Phone and online support – Care First

Care First is a free telephone and online counselling service available to UCL students outside of standard office hours for non-academic concerns.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/support-and-wellbeing/evening-and-weekend-support

Information and counselling are currently provided via telephone 24/7 during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Phone: +44 (0)800 197 4510

You can also speak to a Care First adviser online through one-to-one instant messaging. This is available through the Care First Lifestyle website (username = uclstudent / password = bentham)

Doctor – Urgent support

A GP (General Practitioner/Doctor) should be a first point of contact for any issues related to physical and mental health. Doctors also provide support if you are feeling distressed and need urgent support. To access this support you should contact your GP/Doctor’s surgery in order to request an emergency appointment. If your GP/Doctor’s surgery isn’t open, call the free NHS out-of-hours medical line on 111 for guidance.

Please be aware that during the current coronavirus outbreak, you should always call your doctor before visiting in person. You may be given an appointment over the phone rather than face to face.

Many UCL students living near our main Bloomsbury campus can register at the Ridgmount Practice:

http://www.ridgmountpractice.nhs.uk/

Crisis support

If you need urgent medical attention, including for a mental health crisis in which you are concerned about keeping yourself safe, call 999 for urgent support (or your local equivalent if you are overseas) – you may be directed to an A&E department or an ambulance may be sent to you.

Samaritans – www.samaritans.org.uk (116 123) offer support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and you can contact them to talk about anything that’s troubling you, no matter how large or small the issue.

Befrienders Worldwide is a global network of similar listening organisations – visit their website to find a support service near you if you are overseas – https://www.befrienders.org/

Further information on support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

Comprehensive information on the support services available to you during the current pandemic is available on the Student Support and Wellbeing website.

We recommend all students keep themselves up to date with the latest information from UCL by regular checking both their UCL email account and the FAQs online.

Preparing for assessments

Many students will be revising for assessments during the Easter break. Our Exam Success Guide is full of useful information and resources to help you get the most out of your revision and perform at your best on the day.

Remember that in-person exams will not take place as planned, but will be replaced with alternative assessments. Further information is available on the UCL Students website.

 

The Royal Institution (Ri) currently has the following placement opportunities for ESRC-funded PhD students:

Education Programmes Assistant

One internship available to join the Ri’s Schools Programme for a three-month placement to gain experience of education outreach and science communication. The internship was originally planned for May to July 2020 but will now be flexible depending on circumstances (possibly September to December 2020).

The Education Programme Assistant will lead on the evaluation of the Ri’s Science in Schools programme and will be a key member of the outreach team assisting with the development and roll out of the Ri’s new Science in Schools show.

The closing date for receipt of applications has been extended and is now 9.00am on Monday 6 April 2020.

Job Description and Person Specification

Christmas Lectures Assistant

One internship available to join the Ri for three months at its busiest and most exciting time of the year: the planning, filming and broadcast of the Christmas Lectures. The Ri is looking for someone from the end of September to the end of December 2020.

The intern will be a key part of the delivery team for the lectures, working alongside the Ri Team. They will assist with preparations for the creation, development and implementation of the Christmas Lectures and associated activities.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 9.00am on Tuesday 21 April 2020.

Job Desrciption and Person Specification

More information about these programmes can be found on the Ri website here:

https://www.rigb.org/about/work-with-us/programme-placements/phd-internships

 

 

The deadline for submitting an application for a Co-Funded & Collaborative Studentship via FluidReview has now been extended to the 20th of April 2020.

Please note, that this announcement concerns only students who have been invited by their division/department to complete a full application to the UBEL DTP via FluidReview. Internal deadlines for each Studentship have already passed.

At UBEL, the health and safety of our students are of the utmost importance to us. In light of the current situation of the COVID-19 outbreak, official advice is to avoid non-essential travel.

Because OIVs are not deemed essential to the success of a studentship, nor is it deemed essential travel, we have decided to suspend the next round of OIV funding.

As this is an ongoing situation, we will continue to update you on this matter via email, our website and Twitter account.

Please email us at ubel-dtp@ucl.ac.uk if you have any questions or concerns.

A message from the DTP Director Professor Li Wei

To all UBEL ESRC studentship holders,

The fast-changing situation regarding COVID-19 is impacting significantly on all of us as we have to adapt to living our lives in ways that were unimaginable even a few days ago. No doubt that the impact will evolve and increase over the coming weeks and months. Your health and safety are of paramount concern to us as a DTP. We urge you to follow the guidelines and advice from Public Health England: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-guidance, and the specific guidance by the university where you are registered. General guidance on the impact of COVID-19 on research community from ESRC can be found here: https://www.ukri.org/news/coronavirus-impact-on-ukri-supported-research/

We recognise that some of you will not be able to complete your overseas fieldwork as planned, and working from home may impact on the progress of your PhD. If your planned completion date is within the next 3-6 months but you are unable to progress as much you intended to, please discuss it urgently with your supervisor and your university’s registry to explore the possibility of an extension. Once you have had an agreed, revised timetable, please get in touch with us so that we can keep your record updated.

Anyone with interrupted overseas fieldwork or interrupted progress, please also discuss with your supervisor to explore an alternative approach or a revised timetable.

In both cases, we are very happy to discuss the implications for your studentship with you.

Under the circumstances, we have been advised to suspend further awards for overseas fieldwork and international institutional visits.

Please stay safe and stay connected.