Training and Events Funding Cohorts 2019 onwards
PLEASE NOTE, WE ARE CURRENTLY UPDATING DOCUMENTS OVER THE SUMMER OF 2022. PLEASE EMAIL US AT techne@rhul.ac.uk IF YOU NEED A COPY OF THE CEA, REA AND RTSG APPLICATIONS.
This guidance is for students who were awarded their Techne funding starting from autumn 2019 onwards. If you began your Techne funding between 2014 and 2018, please see here instead.
Research Training Support Grant (RTSG)
This is applied for via Techne central and may be used to support, overseas and UK study visits/fieldwork, conference attendance, as well as other research costs which are necessary for the student’s primary research, for example, consumables or exhibition costs, artists materials. The amount available for the entire period of the PhD is £1,750.
Applications should be made using the RTSG application form and completed by the student and supervisor and sent to techne@rhul.ac.uk.
Extensions to Maintenance and Fees
Techne has two schemes for students wishing to extend their maintenance, fees and submission date:
- Career Enhancement Activity - for those wishing to apply for an extension to undertake a work placement or other career enhancing activity.
- Research Enhancement Activity – for those wishing to apply for an extension on the basis of changes to their research project
Career Enhancement Activity (CEA)
Students funded by the UKRI/AHRC through Techne can apply for an extension of up to six months to their maintenance and fee payments, and for other financial support, to help them undertake work placements or other career enhancement activities (CEAs). CEAs must not be related to the PhD, but to enable students to develop a wider set of skills, experience or understanding which will enhance their careers. The application will include the ability to claim for travel and accommodation and course/training costs of up to £2,000. If you have any questions please look at the FAQs, if you need any further information contact techne@rhul.ac.uk.
Examples of CEAs might include:
- Work placements with non-HEI and HEI organisations including Techne Partners
- Training related to career development, acquiring high level methodological skills or demanding discipline-specific skills
As part of the CEA application you will need to confirm that a H&S Risk Assessment and Ethics review have taken place. The contact at each of the Techne institutions are as follows:
Brighton: Please note that these links can only be accessed by Brighton students whilst logged into their Brighton accounts: Health and Safety and Research Ethics, Integrity and Governance
Brunel: Health, Safety and Environment (brunel.ac.uk) and Ethics and research integrity (brunel.ac.uk)
Surrey: health-and-safety-policy.pdf (surrey.ac.uk) and https://www.surrey.ac.uk/research/excellence/ethics
Kingston: Please see the attached document and Policies and regulations - How the University works - Kingston University London
Loughborough: Health and Safety. and Research Ethics and Integrity
Westminster: Health & Safety and Research Ethics and Policy
2019 students who received 4 years funding will need to complete a CEA application form at the end of year 1 confirming that what was submitted in their original application to Techne will be taking place, the period over which it will happen. On receipt of the post-placement report the additional period of funding will be confirmed.
CEA Placements will be approved to take place but the final funding extension end date will not be confirmed until after a post placement/engagement report has been completed by both the host organisation and the student, and submitted to Techne.
Applications must be made using the CEA Application form and Guidance. Applications should be sent to techne@rhul.ac.uk.
Research Enhancement Activity (REA)
For October 2019 entry onwards, Techne AHRC doctoral students were able to apply for 3.5 or 4 years of funded study in their original applications. Those awarded 3.5 years of funding may apply for up to six months additional maintenance and fees, and an extension to submission date, up to a maximum of four years. Applications for extensions can be submitted at any time up to 12 months before the original submission deadline and must be supported by the supervisor.
Research Activity Enhancement funds will be awarded to outstanding students who can prove that the additional time will achieve at least one of the three goals of this fund:
- significantly enhance the doctoral research project in ways that could not have been foreseen at the time of application
- support students where the nature of the PhD has changed significantly since the application (where the change is for research-based reasons)
- increase the impact of the doctoral research project out-with the academy
Please note that for extensions on the basis of research activity there is not provision for travel costs. Any additional costs should be supported through RTSG.
For full guidance and an application form please click here. Applications should be sent to techne@rhul.ac.uk.