Finances

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:

• UK fieldwork expenses;
• UK/EU/international conferences, seminars and events;
• purchasing of scientific equipment and materials that they will be using;
• purchasing of small items of equipment e.g. cameras, tape recorders, films, cassettes or telephone and photocopying facilities in the department/faculty;
• language training courses undertaken in the UK prior to an overseas fieldwork trip;
• reimbursement of interpreters, guides and assistants;
• survey costs, e.g. printing, stationery, and telephone calls; 
• gifts for local informants.

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:

• Fieldwork expenses
• Conferences and summer schools
• Specialist methodological or substantive training
• Language training courses
• Reimbursement of interpreters, guides, proof readers etc. – please ensure that you only use approved University suppliers (The Faculty Finance Team will be able to confirm this – fss-fin@soton.ac.uk) 
• Survey costs e.g. printing, stationery
• Purchase of small items of equipment via iSolutions e.g. cameras, tape recorders, films, cassettes, telephone & copying at the University
• Gifts for research participants

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:

• Following approval from your supervisor, you can make your purchase/bookings and submit your approval form and the ‘Claim for travel and expenses – Student’ form to the Faculty Finance Team, along with your original receipts. Forms are available here.
• Following approval from your supervisor, you can make purchases/bookings by visiting the Buy Department in Building 37 – buy@soton.ac.uk. You will need to bring your approval form with you.
• Following approval from your supervisor, you can make travel and hotel bookings by emailing Clarity - soton@claritytm.co.uk. Quotes will normally be held for 48 hours. Please also upload the approval from and copy to your supervisor when making the actual booking.

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.