Information for award holders
Your OOC AHRC DTP studentship is subject to the terms and conditions of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), which can be viewed on the UKRI website.
Key information about your award is summarised below. A pdf version of this information is also available to download. If you download the pdf, please check back here regularly for any updates to guidance.
NEW: students are encouraged to take advantage of the DTP's sustainability policy, for further information see here
Funder expectations
The AHRC expects doctoral projects to be designed and supervised in such a way that you are able to submit your thesis within the funded period. Your award end date is given in the offer letter sent to you by the OOC DTP.
Each year the AHRC checks the data recorded in Je-S about its award holders’ expected and actual thesis submission dates. If a student submits after their AHRC submission deadline, they will be marked as a late submitter. Universities with submission rates below the target threshold (70%) may be penalised by the research council.
On grounds of research and/or training needs
In certain circumstances and at certain times during your studies, you may be eligible to apply to the DTP for an extension to your studentship and AHRC submission deadline on the grounds of individual training or research needs or so that you may undertake a professional placement. Further details are available on our website: Studentship Extensions and Placements.
You may not apply for an extension on the grounds of research and/or training needs that would take you beyond four years of doctoral study (FTE), or the equivalent if studying part-time.
The AHRC expects studentship funding to cease upon submission of your thesis. If you submit your thesis early, i.e. before your award end date, you may be eligible to retain your maintenance grant (stipend) payment for the rest of the quarter within which the thesis is submitted, if you continue to undertake work that is directly related to your thesis. No further payments will be made after this.
To apply for a continuation of funding after early submission, please email the DTP two months prior to the intended submission, outlining how the project of work for the remainder of the quarter is directly linked to the thesis. Please send us a paragraph of between 200 - 250 words detailing when you intend to submit, how you will spend the rest of the quarter on work related to your thesis, and details of any outcomes of that work. Requests should be sent to enquiries@oocdtp.ac.uk. They will be reviewed by a DTP panel. If approved, the funding continuation will be granted.
Your supervisor(s) play a key role in supporting your progress and development – in terms of your research project, your development as a researcher, and your wider professional skills.
You are asked to remind your supervisor about the opportunities available to you as an OOC DTP award holder, as well as the core funder expectations, e.g. submission by award end date. All of the OOC DTP processes for additional funding require the support of your supervisor and you must maintain regular contact with them.
As a postgraduate research student, you can expect regular supervision meetings throughout your studies. At the outset of your project, you may agree to meet quite frequently. As you advance your research, and/or if you go away on a study visit or fieldwork, you may meet less frequently, perhaps just once or twice a term.
If you have any concerns about the supervision that you are receiving, you are advised to contact your advisor or Graduate Office in the first instance.
You are advised to familiarise yourself with your university’s policy on research integrity and ethics and with Universities UK’s Concordat to Support Research Integrity. Your university may also require you to complete training on research ethics as part of your doctoral training.
In addition, you and your supervisor(s) should give careful consideration as to whether there are ethical issues raised by any aspect of your doctoral research project. The AHRC and DTP expect such projects to be reviewed and approved by your university’s research ethics committee or equivalent. It is also expected that you will be given appropriate training by your university before embarking on a project, or as soon as any concerns arise, and that you should be provided with advice and support as the project progresses.
You are expected to participate in ‘research training’ throughout your studies. The AHRC uses ‘research training’ in its broadest sense to describe the knowledge, understanding and skills that a student will need to successfully pursue their studies, complete a high-quality thesis and prepare for a career.
You are expected to complete a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) via Inkpath in the first year of your doctoral studies, and on an annual basis thereafter.
In addition, you are expected to undertake 10 days of training per annum, to include a combination of DTP cohort events, local institutional training provision, and personal and professional development. In your first year this includes the DTP’s induction and Cohort Days (see foundations training). You should report participation and give feedback via Inkpath.
You are expected to be resident in the UK for the duration of your studies. You must adhere to the residency requirements of your university.
If you are studying on a full-time basis, you may undertake a small amount of paid work, e.g. teaching of undergraduate students, provided that it is compatible with your studies and is approved by your supervisor(s).
It is recommended that the total time spent on such work should not exceed six hours in any week. In the case of teaching, this includes the time required for preparation and marking. Any paid work must be manageable alongside your studies, and should not impact on your progress to submit your thesis by your award end date.
Your studentship will be withdrawn if you take up employment on a full-time basis or a part-time role that is incompatible with your studies.
The AHRC is required to demonstrate and promote the cultural, social, artistic and economic value of publicly funded research and training. It is therefore keen to hear about your research findings, collaborative activities, public engagement and other achievements.
You are asked therefore to share news and achievements with the DTP, e.g. publications, conference papers, public engagement activity (enquiries@oocdtp.ac.uk). The DTP will use this for its annual report to the AHRC. If granted permission by you, it will also share the news on its website.
From your third year onwards, you may be required to report on specific outputs of your research via UKRI’s ResearchFish system. Your university will contact you if/when you are required to do so. (This requirement was suspended in the context of COVID-19).
Your university will have entered details of your award onto the Je-S system when you commenced study. This is an online record of your award that the AHRC will be able to view.
A summary of your doctoral research project is included in your record, which will then be published via UKRI’s Gateway to Research (GtR). It must be suitable for publication and not contain sensitive or confidential information. Please contact your institution if you wish to make changes to your research summary published on GtR.
You are expected to acknowledge that your funding is from an AHRC award. Consequently, if you disseminate the findings of your doctoral research, please reference the funder, e.g. ‘this work was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council through the Open-Oxford-Cambridge DTP [ref. AH/R012709/1]’.
As an AHRC-funded student, you are expected to follow UKRI’s open access policy when publishing your doctoral research, both during and after the funded period. See UKRI website for further information.
Your university’s open access team should be able to advise you on support for Open Access.
The AHRC expects its award holders to remain in touch with their DTP following completion of their studies. Please inform the DTP when you submit your thesis and consider joining our alumni network.
Your studentship
Fees
Your university will ensure that your university fees are paid on your behalf, including university continuation fees. You therefore do not need to take any action yourself regarding the payment of fees. If you receive an invoice for your fees, please contact your home institution in the first instance.
Oxford and Cambridge students: please note that the OOC DTP award does not cover the payment of College continuation charges.
Maintenance grant (stipend)
Your maintenance grant (stipend) will be paid to you by your university in advance in regular instalments (quarterly or monthly, as per your university’s practice). The annual stipend is payable at the current UKRI rate (as published on the UKRI website). Funding is adjusted on a pro-rata basis for part-time students and where the award is for a period of less than 12 months in any year.
CDA enhanced stipend
Collaborative Doctoral Award (CDA) students receive an additional £550/annum as a contribution towards the cost of working with their partner organisation. This is included in your normal maintenance grant payments.
Overpayment
If you suspend or withdraw from study during your award, you are not entitled to any maintenance or fee payments from the date you intermit and/or withdraw from study. If any funds have been paid to you in advance, you must refund the AHRC via your home institution.
Queries
If you have a query about the payment of your award, please contact your home institution in the first instance.
If you have a disability you may be entitled to a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) in addition to your AHRC studentship funding. DSA helps to cover the cost of any additional support that someone studying for a doctorate might need as a result of a disability, mental health problem or specific learning difficulty. The allowance can cover: non-medical personal assistance, specialist equipment, extra travel costs and general expenses.
If you think you may be eligible for such support, please speak to your university’s disability advisor. They will be able to assess your needs and put the right support in place. Please let them know that you are AHRC-funded and that you may be eligible for DSA.
You are entitled to take annual leave during the course of your doctoral programme. UKRI recommends that ‘a minimum of 30 days to a maximum of eight weeks per year to include public holidays’ should be allowed (pro rata for part time students).
You should check with your supervisor(s) about your university’s policy on annual leave. If you are a CDA student, you are expected to consider your obligations to the CDA partner organisation when planning leave.
In addition, students with a Tier 4 or a student visa should ensure that they are familiar with the UK Visas and Immigration terms and conditions around attendance and absence on their degree programme.
If personal or family reasons are preventing you from progressing your doctoral research, it may be advisable to temporarily suspend or interrupt your studies. You may also suspend so as to take up a professional opportunity, e.g. a paid fellowship at another university.
The AHRC allows suspensions of an award for up to a maximum of 12 months, unless there are exceptional and compelling reasons.
When a studentship is suspended your award end date and AHRC submission deadline automatically move forward by the duration of the suspension. You will not receive stipend payments during a period of suspension.
You are advised to discuss plans for suspension with your supervisor(s) in the first instance. You are asked to contact your home institution and the DTP Manager before suspending, so that they can advise on the implications for your funding. You must then follow your university’s guidelines for applying to suspend.
Under the UKRI sick leave policy, students in receipt of a full award are eligible for thirteen weeks of sick pay within any twelve month period. You are eligible for sick pay from the first day of your doctoral award until the end of your funded period, as long as you are able to provide medical certification, and if you have not claimed more than thirteen weeks of sick pay in the previous twelve months.
Please note that by UKRI terms ‘it is not permissible to provide further funding once the funding end date of the student award has passed’. Therefore, while claims for sick pay may be retrospective, this must occur prior to the end of the funded period.
Your home university manages applications for paid sick leave, which are then reviewed and approved by the DTP.
How to claim via the Open University
You should submit a request for a study break via the PGR Manager system. You should also contact the FASS team on FASS-research-student-support@open.ac.uk to inform them of your medical absence, submit medical evidence in the form of a Doctor’s Note, and request sick pay.
How to claim via the University of Oxford
You should contact the Humanities Scholarship Officer (ahrcdtp@admin.ox.ac.uk) to inform them of your medical absence, submit medical evidence in the form of a Doctor’s Note, and request sick pay.
How to claim via the University of Cambridge
You should contact Student Fees and Funding (ahrc.and.esrc.dtp.funding@admin.cam.ac.uk) to inform them of your medical absence, submit medical evidence in the form of a Doctor’s Note, and request sick pay. You must also apply to the Student Registry for an end date extension on CamSIS, no matter how short a period of sick pay claimed. Please see the Student Fees and Funding webpage for further information.
Maternity leave
OOC DTP students are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave if the expected week of childbirth will occur during the period of their award. The earliest maternity leave can commence is 11 weeks before the expected week of childbirth. For those in receipt of a full award from the OOC DTP, the first 26 weeks will be paid at full stipend rate (pro-rated as necessary for part time students). The following 13 weeks will be paid at a level commensurate with statutory maternity pay. The final 13 weeks are not paid.
Adoption leave
The main adopter of a child placed during a studentship is also entitled to 52 weeks of leave. For those in receipt of a full award from the OOC DTP, the first 26 weeks will be paid at full stipend rate (pro-rated as necessary for part time students). The following 13 weeks will be paid at a level commensurate with statutory maternity pay. The final 13 weeks are not paid.
Paternity leave
Partners are entitled to up to two weeks paid Ordinary Paternity Leave on full stipend. Ordinary Paternity Leave cannot start before the birth and must end within 56 days of the birth.
Parental leave
Under the unpaid parental leave scheme, eligible students are also entitled to an extended period of unpaid parental leave, up to a maximum of 50 weeks, with their award end date and AHRC submission deadline extended accordingly.
Please contact the DTP and your home institution for full details of leave. Those in receipt of a fees-only award will need to enquire with their university about institutional policies for support.
You may be able to change your mode of study from part-time to full-time, or vice-versa, during your studies. You should in the first instance discuss this with your supervisor(s).
You should also inform the DTP Manager of your plans, to ensure that they are in keeping with UKRI and AHRC regulation. Please note that only one change to your mode of study will normally be possible during the course of your studentship.
On occasion, a student may choose to withdraw from their doctoral programme. If you are considering withdrawal, we would encourage you to discuss with your supervisor(s) in the first instance. If you withdraw, you may be asked to repay any maintenance grant (stipend) payments for the period after your official withdrawal date, but you will not need to repay any other funding that you have received.
Contacts
| University | Contact details |
|---|---|
| The Open University | Please email FASS-research-student-support@open.ac.uk |
| University of Oxford | Please email the Humanities Scholarships Officer on ahrcdtp@admin.ox.ac.uk |
| University of Cambridge | The University of Cambridge’s information page for all UKRI Studentship holders can be found at https://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/support-award-holders |
Details for the OOC DTP team are available on our contacts page.
