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A list of comprehensive FAQs can be found below. If your question is still not answered, contact londonnercdtp.admin@ucl.ac.uk
Academics
Am I eligible to be a supervisor?
To be eligible to act as a supervisor for a DTP PhD student, a member of staff must:
- have been approved by their Head of Department or Division as suitable to supervise a NERC PhD student.
- have a current contract which exceeds the length of the PhD studentship, in order to ensure continuity of supervision for the student.
Staff members should ideally have completed their 3-year probation period. However, staff members still within their probationary period may act as primary supervisor, provided that a senior member of staff from the same department is also included as part of the supervisory team (as secondary or a tertiary supervisor).
How do I advertise an exemplar PhD project?
Exemplar projects are now advertised to the new cohort starting in October, in a OneDrive folder that they are given access to. If you are interested in submitting a project, please get in touch with the DTP team by 24.10.24.
Can I sign two PhD project proposals as primary supervisor for two students in the latest cohort?
Academics are only eligible to act as primary supervisor to one student in every two cohorts. You may only sign a PhD project proposal as primary supervisor if you are eligible to supervise a PhD student in the current cohort, and you may only sign ONE project proposal as primary supervisor.
An academic is limited to being a second supervisor for ONE student in each cohort. Individuals can be second supervisors for consecutive cohorts.
When are PhD projects/students allocated?
Students are allocated to their PhD projects by mid-January. Academics are limited to being a primary supervisor for one student in any one cohort and are not allowed to be a primary supervisor for consecutive cohorts. An academic is limited to being a second supervisor for one student in each cohort. Individuals can be second supervisors for consecutive cohorts.
I am concerned about my student, who should I contact?
Please get in touch with the DTP team as soon as possible to discuss your concerns.
Current Students
I need proof of my studentship, where can I get this?
For UCL students, you should be able to access confirmation of funding through your portico, along with a statement of student status. For those students who are not based at UCL, please contact your individual universities to provide similar documentation. If you have any further queries, please contact DTP office.
I need to spend some of my Research Training Support Grant (RTSG), how do I access it?
Your RTSG is administered by your academic department, please contact their finance administrator directly for guidance.
I’m registered at one of the partner Universities, do I still need to complete UCL re-enrolment every year?
Yes. Please complete UCL re-enrolment each year (you will receive an email reminder to your UCL email address when it is time to re-enrol). This will allow you to retain access to the facilities at UCL and to ensure that you stay registered on the Environmental Science programme with the DTP
I’m re-enrolling for my second or third year, and it says I’m registered as a Geography student, but I’m not. What should I do?
The re-enrolment task automatically assigns the home of the degree, which is the geography department, rather than the department you are actually registered in. This also ensures that your fee level is correct for the London NERC DTP. Please go ahead and re-enrol, this doesn’t need to be changed.
What are the DTP’s rules regarding employment alongside the PhD?
UKRI-NERC advise that PhD students are permitted to do a small element of paid work outside the academic sector, as long as it does not affect their ability to complete their PhD on time. The amount of time is at your and your supervisor’s discretion but it is recommended that this is no more than six hours in any week.
Please note: Students in full-time employment are not eligible for a stipend of any kind from UKRI. A Student in part time employment may be eligible for a part time award, which should not be less than 50% of full time.
I am in the process of publishing a paper, how should I acknowledge the DTP/grant?
Please contact the DTP office for your grant number which you should acknowledge as follows in publications:
This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council [grant number xxxx]
What are the UKRI-NERC/DTP leave requirements?
- For annual leave, you should follow directions on this from your lead institution.
- For illness, anything under 2 weeks is expected to be absorbed into the duration of your PhD. If there is illness extending past 2 weeks, the DTP would require a doctor’s note at the time of the illness in order to request an extension commensurate to the amount of time from UKRI-NERC.
- Please see sickness section below for further information.
- For parental leave, please do get in touch with the DTP at the time and we can advise of the current rules/procedures.
Sickness
DTP students are permitted to take up to 13 weeks’ funded sick leave per 12 months.
Please contact the DTP team in the first instance should you be unwell and need sickness leave (for illness extending past 2 weeks), for guidance on the process.
All sick leave needs to be supported by a doctor’s note.
Under UKRI-NERC regulations you are not required to interrupt from your studies and stipend will be paid for up to 13 weeks leave, An extension commensurate to the amount of sick leave would be awarded. However after 13 weeks you would need to interrupt your studies and take unfunded leave.
I would like to speak to a member of the DTP team about concerns I have, how can I do this?
The DTP team is always here to support our students and the office is currently open Mondays, and Thursdays 10-12 & 2-4 for student drop ins. If you wish to speak to us online, please do contact the team directly and we can set up a meeting.
Incoming cohort/students within their first 6 months
Where do I find information about this week’s training?
Information regarding the training weeks will be available on the DTP UCL eXtend page (add link). The DTP office also aims to email the schedule to students directly a week in advance. Please contact the team if you have any queries.
What are the DTP’s rules regarding employment alongside the PhD?
UKRI-NERC advise that PhD students are permitted to do a small element of paid work outside the academic sector, as long as it does not affect their ability to complete their PhD on time. The amount of time is at the student’s and their supervisor’s discretion, but it is recommended that this is no more than six hours in any week. If you have not yet been allocated your project, the DTP directors will be required to give you permission.
Please note: Students in full-time employment are not eligible for a stipend of any kind from UKRI. A Student in part time employment may be eligible for a part time award, which should not be less than 50% of full time.
I need proof of my studentship, where can I get this?
For UCL students, you should be able to access confirmation of funding through your portico record, along with a statement of student status. For those students who are not based at UCL, please contact your individual universities to provide similar documentation. If you have any further queries, please contact the DTP office. If you are a new student who has not yet enrolled, then your DTP offer letter can be used.
I would like to speak to a member of the DTP team about concerns I have, how can I do this?
The DTP team is always here to support our students and the office is currently open Monday, and Thursday 10-12 & 2-4 for student drop ins. If you wish to speak to us online, please do contact the team directly and we can set up a meeting.
