Hosting Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026

Join our vibrant interdisciplinary community of postgraduate and early career researchers at the Centre for Water Cultures, co-directed by Professors Briony McDonagh and Stewart Mottram and based within the University of Hull’s Energy and Environment Institute.

Professor Mottram works on the literatures and cultures of coastal communities. He explores how the risks and benefits of living with water shape coastal experience and leave their ‘water mark’ on the literatures and art forms these communities produce. His interests transcend a single discipline and connect researchers in the UK to universities in the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Mottram has published widely on the literature and history of flooding and water‑related disease and leads UKRI‑funded projects — most recently the AHRC From Noah to Now project — that use literature to raise awareness of water risks in community settings.

The Centre maintains strong connections with national and international research networks. The University of Hull is a member of the global UArctic network, with Professor Mottram contributing actively to its Environmental Humanities Thematic Network. The Centre also collaborates formally, through its funded projects, with UK arts, heritage, and research organisations, including the National Trust, the Royal Geographical Society and Tate.

Fellows will have access through Water Cultures to:

• Career development opportunities, including training, teaching and opportunities to co-supervise doctoral projects.

• Workshops and masterclasses offered through the Centre.

• Mentoring from senior researchers across the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

• Opportunities to participate in the Centre’s dedicated research seminars featuring visiting academics and practitioners.