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ESRC MGS DTP Terms and Conditions

Economic and Social Research Council Doctoral Training Partnership Studentship

Terms and Conditions 2019

Please read these Terms and Conditions thoroughly before accepting your ESRC DTP Scholarship. When completing the 'Accepting your offer' form you will be asked to declare that you have read and agree to these terms and conditions.

1. ESRC and University Regulations, Provision of Award and Enrolment

1.1
All studentship awards are bound by the terms and conditions of the ESRC as outlined the ESRC Postgraduate Funding Guide http://www.esrc.ac.uk/files/skills-and-careers/studentships/postgraduate-funding-guide/.

1.2
Recipients of the ESRC DTP award must be a national of a member state of the European Union unless it is specified in writing by the ESRC DTP that an award is being offered to an Overseas (non-EU) national; this will only be done in the limited circumstances permitted under the rules of the ESRC DTP. Recipients who have demonstrated that they have a relevant connection with the UK, as defined by the ESRC, are eligible for a full studentship which includes the payment of academic fees and a maintenance grant. Recipients who are a national of a Member State of the European Union other than the UK, who have not been ordinarily resident in the UK for three years prior to receiving the award, are only eligible for a fees-only studentship award unless it is specified in writing by the ESRC DTP that an award paying both fees and maintenance is offered to an EU (non-UK) national; this will only be done in the limited circumstances permitted under the rules of the ESRC DTP. A recipient’s status is determined at the start of the award and cannot be changed once the award is made.

1.3
Studentships will cover fees and a maintenance grant (if the student is eligible for a full studentship), normally for a minimum of 3 years and up to a maximum of 4 years for full-time students; the period of funding will be specified in writing by the ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership when the award is offered, and any subsequent changes must be specified in writing by the ESRC DTP. If the recipient submits a thesis for final examination before the expected end of their registration, funding shall cease upon submission of the thesis. Funding is not retrospective and students already enrolled on a MPhil/PhD at the time of their selection for the award will have the value of their award reduced pro rata.

1.4
The offer of the award is made on the understanding that recipients are currently enrolled or will be enrolled at the institution at which the award is held from the enrolment date as specified in the award letter or from an alternative enrolment date specified in writing and will then subsequently re-enrol annually. If a recipient has been made a conditional offer for doctoral study and has conditions still outstanding at the time of enrolment, then enrolment will be provisional until the conditions needed for full enrolment have been met. Provisional enrolment will enable the recipient to receive the award. However, if the conditions of admission are not satisfied within the first term of study the recipient will be liable to repay the amount awarded in full, on demand and without deduction. Acceptance of the terms and conditions of this award shall be taken as acceptance of the recipient’s liability to repay in such circumstances.

1.5
In accepting the Terms and Conditions of this award the award-holder is consenting to share their personal data with the ESRC and/or other Research Councils.

1.6
In accepting the Terms and Conditions of this award the award-holder understands that information about their research, including data submitted through the Je-S Student Details Portal (SDP) will be made available on the Research Councils’ web sites and other publicly available databases, including Gateway to Research, and in reports, documents and mailing lists. This will include the following data:
• Student name.
• Name(s) of project partner organisations and supervisors.
• Project titles and topics.
• Project summaries.
• Registration and expected submission dates.
• Numbers of students in particular regions, universities or departments in context of the Training Grant funding announced.
• Aggregated information regarding demographics, student numbers, stipend levels, qualifications, age at start, migration levels (from first degree university to another) etc.

Gateway to Research is a web-based portal https://gtr.ukri.org/ that publishes information about funded research that can assist businesses and other interested parties to identify potential partners in research organisations to develop and commercialise knowledge, and thereby increase the impact of publicly funded research. It provides better access for the research community, business and the public to information on research funded by the Research Councils and Innovate UK.

2. Additional or Alternative Sources of External Funding

2.1
The total amount of scholarship funding awarded to the recipient will not normally exceed the total sum of the academic fees due and a maintenance grant set at the standard UKRI rate. This does not include any additional funding offered by the ESRC to support research visits or conference attendance. The Partnership retains the right to withdraw all or part of the ESRC DTP award if the award-holder obtains substantial alternative funding in excess of this total sum and to verify a recipient’s financial status annually through re-enrolment.

2.2
Alternative funding obtained by fees-only award holders which does not exceed the amount of a maintenance grant set at the standard UKRI rate will not normally result in the reduction of a ESRC DTP award. However, the source and amount of funding must be disclosed by the award-holder, including any amount awarded by the student’s department. The Partnership retains the right to withdraw or reduce the award in light of any additional funding obtained which is greater than the standard UKRI maintenance grant.

2.3
It is a condition of accepting this award that if the ESRC DTP award-holder is successful in obtaining an offer of funding for doctoral studies at the University from an alternative source to an amount commensurate with normal ESRC DTP funding, they must inform the ESRC DTP without delay in writing of all the material facts.

2.4
It is a requirement of the ESRC DTP awards that the award-holder must not be in receipt of any other scholarship, studentship or alternative source of funding for doctoral studies which has not been disclosed to the ESRC DTP. Any award-holder remains responsible for immediately notifying the ESRC DTP of any changes to their funding arrangements throughout their period of study.

3. Student Requirements

3.1
ESRC DTP award-holders must make good progress in, and complete by the dates scheduled, all courses, modules, workshops or other activities required for ESRC DTP award-holders. ESRC DTP award-holders must submit any work required of them by the dates specified and to a satisfactory standard as determined by their department.

3.2
ESRC DTP award-holders will be subject to a review of their progress, which will be monitored on a regular basis.

3.3
Students must be resident close to the Research Organisation at which they are registered and we expect there to be direct contact between the student and supervisor. This applies to full-time and part-time students. Geographical location is not an acceptable reason for students being unable to meet the conditions of their funding, including attendance at core training modules and induction events.

3.4
ESRC DTP award-holders will be expected to engage with Midlands Graduate School DTP activities, both within their home institution and across the Consortium. Attendance at specified events may be mandatory.

3.5
ESRC DTP award-holders will be expected to participate fully in the life of their home department/school at their university and to adhere to their institutional regulations for study.

3.6
ESRC DTP award-holders must contribute to any research dissemination activities required of ESRC DTP-funded students or by their respective University.

3.7
The award is subject to the acceptance of the terms of this agreement and (i) the award-holder making an annual submission to the ESRC DTP of their Training Needs Analysis and Progress Review documentation; and (ii) the award-holder consenting to their name and submission being used by their University in a recruitment context, be it in the University prospectus, as online content or other; and (iii) the provision of a final report, upon the conclusion of the research degree.

3.8
ESRC DTP award-holders must record outcomes and impacts of their research via UKRI’s Researchfish reporting service, including completing an annual return to Researchfish. Submission to Researchfish is a mandatory requirement for all ESRC funded students https://www.researchfish.com/.

Research Councils have a responsibility to demonstrate the value and impact of research and training supported via public funds and as such they are required to provide information on the outputs, outcomes and impact of the research they fund to government and public bodies. Award holders are responsible for providing this information via Researchfish, the online system the UK Research Councils use to collect all researcher outputs. Each award holder will receive details about engaging with Researchfish at the appropriate point of PhD registration and will be required to enter and submit data every year from this point until three years beyond the studentship period. Therefore, the award holder should make sure that contact details are kept up to date on Researchfish for this purpose.

These Terms and Conditions are issued by the Director of the Midlands Graduate School.