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Doctoral School Research Awards


 

Updated 13 February 2024

The deadline for applications for the Doctoral School Research Awards 2023/24 has now passed. The applications will be short-listed by academic reviewers and then considered by the Doctoral School Research Awards panel. Applicants should be informed whether they have been successful by Monday 18 March 2024.

 

Application information

Please read the Doctoral School Research Awards Ts&Cs and guidance above before completing the application form. We advise you to include the following information together in one PDF or Word document within your application:

  1. Breakdown of expenses
  2. Itinerary for your project
  3. Supporting statement
  4. Academic reference

Your academic reference must be submitted by the same deadline. Therefore please ensure you give your referee adequate time to provide you with a reference. If your referee would prefer to send the reference directly, they can send it to doctoralschool@royalholloway.ac.uk.

Please note that we are only able to accept one application per student and priority will be given to postgraduate researchers towards the end of their research period.

You can apply for any amount between £200 and £2,000. Please note that, if you are successful, you may not necessarily be awarded the full amount that you applied for.

 

Risk assessement

Future travel undertaken that is funded by this award will need to be planned and authorised under the University's standard Health and Safety process and authorised by your academic department. This is a straightforward process and sucessful applicants will be fully guided and supported. It is recommended that you prepare your risk assessment, with guidance from your supervisor, at the time you make your application so that there is no undue delay in getting this approved once the awards have been announced (authorisation can take from two weeks to two months, for higher risk destinations).

Risk assessment advice for Doctoral School Research Awards applicants

 

Notification of awards

All 2023/24 applicants will be informed of the outcome of their Doctoral School Research Awards application by Monday 18 March 2024. If you are successful, you will need to reply accepting the awards and the terms and conditions before the award is guiven.

 

Any queries?

If you have any queries about the Doctoral School Research Awards 2023/24 that are not addressed in the Ts&Cs document, application guide, or the FAQs below, please contact doctoralschool@royalholloway.ac.uk.

 

FAQs 

How have previous winners of these awards benefitted?

To get an idea of the breadth of travel these awards support, have a look at the reports from the Doctoral School Research Award from previous years.

Can a group of students make a joint application?

It is possible for a group of students to make a joint application to the Doctoral School Research Awards, so long as you will all be undertaking the same travel or research at the same time. However, please be aware that the maximum amount that can be awarded is £2,000. 

Which students are eligible to apply for the Doctoral School Research Awards?

You need to be a fully enrolled postgraduate research student at Royal Holloway, University of London to be eligible to apply for this award.

Guest Researchers are not eligible to apply for the awards as they are primarily students of their home institution rather than of Royal Holloway.

Can I apply for multiple research trips or conferences?

As you can only make one application for a Doctoral School Research Awards, if you are planning on undertaking multiple research trips or attending more than one conference, you will need to include all of your proposed activities in one application. In the Breakdown of Expenses, please provide the costs associated with each trip, an overall total and, if different, the total amount of funding you are requesting from the Doctoral School Research Awards funds.

Can my referee send my reference directly to the panel?

Yes, if your referee does not wish to send you the reference file they can send your reference directly to the panel instead via email to doctoralschool@royalholloway.ac.uk.

In this situation you can still submit your application but please include your referees name and contact details in your application, to inform the panel that your reference has been requested.

What happens if my referee doesn't submit their reference on time?

We recommend that students request a reference before applying for an award so that it can be submitted along with their application. Where a student supplies contact details for a referee in their application, we will endeavour to acquire the reference before applications are considered by the panel. In cases where a referee fails to submit a reference on time, applications will still be considered but the absence of a reference may count against you in the awarding process.

If successful, when will I receive the money?

If you are successful, you will need to formally accept the award and its terms and conditions and provide your bank details so that we can arrange a bank transfer directly to your account. Once you provide us with this information, you should receive your payment within 2-3 weeks.

Will I receive the full value requested within my Breakdown of Expenses?

Not necessarily.  You may be awarded a lower amount to the value you specified within your Breakdown of Expenses; the funding is distributed as the awards panel feel is appropriate within the funding limit given to allow the award to be shared among as many strong applicants as merited.

When should my report be submitted and how long should it be?

We ask all successful applicants of the Doctoral School Research Award to write a report on how they used the award's funds. Your report should be submitted as soon as possible after your travels and by the beginning of the 2024/25 academic year at the very latest. It is recommended that it should be max. 700 words and should be aimed at readers of the Doctoral School microsite. Accompanying photos would also be welcome.

What happens if I have a complaint?

It is not possible to appeal against the decision of the awarding panel. However, if you believe that a procedural error has been made with your application, you should first attempt to resolve the matter informally with the member of staff concerned. If you remain dissatisfied then you may wish to submit a formal complaint. Details of this procedure can be found online.

What happens if I can't carry out my proposed research travel?

If you are unable to undertake the travel for which you applied to the Doctoral School Research Awards, then we reserve the right to request repayment of the award. 

If you think that this might occur, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss your options: doctoralschool@royalholloway.ac.uk.

 

  

Contact us


By email: 

By phone:

  • 01784 276886
  • Manned 10am-4pm, Tuesday to Thursday

In person:

  • Visit our helpdesk in room S-105, Founder's South Tower
  • Open 10am-4pm on Tuesdays

 Quick links

Doctoral School Research Awards application guidance

Doctoral School Research Awards terms and conditions

Doctoral School Research Award recipient testimonials 2023/24

A to Z of the Doctoral School microsite