The project
Beginning in September 2022, this initially two-year project is for women commencing or in the early stages of doctoral level research in theology, and women seeking to undertake such research.
It will provide regular one-to-one support and peer-support groups for 12 women drawn from or hoping to enter the PhD programmes at both the Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Research and the University of Birmingham, along with the Professional Doctorate programme at the latter.
Beginning in September 2022, this initially two-year project is for women commencing or in the early stages of doctoral level research in theology, and women seeking to undertake such research.
It will provide regular one-to-one support and peer-support groups for 12 women drawn from or hoping to enter the PhD programmes at both the Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Research and the University of Birmingham, along with the Professional Doctorate programme at the latter.
What the project offers:
- up to eight, one-to-one zoom-based tripartite support sessions of 90 minutes per year for each participant, totalling up to 16 sessions per participant over the two years of the project;
- small peer-support groups with other project participants, meeting at least five times a year;
- a Review & Reflection Day with other participants at the end of each of two academic years.
Tripartite support
This project recognises the process of doctoral research in theology as not only an academic endeavour but also a spiritual practice whose subject matter, for many women, frequently emerges from the intersection between their personal narrative and their faith lives.
One-to-one sessions therefore offer space in which participants are supported in the growth and challenges encountered during the process of research across each of these three specific areas:
This project recognises the process of doctoral research in theology as not only an academic endeavour but also a spiritual practice whose subject matter, for many women, frequently emerges from the intersection between their personal narrative and their faith lives.
One-to-one sessions therefore offer space in which participants are supported in the growth and challenges encountered during the process of research across each of these three specific areas:
- academic development
- spiritual journeying
- personal narrative
In one-to-one sessions and regular peer-support groups with others from the project, participants will be encouraged to acknowledge and explore the intersectionality between their area of research, their spiritual journeying within and in response to their research journey, and their personal narrative.
One-to-one sessions will be with the project lead, Dr Alison Woolley (she/her, white, varied denominational background), who completed her theology PhD, based in feminist, qualitative research at Queen’s Theological Foundation through the University of Birmingham in 2015. Now the Director of the Seeds of Silence Project, she also has a long-established ministry of spiritual accompaniment and worked for 25 years as a psychodynamically-informed therapist within the education sector.
Funding
The project will be fully funded for two years by a generous grant from the Saint Peter’s Saltley Trust. There will therefore be no charge to participants or their institutions for participation in the project.
For further information please email Dr Alison Woolley by clicking the button below: