Cambridge AHRC DTP – application to Student Development Fund (SDF)
Guidance
If you hold an AHRC studentship as part of the Cambridge AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership, the
Centre for Doctoral Training in Celtic Languages or the CEELBAS Centre for Doctoral Training, then
you can apply for additional funding to support an extension of your studentship funding or to help pay
for high-cost training. The relevant additional funding in such cases comes from the Student
Development Fund (SDF), which is intended to respond flexibly to the individual training needs of
students by facilitating specific training projects of benefit to their doctoral research or broader career.
If you hold an AHRC studentship through the Centre for Doctoral Training in Celtic Languages or the
CEELBAS Centre for Doctoral Training, you will need to apply to the Student Development Fund via
the lead institution – applications made via this form will not be considered.
Applications to the SDF are administered by the Student Registry and will be overseen by the AHRC
DTP Steering Committee, which will designate a sub-committee for this purpose.
Placement/internships
The expectation is that students will normally apply to the SDF for an extension to their studentship,
so that they do not feel obliged to turn down beneficial but time-consuming training opportunities on
the grounds that those opportunities might prevent completion of the PhD thesis within the standard
funding period of 3 years full-time (or 5 years part-time). Funding covers an additional period of
research equivalent to the time a student takes to benefit from the specific training opportunity. For
example, if you successfully apply for a 3 month placement, you will continue to be paid a stipend for
those 3 months, then you will receive an additional 3 months of funding at the end of your studentship
therefore you will receive a stipend for 39 months instead of 36.
The SDF is intended to extend studentships for up to a maximum of one year in response to specific
training opportunities which require additional time. It is not intended as a means of extending
studentships in cases where the PhD project has simply overrun the main funding period. Where
studentship funding is extended with SDF funding, students must still submit their thesis within four
years for a full-time studentship or seven years for a part-time studentship.
Training opportunities which might be grounds for this type of application include:
•
placements or internships with companies, museums or NGOs which are not an integral part
of the PhD project, but might have a positive impact on that project, on the student’s overall
development as a researcher, or on the student’s broader career development;
•
longer study visits which are not integral to the PhD project, but might benefit that project, the
student’s overall development as a researcher, or the student’s broader career development;
•
international placements involving an extended period overseas to develop specific language
skills which are integral to the PhD project;
•
additional time dedicated to the acquisition of specific new skills or techniques;
•
fieldwork or study visits which present significant methodological or practical challenges.
If applying for a placement/internship, these must not be an integral part of your research project.
Study visits are not normally allowed in the last three months of a main award. Whether sought in the
form of an extension or support for high-cost training, SDF funding will not normally be granted in
relation to training opportunities which effectively involve a study visit within those last three months of
the standard award.
If the internship/placement is salaried students must suspend their studies during the period of the
internship.
If the internship/placement is partly paid and is for a period in excess of five weeks, you will need to
apply to suspend your studies.
Further details on suspending your studies are available here:
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/students/studentregistry/fees/support/ahrc/index.html#suspension)
High-cost training/skills development
Students may also apply for SDF support in the form of funding to help pay for high-cost training. In
this form, funding does not entail an extension to the period of the studentship. You may apply for
funding to meet the cost of specific externally provided training or skills development and will be
required to provide evidence of the costs in the form of quotes, fees statements or other written
documents from training providers which lay out the costs of the training.
If applying for funding for training/skills development, you must demonstrate how this will be of benefit
to your doctoral research.
SDF will not normally be granted within the additional writing-up period following the end of the
standard award. This is the case even where that period is already covered financially by a prior
successful application for extension to the studentship.
Applying for SDF
Complete and return the SDF Application form which must be approved by your Supervisor
and considered in the context of your training needs analysis/PhD completion plans.
Applications will be considered jointly with RTSG applications at four meetings throughout the year.
The deadlines for applications are available here:
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/students/studentregistry/fees/support/ahrc/ahrcstudy.html
The Cambridge AHRC DTP may consider more than one application for an extension of your
studentship, and may grant additional extension periods beyond any initial extension granted. As a
courtesy, however, you should keep the number of your applications to a minimum, and as far as
possible try to include in a single application all training activities which might be supported through a
studentship extension. You should also bear in mind that extension of your studentship does not
mean an extension of your submission date. Consequently the maximum total studentship extension
for which you can apply is normally 12 months in the case of a full-time student or 24 months in the
case of a part-time student. These limits apply even if you apply for and accrue more than one
extension.
You may also apply for travel expenses through the same form, but these will be funded from the
Research Training Support Grant fund, of which only limited funding is available. Even if you are
successful with your SDF application, you will not necessarily also be provided full travel funding
through this application. Therefore, you are encouraged to also apply to departmental/Faculty
fieldwork funds, college funds and other sources of funding where available.
Where relevant you will need to apply for Leave to Work away via your Degree Committee- this can
be applied for before or after your SDF application but must be approved and processed for the
funding to be valid.
Fees only students
Students in receipt of fees-only funding are eligible for support from the SDF.
Students in receipt of fees-only funding may not, however, receive SDF support in the form of a
stipend award or equivalent. Consequently, fees-only students cannot apply for support in the form of
a full studentship extension, as that form of support would imply receipt of an extended maintenance
stipend for which they are not eligible. Fees-only students may, however, receive SDF support in the
form of an extension to fees payments.
Cambridge AHRC DTP SDF Application Form
1.
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7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Name of award holder
USN no:
Department
Home/EU
College
Email
Full/Fees award
Applying for placement/ internship?
Country to be visited
Dates of visit
Start and end dates of break in primary
doctoral studies
12. Are you being paid (in addition to AHRC
studentship) during placement/ internship?
13. Is the placement an integral part of your
research project?
14. What skills/development will be gained
through the placement/internship and how
will this be of benefit to your doctoral
research?
Y/N (if no, go to question 15)
Y/N
Y/N
15. Are you applying for a skills development
course/other form of high cost training
needed to help you complete your
research?
16. Please provide details of course/other
high-cost training
17. Dates of training
18. Cost of course
19. Have you applied for Leave to work
away/suspension of studies?
20. Are you also applying for travel costs?
21. If ‘Y’ above, please provide costs, travel
dates and mode of travel
22. Your signature
23. Your supervisor’s name
24. Supervisor’s signature (by signing you are
confirming that you are in support of this
application)
Y/N
Y/N
Once completed and authorised by your Supervisor, this form should be returned to:
Miss Kathy White
Scholarships Administrator
Student Registry
4 Mill Lane
Cambridge
CB2 1RZ
Email: graduate.funding@admin.cam.ac.uk