Research Centres

The School is home to two internationally-known research centres, the Centre for English Local History and the Centre for Urban History. Staff in the School are also heavily involved in three multidisciplinary research centres: the Centre for American Studies; the Stanley Burton Centre for Holocaust and Genocide Studies; and the Medieval Research Centre.

Centre for English Local History

The Centre for English Local History is devoted to the study of local history nationally across England and Wales. Established in 1948, it is the only specifically postgraduate research centre of its kind in the UK and has an international reputation for its teaching and research. The research expertise in the Centre is varied and wide-ranging, staff are often successful in receiving research grants from funding bodies including the AHRC, ESRC, Leverhulme Trust and the Marc Fitch Fund.

Centre for Urban History

The Centre for Urban History was founded in 1985 and has established itself as a major international centre for interdisciplinary research and graduate teaching. The Centre has a strong publishing record and the leading European journal Urban History is edited by Centre staff. The Centre is also home to the East Midlands Oral History Archive (EMOHA) which holds an archive of oral history recording from the local area. EMOHA are involved in a number of projects across the East Midlands and are continuously adding to their collection of interviews.

Centre for American Studies

The Centre for American Studies is based withing the College of Arts, Humanitities and Law, and draws from the teaching and research expertise of staff in the Schools of Historical Studies and English, the Departments of History of Art & Film and Politics & International Relations. The Centre was ranked the Number Two among UK Universities by The Independent, firmly establishing the Centre as one of the UK's most important providers of American Studies degrees.

Stanley Burton Centre for Holocaust and Genocide Studies

The Stanley Burton Centre for Holocaust and Genocide Studies was founded in 1990 and is the oldest Holocaust research centre in the UK. The centre is based within the School of Historical Studies and has active collaborations with staff within the Colleges of Arts, Humanities and Law and Social Sciences. The activities sponsored by the Centre involved a programme of research into subjects relates to the Holocaust: and active outreach programme; the annual Aubrey Newman Lecture; an annual international workshop; and a dedicated Holocaust Resources room open to students and the wider public.

Medieval Research Centre

The Medieval Research Centre was established in 1996 to co-ordinate the interdisciplinary research and teaching in medieval subjects across the College of Arts, Humanities and Law. There are more than 20 research-active members of the Centre, with research interests in fields ranging from late antique archaeology to the visual culture of the sixteenth century, who regularly attract research grant income from a range of funding bodies.