1. Postgraduate Open Day (8 February 2017) Study and Funding in the Faculty of Medical Sciences
Dr Jeremy Brown

5. MRes Springboard to a career:
- requiring a working knowledge of scientific
research
- in academia or industry
Precursor to PhD studies
- research institutes
Combines taught (80 credits) and research (100 credits) elements

6. - No formal teaching modules
MPhil
One year of dedicated research
- No formal teaching modules
Expectations lower than a 3-year PhD
Examination solely by a thesis
- may require oral examination

7. PhD Key research skills - Generic in nature
Full-time original research project
- focused on a specific problem
Full-time 3 or 4 years

8. PhD Key research skills - Generic in nature
Full-time original research project
- focused on a specific problem
Full-time 3 or 4 years
International Gold Standard

9. Academic requirements
PhD
First-class or upper-second-class Honours degree
Competitive, so MSci/MSc/MRes can help, as does other related experience
Academic ability more important than subject
MRes/MSc
- First-class or upper-second-class Honours degree
Academic requirements

10. Funding Funding Tips Living Expenses Tuition Fees Funding Sources
Funding for UK/EU students
Funding for international students (non EU)
Tuition Fee discounts at Newcastle University
Funding
The information in the presentation is relevant for:
Students starting in September 2017 (although the PhD loan is relevant for 2018 entry only).
UK/EU and international students
Postgraduate taught (eg MA, MSc, PGDip, PGCert) and postgraduate research (PhD, MPhil, MLitt)
The presentation will provide a broad overview of the types of funding available and where to search for funding opportunities. 10

11. Funding tips
Very few postgraduate taught programmes have funding available
Start your search for funding early
Check what funding is available
Read the eligibility criteria carefully
Holding an offer of a place

12. Maintenance or living expenses (including accommodation) 2017-18 figures
UK students £10,500 - £12,000 per year
**These figures do not include tuition fees**
Living Expenses
When budgeting for PG study you will need to be aware that your living expenses will be higher than when you were a UG student. The reason for this is that a typical UG academic year lasts 9 months and a typical PG academic year lasts 12 months.
The estimated living expenses for EU and international students tend to be higher to factor in additional travel costs and higher mobile phone bills.
/postgraduate/funding/living - a PDF can be found on this page that gives a typical monthly breakdown of things such as accommodation, food, clothing, insurance, transport.

13. Tuition Fees Fees for 2017 entry: www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses
Full time research fees (per year):
Research programmes - £4,540 – 14,665 (UK/EU); £12, £26,710 (international)
Fee ranges
Typical full time taught fees (per year):
Humanities/ social sciences £6,000 (UK/EU); £13,980 (international)
Science/engineering/medical £6,750 - £9,000 (UK/EU); £17,935 (international)
Additional course-related expenses
All of the University’s fees for 2017 entry can be found on the ‘Fees and funding’ tab for each course.
Some PhD, MPhil, MD programmes, fees are given as a range, not a specific fee. This is because of the potential variation in research topic and resource requirements (eg specialist equipment, laboratory access, technical staff). If your research involves accessing specialist resources then you are likely to pay a higher fee. You will find out your exact fee in your offer letter.
If you are on a tight budget then you should check with your prospective school if there are any additional course-related expenses, eg books, lab coats, field trips etc. 13

14. Tuition Fee Discounts Alumni Tuition Fee Discount (20%)
Self-funded and partially-funded students
International Family Discount (10%)
Close relatives of international students
Early Payment Discount (2%)
Full annual payment by end of registration week
Fee payment instalments 2 instalments per year for research and non-EU international students- registration and then final payment in January
UK/EU taught students – 6 instalments per year
More information -
Alumni Tuition Fee Discount
20% reduction off annual tuition fees for Newcastle alumni wo are self-funded or partially self-funded.
Alumni students include those graduating from a full undergraduate degree (eg BA, BSc, LLB, BEng) or a postgraduate degree (eg MA, MSc, MLitt).
International Family Discount
10% reduction off annual tuition fees for close relatives (husband, wife, mother, father, son, daughter) of our current international students, and past international graduates.
Early payment Discount
2% reduction off your annual tuition fees if you pay for them in full before the end of registration week.
Fee payment instalments
Designed to help you pay for your annual tuition fees in either 2 instalments or 6 instalments.
Research and non-EU international students pay for their annual fees in two instalments.
UK and EU students undertaking a taught course pay for their annual fees in 6 instalments.

15. General Funding – UK/EU
Funding for students with children
(Parents’ Learning Allowance, Childcare Grant)
Funding for students with a disability
(Disabled Student’s Allowance)
More information can be found via the links provided. 15

16. Research Councils (apply for advertised studentships; not directly to Research Councils; check eligibility criteria)
Loan schemes
Working and studying
Charities, foundations and trusts (generally advertised studentships)
Employer support
Sources of funding

17. Master’s Funding – UK/EU
Postgraduate Master’s Loan Scheme
UK government
Up to £10,280 (2017 entry)
Master’s (research and taught)
Full-time and part-time courses
Non-means tested, considered a contribution towards tuition and living.
Repayment – income tested.
Eligibility – UK National, ordinarily resident in England, may be eligible if EU national (rules unchanged for )
Not eligible if you already have a Master’s degree or above
Scholarships and bursaries
Internal and external
Postgraduate Master’s Loan Scheme
For 2017 entry you can borrow up to £10,280. You do not have to borrow the full amount.
You can use the Loan to pay your tuition fees or contribute to your living expenses.
The Loan is paid directly into your bank account in three equal instalments over the year.
Taught and research Master’s courses in all disciplines are normally eligible (online and campus-based), eg MA, MSc, MEd, MBA, LLM, MLitt, MFA. MRes and MPhil programmes are normally eligible, unless they lead directly to a PhD.
Doctoral degrees (eg PhD, EngD, Integrated PhDs), PG Certificates, PG Diplomas, PGCE’s and Master’s courses that are currently funded by the undergraduate support system and health care bursaries, will not be eligible for the Loan.
The majority of full and part time courses are eligible. There are some exceptions, especially for part time courses that are delivered over three, four or five years.
Scholarships and bursaries
These may be provided by your prospective academic school or by an external organisation. They often provide partial funding only.

18. Postgraduate Opportunities Scholarship
 40 x £5,000 scholarships for 2017 entry
for UK students progressing from an undergraduate course for which they were charged the higher (normally £9,000) tuition fee from 2012 onwards
targeted at under-represented groups in Higher Education
for 2017 entry to Master’s degrees only (some course exclusions apply)
The funding advert is live and applications will open within the next week
There are many charity and trust organisations offering funding to support PG study.
They typically offer partial funding so may form part of a portfolio of funding.
Many of these organisations have funding databases to help you with your search.
They often have different eligibility criteria and application processes so you may need to spend some considerable time researching your options and submitting your applications. 18

19. PhD Funding - UK/EU Research Council schemes School/ faculty funding
Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs)/ Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs)/ Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs)
Many of the big schemes - closing dates in January/ February
Individual studentships throughout the year
School/ faculty funding
PhD Loan Scheme
Up to £25,000
English-resident students without research council funding
Commences in the academic year
Can not be combined with a studentship from a research council
There are 7 research councils covering all major research areas. They are government organisations designed to maintain and develop the UK’s excellence in research and innovation. Part of their remit is to support PhD study (and sometimes research master’s study) for UK and EU students.
Research council funding is often delivered via DTPs, DTCs, CDTs. This is where a number of academic schools in the same university or a consortium of universities offer PhD studentships (often fully funded). These organisations come together to provide research training, conferences and supervision for a cohort of students. As a research student you benefit from combined expertise, cross-disciplinary knowledge and meeting students from different research backgrounds/ methodologies and subject areas.
Research councils typically deliver their funding via DTPs or DTCs, but they also offer single PhD studentship opportunities throughout the year.
School/ faculty funding
Funded PhD places are also offered by academic schools and faculties.
PhD Loan Scheme
These loans will be available for the 2018/19 academic year to help you cover your tuition fees and living expenses. More details about the Scheme will be known following the Government’s consultation process.
Under current proposals, almost all PhD programmes and professional doctorates will be covered. There are no planned restrictions on certain subject or programme lengths. This means that full-time, part-time and distance learning courses are covered.

20. Funded studentships
- Approximately 30 funded studentships advertised each year in the
Faculty of Medical Sciences
- Advertised on University and Graduate School web pages
(BBSRC & MRC doctoral training programmes, Endowed Studentships, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Charity funded)
PhD Newcastle

21. Charities and Trusts Thousands of external funding bodies
Eligibility criteria, application process varies enormously
Typically small amounts of money (less than £1,000)
Time needed for researching and locating organisations
Turn2us (
Grants for individuals (
Uni Grants (
Guidestar (
Newcastle University charity page (
There are many charity and trust organisations offering funding to support PG study.
They typically offer partial funding so may form part of a portfolio of funding.
Many of these organisations have funding databases to help you with your search.
They often have different eligibility criteria and application processes so you may need to spend some considerable time researching your options and submitting your applications. 21

22. International Range of funding schemes for international students:
University
PhD students - Newcastle University Overseas Research Scholarship (NUORS) (£7,800 - £11,700)
PhD Studentships - UK/EU and international students
Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship (£3,000 tuition fee discount) Master’s level study.
Medical Sciences International Masters Excellence Scholarship MRes courses and MSc Medical Sciences (£1,500)
School scholarships (normally partial)
External (sometimes fully funded scholarships)
Eg Government-funded schemes, Fulbright, Commonwealth Shared Scholarships.
NUORS
Partial tuition fee scholarships, typically between £7,800 and £11,700 per year.
Covers PhDs in all subject areas
Closing date – 28 April 2017
PhD studentships
Some school and faculties at the University occasionally offer PhD studentships for international students.
Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarships
Partial tuition fee scholarships of £3,000 for Master’s level study in any subject.
Three closing dates – February, May and July
Medical Sciences International Masters Excellence Scholarships
Partial tuition fee scholarships of £1,500 for MRes courses in the Faculty of Medical Sciences and the MSc in Medical Sciences. Closing date tbc.
External funding
There are many external organisations offering funding for international students. Details of some of these are given on Newcastle University’s website. Government organisations in the students’ home countries may also provide funding to study in the UK. 22

23. Funding summary Very competitive
Most students on Masters level courses fund themselves.
- Very limited number of bursaries cover all or part of fees
- Exceptions are (UK) PhD students funded through studentships
Most UK PhD students are fully funded (fees and stipend through a studentship).
- Advertised
- Competitive
Many international PhD students are funded through their home countries/institutes: others are self funded.
- Small bursaries may be available
- ORS awards for very best students
Very competitive
Funding summary

24. Budgeting – can I afford to do this?
Maintenance or living expenses (including accommodation)
- £10,000 - £12,000 per year
Tuition fees (available on the University’s online Postgraduate Prospectus –
Additional course-related expenses, e.g. books, equipment, fieldwork, travel.

25. Next Steps Prospectus (University Websites)
Adverts on Web (e.g. or
Adverts, New Scientist
Direct contact (particularly if self-funding)
Look widely
- e.g. clinical science depts., research institutes
- your ‘topic’ may be ‘hidden’

26. Next Steps
Review our comprehensive funding database (updated weekly) at:
Postgraduate taught students (from the UK/EU), starting their studies in September may also benefit from our new 6 stage instalment plan – further details (including eligible courses will be available online shortly
Visit out Funding and Finance information stand at the Information Fair.

27. - Continual, but main times - December – March
When to start?
Final year of studies
Enquiries any time
Adverts
- Continual, but main times
- December – March
Before focus on finals
- June – July
Late deciders

28. QUESTIONS?

29. Instructions for using the Gekoscan app
What is Gekoscan
Gekoscan is a mobile app that has been created to enable us to keep in touch with visitors we meet at events.
The Gekoscan app is compatible with the Hobson’s CRM system
How does Gekoscan work?
Individual QR codes are sent to all pre-registered visitors (via ), in advance of the Postgraduate Open Day. Visitors are asked to bring this QR code with them on the day of the event. The QR code can be printed out or downloaded onto their mobile phones/tablet.