The terms and conditions detailed in this document relate to your registration as a PhD student and the elements of your funding award which cover your tuition fees, the Training Support Fee and your stipend payment only. The University’s terms and conditions for staff will apply to the teaching and salary element of your scholarship. Our Human Resources Department will send you a separate employment contract in due course. You should read that contract carefully alongside this document and your PhD offer of study letter.

1. Awards are for full-time study.
2. Awards may be used to support applicants with a fee status of Home or Overseas.
3. Awards are for 4 years, and they consist of:
   • a full tuition fee waiver at the Home fee rate.
   • an annual amount for living expenses made up of a stipend payment and a salary for the teaching element of the award. The overall amount will be at least equivalent to the UKRI standard stipend rate. The salary payment will include an additional amount to cover annual leave benefits.
   • a Training Support Fee (TSF) of £1,000 per year, for years 2-4, to fund miscellaneous costs such as travel, equipment, fieldwork expenses.
4. All students receiving awards are normally expected to commence study at the start of the academic year (i.e. end of September / beginning of October). Awards cannot be deferred to the following academic year i.e. they have to be used for the years that they have been awarded.
5. All students receiving awards are expected to follow Regulation 16.14 Attendance Requirements as stipulated in Regulation 16 of our Regulation for Students.
6. If a student suspends their study for a period of time (ref. Regulation 16.21 as stipulated in Regulation 16 including specific criteria for suspension) then the funding will be suspended for this period. A student suspending for health reasons will be eligible to receive up to 28 weeks medical leave in a rolling 12-month period and a maximum of 52 weeks medical leave across the duration of the scholarship. Students will also be eligible for maternity/paternity/family leave as described in the relevant Postgraduate Research policies.
7. If a student withdraws, the University may require any funding paid in advance to be refunded.
8. Continuation of the award for the duration of the programme is dependent on the student satisfactorily meeting any progression and reporting requirements (as indicated Regulation 16 and QA7), and satisfactorily meeting teaching requirements throughout the period of study, fulfilling all such requirements as may be in force within the School.
9. If a student completes their studies and submits a doctoral thesis before the end of the scholarship, the date of submission normally becomes the funding end date. The student will be expected to continue any agreed teaching until the end of the semester.
10. Graduate Research Scholars are expected to serve as Teaching Assistants as a condition of receiving the funding. The responsibilities of Teaching Assistants include tasks such as: teaching tutorials, marking, providing feedback, answering questions, facilitating seminars, demonstrating laboratory classes and assisting with student research projects, trialling new experiments for courses etc. Unit conveners must retain responsibility for the provision of suitable teaching materials and guidance to Teaching Assistants.
11. Overseas students with a Student Visa must ensure that they are meeting the working conditions attached to their visa. More information can be found on the working with your student visa page.

Teaching Assistants are required to:

• undertake compulsory teaching training prior to the commencement of teaching activity. For details of courses available, please refer to the Director of Studies. GRS Students are encouraged to follow the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) and to apply for an AdvanceHE Fellowship (FHEA).
• contribute annually up to an allocated 400 workload hours, which may variously comprise a combination of teaching contact hours, contact preparation, marking, student support and other teaching activities as determined by Subject Group Leads in direct consultation with, and the approval of, the PhD Director of Studies who may, as necessary, seek the advice of a GRS holder’s supervisory team. To ensure fairness and transparency, the allocation will be based broadly on the same Workload Allocation Management System that applies to all teaching in the School of Management.

Owner: Doctoral Admissions
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Date of last review: 06 November 2025