FAQs - Project

Why do we need to fill in forms?

You are required to fill forms in to provide the information needed to assess both the project and the applicant. We ask supervisors to complete a Faculty of Health Project Proposal Form and a Faculty of Health PGR Student Recruitment Form.  

You can download google doc versions of the forms to enable you to plan your responses in advance but these will not be accepted in lieu of the above google form.

Faculty of Health Project Proposal Form - Google Doc

Faculty of Health PGR Student Recruitment Form - Google Doc

You will be asked to provide names of reviewers to assess the project proposal. Please ensure these are academics who are well placed to assess the proposal for its suitability for a postgraduate research degree and how feasible it would be to complete (ie thesis submission) within the tuition fee-paying period (more information on this can be found here). You will also need to interview the applicant to ensure they are a suitable candidate for a postgraduate research degree.

The recruitment processes need to assess whether:

• a project is suitable for a PGR degree at TUoS;

• a project is feasible to be completed and the thesis submitted within the tuition fee-paying period (more information on this can be found here);

• the required funding is in place - evidence of funding is required for the recruitment process and students need evidence that the funding is in place when registering;

• the supervisory team is suitable - experience, training, areas of expertise;

• for competitive funding that comes from TUoS, whether the scope of the research fits with the Research Strategy;

•  and the suitability of the applicant.

What makes a project suitable for a PGR degree?

• Original work that forms an addition to knowledge. 

• Formulates appropriate questions to probe what is unknown.

• Can be completed within the fee-paying period (more information on this can be found here).

• Supervised by an appropriate Sheffield Academic team (see Supervisor FAQs for information on eligibility) with the relevant expertise (including engaging with mandatory supervisor training).

Where can I find information on funding?

The University has some useful information about scholarships and funding here.

What is a PhD/MD by publication?

The by publication route is offered only to staff, as an alternative to the standard PhD or MD route. It is designed to enable recognition of the research activities of those members of staff who have published work but have not completed a PhD or MD.

Prospective applicants should first ensure that they refer to the appropriate University regulations for PhD or MD by publication. More information can be found here. Any application will need to be discussed with your School Director of PGR to ensure the regulations are met and that the candidate has the appropriate support in place to complete their degree in the timeframe. 

Can a student study for their PGR degree remotely or away from the University?

International students that are not resident in the UK may study for a University of Sheffield MPhil or PhD by undertaking research at an overseas institution through the Remote Location scheme.  Faculty approval for this must be gained. Candidates are required to attend the University for the Postgraduate Induction Course at the start of their degree and key transition points and may also be required to attend at other times depending on the requirements of the project and determined by the supervisor. However, they spend the majority of their programme of research at the remote location site, and should not spend more than eight consecutive weeks in the UK at any time during the course of their degree.

UK students who wish to pursue part of their programme of research away from the University, and International students who do not qualify for the Remote Location scheme (for example those who wish to spend more than eight weeks at a time in Sheffield), must gain faculty approval to register as Majority Off Campus students. Faculty approval is given on a case-by-case basis, and is based on the same process and requirements as Remote Location applications. Candidates are required to attend the University for the Postgraduate Induction Course at the start of their degree and key transition points and may also be required to attend at other times depending on the requirements of the project and determined by the supervisor. 

Supporting Case for Off Campus Form (download a copy)

The progress of candidates undertaking research away from the University will be the same as candidates based in Sheffield, and the requirement for full-time students to fulfil the regulations relating to the Doctoral Development Programme will remain.

What are fee enhancements?

Fee enhancements can be requested which will be payable on top of the basic tuition fee.  These should be included when a project incurs running costs that are not covered by a grant etc.  The current tuition fees can be found here and more information on the enhancements can be found here.

There are several levels of enhancement you can ask for and these are currently £1,500, £2,500, £3,500, £5,000, £8,000, £10,000, £12,000 or £15,000.  However, it is possible to ask for a different amount if this is required. Please contact the graduate school officers at fohdoctoralschool@sheffield.ac.uk in order for this to be applied to your project. These fees will be charged for every year that the student is registered for and can be used for any project related costs.  These costs should be justifiable and funders may request further details of what these enhancements will cover. Please ensure you check with the sponsor what they will cover in the fee enhancement, as some may only cover the cost of lab consumables and some have other sources of funding available to the candidate for training and computing costs. The details for each sponsor can change, so it is important to get up-to-date information.