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Visiting Staff and PGR Students

Photo of the River Wear and snowy banks on a winter's morning, with Durham Cathedral lit up by the sun and reflected in the water.

The Department of Archaeology welcomes visiting researchers from all parts of the world whose stay will be of mutual research benefit to the individual, their host, and the Department.

The Visiting Scholars Programme is open only to staff employed outside of Durham University. These may be active researchers based at other higher education institutions, research or heritage organisations, or museums anywhere in the UK or the rest of the world.

The Visiting Research Students Programme is open to research postgraduate students who are registered for a degree at another institution, and will usually be in their second or third year of study.

Criteria and Fees

In both cases, successful applicants will be those who:

  • Have the support of a member of academic staff at Durham University’s Department of Archaeology (the 'host');
  • Conduct research that is aligned within one of the Department’s Research Groups;
  • Can demonstrate the value of their visit, both for themselves and for the Department; and
  • Are able to pay the fees and support themselves in Durham for the duration of their stay.

The following baseline fees apply to all Visiting Scholars and Visiting Research Students:

  • For stays of under 2 months (inclusive): £50
  • For stays of 2-6 months (inclusive): £100
  • For stays of over 6 months: £200 per 6-month block

All Visiting Research Students must adhere to the University’s regulations for applying to be a visiting student, and must pay the University Tuition Fees for Visiting Research Students.

This tuition fee is in addition to the baseline fees for the Department of Archaeology, listed above.

Laboratory Access

All Visiting Scholars and Visiting Research Students who need access to laboratories will be required to pay a laboratory bench fee. Bench fees vary, depending on which facilities and consumables are required, so applicants should discuss their laboratory needs with their host, who should be the manager of the laboratory they wish to work in.

Professor Karen Milek is the overall Archaeology Laboratories Manager. 

Individual Laboratory Managers in the Department of Archaeology:

  • Fenwick Environmental Archaeology Lab: Prof Mike Church
  • Archaeological Science Lab: Prof Karen Milek
  • Environmental Processing Lab: Prof Karen Milek
  • Isotopes Lab (D243): Prof Janet Montgomery
  • Kiln Lab: Prof Dan Lawrence
  • Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry Lab (SIBL): Prof Darren Gröcke
  • Ancient DNA Lab: Dr Eva Fernandez-Dominguez
  • Modern DNA Lab: Dr Eva Fernandez-Dominguez
  • Microscopy Lab: Prof Karen Milek
  • Fenwick Human Osteology Lab: Prof Becky Gowland
  • Informatics Computing Lab: Dr Kristen Hopper
  • Luminescence Dating Lab: Dr Eric Andrieux
  • Materials Analysis Sample Preparation Lab: Dr Kamal Badreshany
  • Materials Analysis Lab: Dr Kamal Badreshany
  • Conservation Lab: Prof Emily Williams
  • Digital Visualisation Lab: Dr Marta Diaz-Guardamino
  • CT Lab: Prof Lisa-Marie Shillito