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Research students and postdoctoral fellows belong to our Faculty Graduate School. Within the Graduate School, we provide a range of resources to support your development as a researcher.

This support includes a comprehensive training programme tailored to each discipline, coupled with Faculty-wide events to help foster collaboration and peer support. The highlight of the programme is the yearly Graduate School Conference, which gives students the chance to show off their work. Watch out also for talks from high-profile researchers throughout the year.

Support

Since your research programme is tailored individually, you should discuss your work regularly with your supervisors, typically on a once-per-week basis. Your supervisor will be able to provide advice on what you should read, whether there are specific workshops or training events you should attend, as well as guide you through shaping your research contribution. If you want advice from your fellow students, then get in touch with one of our student representatives, who will be able to point you at what resources are available.

Funding

Studentships

The Department holds some funding to support PhD students. The Departmental Funding can cover both the tuition fee and a stipend of (currently) £950 per calendar month, or a proportion of the stipend. In recent cases, the Department has made offers to cover tuition fees, but only cover half the stipend. The Departmental Research Management Committee (RMC) discusses the funding allocation based on applications the Department puts forward for consideration. The funding is awarded on a competitive basis around June of each year. The offer is for 3 year. If further funding is required, this is awarded on a discretionary basis. See "Further Funding" below for more detail.

Travel Funding

Any PhD student supported by the Departmental Funding, or coming here on overseas funding, or self-funding is allocated £1500 for travel to conferences and this is for the duration of their 3 years' registration.

Students who were previously supported by a Doctoral Training Grant (DTG) used to have an additional amount of funding (RSTG) for travel to conferences built into their award. Since October 2011 these awards no longer have this extra funding for travel, so the Departmental Research Management Committee also offers these students an allocation of £1500.

Students who are supported by an EPSRC (CASE) Award will have travel funding included in the financial arrangements. The CASE Awards indicate that a company is involved and contributing to the financial support for the student.

You should apply for this money well in advance of the event, typically when you submit the paper to the conference.

Exceptional Funding

Students on Departmental Funding and DTG Awards are initially offered the funding for 3 years. A further funding for another 6 months can be awarded on a discretionary basis. In the case of Departmental Funding the student needs to complete the Exceptional Funding Form and submit it to the Departmental Research Management Committee. For DTG Awards an email to Professor Chris France (FEPS Graduate School Director) putting the case for this extra funding is required.

For all queries about funding, please contact Maggie Burton.