Postgraduate Open Day 3 rd February 2016 Bryn Jones Dean of Postgraduate Studies Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering Funding for Postgraduates in Science and Engineering

Key facts Newcastle is a member of the Russell Group of leading UK research-intensive universities and we are in the global top 200, and UK top 20, in most league tables We are 104 th in the Leiden ranking, 162 nd in the QS ranking and 196 th in the Times Higher rankingLeiden rankingQS rankingTimes Higher ranking We are 6 th in the UK for student satisfaction NSS 2015 We are 16 th in the UK for research power in the the 2014 Research Excellence Framework Our strong research profile enables us to attract top academics and researchers from across the globe, and their experience and expertise informs postgraduate teaching practice

The postgraduate experience at Newcastle Home to a large and visible postgraduate student community from more than 100 different countries Comprehensive range of taught postgraduate programmes (MSc) and research degrees (PhD, IPhD, EngD, MPhil, MRes) in science and engineering Many degrees developed with employers and/or accredited by professional organisations Excellent student support, including research degree training and work-based skills development A lively campus in the centre of a city which is recognised as one of the UK’s best places to be a university student

What we will cover The cost of postgraduate study SAgE Faculty Doctoral Training Awards Research Council funding opportunities –EPSRC –NERC –BBSRC Eligibility and application Other sources of funding Where to find more information Questions

What does postgraduate study cost? Standard tuition fee Home/EU – £4,495 (PhD); £6165 (MSc) International – £16,100 (PhD); £17,080 (MSc) BUT A few taught courses have higher “premium” fees PhD fees may be higher if the programme involves significant laboratory or other high cost work PLUS LIVING COSTS Newcastle is one of the cheapest UK cities University estimates £10,000-£11,500pa

SAgE Doctoral Training Awards The Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering Doctoral Training Scheme: 27 scholarships worth £18,500 per year towards tuition fees and living costs Open to UK, EU and International applicants Available for a maximum of four years Areas include: Biomedical Engineering; Cloud Computing for Big Data; Earth Systems Engineering and Science; Enabling Science and Technology; Energy; Food Security and Ecology; Human-Computer Interaction and Ubiquitous Computing; Materials; Medicinal Chemistry; Physics; Synthetic Biology

Newcastle-Singapore Scholarships We are also inviting applications from UK, EU and International students interested in collaborative research with a Singaporean collaborator: 10 scholarships worth £20,000 per year towards tuition fees, living costs, travel costs Available for a maximum of four years Priority areas are: Ageing and Digital Technologies; Computing Science (Cyber Security); Electrical Power and Sustainability; Marine Science and Technology for details on how to apply.

EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) Each year, the SAgE EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) supports about new PhD students across engineering and the physical sciences: Our budget is about £1.7M DTP awards cover fees plus a stipend at or above a national minimum of £14,296 ( figure) There is some flexibility in the length of the studentship (up to 4 years; average 3.5 years) Available in Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Biology, Computing Science, Maths and Stats, and in Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Marine and Mechanical engineering

EPSRC Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs) Doctoral Training Centres focus on training PhD students in large excellent groups working in a specific field; they typically support about 50 PhD students Cover fees and provide stipends for 4 years Newcastle leads DTCs in: –Cloud Computing for Big Data –Digital Civics - Newcastle is a member of DTCs in: –Additive Manufacturing –Diamond Science and Technology –STREAM Water Engineering

NERC Doctoral Training Centres/Partnerships NERC DTCs and DTPs are similar to the EPSRC DTCs but they support PhD students undertaking research on the natural environment Cover fees and stipends (£14,296; ). Typically 3.5 to 4 years; research training support grant Newcastle is a member or affiliate of: –IAPETUS Doctoral Training Partnership –DREAM Doctoral Training Centre cdt.ac.uk/ cdt.ac.uk/ –NERC Oil and Gas Doctoral Training Centre

BBSRC – Doctoral Training Partnership Newcastle-led consortium (with Liverpool and Durham) About 80 studentships Priorities are: –Food security –Bioscience underpinning health –Bioenergy and Industrial Biotechnology –Other world class bioscience The DTP provides four year studentships to cover an MRes and PhD degree Pays fees plus stipend £14,296 ( figure) See:

Eligibility and application – research councils To be eligible for full Research Council (i.e. EPSRC, NERC, BBSRC) support, you should: Have settled status in the UK, meaning you have no restrictions on how long you can stay and Have been ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK for 3 years prior to the start of the studentship and Have not been residing in the UK wholly or mainly for the purpose of full-time education (not for UK/ EU nationals) Students from EU countries other than the UK are generally eligible for a fees-only award but must have been ordinarily resident in an EU state in the same way as UK students must be ordinarily resident in the UK

Eligibility and application – general The Research Council residence criteria are not the only criteria that you will need to fulfil. To be successful in winning doctoral funding, you will also need: To have, or expect to get, a 2(i) Honours degree (or better) in a relevant subject; you might have a Master’s degree. This is not required but it is increasingly common To demonstrate good English skills if you are not a native speaker (IELTS 6.5 or better) To provide two academic references To demonstrate enthusiasm, potential and/or a good fit to the proposed research project

Eligibility and application – hints and tips Many of the Doctoral Training Centres, and the Faculty Doctoral Training Awards scheme have application deadlines – don’t leave it too late or you will miss out Remember that most funding schemes are competitive – you don’t automatically get support just by meeting the eligibility criteria. Applicant quality and project fit are key selection criteria Some funders require specific information (e.g. CV or personal statement) so make sure you provide it For funded PhDs you will almost certainly be invited for an interview/Skype interview/visit. Preparation will increase your chance of success!

Postgraduate Master’s Loan Scheme for 2016 The UK government confirmed in November 2015 that a new postgraduate loan scheme will be introduced for Master’s level students commencing in September 2016: Covers MSc, MRes, MPhil Available to students under the age of 60 studying full- time or part-time (at least 50% of a full-time course). Non means-tested You are still eligible even if you already have a Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate BUT you are not eligible if you already have a Master’s (including integrated Master's e.g. MChem, MEng, MMath) or higher qualification e.g. PhD

Discounts and School support Alumni discount of 20% if you are a wholly self-funding alumnus 10% international family discount if a close relative has also studied at Newcastle 2% discount for early fee payment (end of registration week) UK/EU Master’s students can benefit from our new 6 stage instalment plan Most schools have additional opportunities e.g. Electrical and Electronic Engineering MSc scholarships of £500- £1500 for fully self-financing students

International Students Range of scholarship and bursary schemes for international students – full and partial funding, e.g. –ORS awards –Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme –Fulbright Scholarship –Newcastle University International Postgraduate Scholarships (NUIPS) –International Family Discounts Read eligibility criteria carefully Make sure that you apply early – don’t miss the closing dates

Where to find more information eustudents/mastersloan.htmlhttp:// eustudents/mastersloan.html

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