we encourage historians to read and respond ahead of the deadline of 23 February
#twitterstorians
Are you a history or ancestry enthusiast? We’re proposing to digitise millions of wills dating back to the 1800s, making them easier for the public to access.
Take a fascinating look into our storage archive in Birmingham and have your say:
We're delighted to announce the election today of 254 new Fellows, Associate Fellows, Members and PGR Members
@RoyalHistSoc
: .
Our new Fellows & Members are historians working in HE and other sectors, in the UK and 15 other countries
#twitterstorians
On 17 July, we're holding an online panel discussion on 'AI, History and Historians', to consider the implications of
#GenAI
for the discipline and profession Booking now open.
With Helen Hastie, Matthew L. Jones, Anna-Maria Sichani and Jane Winters 1/2
Today we publish Roadmap Update II, the second annual update to our Race, Ethnicity and Equality in UK History report (2018).
Thank you to everyone who contributed!
Report co-author, Dr Diya Gupta, introduces Roadmap II on the RHS blog:
Save the date!
Friday 27 November
18.00 GMT via Zoom
Prof. Margot Finn will give her fourth (and final!) RHS Presidential Address:
"Material Turns in British History IV. Erasures: Empire in India, Cancel Cultures and the Country House"
All welcome - booking will open soon!
Australia’s largest universities have experienced a jump in applications for arts & humanities degrees, leading to higher enrolments. This is despite a hike in fees for these degree programmes 1/2
@ArtsandHums
Two weeks to publication day for Stephen Mullen's 'The Glasgow Sugar Aristocracy: Scotland and Caribbean Slavery, 1775–1838'
15th 'New Historical Perspectives' title in
@RoyalHistSoc
series. Available free
#openacess
& print
@UoLPress
and
@UChicagoPress
.
We welcome applications to join
@RoyalHistSoc
. We're especially keen to include academic historians who aren't working in
#History
departments, and historians in sectors such as
#heritage
& archives.
If this is you, please do consider applying
As we wrote last week , the structural crisis facing many in UK HE repeatedly and disproportionately hits
#History
and A&H disciplines.
In current cases like UEA and
@UniKentHistory
it makes a mockery of REF achievements lauded by their universities, 2/4
Our very great thanks to John Gallagher for his excellent
@RoyalHistSoc
lecture - 'Migrant Voices in Multilingual London' - given yesterday evening, and for fielding so many questions from our audience.
A recording of
@earlymodernjohn
's lecture will be available shortly 1/2
Introducing the ‘History and Archives in Practice: In Conversation’ series of 3 lunchtime talks.This online lunchtime series follows on from this year's HAP conference at Cardiff University in association with the
@ihr_history
&
@UkNatArchives
.
Book here:
As staff
@britishlibrary
restore services following the cyber attack,
@RoyalHistSoc
has a (now updated) listing of guides, alternative content & workarounds for historians:
We also invite suggestions for additional content for use by
#twitterstorians
We are asking for historians’ help. We are launching a funding drive to help support early career historians facing hardship because of COVID-19 and to extend our planned rounds of support
We have formed a working group on Race, Ethnicity & Equality to examine the challenges facing BME historians in UK HE.
@SadiahQureshi
& the group's co-chairs discuss the issues on our new blog
The President & Council
@RoyalHistSoc
are "shocked and concerned by proposed redundancies and programme closures in
#History
(and across all Arts and Humanities provision) at the University of Roehampton."
Full statement on
@UORHistory
:
#twitterstorians
Today we publish our full Guidance Paper "Plan S and the History Journal Landscape"
It assists historians (and others in H&SS) to understand & navigate the current policy frontiers of
#OpenAccess
publishing for peer reviewed scholarly journals.
More:
.
@RoyalHistSoc
has today submitted its response to
@MoJGovUK
's consultation paper on the future retention and storage of wills post 1858 .
Responses to the MoJ from those using wills as historical documents are welcome before 23 Feb
#twitterstorians
1/2
Video and audio recordings of our 'Getting Published: A Guide to Monograph Publishing for Early Career Historians' event earlier this month are now available. Thank you to our panellists and audience members for making this event such a success!