About LURS

LURS stands for Leveraged University Research Studentship. LURS are intended for use where the inclusion of a University funded studentship in a research funding proposal will make the bid stronger and/or more competitive.

It is important to note that LURS are just one of the ways that institutional support can be demonstrated on a funding application. All types of support should be considered before applying to the LURS scheme, and the context of the proposed research and the planned research team should be taken into consideration. Please see the Framework for Institutional Support document to determine if a LURS is appropriate for your bid.

Key facts about LURS:

• Duration = 3 years
• Value = this is determined by the year you select for the LURS to begin (which must be completed as part of the application process). An approximate value is around £80k, but a more accurate breakdown for you to include in your application will be sent in a confirmation email sent by the LURS team (if your LURS application is approved). Please note these figures will still be indicative at the point of application and are subject to change.
• Start date = this must be stated in your LURS request, and should allow for the majority of the studentship (i.e. 2 years or more) to fall within the lifetime of the associated project.
• We advise that the optimal time to advertise a PhD project is in the autumn with the expectation of recruiting a student to start in September/October the following year. Please consider if these timelines will be realistic and feasible when stating your LURS start date, as changes to the date you stipulate in your request will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.

The process for submitting a LURS

Where you have determined that a studentship is an appropriate mechanism for demonstrating institutional support for your proposal, and a PhD student is a suitable role to include in your research project team, the following process should be followed:

1. Determine if you are applying for one of the specific fellowship schemes that are automatically granted a LURS (schemes can be found in the Framework for Institutional Support document). If you fall in this category, proceed to completing the request form (you will not need to complete a PAM viability report in this case).
2. If you are not applying to one of the specified funding schemes, you will need to run a PAM viability report to ensure your proposal meets the criteria for being granted a LURS. To run the PAM viability report please follow this guidance. This includes screenshots showing you where you can access the viability report and this will contain some of the information you will need to provide on the request form. If, after reading this guidance, you are still not sure how to access this information then please ask your Pre-Award Development Officer.
3. Determine that your proposal meets the eligibility criteria for requesting a LURS, which can be found in the Framework for Institutional Support.
4. Complete the request form, ensuring you have considered your rationale for requesting the LURS prior to starting the form (as it cannot be saved part way through).

What happens when your LURS request is submitted

If your request does not meet the eligibility criteria for a LURS, you will be notified that your request has been unsuccessful. It may be that there are alternative options for you to consider to demonstrate institutional support of your proposal, and you should discuss this with your Faculty Research Manager in the first instance.

If your request meets the eligibility criteria for a Centrally awarded LURS please see the Framework, you will be notified via email from LURS@bath.ac.uk.

If your request does not meet those criteria, it will be referred to your Faculty for consideration. You will also be notified of the outcome of this decision via email from LURS@bath.ac.uk.

Please allow at least two working weeks for your request to be considered.

What happens if your LURS request is approved

If your request for a LURS is approved, and subsequently your research funding application is successful (i.e. you receive an award notification from the funder), it is your responsibility to contact LURS@bath.ac.uk to let them know you will require the LURS that was approved, and indicate (if possible) when you expect the LURS to begin.

You will also be asked to provide information about the use of the LURS during the lifetime of the project. For any queries about this process, please contact LURS@bath.ac.uk.