Students must read the RTSG FAQs in full before applying.
ESRC-funded students are eligible to apply for funding from the Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) during their funded period. RTSG is intended to support expenses that directly contribute to your research and doctoral training.
RTSG funding is centrally managed by the UBEL DTP and is not a personal allowance. All expenditure must be approved by the UBEL DTP before you make a purchase or incur the expense.
Examples of costs that may be considered include:
- UK fieldwork expenses
- UK, EU and overseas conferences and summer schools
- Language training courses usually undertaken in the UK prior to an overseas fieldwork trip
- Reimbursement of interpreters, guides, assistants
- Survey costs e.g. printing, stationery, telephone calls
- Gifts for local informants
- Books and other reading material not available through libraries
All requests are considered on the basis of whether the expenditure is directly related to your research and doctoral training.
To request approval:
- Complete the RTSG expense approval application using the Apply here button below.
- Provide details of the proposed expenditure, including the cost and how it will support your research.
- Obtain/confirm supervisor approval where required.
- Submit your application to the UBEL DTP for consideration.
Important: When completing the application, please ensure that you click “Mark as complete” and then submit your application. Your application will not be processed until it has been fully submitted.
If a section of the application does not apply to you, please enter “N/A” rather than leaving the field blank.
Your application will be reviewed by the UBEL DTP Manager.
You will receive an email confirming whether your request has been approved.
Do not purchase the item or incur the expense until you have received confirmation that your request has been approved.
Once you have received approval, you can go ahead with the purchase.
After your RTSG expenditure has been approved and you have made the purchase, you must submit a claim for reimbursement through your institution’s expenses process.
UCL students
UCL students should submit their reimbursement claim through iExpenses, following the usual UCL expenses procedure.
When completing the claim, you should provide the relevant information and retain your receipt(s).
You can find more information below:
Students at Birkbeck, LSHTM, SOAS, UEL and University of Greenwich
Students at these institutions should submit the following via email to ubel-dtp@ucl.ac.uk:
- RTSG Expense Exception Form (Pre 2024 Cohorts)
- RTSG Expense Exception Form (Post 2024 Cohorts)
- Receipts
- RTSG Allowance Record
Please ensure that you have received UBEL DTP approval before submitting your reimbursement claim.
RTSG cannot be used to cover general living expenses, such as food and personal items, as these are intended to be covered by your stipend.
RTSG cannot normally be used to cover visas or costs associated with international student travel to and from your home country.
RTSG funding is intended to support your research and training and should not be treated as a personal spending allowance.
UBEL DTP may consider RTSG requests for research participant vouchers.
Please see the Research Participant Vouchers page for information about eligibility, appropriate voucher amounts and the application process.
Do not purchase vouchers for research participants until your request has been approved by the UBEL DTP.