Get Started

Checklist for starting Doctoral Research

There are a few things you need to do when you start your research programme at The University of Manchester. These are summarised in the following checklist:

• Online registration: Register via My Manchester; 
• UK bank account. You will need to set up a UK bank account if you are self-financing and wish to use direct debit for your fees, or if you are a funded student and will receive a stipend;
• Bank details. Add your bank account to My Manchester. This is necessary if you are due to receive a stipend;
• Sponsorship. Funded students to obtain a Sponsorship letter;
• Paying tuition fees. These are due at the time of registration. Find information on how to pay, such as setting up a direct debit and what to do if your studies are externally funded;
• Council tax. Obtain a Council Tax Exemption letter;
• Registering with a GP. It’s important that you ensure you’ve registered with a GP or doctor who can provide a range of non-emergency services by appointment once you arrive in Manchester. The University has recently launched a GP service on campus in Crawford House, managed by the Robert Darbishire Practice, where you can register. Alternatively, find a GP on the NHS website;
• Obtaining a personal computer. If you don’t have access to a computer to carry out your research effectively, then you can request a computer through our IT services team;
• IT account. Set up your IT account and other IT services related to starting your programme. Such as email and BlackBoard, your e-learning portal;
• Health and safety training. This e-learning training is mandatory and recommended to complete it as soon as you have access to Blackboard: your e-learning portal;
• Accessing buildings. Obtain relevant building access;
• Familiarise yourself with your new surroundings. The user guide for Engineering Buildings A and B will help you to make the most of the facilities on offer. You will also need to complete a technical induction for lab work;
• If applicable, request desk and office allocation. By contacting the Department Operations Team within your School, listed on our Research Community page;
• E-prog. Get started with e-prog: A University-wide system, with milestones, designed to structure a research programme and monitor progress;
• Track your research outputs. Create your ‘Open Researcher and Contributor ID’ (ORCID) and link it to your Manchester student account to tag and track your research outputs. This is a mandatory requirement for all postgraduate researchers and will complete an eProg milestone.