ANNOUNCEMENT: JVC-BAVS Early Career Mentorship Scheme (Deadline: November 1st 2026)

We are pleased to invite expressions of interest for a new JVC–BAVS Early Career Mentorship Scheme, a collaboration between the Journal of Victorian Culture (JVC) and the British Association for Victorian Studies (BAVS).

The scheme is designed to support PhD students and early career scholars in developing their first peer-reviewed journal article. Successful candidates will be paired with a member of the JVC Editorial Board for a twelve-month period, beginning on 1 January 2027. During the mentorship, candidates will work with their mentor to develop a ca. 8,000-word article based on either a (BAVS) conference paper/ an existing thesis chapter/ a different research piece. The mentor will provide detailed feedback on at least one complete article draft and discuss this feedback with the candidate before the revised article is submitted to Journal of Victorian Culture, where it will then go through the journal’s normal editorial and double-blind peer-review process.

Who can apply?

The scheme is open to scholars who:

• are currently registered for a doctoral degree or are within three calendar years of having received their doctorate;
• have not previously had a peer-reviewed journal article accepted; and
• wish to develop a conference paper (possibly their conference paper from BAVS 2026) or an existing PhD chapter or another independent research piece into a journal article.
• Are members of BAVS.

The paper on which the proposed article will be based must not already be committed to publication elsewhere, either wholly or in part. Interested parties should indicate in their application whether the proposed article builds on a conference paper or a thesis chapter/ something else, and indicate what stage the piece is at (e.g. finished conference paper/ draft chapter/ finished thesis chapter/ 3,000 words written/ 15,000 words written).

What does the scheme involve?

We anticipate selecting up to five awardees for the 2027 scheme.

Candidates will be selected on the basis of the quality of a 500-word abstract outlining the proposed article, with consideration given to:

• Scholarly merit and strength of argument;
• Communication and clarity of writing;
• Potential fit within JVC’s interdisciplinary and/or cutting-edge research agenda. See here.

The JVC-BAVS mentorship scheme is intended to provide practical, sustained support during what can be a challenging stage in developing a publication profile. The mentoring relationship will be developmental and supportive. The precise format and frequency of meetings or correspondence will be agreed between each mentor and mentee, but as a minimum will involve initial written comment and discussion of an article draft, and (if necessary to reach submittable standard) at least two further rounds of feedback and discussion). 

The formal mentoring period will run from 1 January to 31 December 2027. Select candidates who complete the full twelve-month scheme will also be invited to provide a short reflection on their experience in a later BAVS Newsletter.

Key dates
1 November 2026: Deadline for expressions of interest
By 15 December 2026: Candidates notified and mentors from among the JVC Joint Editors or Editorial Board confirmed
1 January 2027: Mentorship begins
31 December 2027: Formal mentorship period concludes.

If you would like to be considered for the scheme, please submit a 500-word abstract of the proposed article, and a brief (max. 1 page) CV including a statement affirming that you meet the eligibility criteria outlined above, by 1 November 2026 to Julia Kuehn (j.c.kuhn@rug.nl) and Daniel Grey (d.j.grey@herts.ac.uk).