Prestigious Royal Institution Freer Fellowship for DPhil candidate Julia Gustavsson

Congratulations to DPhil candidate and Julia Gustavsson (History, 2022), who has been awarded a prestigious Royal Institution (Ri) Freer Fellowship for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Ri Freer Trust Fellowships are highly competitive, with only two being awarded this year.

As part of her fellowship, Julia will benefit from significant opportunities to communicate her research with the support of the Ri, as well as receiving guidance for publication plans and further research grant applications, training in science communication and engagement, and a stipend funded by the Phillip Freer Studentship Trust.  

Julia’s DPhil thesis, Domestic pastime? Gender, class, and profession in the British Child Study Movement 1894-1946, examines the evolution of a vibrant site of amateur science where teachers, medical practitioners, and parents collaboratively explored childhood during a period of rapid scientific professionalisation and educational reform. Focusing primarily on the United Kingdom, Julia’s study interrogates how gender, class, and professional identities shaped the production of knowledge about children, challenging traditional narratives that marginalise non-elite contributions to scientific inquiry.