You are eligible to apply under phase 2 of the Covid-19 extension scheme if:

• You are currently a partially or fully UKRI-funded (fees and/or stipend) postgraduate researcher and your funding period ends between 1 April 2021 and 30 September 2021.  

OR

• You are funded by one of the UKRI’s Research Councils and are at a different stage of your programme (i.e.your funding end date is outside of the core period of 1 April 2021 and 30 September 2021) and mitigation strategies/attempts to adjust your project have been unsuccessful. This may include students who are disabled, have long-term sickness or caring responsibilities or may be neurodivergent.

AND you fulfill ALL of the following conditions: 

• You have not previously been awarded a Covid-19 funding extension
• The progress with your research has been significantly disrupted by coronavirus (for two months or longer)
• You have been unable to adapt your project to finish in your existing funding period.
• You are able to explain what mitigation strategies you have taken and why these have not been successful
• Your supervisor supports your request.

• Most funding extensions granted will be for up to 3 months, with requests for extensions of up to 6 months being referred to the Dean of the Doctoral School for review.
• The extension will apply to your fees and/or stipend (depending on the conditions of your studentship) but not your RTSG (Research Training Support Grant) or bench fees (if applicable)
• If you are a fees-only student, you will only be able to apply for an extension to your fees.
• If you submit during the period of the funding extension, your funding will continue to the end of the quarter in which you were paid and it will then cease
• Any extension to your funding end date will include a commensurate extension to your thesis submission deadline.  The exception to this is if you are partially funded by an external funder who requires you to submit by your original submission deadline.

The UKRI has decided that Phase 2 funding extensions will be managed centrally through Royal Holloway rather than through your CTD/DTP.  You should have received a letter from Prof Rory Duncan at the UKRI in November about the scheme, but please see UKRI website for full details of this scheme.

Covid-19 funding and submission deadline extension application form 

• You should work with your supervisor to complete section 1 of the application form.
• Your supervisor should then complete section 2 of the application form to confirm their support for the request
• The completed form should be forwarded to doctoralschool@rhul.ac.uk by the application deadline of Monday 1 March 2021

• Your application will be considered by a multi-disciplinary panel that will include School Directors of Postgraduate Education, members of the College's professional support services and representatives of CDTs/DTPs.  
• The Doctoral School will contact your CDT/DTP to confirm eligibility and that you have not previously received a Covid-19 funding extension.
• If your application is successful, where your CDT/DTP has underspend in their grant, your extension will be funded that way.  If there is no underspend, the extension may be paid from the UKRI block grant given to Royal Holloway.
• You and your supervisor will be informed of the outcome by the Doctoral School in April 2021.
• Your funding end date and your submission deadline, where applicable, will be up-dated on your student record.

• For immigration advice on the implications of a funding and submission deadline extension upon your visa status, please contact the International Student Support Office at internationaladvice@royalholloway.ac.uk.

It is not yet known whether it will be possible to offer funding extensions to students who have not been able to apply under either phase 1 or phase 2 of the funding extension scheme. The Doctoral School will update you once more is known.

If you any queries regarding this process, please contact the Doctoral School at doctoralschool@rhul.ac.uk and put 'Enquiry Phase 2 Funding Extension' in the title of the email so that it can be prioritised.