SOSS

Maintenance awards

How will I receive my maintenance stipend from my internally funded, ESRC or AHRC award?

Maintenance awards are paid directly into your bank account via Campus Solutions. Most awards are paid monthly. You must ensure you have input your UK bank account to your record. You do this by going into your MyManchester, choosing the funding portal and selecting the ‘Bank Account Details’ link.

You can view your maintenance award when you log onto self-service, choose campus finances then financial aid. When you log onto this service if you see a button to put on your bank account details please do so as this means that the University does not have these details on your record.

When you log on, if you cannot see your maintenance stipend or if it has not been set up as you expected, you need to let the funding team know as soon as possible on HUMS.doctoralacademy.funding@manchester.ac.uk so that we can sort this out for you. 

Please note that payment of maintenance awards will automatically stop if you have not fully completed registration. Most maintenance awards also stop during periods of approved interruption.

You can find the award payment dates on Student Support website.

I have not received my maintenance payment, what should I do?

You should contact the Student Funding Team in the Student Services Centre in the first instance.

Early thesis submission

For students receiving funding administered/funded by The University of Manchester, please note that funding terminates at the point of thesis submission. Students receiving funding from external bodies should refer to their funder.

Fieldwork bursary

If you are undertaking approved fieldwork you can apply to the School of Social Sciences for a fieldwork bursary. You must obtain approval from the Doctoral Academy to undertake fieldwork by submitting the Research fieldwork application form.

NB: This scheme is not open to Research Council funded students. If you are funded by the ESRC/AHRC or other external funder you should apply directly to your funder for financial support for fieldwork, Difficult Language Training, and Research Training.

The bursary is available to help you with the added expenses of fieldwork. Your fieldwork costs must entail a level of cost above and beyond the normal expenses of attending the university as a student. You cannot claim for normal research expenses such as transcription costs. The fund will pay up to a maximum of £100 towards the cost of purchasing goods (eg cameras/voice recorders).

Eligibility

  • be fully registered on your PhD/MPhil programme of study.
  • have applied to, or be in the process of applying to, all other plausible sources of financial support.
  • be undertaking approved fieldwork normally for a period of not less than one week and not more than twelve months.
  • your application should not be retrospective.

The maximum award payable under this scheme is £3,000 to you if you are a PhD student and £1,000 to you if you are an MPhil student. Successful applicants can submit more than one claim up to the maximum permitted.

How to apply

Applications for fieldwork support can be submitted at any point in the academic year, however, students should not submit an incomplete application or submit an application without receiving the relevant ethical clearances (if applicable).

Please submit an application via the online form and select ‘Fieldwork Funding’ on Question 7:

Applications will be considered by the Doctoral Academy Funding Team in coordination with the PGR Director for SOSS. You will be informed of the outcome within 7-10 working days.

Payment of bursaries is conditional on:

  • you receiving formal approval to undertake the fieldwork - the procedure for applying to go to the field can be found on the Travel approvals, fieldwork and risk assessments page;
  • you receiving ethical approval to undertake the fieldwork - the procedure for applying for ethical approval can be found on the Ethics, consideration and approval page;
  • completion, where applicable, of risk assessments and insurance forms - these are found on the Ethics, consideration and approval page above;
  • submission of valid receipts (you should submit your receipts as you receive them, do not wait until your fieldwork has completed).

As award holder, you are responsible for making your own travel arrangements in line with university guidelines. This means that you have to book travel and accommodation via Key Travel (see drop-down menu below for guidance). Before booking any travel or accommodation you will need to fill in a Pre-Travel Risk Assessment Form. In liaison with your supervisor, you are required to complete a Full Risk Assessment if your travel does not fall within the School generic risk assessments. If it falls within the generic risk assessment, you will need to complete a SoSS Pre-Travel Risk Assessment Declaration.

All expenses are paid directly into your Bank Account via your record on the student portal. When your award has been approved for payment, you can view it when you log onto self-service, choose campus finances and financial aid. It is vital that you have inputted your bank account details onto your record so that payment can be made to you. You can submit multiple claims and it is expected that you submit those claims within 3 months of having incurred the expenses. Do not wait until the end of your fieldwork to submit your claims.

Sustainable travel

The university is committed to sustainable travel, where possible. There is a Sustainable Travel Top-Up Fund available via a separate application form. If your travel costs are more expensive due to selecting a journey with lower carbon emissions, you can apply for this top-up via the Sustainable Travel online form.

NB: If your application for the Sustainable Travel Top Up Fund is accepted, please inform the DA via hums.doctoralacademy.funding@manchester.ac.uk as the Top-Up Fund is not currently managed by the DA Funding Team.

Travel insurance

The University travel policy provides cover for students travelling on business such as fieldwork, conferences etc. and for any travel that is a compulsory element of a university award-bearing degree programme of study. For other travel, you should arrange your own insurance cover. For more information, please see the Insurance Office website.

Liability cover

The University also has other insurance policies in place for protection in relation to public liability. Please see further information and contact the Insurance Office if you have queries.

Key Travel process 

Key Travel is a specialised procurement system the University of Manchester uses to make academic transportation and lodging arrangements much more efficient and easy to arrange. Your profile details, which you only need to input once, will be imperative to any University-funded travel arrangements you need to make during the rest of your time at The University of Manchester.

As a doctoral PGR with scope for conferences and fieldwork, we ask that you now please register with Key Travel by following the information below.

Step 1: Create a login

  • Go to the Key Travel website select ‘New online user’ and enter your university email address and click 'Request new password'.
  • Email Key Travel as soon as possible with your user ID should you have any technical difficulty procuring your login.

Step 2: Create a traveller profile

  • Select 'Create your own profile'
  • Refer to the Key Travel webinar if you are unsure of any details required to create your profile.
  • Please note that the fields relating to 'Redress number' and 'known traveller' relate only to specific travellers to the USA.
  • Please be aware that your preferences, for example, which direction you may prefer to sit on a train, may not be taken into account by all suppliers.
  • Profiles can be viewed and edited by the authorised person(s) only. For example, arrangers will not be able to view your personal information.
  • All profile data is encrypted and stored as per the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Information is only used for the purpose of each trip.

All the PG Researchers are activated on Key Travel with Standard access (look not book) and can follow the steps in the attached Getting started with key travel.

After you have created your profile, you are now ready to proceed with a booking once your funding is approved and secured.

Instructions to book

  1. View travel options (flights, hotel, and rail)
  2. Select your preferred travel options and add to basket
  3. View Basket
  4. Share Quote - Once you’re happy to proceed with your selected options, send quote to seedschooloffice@manchester.ac.uk by sharing the quote details. If you need further help, please refer to the full documentation.

NB: Please note, you should obtain approval from the PGR Research and Training Support Grant (RTSG) application process before proceeding with a Key Travel booking.

Postgraduate researchers should contact Key Travel on 0161 819 9797 for price matches if a cheaper quote is available on a different site.

Research support expense claims

You may be able to claim expenses from the PGR Support Awards fund. You should consult the information provided on PGR Support Awards and make an application if appropriate. However, please note that students are encouraged to apply for a PGR Support Award in advance wherever possible.

We cannot guarantee that an application for a PGR Support Award can be granted, so if you decided to pay for a conference and later submit a PGR Support Award application, this is at your own risk.

If you are granted a PGR Support Award and you need to claim back expenses, you need to submit a completed copy of the form below, along with all original receipts (photocopies or scanned copies cannot be accepted).

Completed forms and receipts should be submitted to the Doctoral Academy, CG6 Ground Floor, Ellen Wilkinson Building or by email at Hums.doctoralacademy.funding@manchester.ac.uk.

EPSRC DTP-funded students

For EPSRC DTP-funded students, your research training support grant allocation is indicated in the award letter. To make expense claims from your allocation, please contact your Department administrator in the first instance.

Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) allowances/expenses

The SOSS Research & Training Support Grant is for SoSS students who have received an internal award from the School of Social Sciences or a Discipline Area within the School that has an RTSG allowance. This allowance is intended to be used to pay expenses which the student, supervisor and department deem to be in direct support of a student’s research.

Eligible costs can include the following:

  • travel and accommodation for conferences, symposiums and summer schools
  • fieldwork expenses
  • language training courses
  • equipment purchases (e.g.; cameras, tape recorders, memory cards etc)
  • survey costs
  • other training or research activities deemed appropriate

The standard rate of RTSG is £1000 per student per year. Unused funds will roll over from year to year and the Doctoral Academy Funding Team will monitor each student’s expenditure record. All unused funds will expire at the end of the student’s course. PGRs can submit multiple claims at any time and there are no fixed deadlines.

How to apply

Please submit an application via the online form:

Completing this form may require the following material:

  • Supporting statement from your supervisor
  • Travel risk assessment (if applicable – see below for links to risk assessments)
  • Invoice and costings if requesting a procurement of goods
  • Information about suppliers if requesting a procurement of services

All PGRs taking fieldwork leave must also complete the Research fieldwork application form.  

Travel risk assessment

Sustainable travel

The university is committed to sustainable travel, where possible. There is a Sustainable Travel Top-Up Fund available via a separate application form. If your travel costs are more expensive due to selecting a journey with lower carbon emissions, you can apply for this top-up via the Sustainable Travel online form.

NB: If your application for the Sustainable Travel Top Up Fund is accepted, please inform the DA via hums.doctoralacademy.funding@manchester.ac.uk as the Top-Up Fund is not currently managed by the DA Funding Team.

Travel insurance

The University travel policy provides cover for students travelling on business such as fieldwork, conferences etc. and for any travel that is a compulsory element of a university award-bearing degree programme of study. For other travel, you should arrange your own insurance cover. For more information, please see the Insurance Office website.

Liability cover

The University also has other insurance policies in place for protection in relation to public liability. Please see further information and contact the Insurance Office if you have queries.

Student Experience and Recruitment Budget (SERB)

The SOSS Research & Training Support Grant (RTSG – see above) is not available to unfunded SOSS PGRs. Unfunded SOSS PGRs may instead apply to the Student Experience and Recruitment Budget belonging to your home department. To do so, please contact the PGR Director of your home department in the first instance. For 2024/25, the contacts are as follows:

  • Social Anthropology: Dr Karen Sykes
  • Criminology: <<TBC>>
  • Law: <<TBC>>
  • Economics: <<TBC>>
  • Philosophy: Dr Frederique Janssen-Lauret
  • Social Statistics: Dr Kingsley Purdam
  • Politics: Dr Silke Trommer
  • Data Analytics: <<TBC>>
  • Sociology: Dr Petra Nordqvist

ESRC and AHRC studentships

AHRC and ESRC funded PGRs

NWCDTP and NWSSDTP-funded PGRs are eligible for funding to support their research as outlined in the studentship offer letter. This includes Research Training Support Grant (RTSG), Overseas Fieldwork Funding (OSFW), Internships, Overseas Institutional Visits (OIV) and Fieldwork and Conference Fund, subject to eligibility. They must therefore apply for such support from NWCDTP or NWSSDTP rather than from the School.

Further information including funding guides and contact details can be found on the Faculty of Humanities intranet:

Research council funded students should direct their queries to their School doctoral programme office in the first instance. 

ESRC NWSSDTP and AHRC NWCDTP doctoral studentships

PGRs in the first year of their doctoral degree may apply for ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership studentship or AHRC North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership to fund their second and third years, subject to eligibility.

To find out about the details of the studentships, eligibility criteria and how to apply please visit:

Other funding opportunities

The Norman Chester/Politics competitive doctoral research fund (Politics PhD students only)

This fund is specific to Politics postgraduate research students. The fund is designed to make a contribution to the cost of conducting fieldwork (or other research-related expenditure) or to the expenditure associated with presenting a paper at a scholarly conference/workshop.

Apart from funding provided by your School, you may be eligible to apply for other funding for different purposes such as research equipment purchases, research projects, conference attendance, study visits, institutional visits, exchanges.

Visit the Other funding opportunities page on the Social Sciences website for more funding opportunities.

Peter Goldie Memorial Fund (Philosophy)

The Peter Goldie Memorial Fund provides a yearly award of approximately £1000 to help fund either one or multiple Philosophy PhD students to undertake brief research visits or to present at a conference. This funding is for current Manchester PhD students only. Applications may be made via email to the Philosophy department's postgraduate research director by 30 November of each year, with a brief proposal of up to 500 words and a draft budget.

The University of Manchester Living Cost Support Fund

The Living Cost Support Fund is a University scheme that exists thanks to generous donations from alumni and friends who want to ensure that no Manchester student is left struggling. If you are experiencing financial hardship, either as a result of the COVID-19 crisis or otherwise, please apply to us for support.

The fund is open to all students, regardless of level of study or nationality. It is open all year round and can award grants and loans to help you overcome financial hardship or unforeseen expenses.

For information about eligibility criteria and application process, please see Living Cost Support Fund website. 

UK Doctoral Loan

If you’re coming to Manchester this year to begin or continue postgraduate doctoral research, you could qualify for a loan from the UK government. Please see eligibility criteria and how to apply on the website below.