The Returning Parents Support Fund will open for new applications from 1 September 2026.
About the support fund
The fund is available to employees returning from all forms of parental leave. We know that taking family leave can have an impact on your career, so the aim of the fund is to help remove barriers and enable a smooth transition when returning to work.
What the funding can be used for
The funding can be used to support (but is not limited to):
- Training, professional or personal development.
- Small-scale equipment purchases.
- Short-term secondments to ‘get up to speed’ with recent developments.
- Conference attendance to enable you to re-establish your profile.
- Short-term research or administrative assistance.
- Visiting colleagues at other institutions.
- Enabling research collaborators to spend time in Bath.
- Help with organising conferences or workshops.
- Teaching buy-out to enable you to concentrate on research.
The funding is designed to be flexible. You are entitled to apply for:
- Research staff: Up to £5,000
- All other job families Grades 6 and above: Up to £1,000
- All other job families Grade 2-5: £400
Who is eligible for funding
You can apply to the fund if you were absent for more than three months on shared parental leave, adoption or maternity leave
Please note, the funding is currently only available to staff not students.
The funding for the scheme is at the discretion of the University and can be withdrawn at any time.
How to apply
You must apply within three months of returning to work. The fund is intended to support people in returning to work, and we encourage you to apply as soon as possible so the funds can aid you in this.
Before applying, it’s a good idea to have a conversation with your Supervisor, line manager, or Head of Department (HoD). They can help you assess what support might help you get your career back on track.
Once you’ve had that conversation, fill out this online request form.
The Culture and Inclusion team will review your application within two weeks and, if successful, a budget code will be created by Finance within two weeks of application approval.
You must spend your funding by the end of July in the same academic year you are awarded the fund.
A condition of the funding is that you must complete an end of year survey on how the fund has supported your return. This will help us determine the effectiveness of the scheme and whether we will continue the funding on an ongoing basis.
Working with your department
While your Head of Department or line manager does not need to approve your application, it’s a good idea to talk to them before you apply. They will be able to enable the support you need.
Funding is provided on the basis that any training or development activities are supported as part of your role, including being undertaken within your working hours where appropriate. You are therefore strongly encouraged to discuss your plans with your line manager in advance. This will help ensure the activity is supported, that time can be made available during working hours, and that any associated resource or cost implications are understood. Your line manager will also be able to support authorising any time away from usual duties, such as attending conferences or other events.
Working out costs for teaching or admin buyout
Your Head of Department is a good person to speak to about costs for teaching or admin buyout. The following web pages can also be used to help you work out a rough idea of costings: