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Cambridge AHRC DTP funded students

This information is only for AHRC Funded Students whose awards began before October 2019.  AHRC Funded students who began during or after October 2019 should refer to this page. 

 

The Student Funding and Fee Policy Team administers the postgraduate awards on behalf of the AHRC. We administer maintenance payments and fieldwork payments to students, and payments of the University Composition fee to the Colleges, as well as any changes to awards. The Student Funding and Fee Policy Team has the authority to approve changes to awards on behalf of the AHRC.

 

Who to Contact

The contact is: Frederick Dyke, Student Funding Administrator, Student Funding and Fee Policy Team, Student Services Centre, New Museums Site, Cambridge, CB2 3PT (Research.Council.Funding@admin.cam.ac.uk).

 

AHRC Funding Guide and Terms & Conditions

AHRC Student Funding Guide (This also contains the 'Terms and Conditions' of your awards)

The following are useful sections of the Guide:

  • Student Registration + length of award
  • Paid Work
  • Disabled Student Allowance
  • Additional funding opportunities (RTSG, SDF, Fieldwork, Conferences, Visits)
  • Suspension, Maternity
  • Change of Status (e.g. from full-time to part-time)
  • Termination of Award

AHRC Website (for Current Award Holders)

UKRI Guidance 

 

Progress Reports

To continue your award from year to year (doctoral only), your Supervisor must provide a satisfactory report of your progress on the online system: Cambridge Graduate Supervision Reporting System (by July).

 

Payments

'Full' Award

You will receive:

  • University Composition Fee
  • Maintenance grant for full award holders (£15,609 full-time rate for 2021/22; part-time rate is 60% of this)
  • You can also apply for contributions towards the costs of Research Trips (Study Visits) and Conferences

'Fees-Only' Award

You will receive:

Maintenance payments
Full AHRC award holders will receive their maintenance quarterly by BACS paid directly into their UK bank account. In order to receive your first instalment of your award you will need to provide your UK bank account details and register in person with the Student Funding and Fee Policy Team at the start of Michaelmas Term.

Fee payments
All award holders have their combined fees paid for by their AHRC award. Colleges are notified by us that you will be funded in this way but if you receive a fee bill from your College please advise them to redirect it to the Student Funding and Fee Policy Team.

Overpayment
If you intermit or withdraw from study during your award, you are not entitled to any maintenance or fee payments from the date you intermit/withdraw from study. If any funds have been paid to you in advance, you must refund the AHRC (via the Student Funding and Fee Policy Team) immediately. See 'Suspension of award' below.

Maintenance Payments Schedule:

Expected payment date To cover period
1 October 1 Oct - 31 Dec
1 January 1 Jan - 31 Mar
1 April 1 Apr - 30 Jun
1 July 1 Jul - 30 Sep

If you have not received payment when expected, please contact the Student Funding Administrator.

 

Applications for Research Training Support Grants (RTSG), Student Development Funds (SDF) and High Cost Training/ Primary Research Costs

These funds are only available for Doctoral Students.  AHRC Celtic Language award holders, Collaborative Doctoral 'CDA' Award holders and CEELBAS award holders are not eligible to apply for these funds please contact your Department for advice on funding available.  Please see the sections below for full information.

Please note that due to COVID-19 disruption, Michaelmas 2020 applications are being handled in an ad-hoc RTSG round, rather than a full one. We apologise for the delay in opening this portal. If you have previously discussed the matter with Alistair Swiffen or Frederick Dyke, please submit your application through this portal, and email them indicating that the application needs to be handled urgently.

Eligible students - please contact Alistair Swiffen to discuss your application before submitting it.

 

Research Training Support Grants (RTSG)

AHRC students can apply for funds from the Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) to enable them to undertake overseas and UK study visits/fieldwork, attend conferences, and to cover other primary research costs. All AHRC funded doctoral students are eligible to apply for these funds, apart from those who are writing up. However, students who have already received one allocation from RTSG funds will not normally be funded again during the life of their PhD.

Please read Cambridge AHRC DTP guide if you are considering applying for the RTSG below.

How to Apply for the RTSG

All active students will be invited on a termly basis to apply for AHRC RTSG or SDF funding, any deadlines will be outlined in the invitation email.

Applications should include the following information

  • Whether you would like to apply for RTSG or SDF.
  • The category of activity or expenditure for which you seek funding: a study visit, conference, or other primary research costs in the case of RTSG; an internship, or high-cost training in the case of SDF. 
  • If travel is likely to be involved and is likely to be safe soon.
  • Your intended destination if travel is likely to be involved. 
  • When you would like to undertake the proposed activity, and for how long. 
  • Why you need or want to undertake the proposed acitivity. 
  • An itemized budget, with electronic quotes to support it.
  • Whether you would like to be considered for a maintenance funding extension to cover the time spent on an internship or high-cost training. (Please note that this option: remains unavailable to fees-only students; may not be granted for primary research activity; may not be granted for activities lasting under 1 month). 

Once completed then please send the document(s) to Research.Council.Funding@admin.cam.ac.uk, ahrcdtp@admin.cam.ac.uk and Alistair.Swiffen@admin.cam.ac.uk. Please also prepare your supervisor to submit a short supporting statement, without which we cannot finalise approval for any application. That statement should support your rationale for undertaking the activity or incurring the expenditure proposed at this stage of your PhD, rather than a general account of academic progress and ability.

 Please note:

  • The application closing dates are firm dates and the application form will close at midnight on the closing date.
  • Retrospective applications are not permitted.
  • Approved funds are for a particular purpose and original receipts will be requested.
  • If your visit plans change you must inform us as further approval will be needed.
  • Applicants will be notified of results within one month of the closing date.
  • You should also apply for University Fieldwork Funding please visit Leave to Work Away From Cambridge for information on how to apply.
  • You may also need to apply for 'Leave to Work Away' from the University on your CamSIS Self-Service pages
  • Travel Insurance cover limitations may apply - please see link below for further details on University travel insurance cover and ensure you comply with these limitations.

Travel Insurance cover limitations explained

The School of Arts and Humanities offers a 'graduate-led conference scheme' for students within its school. The AHRC Doctoral Training Programme also offers student-led study groups (for AHRC DTP student only) - see the AHRC DTP training website.

AHRC Confirmation of Expenses Form

 

Student Development Fund (SDF)

Cambridge AHRC DTP students can apply for funds from the Student Development Fund (SDF). This funding is primarily available to extend the duration of PhD study flexibly and responsively - i.e. to support an appropriate range of training for individual AHRC-funded students according to their individual needs. This may include: Study Visits; Placements; International Placements; Skills Development; High Cost training; attendance at conferences. For more information, see the Cambridge AHRC DTP guide.

How to Apply for SDF

Applications are to be made via the online portal:

link - https://webservices.admin.cam.ac.uk/ncbk/abrt/fp.cgi

 

High Cost Training/ Primary Research Costs

Please see the Cambridge AHRC DTP guide for further information about these funds. 

 

International Placement Scheme (IPS)

Please note that due to COVID-19, the International Placement Scheme will not be going ahead this year.

The International Placement Scheme (IPS) is an annual programme providing Research Fellowships to AHRC and ESRC students, early career researchers and doctoral-level research assistants.  For 2020/21 the world leading IPS institutions were:

  • Harry Ransom Centre (HRC), The University of Texas at Ausin, USA
  • The Huntingdon Library, California, USA
  • The Library of Congress (LoC) Washington DC, USA
  • National Institutes of the Humanities (NIHU), Japan
  • Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA), Shanghai, China
  • Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., USA
  • The Yale Centre for British Art (YCBA), Connecticut, USA

​Please find more information about the scheme here. 

 

Suspension of Award (Intermission of Studies)

The circumstances in which you can suspend your award are given in the most recent AHRC 'Student Funding Guide' and also look here for further information about medical and non-medical intermission.  If you wish to suspend your award please apply to intermit via your CamSIS self-service page

Applications to intermit can take some time to be fully approved, so please inform the Student Funding Administrator as soon as you think you may have to suspend, so that we can stop the next maintenance payment - otherwise you will have to return any overpayments to the AHRC (via the Student Funding and Fee Policy Team). 

Note:  Retrospective Intermission - The University allows intermission to be backdated for up to 30 days from the date of application whereas the AHRC only permit retrospective intermission for the current term of study you are in.  Therefore the University and AHRC rules differ and dates of thesis submission as a result of intermission will vary between the University and AHRC.  You will be expected to submit according to the AHRC date.

 

Sick Pay Policy

UKRI students are eligible for thirteen weeks of sick pay within any twelve month period. A student is eligible for sick pay from the first day of their PhD until the end of their funded period, if they produce medical certification in the same manner as for intermission, and if they have not claimed more than thirteen weeks of sick pay in the previous twelve months.

Students should note that by UKRI terms “it is not permissible to provide further funding once the funding end date of the student award has passed”. Therefore, whilst claims for sick pay may be retrospective, this must occur prior to the end of the funded period.

The amount of paid sick leave already taken at any time in the year immediately prior to the date on which a period of sickness absence begins will be taken into account when calculating the amount of sick pay due to the student. Therefore, if a student takes the maximal thirteen-week allowance in one block, they would be ineligible for any further sick pay for a further 39 weeks. Any further sickness necessitating further time away from studying in those 39 weeks (be it continuing from the period of claimed sick pay, or separate from it) will be handled via the existing intermission and suspension of award processes.

Students must contact Research.Council.Funding@admin.cam.ac.uk notifying them of their medical absence, submit medical evidence in the form of a Doctor’s Note, and request sick pay. They must also apply to the Student Registry for an end date extension on CamSIS, no matter how short a period of sick pay claimed.

Provided necessary evidence was submitted, stipend payment will continue through the first thirteen weeks of medical intermission, as per the following examples.

  • Student A takes a 52 week (one year) medical intermission. Their submission deadline and funding end date are extended by 52 weeks on JeS and CamSIS. They are paid their normal stipend for the first thirteen weeks of that intermission, but do not receive any payment for the subsequent 39 weeks.

  • Student B takes a six week medical intermission. Their submission deadline and funding end date are extended by six weeks on JeS and CamSIS. They are paid their normal stipend throughout the six weeks they are on intermission. They still have seven weeks of sick pay allowance remaining to be used in the subsequent 46 weeks.

  • Student C is sick for ten days. Their submission deadline and funding end date are extended by ten days on JeS and CamSIS (note this is an exception to the normal rule of a two week lower bound). They are paid their normal stipend throughout those ten days, keeping the remainder of their 13 week allowance to be used over the rest of the year.  

UKRI require certification for sick leave. Under this basis, medical evidence will be retained, in the same manner as for medical intermissions.

 

Parental Leave

The AHRC follows RCUK guidance on the provision of maternity and other parental leave. The most recent RCUK can be found here.

Maternity and Adoption Leave

Students are entitled to 52 weeks leave paid at the following rate:

Weeks 1 – 26    Full stipend

Weeks 27 – 39  At a level commensurate with statutory maternity pay 

Weeks 40 – 52  Unpaid

There is no qualifying period for maternity or adoption leave. The end date of the studentship will be extended to reflect any period of leave. There is no limit to the number of periods of leave that students may take during a studentship.

Students must complete an application to the University to intermit their studies and an application to the AHRC DTP for maternity/adoption leave. Please return the following form to Research.Council.Funding@admin.cam.ac.uk. For maternity leave, a student’s original MATB1 should be sent to the Student Funding Administrator.

Application form

Paternity Leave

Students are entitled to 10 days leave paid at on full stipend, to be taken at any time during a partner’s pregnancy or within three months following the birth. There is no qualifying period for paternity leave. The end date of the studentship will not be extended to reflect the period of leave. No application for paternity leave is necessary.

Parental Leave

In addition to Ordinary Parental Leave, partners are also entitled to an extended period of unpaid parental leave, up to a maximum of 50 weeks, with their studentship extended accordingly. Unpaid parental leave must be completed within 12 months of the birth of the child. This leave may be taken in up to three blocks of leave or all at once. There is no limit to the number of periods of leave that students may take during a studentship.

The UKRI guidance currently does not allow for paid shared parental leave.

 

Permanent Withdrawal

If you need to leave your course you must take 2 actions:

  1. Initiate 'Withdrawal' from University form from Self-Service. The date of withdrawal will mark the end of eligibility for AHRC award benefits.
  2. Contact the Student Funding and Fee Policy Team by email immediately to signal your intention.  The Student Funding Administrator will discuss the implications with you and advise you how to avoid repayments (as maintenance is paid in advance).

Once an award is terminated it is not possible to reinstate an award.

Proceed to Self-Service

 

Change of Status (e.g. from full-time to part-time)

The circumstances under which you can change your status award are given in the most recent AHRC's 'Student Funding Guide' 

  • Apply via the University and we will assess this application

Proceed to Self-Service

 

Submitting Your Thesis

Please notify the Student Funding Administrator if you intend to submit your thesis prior to your award end date.  In terms of the impact on AHRC funding, the terms and conditions state the following:

In some cases, students may submit their thesis prior to the end of their award. Where the student continues to undertake work that is directly linked to their thesis, it is permissible for the doctoral award to continue to the end of the quarter in which the thesis is submitted. If the student submits on or after the original end date then the funding must cease on the end date

The AHRC requires you to submit your thesis within one year of the end date of your award. If for any reason you are unable to meet this deadline please contact the Student Funding Administrator as soon as possible. It may be possible to apply to the AHRC (via the Student Funding Team) for an extension to your submission deadline, but this is usually only granted in exceptional circumstances.

It is not possible to intermit your AHRC award during the fourth year of your award. If you apply for intermission during your fourth year you will need to contact the Student Funding Administrator.

Information on Extending your University Submission Date is available on our website Extending your submission date

 

Disability Support Allowance

Please make contact with the Disability Resource Centre to discuss your needs.

 

Breaking the Silence

The University and Colleges of Cambridge and CUSU have launched a zero tolerance campaign around sexual misconduct called ‘Breaking the Silence – Cambridge speaks out against sexual misconduct’. The campaign highlights a range of new prevention, support and reporting measures. The Breaking the Silence website gives contact points for help, advice and support as well as setting out expectations around mutual respect and consideration and the zero tolerance approach to sexual misconduct. Staff and students are also given information about the University, College and external reporting options via the website. 

 

Dignity at Work

There is no place for any form of harassment, victimisation or sexual misconduct at Cambridge. Such behaviour is contrary to the values and ideals of our shared community, subverts the University’s mission and core values and diminishes the dignity and integrity of all parties. Please read more about the University's Dignity at Work Policy.

 

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