Faculty of Social Sciences
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Fees for Doctoral Programmes are listed on the Postgraduate Research Fees and Funding webpage and are reviewed annually. Information on funding and postgraduate loans can be found here.
If your studies are funded partly or fully by an external organisation, the University will continue to request payment of fees until you enter nominal registration. If your candidature will extend beyond the period of funding agreed by your sponsor, it is your responsibility to enter into discussions about funding arrangements beyond this period. You will become personally liable for the payment of your tuition fees once your sponsor’s funding period has ended.
The RTSG is a pot of money which students may access to meet the following costs and expenses incurred by award-holders during the course of their supervised studies:
Students and supervisors should discuss the RTSG budget with their supervisory team and its use at the initial Academic Needs Analysis, and at least at the annual reviews thereafter. Expenditure should normally be agreed in advance with the main supervisor.
Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) is an allocation of funds made by the Schools to every PGR Student*.
From 1 August 2018, each full-time PGR student will receive an RTSG allocation of £750 per year for 3 years. Part-time students will get a 50% allocation for 6 years. RTSG rates prior to 1 August 2019 will remain unchanged. This money is held in personal RTSG accounts and you will be allocated an RTSG subproject code by the Faculty Finance Team.
The RTSG is intended to be used to pay for expenses which the student's supervisor, School and Faculty deem to be in direct support of a student's research, such as, but not restricted to:
In exceptional circumstances, we may consider requests to purchase or upgrade a laptop or other computer equipment from the RTSG allowance. This must be justified based on the nature of the research and as being essential for the successful completion of the PhD. A statement of support from your supervisor is required prior to any purchase of such equipment, and this should be submitted to the Faculty Graduate School Office. In these instances, any goods purchased remains in the custody of the University of Southampton following completion of the award.
All computer and related equipment must be purchased via an e-mail request to iSolutions (Serviceline@soton.ac.uk), who will order the equipment on your behalf from approved University suppliers. You may not buy any computer or related equipment yourself and claim it back. See instructions here.
Claims up to and totalling no more than £2,250 can be made during your course of study. Activities such as conference attendance must take place prior to your final thesis submission deadline. Any funds that are unspent on submission of your PhD will be frozen and returned to the Schools, to be redistributed for future doctoral students.
All claims must be supported by your Supervisor, who is the budget holder of your RTSG, and will be able to see in Agresso how much RTSG you have available to you. The RTSG form must be completed and submitted with your claim.
There are various ways that you can claim from your RTSG:
Students should familiarise themselves with the full Expenses & Benefits manual to ensure they are spending within University terms and conditions https://www.southampton.ac.uk/hr/services/expenses/index.page
*Students who have an RTSG allowance included in their funding should refer to their funding offer for details of the amount of RTSG available to them and how to claim.
If you wish to attend a conference or visit a laboratory, you should discuss the matter with your supervisor in the first instance.
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