Information for Research Students
Here you can find IoO specific information on the IoO PhD programme. This will be useful for research students.
Induction & Enrolment
The IoO currently hosts a PhD new student induction every September. In some years an induction may also be held in February.
The PowerPoint presentations from the induction held in September 2022 can be found below:
IoO PhD Buddy Scheme
There is also an IoO PhD buddy scheme. All new PhD students are invited to sign up for a buddy. A buddy is an experienced PhD student who can provide guidance and tips to new students to help them settle into the IoO. The scheme will be for 12 months and you can claim a voucher to get coffee in PRET. If you’re interested in becoming a buddy, please contact the Research Degrees Manager.
Enrolment
You have accepted your unconditional offer of study and your PhD start date is fast approaching. All PhD students have two weeks from their PhD start date to complete the pre-enrolment task. Pre-enrolment allows for the student to confirm all personal and programme details and create a UCL ID and password. Once you have received an email confirming you have been enrolled at UCL you will be able to book to collect your ID card. More information can be found here https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/pre-enrolment-explained.
If you are a staff member who is now a student too, then an additional UCL account may have been created for you. It is important to link these, so you don’t miss any important communications. Please contact servicedesk@ucl.ac.uk.
Re-enrolment
At the beginning of each academic year, students will be invited to complete the re-enrolment task if they wish to continue their research degree programme. The deadline for re-enrolment is approximately one month after the start of the academic year. Failure to complete the re-enrolment task will result in the student becoming a permanent leaver.
Funding
Fee status
There are differing fee statuses depending on if you are a UK or overseas national. All UK nationals are eligible for tuition fees at the UK rate. EU applicants with UK-settled or pre-settled status are also eligible for the UK tuition fee rate (subject to checks from the Graduate Admissions office). All other applicants will incur tuition fees at the international fee rate.
The fees for the 2023/24 academic year are as follows:
| Fee status | Full-time fees | Part-time fees |
|---|---|---|
| UK | £5,860 | £2,930 |
| Overseas | £32,100 | £16,050 |
Please note that these fees are for new students for the 2023/24 academic year only and the fees are expected to increase by 3-4% annually to reflect UCL’s increased costs in delivering the programme. Fee schedules for future years can be found at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/fees/pay-your-fees/schedules.
PhD Studentships
If you have a fully funded PhD studentship e.g., through Fight for Sight or Moorfields Eye Charity, then you should have funding for tuition fees, stipend, and some consumables. This type of funding is usually managed by the IoO Finance and Research Team and the tuition fee and stipend payments are submitted by the Research Degrees Manager via a ‘Form S’ at the beginning of each academic year. Every student will receive an email notification once the payment(s) have been approved. Stipends will be paid by the 1st of each month into the bank account listed on Portico.
Self-funded PhDs
If you are funding your own PhD, you can pay your fees:
• online by debit or credit card
• by bank transfer
The amount due will be calculated pro-rata and indicated on Portico. Please speak to the Research Degrees Manager for further advice.
In general, for students starting their PhD in September/October, you can pay your fees in three instalments for the academic year:
| Instalment | Deadline | Annual Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 October | One third |
| 2 | 7 February | One third |
| 3 | 2 May | One third (or remaining balance) |
For students starting their PhD in January, you can pay your fees in two instalments:
| Instalment | Deadline | Annual Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Before or at enrolment | 50% |
| 2 | 2 May | 50% |
For students starting at any other time after January, you must pay your fees for the rest of the academic year in one payment before or at enrolment.
Students failing to pay on time will be given a debtor status (debt flag) on Portico that may result in academic sanctions including the loss of services.
Students failing to pay on time will be given a debtor status (debt flag) on Portico that may result in academic sanctions including the loss of services.
Funding managed external to UCL
If you are funded by an external source e.g., an overseas government, then evidence of sponsorship must be provided to the UCL Fees office before or at the time of enrolment. The Fees office will invoice the sponsor and the fees will be sent directly to UCL.
Financial Support
There are two forms of financial support available through UCL
Financial Assistance Fund (FAF) https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/funding/financial-support/financial-assistance-fundStudents can apply for the FAF if they unexpectedly need funds for their living costs. The funds cannot be used towards tuition fees.
Students can apply for this loan if their normal funding has been delayed. Loans are up to £250 and are interest free.
Study Assistance Scheme (SAS)
The SAS is an employee benefit for UCL staff members who are engaging in studies to support their careers. Up to £865 can be awarded towards the cost of the qualification. Please see https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/learning-development/career-support-opportunities/study-assistance-scheme for more information.
Thesis Committees
Thesis Committees (TCs) have been effective in the School of Life and Medical Sciences since September 2019, and it is mandatory for all PhD students.
TCs consist of the student, the subsidiary supervisor (chair) and one other suitable member who is external to the supervisors’ research team. The committee will meet four times throughout the PhD to ensure that the student’s research is on track for a PhD award. It is recommended that the student writes their own notes for each supervisor and TC meeting and uploads these to the Research Log.
The full thesis committee guidance can be found in this document.
The Doctoral School leads in the UCL policies and regulations for research degree programmes to ensure the highest quality of research training.
As a result, the Doctoral Skills Development programme (DocSkills) was created to provide professional development and research training courses. These courses can be booked via Inkpath with your UCL log in details.
Any courses, workshops, conferences, teaching etc. will contribute to training points. All PhD students must obtain 20 training points per year. Training points are recorded via the Research Log. Any courses booked through Inkpath will be automatically uploaded onto the Research Log for training points. Any ad-hoc departmental or external courses will need to be manually entered on the Research Log. In general, 1–4-hour course = 1-point, full day course = 2 points.
The Research Log is also used to record student progress and requires to be regularly updated by the student. It provides a framework for recording details related to your graduate research programme, scheduled supervisory meetings and activities concerning the development of academic and key transferable skills. The Research Log is monitored by supervisors during the student's period of study. Completion of the various stages of the Research Student Log is a criteria of the upgrade from MPhil to PhD and the final award of the PhD. Supervisors, Departmental Graduate Tutors (DGTs) and the Research Degrees Manager will have access to view your Research Log. If your supervisors change or are incorrectly listed, please inform the Research Degrees Manager (ioo.pgr@ucl.ac.uk).
MPhil to PhD Upgrade
The MPhil to PhD upgrade is a mid-point examination to ensure that the student is progressing towards a PhD award.
The upgrade must take place within the following windows: 9-18 months from enrolment for full-time students or 15-24 months from enrolment for part-time students. The upgrade panel should consist of the subsidiary supervisor (chair) and one independent academic (examiner) who is ideally external to the thesis committee. The principal supervisor may be present at the upgrade viva, if requested by the student, but should withdraw whilst the panel makes their decision. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to appoint the upgrade examiner and liaise with them to organise the upgrade. The principal supervisor must write a report on the student’s progress and submit it to the upgrade panel prior to the upgrade. The student must write and submit an upgrade report to the upgrade panel at least two weeks in advance of the upgrade viva, after having received feedback from the supervisory team. Members of the upgrade panel are not eligible to participate as an examiner for the final PhD thesis and viva.
Once the viva is complete, the upgrade panel form, principal supervisor’s report and upgrade checklist must be completed and sent to the Research Degrees Manager (ioo.pgr@ucl.ac.uk). The Research Degrees Manager will obtain DGT approval and update the student’s record from MPhil to PhD.
If the student does not meet the criteria for upgrade, they will have a second opportunity to upgrade within six months of the first upgrade attempt. If necessary, the supervisor will set up a learning agreement in conjunction with the DGT. If the student does not pass the second upgrade attempt, then they will remain registered for an MPhil. For an MPhil, the student can submit their MPhil thesis after two years of enrolment and if writing up, the student can enter CRS after 3 years of enrolment.
More information can be found here https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/status/research-students/upgrade.
More information is available in the video recording below.
Final Exam
At the end of a student’s research degree, they will be required to submit a thesis and take part in viva with two independent examiners. One examiner is usually external to UCL and the other will be based at UCL, but will have had no involvement in the student’s research.
The first step in the process is for the student to enter for the PhD, or MPhil, examination. The examination entry is completed online via Portico. This form will be sent electronically to the principal supervisor and DGT for approval. Finally, it is sent to the Research Degrees office for processing. The student will receive a confirmation email once approved. This process takes approximately 7-10 working days but it is dependent on timely responses from the supervisor and DGT.
The student’s principal supervisor will need to submit an examiner nomination form to the Research Degrees Manager ioo.pgr@ucl.ac.uk for processing and formal approval. The supervisor and student should work together to provide student and supervisor information, thesis description, nominated examiners’ details and explanation(s) of any conflicts of interest between the examiners, supervisors, or student. It is the principal supervisor’s responsibility to nominate appropriate examiners and to ensure the form is submitted to ioo.pgr@ucl.ac.uk promptly. The student should not have any contact with their examiners before the viva.
The examiner approval process can take several months and supervisors are requested to send the form for approval and processing four months in advance of the expected thesis submission date.
The Research Degrees Manager will complete any departmental checks and obtain DGT approval before sending them to the Research Degrees office for more thorough checks.
It is recommended to complete and submit the exam entry and examiner nomination form at least four months prior to the expected thesis submission date. The minimum timeframe for processing straightforward examiner nomination forms is approximately two months within the Research Degrees office. If an examiner needs to be changed, there is still time to nominate a new examiner prior to the thesis submission date.
The exam entry form and examiner nomination form are valid for 18 months.
The student can submit their thesis via UCL Dropbox to researchdegrees@ucl.ac.uk once the exam entry has been approved.
Forms and additional guidance can be found below.
Interruptions
Students are eligible to interrupt their studies due to parental leave, sick leave, financial difficulties etc. The student will need support from their supervisors and sponsor. They will need to complete an interruption of studies form and send through to the Research Degrees Manager ioo.pgr@ucl.ac.uk to process departmental approval. Before making a decision to interrupt, students should read the regulations in the Academic Manual.
Students on a tier 4 study visa are eligible to interrupt their studies for 60 days only. If the student needs to interrupt longer, they will need to return to their home country and reapply for a tier 4 visa in order to return to the UK. Further visa and immigration requirements, advice and support can be found here https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/student-status/changes-your-studies/interrupting-or-withdrawing-your-studies/visa-and-immigration.
If a student is interrupting due to a mental health and/or wellbeing matter, then they may require a Return to Study Welfare Review with Student Support and Wellbeing before they return to their studies.
During the period of interruption, students will not incur tuition fees however students will be required to pay a certain amount of fees depending on the time of year that they interrupt, see here https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/student-status/changes-your-studies/interrupting-or-withdrawing-your-studies/fee-liability.
All students can take maternity, paternity, adoption, and parental leave, if required, and will generally follow the staff parental leave policy. The student would need to interrupt their studies (as outlined above) and inform their PhD sponsor if they are a funded student. Some studentships fund maternity pay, if not, then there is funding available from the department/faculty.
Funded research students are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity/adoptive or shared parental leave. The first 26 weeks is paid at their full stipend rate. The following 13 weeks should be paid according to statutory maternity pay (pro-rata for part-time students), with the final 13 weeks unpaid. Students are allowed 10 days paid paternity leave.
UCL does not currently organise maternity pay for self-funded students or those receiving payments directly from their funder.
A pregnant student risk assessment conducted by the local safety officer is mandatory, even if working remotely.
Further information on studentship interruptions due to parental leave can be found here https://www.ucl.ac.uk/research-innovation-services/research-services/research-studentships/studentship-interruptions.
All UCL research students are entitled to the same annual leave as UCL staff members. The annual leave year runs from 1 October to 30 September. Full-time research students are entitled to 27 days of annual leave, UK bank holidays (including public holidays) and UCL closure days (six days). This is pro-rated for part-time students. Up to 5 days untaken annual leave can be carried forward into the next annual leave year.
Research students will require approval of their annual leave from their principal supervisor(s) and the student should arrange cover for when they are on leave, if needed. It is the student’s responsibility to keep track of their own annual leave.
For any more information please view the annual leave policy.
It is a requirement for the department to monitor the engagement of all student visa holders within the IoO. The Research Degrees Manager will contact the student visa holder and their primary supervisor to seek confirmation of engagement monthly. More information and the types of acceptable engagement can be found https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/sites/students/files/engagement_monitoring_2021-22_updated_april_2022.pdf.
Completing Research Status (CRS) is a period at the end of the degree where all research is completed, and the student is writing up and preparing for their viva. Full-time PhD students are eligible to enter CRS once three years of enrolment has been completed. The CRS period will last for one year for full-time students. Part-time PhD students are eligible to enter CRS once five years of enrolment has been completed. The CRS period will last for two years for part-time students. The move to CRS must be authorised by the principal supervisor and funding body. Please contact the Research Degrees Manager ioo.pgr@ucl.ac.uk to process the transfer to CRS.
During CRS, students will not need to pay tuition fees and will remain as an enrolled student with access to UCL resources. The student must submit their thesis by the end of their CRS period. Students can apply for a CRS extension via Portico in exceptional circumstances and this will require approval from the principal supervisor, DGT and Research Degrees office.
Departmental Graduate Tutors
The IoO has three highly engaged Departmental Graduate Tutors (DGTs) who are there to assist students through their research degree. Students will be assigned a DGT within the first month of their degree and are recommended to meet with their DGT regularly but at least once per year. The DGTs are available to provide independent advice and pastoral support to students at any point throughout their degree. This is a fantastic support mechanism and students are encouraged to make the most of it.
| DGT | Email address |
|---|---|
| Prof Jacqui van der Spuy | j.spuy@ucl.ac.uk |
| Prof Karl Matter | k.matter@ucl.ac.uk |
| Prof Virginia Calder | v.calder@ucl.ac.uk |
If you are unsure of who your DGT is, please contact the Research Degrees Manager at ioo.pgr@ucl.ac.uk. Administrative queries should remain to be directed to the Research Degrees Manager.
Students should attempt to remain up to date with UCL regulations. The main resources are
- The UCL Academic Manual, particularly Chapter 5
- Graduate Research Degrees Code of Practice
- Doctoral Researcher Compass
These resources are updated annually.
There are many wellbeing resources available at UCL, some of which are listed below:
Departmental Graduate Tutors – your DGT may be the best first source of contact if you are experiencing any issues e.g. with your supervisor or within your lab team. They may be able to help you resolve the matter or direct you to an appropriate party.
Report and Support – students can submit their report through this platform anonymously or with their contact details. The student will usually be assigned to a dignity advisor who will be able to listen to the student’s concerns and help them clarify their desired course of action. If reporting anonymously, the report will be reviewed but no direct action will be taken unless several reports stating the same department/individual are submitted.
Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW) – they offer a confidential and non-judgemental space for students to discuss issues that may be affecting their ability to study.
SSW’s Student Psychological and Counselling Services – provide short-term counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, psychiatric support and psycho-educational groups to help you deal with a range of personal, emotional and psychological concerns.
Students’ Union UCL Advice Service - they offer a free, confidential and independent advice service.
The UCL Student Mediator provides advice and assists UCL students with the resolution of complaints, involving staff or other students or services of UCL.
The IoO has a Full Stop team, they are constantly working on ways to eradicate bullying & harassment, and this is an important part of the IoO’s vision. If you would like to get involved, please get in touch with ioo-equality@ucl.ac.uk.
It is mandatory for all UCL research students to complete the following training:
- UCL fire safety
- UCL safety induction
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) training
- Change possible: Be part of a sustainable UCL
- UCL Students’ Union Active Bystander
For all students wanting to upgrade from MPhil to PhD, it is also mandatory to attend the IoO Dilemma Game. This event takes place once a term and is an excellent opportunity to learn about research ethics and connect with other students from across the Faculty of Brain Sciences. Events will be advertised via email at least one month in advance of the event date.