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PhD study is great, but it can also be challenging and at times can feel lonely. UCL History supports PhD students in a variety of ways, to help them achieve academic success.
Departmental Support
Your Primary and Secondary Supervisor
For all academic advice, your primary supervisor will be your first point of contact and will be able to provide help when it comes to the structure and progress of your research. Research can provide lots of challenges, but the good news is that as an experienced academic your supervisor will have been through many of these challenges themselves, and can provide guidance from their own personal experience!
Your supervisory team can also assist you should you have any problems during your studies, and will be able to instruct you about the best sources of information on campus to help you resolve any issues.
The Postgraduate Tutor
You can also contact the Graduate Tutor, Professor Jason Peacey with any questions about your programme. Professor Peacey oversees the organisation of the RTS, upgrades, vivas and anything academic related. If you have any administrative questions, you can also get in touch with the department's PGR administrator, Oana Borlea.
Well-Being and Mental Health
Departmental and College-Wide Support
The History Department aims to provide a local, academic community for PGR students where they feel supported, happy and well. This network of students and staff is an excellent resource for students who need someone to talk to, especially when concerns are specifically related to studying. However, if you are feeling overwhelmed, or need specialist advice about your health and well-being, you can get in touch with UCL's central wellbeing, disability and mental health staff who are experts in this field. Members of the student well-being team provide a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space, in which you can discuss any issues that may be affecting your ability to study.
To find more information about the well-being support that is available to you, please visit the student well-being website here.
Financial Support and Advice
The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding
UCL has a subscription to The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding, which is a website which postgraduate students can use to look for alternative funding, i.e. funding from charities, trusts and independent bodies. This is a great resource which shines light on sources of funding that students might not have previously known about.
In order to access the website, all you need to do is make an account using your UCL email address. You can make an account here.
Part-Time Work
Many students choose to support themselves financially through part-time work. There are loads of part-time, flexible work options in London, including student jobs at UCL - you can find more about these via the UCL Jobshop.
The Financial Assistance Fund
The UCL Financial Assistance Fund (FAF) consists of funds generously provided by alumni, friends, donors and staff to support UCL students who find themselves in financial difficulties. The fund is intended to act as a safety net for those in need, and can help alleviate unexpected financial hardship – although the fund is unlikely to be able to provide all the funds you may need, it aims to help eligible students as much as possible within available resources.
For graduate students and part-time undergraduate students the priority groups are:
- those with children, especially single parents
- students with disabilities
- students who are self-funding (graduate students)
- part-time undergraduates in receipt of the full statutory support package
Applicants do not need to be in one of the above groups to apply for support, but students in these groups are prioritised for support.
Doctoral School Fellowship
A Doctoral School Fellowship supports research students who, due to unforeseen circumstances, have their funding interrupted or completely withdrawn. To qualify candidates must be progressing well academically and demonstrate that without financial assistance they would not be able to complete their studies.
You can find more information about the Doctoral School Fellowship here.
Research Support Funding
If you are funded by a UCL Graduate Research Scholarship, the AHRC (whether LAHP or CDA), or the Wolfson Foundation, your scholarship comes with an allocation of money for research and training expenses. But if you are funded by a source that does not provide any (or enough) research funds, or if you are self-funded, you can apply to the Department for funds towards to research travel, training, study visits, or attending a conference during the academic year. You can find more information about how to apply for the departmental fund here or in the PGR Handbook.