Research and training grant support guidance

E.g. students who pay their own fees or whose fees are paid by an external sponsor, such as their home government or employer. A sponsor letter is required for financial registration.

The department will provide students with an RTSG based on the tuition fee rate their supervisor selected during the admissions process and the nature of the project.

• Students will be allocated an individual budget and task codes for their consumables and travel costs. 
• The expenditure on these codes must be for the named student only.
• The budget cannot be used to pay tuition fees or provide a stipend.
• The supervisor is responsible for all charges to the account and must provide an alternative account for any overspend or ineligible costs. 
• Students who commenced their programme from September 2024 onwards will be allocated a task under a finance code for which their main supervisor is the budget holder. Supervisors will be able to view the balance and transactions on their student’s task codes. 
• Most students who started their programme prior to September 2024 have been allocated tasks on finance codes where their supervisor is not the budget holder. For these students, the Doctoral Academy Funding team can provide balance and transaction updates – please email us with your full finance and task codes.
• The task codes will close at the end of the student’s research period – either when the student is due to register for the Submission Pending period, submits their thesis or withdraws from the programme.
• If the student’s research period is extended, the end date of the task codes will be extended to reflect this. No additional funding will be available for an extension period.
• Moving from full-time to a part-time version of the same programme (or vice versa) will not change the RTSG budget.
• If the student transfers to another programme, such as moving between MPhil and PhD, the RTSG budget and end date will be updated to reflect the change to the research period.
• Any funds remaining following the end of the student’s programme will be retained by the University.

We recognise that opportunities to publish your work and attend conferences may arise after the end of your research period. Where sufficient funds remain, supervisors may request approval to extend a student’s RTSG from the end of the research period until programme completion, but only for the following purposes:

• Publication charges where the student is listed as an author.
• Conference attendance.

E.g. students in receipt of The University of Manchester funded studentships such as Departmental Studentship, President’s Doctoral Scholarship, Dean’s Doctoral Scholarship.

The department will provide a minimum RTSG budget where funding is not available from another source.

• Students will be allocated an individual budget and task codes for their consumables and travel costs.
• The expenditure on these codes must be for the named student only.
• The budget cannot be used to pay tuition fees or provide a stipend.
• The supervisor is responsible for all charges to the account and must provide an alternative account for any overspend or ineligible costs.
• Students who commenced their programme from September 2024 onwards will be allocated a task under a finance code for which their main supervisor is the budget holder. Supervisors will be able to view the balance and transactions on their student’s task codes.
• Most students who started their programme prior to September 2024 have been allocated tasks on finance codes where their supervisor is not the budget holder. For these students, the Doctoral Academy Funding team can provide balance and transaction updates – please email us with your full finance and task codes.
• The task codes will close at the end of the student’s research period – either when the student is due to register for the Submission Pending period, submits their thesis or withdraws from the programme.
• If the student’s research period is extended, the end date of the task codes will be extended to reflect this. No additional funding will be available for an extension period.
• Moving from full-time to a part-time version of the same programme (or vice versa) will not change the RTSG budget.
• If the student transfers to another programme, such as moving between MPhil and PhD, the RTSG budget and end date will be updated to reflect the change to the research period.
• Any funds remaining following the end of the student’s programme will be retained by the University.

We recognise that opportunities to publish your work and attend conferences may arise after the end of your research period. Where sufficient funds remain, supervisors may request approval to extend a student’s RTSG from the end of the research period until programme completion, but only for the following purposes:

• Publication charges where the student is listed as an author.
• Conference attendance.

The studentship will provide an RTSG budget where funding is not available from another source.

• Students receiving an individual budget will be allocated individual task codes for their travel and consumables costs.
• The expenditure on these codes must be for the named student only and must comply with the UKRI terms and conditions.
• All costs and spending must be within the students' funded research period. It is not acceptable to book and pay in advance for activities taking place after the end of the funded research period.
• The supervisor is responsible for all charges to the account and must provide an alternative account for any overspend or ineligible costs.
• Most students will be allocated tasks on finance codes where their supervisor is not the budget holder. The Doctoral Academy Funding team can provide balance and transaction updates – to request this please email us with your full finance and task codes.
• No spending can be made during an unfunded extension to the research period, in submission pending or after submission. This includes where funding for an extension is provided from an alternative source.
• The funded research period may only be extended where an interruption has been approved and has extended the funding beyond the original end date.

E.g. Industry or Charity funded studentships where an agreement exists between sponsor and the University. 

• The RTSG budgets for external studentships are set on an individual basis.
• All spending must follow the terms and conditions of the funder.
• For areas not covered by these terms and conditions or the contract with the funder, the rules and procedures for students funded by The University of Manchester should be followed.
• Where a student is named in the contract, they will be assigned individual task codes, which should be used solely for costs relating to that specific student.
• Formal agreement from the sponsor may be required to extend the funded period, even where an interruption or extension has been approved by the University.