Concessions

Interruption of Study

Full details about suspension for illness and funded sick leave can be found in section 8.2 of the UKRI Training Grant Conditions.

Students must obtain approval of a College Concession prior to an AHRC suspension being processed. Students are expected to complete their training in a single continuous period, but consideration is given to requests for suspensions due to personal or family reasons. Suspension of the award, with the exception of parental leave and illness, is limited to a maximum of 12 months unless exceptional circumstances prevail.

A student may apply for an Authorised Interruption of Study concession and it may be authorised by the College if there is a good reason for approving the interruption. Students must provide evidence to support their applications. Interruptions of study may not be applied retrospectively. Any one period of authorised interruption of study will not exceed one year, unless authorised by the College. The total period of authorised interruption is the same for full-time and part-time students and will not exceed 12 months. To start the process of applying for an interruption you should begin by discussing it with your supervisor.

It is expected during an interruption that you are not able to work on your research or thesis at all. Interruptions cannot be used in place of extensions to grant more time.

Please also note that your stipend payments will be paused during the interruption or will be reduced in the next quarter to reflect any interruption.

 

Interruptions for illness - (SGSAH Jan 2020)

If you experience illness during your AHRC studentship, you are able to continue with your award but you may need to apply for a concession to interrupt.

Where illness is likley to last over 13 weeks, students should apply for an interruption concession and the stipend will be paused (unless the illness is related to Covid-19).

All periods of illness must be covered by medical certificates however certificates will not be required for Covid-19 illness.

Whether your period of illness results in additional funding, is explained below.  

Sickness Period	Eligibility to claim
Less than 4 consecutive weeks	No claim can be made for sick leave and there is an expectation to make up any time lost during the period of the studentship and therefore an extension to their original submission date would not be granted.
Several short blocks (less than 4 weeks each) that add up to 13 or more weeks but are not consecutive.	No claims can be made for sick leave. If you are experiencing ongoing difficulties with attending on a long term basis then you should contact your supervisor for welfare support and advice.
4 – 13 weeks consecutively	Sick leave commences from the first day of absence and the award period is extended for the equivalent duration of the paid sick leave. Submission dates are also extended to reflect the period of sickness.
Two blocks both exceeding 4 consecutive weeks within a 12 month period (for example, two 6 weeks blocks of illness)	Both these blocks would qualify for sick pay as they would both go beyond the 4 continuous weeks and would be less than the 13 weeks maximum sick pay threshold within that 12 month rolling period. Submission dates would also be adjusted to reflect the period of sickness.
More than 13 consecutive weeks (if unrelated to Covid-19)	Sick pay will be paid from the first day of absence for 13 weeks and the award period is extended. Any period of absence that go beyond the 13 weeks will be unpaid and studentships will be suspended. Submission dates will be extended to reflect the period of sickness and the suspension.

 

Applying for funded sick leave

In order to apply for the additional funded time for illness lasting 4 weeks - 13 weeks or up to 28 weeks if the illness is Covid-19 or related to Covid-19, please apply for an Authorised Interruption of Study concession.

Once medical information has been provided, the Postgraduate Research Student Office will confirm by email if the short-term illness qualifies for additional funded time and how much time you will be awarded.

Please note the following:

- We are not able to consider self-certification as proof of a medical certificate.

- Your prescribed and submission dates will be extended at the end of each academic year, in accordance to the amount of sick leave approved that year.

- The additional funding is only applicable when the sick leave occurs during your funded/prescribed period. Should you become ill during your non-funded/writing up period, this sick leave cannot be funded.

- We are not able to consider retrospective claims for sick leave for students no longer in their funded period or from those who have submitted their thesis.

 

Maternity/Paternity/Adoption/Parental Leave

Full details can be found in section 8.1 of the UKRI Training Grant Conditions.

Although individuals funded under these terms and conditions do not have a statutory entitlement to maternity, paternity or adoption leave, UKRI will provide funding for leave entitlements which mirror the statutory schemes in force at the time. UKRI also provides an unpaid parental leave scheme.

UKRI funded Students are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity-equivalent leave if the expected week of childbirth will occur during the period of their award. The earliest Maternity leave can commence is 11 weeks before the expected week of childbirth. The main adopter of a child placed during a studentship is also entitled to 52 weeks of leave.

Where a student takes a period of leave equivalent to maternity leave, or adoption leave taken by the main adopter only, Students will have the right to the following payment terms.

The first 26 weeks should be paid at full stipend rate, pro-rated as necessary for part time Students. The following 13 weeks should be paid at a level commensurate with statutory maternity pay. The final 13 weeks are not paid. Students should apply for an Authorised Interruption of Study concession and provide a MAT1B document.  Please contact us for details of maternity leave payments - pgawards@ed.ac.uk

Students who would be entitled to paternity leave under the statutory scheme are entitled to up to two weeks paid Ordinary Paternity Leave on full stipend. Ordinary Paternity Leave cannot start before the birth and must end within 56 days of the birth.

Under the unpaid parental leave scheme, eligible students will be entitled to an extended period of unpaid parental leave, up to a maximum of 50 weeks, with their studentship extended accordingly. In respect of birth parents, eligible students are those who will share primary responsibility for the child with its birth mother. In respect of adoptive parents, eligible students are those who are the spouse, partner or civil partner or the primary adopter. Students are only entitled to take one of either maternity/adoption-equivalent leave or unpaid parental leave per birth/placement of a child. Unpaid parental leave must be completed within 12 months of the birth or placement of the child. This leave may be taken in up to three blocks of leave or all at once.

There is no qualifying period for maternity, paternity, parental or adoption leave. Additionally, their Studentship end date should be updated to reflect the period of leave.

Part Time Awards

Studentships are available for students who wish to study on a part-time basis. It is expected that the period of study will reflect the percentage of time spent pursuing doctoral studies, and a minimum of 50% of full time effort is required (with an expected period of study of up to 6 – 8 years). Supervisors will wish to ensure that arrangements are made to incorporate any new research or research developments that are likely to emerge within the extended period of study. In addition you can switch to part-time study if your circumstances change, and your eligibility will be adjusted to reflect your new end dates.

 

 

Thesis Submission

You are required to submit your thesis within one year of the prescribed end date of your award. If you are unable to meet this deadline, please discuss this with your supervisor as soon as possible and please contact the Postgraduate Research Student Office. It may be possible to apply for an extension, but this is usually only granted in exceptional circumstances.

 

 

Extension Requests

Extensions cannot be approved or recorded retrospectively therefore it is important that such cases are brought to our attention in advance of your expected AHRC submission date.

The reason for the extension must be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the award, with sufficient detail regarding the reason for this change recorded. Be sure to apply for consideration no less than 3 months before you need it so there is plenty of time to get it sorted.

While the AHRC will normally accept a submission date extended by us to take account of any period of suspension notified during a studentship, only in exceptional circumstances will they accept extending the target date for submission on account of difficulties that arise during the writing up period. The exceptional circumstances where an extension to a student’s expected AHRC submission date will be considered are:

• Illness or accident – this refers to any period during the writing-up period where the student was unable to work on their thesis for medical reasons.
• Exceptional personal circumstances – this includes bereavement and any other difficult personal circumstance that has rendered the student unable to work on their thesis during the writing-up period.

The AHRC will not allow an extension for employment during the writing up period.