Postgraduate Research Students

Advice and support for all students provides information about: Health & Wellbeing

Travel & Visas

Resources & Facilities

Employment

Accommodation

Study & Research Study & Research

Study & Research

How can I work remotely? Due to the current situation, you will need to prepare for the University operating differently. The following steps should help you to work remotely. Ensure that you have a remote line of contact with your supervisor(s) and keep in regular contact, recording your activities as normal as far as possible, using remote link-ups where feasible. If you are able to work remotely, you should ensure that your electronic documents and data are available remotely via a secure system, such as OneDrive or Microsoft 365. You must continue to adhere to all GDPR/Data Protection requirements as you normally would if you are taking documents or data off campus and ensure that you comply with these, and in particular if you are using different or personal devices. Ensure that you keep your ePortfolio records up to date particularly in relation to your progress. Record in your meeting notes with supervisors any difficulties you are having as a result of the restrictions from the Coronavirus. There is a range of software that you can access as students to support your studies, including full access to the Microsoft Office 365 suite of tools (which all students can download for free). Details of this and other software available to you can be found on the NUIT pages. There is additional software that we know students will need access to, including specialist software normally available on clusters. This is a really important issue and we are working to put in place ways of making this available as quickly as possible. How will the disruption to my studies be taken into account? Please be assured that any disruption to your studies will be reviewed in terms of how we might best support you. We are aware that due to the circumstances, you may find yourself working in a different and/or challenging environment, e.g. working remotely, dealing with more daily caring responsibilities, etc. and that this might have an impact on your studies. Impact can be dealt with either through an interruption to your studies or an extension to your thesis submission deadline. Your Supervisor and/or Graduate School will be able to provide further information on the most appropriate course of action depending on your individual circumstances. What is an Interruption of Studies and what impact does it have on my research degree studies? An Interruption of Study stops the clock on your research degree candidature. Any period of time approved as an interruption, will be added on to your current candidature dates and you will be provided with updated ‘end of minimum candidature’ and ‘latest thesis submission’ dates, as appropriate. During the period of interruption, no tuition fees are payable. However, please note that if you are in receipt of a stipend from the University, stipend payments would be suspended during any interruption of studies.

If you choose to interrupt your studies, this can be supported through our normal procedures. However, due to the current Covid-19 disruption and uncertainty of the duration and impact of the disruption, we will be more supportive of requests for interruption that are retrospective – eg are submitted following the Covid-19 disruption period. This will give you the time to determine the real impact of the current situation on your progress. If you are applying for a retrospective interruption and are in receipt of a stipend from the University, please contact your Graduate School for advice on how the interruption may impact on your stipend payments. If you are choosing to interrupt your studies for a reason other than Covid-19, or you are wanting to extend a current interruption of studies, please contact your Graduate School for advice on how to action this. What happens if I am undertaking laboratory work in the University? The University will provide direction to Academic Units in relation to laboratory work, however, given the circumstances it is likely laboratory work may need to be interrupted for a period of time, and so we would suggest the following: If you are running any experiments, you should have a run-down plan ready to implement at very short notice should there be a prolonged closure. You should also ensure your experimental areas are safe and secure at the end of each day.

If you have concerns regarding primary data collection, for example from patients, then please discuss the individual details with your supervisor or Institute PGRSC/School PGR Director. It may be that, for the time being, data collection will need to be put on hold and you may need to focus on other areas of your studies or take a short interruption. Detailed guidance in this regard is provided below

If, as part of your research, you plan to travel inside or outside of the UK, please see Overseas-Based Primary Research and UK-Based Primary Research sections below. The University’s has also produced guidance for research staff on its approach to research during this unprecedented situation, which you may find useful and is available at: https://newcastle.sharepoint.com/hub/rsd/Pages/COVID19ResearchFAQs.aspx (internal link). What happens if I require access to the library? All University Libraries (The Philip Robinson Library, Marjorie Robinson Library Rooms, Walton Library and the Law Library) are currently closed, but the Library will continue to support users in a number of ways. Regular updates regarding Library services will be published on the Library’s web pages and through the Library’s Twitter feed @nclroblib How can I access eBooks to support my research? If you require books to support your research at the current time, it may be possible that these are available in eBook format for purchase/license. You should contact the Library for help with this via their webform for Student Books on Time at: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/services/suggest-book or the Library to help you for these to be purchased or licensed in ebook format they can complete the web form. How will overseas-based primary research be affected? As countries respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including travel and border restrictions, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is now advising British nationals against all but essential international travel. Any country or area may restrict travel without notice. This means that all overseas travel for primary research purposes (e.g. fieldwork, data collection, external laboratory visits), as well as international conferences attendance is now cancelled.

If you have an overseas fieldwork component and are unable to carry this out, or have been unable to fully complete a period of overseas fieldwork, you should work with your supervisors to identify possible alternative plans for study for a four-month period (until mid-July 2020) of travel restriction in the first instance.

However, it may also be useful to consider the impact of a longer-term period of travel restriction (up to the end of the academic year) and how this will affect your project plans. How will UK-based primary research be affected? We understand that you will be concerned about the impact that the COVID-19 situation will have on your ability to complete your research. Therefore, we have developed guidance for students who are doing or wish to do primary data collection in the UK to support you at this time.‌ What about ethics approval? Chairs of Faculty Research Ethics Committee have advised that where REC approval has been given previously, you should (following discussion with your supervisor) use your judgement and discretion in implementing changes to the mode of data collection. You can use a minor amendment form (which can be approved by chair’s action) to let the committee know what changes they are making. Please contact your Faculty Ethics Committee for a copy of the form and submission. What happens if I am due to undertake a placement/internship? If you are due to undertake a placement that is an integral part of your programme and where you are unable to take this up due to the current restrictions, you should discuss your options with your supervisor and funding body, if relevant. How should I maintain contact with my supervisor? During the current situation, regular communication with your supervisors is extremely important for both academic and personal support. As you are no doubt aware, the normal expectation for supervisory interactions is that you should have a formal meeting with a supervisor at least once per month, approximately 10 times per year, with no more than an 8-week gap between meetings. However, due to the current situation and the fact that we are all now working remotely, we would strongly encourage you to record a meeting in ePortfolio every 2 weeks, or even weekly, if you feel this is appropriate after discussion with your supervisors. You should contact your supervisor to discuss methods of meeting with them at a distance, e.g. by telephone or using video conference software. If you experience any difficulties, please contact your Graduate School. What is happening with the training workshops for PGR students? All three Faculties are moving to online delivery and currently working on plans on how to achieve this. There may be some disruption while these arrangements are being put into place. In the meantime, it is helpful to note that many of the sessions and materials can already be accessed online: FMS- https://www.ncl.ac.uk/fms/postgrad/skills/workshops.htm

HaSS- https://www.ncl.ac.uk/hss/learning/postgraduate/training/

SAgE-https://www.ncl.ac.uk/sage/education/postgraduate/postgraduateresearcherdevelopmentprogramme/#introduction Contact details for specific queries are as follows: FMS - medpg-dev@newcastle.ac.uk

HaSS - hass.pgtraining@ncl.ac.uk

SAgE – pgrdp@ncl.ac.uk We understand that the disruption may cause issues for students where a certain number of training credits are required for Annual Progress Review (APR). Please be assured that the Faculties are aware of this issue and it will be considered as part of the APR review. We would encourage you to provide details of any impact through the extenuating circumstances section of your APR form. I have a question about my research. How do I contact my Graduate School? Questions about your research should be discussed first with your Supervisors and/or your PGRSC/School PGR Director and the Graduate School teams: Students in FMS, should email: FMS Graduate School - medpg-enquiries@newcastle.ac.uk Students in HaSS and SAgE should email: HaSS and SAgE Graduate School - gradschool@ncl.ac.uk

Assessment Assessment

Assessment

Will my Annual Progress Review be affected? After considering several different approaches to Annual Progress Review (APR), we have decided that the best approach will be to continue with APRs as normal this academic year, where possible. This will provide you with an opportunity to provide information on the progress you have made, as well as detailing the impact that the current situation has had on your research project.

If your APR is due before the end of this academic year, this will be arranged by your School as usual. If you do not have an APR scheduled during this timeframe, your School will be asked to arrange an extraordinary APR, which will be an ‘impact review’ (using the APR process) to consider the impact of the Covid-19 disruption on your research degree. This will ensure that all students have a review of the impact of Covid-19 disruption before the start of the 20/21 academic year. Your School/Institute will provide you with further details on dates and specific arrangements as these are finalised. What will happen with my research project which needs primary research/field work/lab work etc. which cannot now be completed? The University understands that you will be concerned about the impact that the COVID-19 situation will have on your ability to complete your research. We know that some of your research projects require in-person research and data collection, UK and/or overseas fieldwork/facilities and placements that are now not possible in this period of remote learning. The impact of this will be different for you depending on your stage of study, discipline and point of progress through the project. As such there will be different ways of addressing these issues and the University is considering all possible options to deal with the many different scenarios that we know our students will be experiencing. In the present situation, we have established a set of overarching University principles and guidance for Doctoral and MPhil students in all Faculties, which will be supplemented with more detail from your Academic Units/Disciplines, in due course. Principles of our support for you Our aim is for you to progress and complete your research studies according to your original timetable wherever possible, and to minimise any delay to the completion of your project. This may require adjustments to your project plans, for which we will provide you with appropriate support;

Our evaluation of theses will take account of the different activities that can be undertaken during Covid-19 restrictions, but we expect that both the quality of the thesis and the integrity of the qualification will remain, as befits 3 years of full-time study (or part-time equivalence);

We will review and take account of your individual circumstances during this period, including the difference in approach being taken by external funders, as appropriate. What will happen if I need additional time to conduct and complete my primary research beyond the end of my minimum candidature? As a research student, you have a period of minimum candidature during which tuition fees are paid. This is normally the period when you are expected to conduct and complete your primary research (eg FT PhD students have a 3-year period of minimum candidature, PT PhD students have a 6-year period of minimum candidature). If you require any additional time for primary research beyond this minimum candidature period, further tuition fees are normally required for this additional period. However, if you find that your primary research has been disrupted due to the Covid-19 situation, we will support a tuition-fee-free extension beyond the normal end of minimum candidature eg you will not have to pay extra for this extension. This will enable you to complete the primary research that you were unable to during the disrupted period. Any application for a required period of tuition fee-free extension should be supported by documentation already gained via the online web forms that we created at the end of March 2020, through the APR and the during the review of impact on progress. PG Deans may require further supporting information on a case by case basis. This allows us to have a documented statement of impact and a recommendation of additional ‘candidature’ from the supervisor for consideration by the PG Dean. My thesis submission deadline is approaching, will I still have to submit by thesis by my latest submission deadline? The University is prioritising support for those research students who are reaching the end of their studies (e.g. their thesis submission deadline). If your submission deadline is within the next three months (between the 23rd March 2020 and 30th June 2020, the University understands that your ability to complete your thesis by your required deadline may be affected. This may be due to a variety of factors such as IT equipment availability, lack of access to resources and/or personal issues – including caring responsibilities. In order to mitigate against these factors, the University is supportive of PGR students extending their submission date by 3 months, should you need this as a result of the current circumstances. Any extension approved due to COVID-19 disruption will be fee free. If you are in this situation, you do not need to take any action at present, as your Graduate School are collating details of the relevant students and will make be making contact with you (normally using your University email address, unless you have already provided us with additional, alternative contact details). We will be keeping this ‘30th June 2020’ date under review on a regular basis and will consider extending and/or adjusting this period as the situation progresses and we will inform you of any changes to this. Will my viva go ahead? The University has indicated that there will be no face-to-face assessments for the remainder of the academic year, and this will obviously have an impact if you have a viva scheduled between now and the end of the academic year. The assumption is that all vivas will be carried out remotely, and we are doing everything we can to ensure these will happen as planned. To facilitate remote vivas, the Deans of Postgraduate Study have approved a blanket concession for MPhil and PhD vivas to take place via video link, subject to confirmation that the viva is conducted via a professional Zoom link. Your Graduate School will be providing guidance directly to your academic unit/supervisors about how vivas by video link can be supported and are currently identifying students who have a viva scheduled in the next three months and advising the relevant Supervisors. If you are a student in FMS and required to undertake a pre-viva presentation, this is likely to be done via video link to just the Examiners. We are aware that if you are a creative practice student, you may have different arrangements for your examination which may include elements in addition to a viva, e.g. a performance, installation, etc. If you are concerned about the arrangements for an upcoming examination in the next three months, we suggest you contact your Supervisor and/or Graduate School to discuss this and determine the options available to you. If you have any questions about the above, please contact your Graduate School, their contact details are available at: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/doctoral-college/contacts/ What should I do if there are any circumstances which could affect my viva? If you are aware of any circumstances that may stop you from participating in your remote viva, please bring these to the attention of your supervisor and your Graduate School, to determine if it is necessary to delay your viva. You should also contact your supervisor and Graduate School if there are any personal circumstances that you believe could impact on your performance at the viva. This information will be shared with your Examiners in advance of the viva to determine if any reasonable adjustments are required. Examiners are expected to assess you against the relevant assessment criteria for your degree, however, they may wish to take any declared personal circumstances into account when considering the recommendations open to them. By attending the viva, you are declaring that you are fit to attend the examination and as such, it is unlikely that you would be able to submit a later claim that your performance was affected by your personal circumstances. Some of you may also have an Independent Chair at your viva, in addition to your examiners. An Independent Chair takes no part in the assessment process,but ensures the examination process is conducted fairly and equitably and must be present for the duration of the viva, including the pre and post oral discussions between examiners. This is standard practice in certain circumstances, such as where a student has two External Examines, or where an Internal Examiner has no previous experience of examining a doctoral degree. If there is an Independent Chair, you will be advised by your Graduate School in advance of your viva. Will I still be required to submit a hard-bound thesis, along with an e-copy before my pass list is produced? The University has agreed to temporarily remove the hard-bound requirement for students who are submitting the final version of their thesis following a successful award outcome. This means that you will only be required to submit an e-copy of your thesis (along with a Thesis Deposit Form) to your Graduate School, for your pass list to be produced. Do you have to physically attend a congregation ceremony to graduate? No, you do not need to attend a congregation ceremony to be awarded your qualification and graduate. The qualification from the University is awarded when your Pass List is produced, following approval of the award recommendation from your Examiners by the Dean of Postgraduate Studies. Hard copies of Degree parchments will be posted out whilst secure and verified electronic degree parchments will be issued via the Digitary CORE portal. Further information and instructions will be issued in due course. I am a Research Masters student (eg MRes, MLaw, MLitt, MMus) and want to know how you are going to support me to complete my studies? We want to support you to complete your studies in line with your original timetable, as far as that is possible. In terms of any taught elements of your programme, the Safety Net approach explained here will apply. In relation to your research dissertation, this may require adjustments, and we will provide you with appropriate support to consider how this can be achieved. Your Faculties/Schools will be in contact with you to discuss your research dissertation and how adjustments may be possible. We aim to minimise the number of students whose completion of their research dissertation is delayed, however, there may be instances where this not possible and in these cases, we are considering a range of potential options to enable you to complete your programme in order that the quality of your research dissertation and the integrity of your overall qualification, will be maintained. Faculties/programmes will be corresponding with you directly, if they have not already done so, regarding programme-specific requirement

Travel Travel

Travel

You can find information about travel and visas in our general FAQs. What happens if I am already on outside study? The University is now recommending that all staff and PGR students overseas should go home if at all possible. If you cannot go home you should continue to keep in regular touch with your supervisors (at least once a week), via ePortfolio, email and/or video conference. If you have any doubt about this situation, please contact your Graduate School. Our UK travel insurance expires on 31st July 20, and whilst we will try to ensure cover is in place from 1st August 2020, we are unable to guarantee at the present time what the insurance arrangements will be by 1st August 2020. We are, therefore, unable to provide students with confirmation of insurance beyond this date at present. If you require advice regarding insurance because of Coronavirus/COVID-19 and you are abroad on University business, you should contact Kelly Lovelock, the University’s Insurance Officer, who can be contacted by email or Tel: 0191 208 6520. If you are undertaking primary research in your home country and you are not due to return until after the University’s Easter break (from Monday 27 April 2020), then you should follow your home country’s guidance and continue your work if that guidance allows. If that guidance or the situation changes, you should then contact your supervisor and/or Graduate School to check whether you should arrange to return to the UK. If you are unable to travel back to the UK because of travel restrictions, please contact your supervisor and/or Graduate School so that we can discuss a sensible plan about remote contact/supervision during this period and can extend your outside study period. If you are living at home in order to complete your studies (writing-up or writing corrections) in any country overseas you should remain at home and continue to your work under the conditions set by your home state.

Leave & Absence Leave & Absence

Leave & Absence

What should I do if I am currently on annual leave? If you live in the UK and you are currently on annual leave overseas, you are strongly advised to return now, where and while there are still commercial routes available. Many airlines are suspending flights and many airports are closing, preventing flights from leaving. Note that these FAQs are for Doctoral and MPhil students. FAQs for Research Masters students will be available soon. What should I do if I am thinking about taking annual leave? The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is now advising British nationals against all but essential international travel. Any country or area may restrict travel without notice. If you live in the UK and are currently travelling abroad, you are strongly advised to return now, where and while there are still commercial routes available. Many airlines are suspending flights and many airports are closing, preventing flights from leaving. What should I do if I need to report an absence? If you make the decision to self-isolate as per guidance provided Public Health England, you should submit an Absence Request Form and indicate this and the University will record this as self-isolation, not illness. If you are ill, then this should be recorded as illness.

Finance & Pay Finance & Pay

Finance & Pay

Financial assistance Will the University be providing financial assistance? We are aware that the disruption may also have financial implications for you and we will work proactively to provide assistance on a case-by-case basis. If you are concerned about your finances, advice is also available on the student financial support pages. I am worried about money. Can the University help? Any student who is experiencing financial difficulties can apply to the Student Financial Support Fund (UK students) or the Financial Assistance Fund (international and EU students). To support social distancing measures, the team have suspended face-to-face appointments, so completed application forms and supporting documentation must be submitted by email to student.fin-supp@ncl.ac.uk. The team will make every effort to process your application as quickly as possible. I am an international sponsored student and require a letter from the University for my sponsor? If you require a letter from the University for your sponsor, our International Office can help with these requests. Please email sponsors@ncl.ac.uk and provide them with details on what information your sponsor requires. Where can I find up to date information regarding Student Loans? You can find guidance from the Student Loans Company online, including advice on making a new application and current processing times, https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/student-loans-company.