Q&As for Postgraduate Research Students

Our priority is to protect the health and well-being of our students. This is an exceptional time and we understand that many of you who are away from home will be concerned about relatives and friends. If you feel that you must go home for personal reasons, you can continue your studies remotely from 16^th March.

If you feel you wish to suspend your studies from 16^th March, please discuss this with your supervisor in the first instance. Please note that suspension of studies will be unpaid.

Please see the Health Q&As in this section for advice, support and resources available.

Self certification will be accepted during this period and you will be funded during sickness absence. Please contact your supervisory team if you are unwell or need to take sickness absence.

Health

For coronavirus health advice, please check NHS 111 online or NHS Wales Direct 

Only if you have no internet access, call NHS 111 by dialling 111 - or NHS Direct Wales on 0845 4647.   

For a medical emergency dial 999

Self Isolation

Please also see the latest Government advice on Self isolation

We understand that, with schools closing in Wales on Friday 20th March, many postgraduate research students may find it harder to focus upon their research. Please discuss any changes to your ability to proceed with your planned research programme with your supervisory team. You can discuss your options including suspension of studies or extension, as required. This decision should be logged on eVision.

Students who have purchased an annual bus pass for the academic year 2019/20and have left Swansea may have unused credit from end of March until the end of the academic year.  We are now pleased to inform you that we have had an offer from First Cymru which will see all affected students compensated for their lost credit.

The offer for our students is as follows:

1. Students returning in September 2020 and have unused credit (i.e. the last term) will only pay for term 1 and 2 and be credited with term 3 via the Mticket app. 
2. Students returning in January 2021 with unused credit (i.e. the last term)  will  only pay for term 2 and get credited with term 3 via the Mticket app. 
3. Students not returning this year, but deferring until September 2021 will have the same credit based on the above scenarios.

All credit will be added automatically via the Mticket app so students will not need to contact First Cymru

Non returning Students

Students who are in their final year, and not returning to study at Swansea and have unused credit for the whole of the last term will be dealt with on a case by case basis. These students should contact Jayne Cornelius the Sustainable Travel Officer who will forward your details on to First Cymru for a resolution. 

Swansea University has stopped all work / programme-based international travel for its staff and student community. Therefore you will be unable to move to your overseas partner institution during this time. You should speak with your supervisory team, in the first instance, to determine alternative plans.

Swansea University will support you to continue your studies with us if you wish to do so remotely during this time. Your extended candidature period will be protected. If you have forfeited accommodation, please contact student-services@swansea.ac.uk who can provide advice regarding emergency accommodation.

Please check the advice from your current host institution. It is likely that there may be a travel ban underway at this time with your host institution during this time. Your candidature period will be extended accordingly. If you wish to suspend your studies, you can do so from Monday 16th March. Please note that this suspension will be unpaid. 

If you wish to continue your studies remotely, please check the advice of your host institution. Your extended candidature period will be protected. 

In ensuring the safety of all our students and staff many of the facilities and resources required to complete essential research ahead of the submission of a thesis have been temporarily unavailable. We recognise that this, together with possible new caring duties and personal circumstances, may have had a significant impact on the progress of doctoral research projects.  As such, we are now in a position to consider requests for an extension of up to 6 months to facilitate the completion of your research to a doctoral level. 

The process for granting COVID-19 related extensions will be overseen and monitored by the Dean of Postgraduate Research, Professor Nuria Lorenzo Dus.  It will operate in accordance with the University’s Academic Guide. The PGR Office will circulate specific guidance shortly. For all other information regarding COVID-19 please refer to the latest COVID-19 Postgraduate Research Guidance & Advice.

If you need to extend your candidature, please discuss this requirement with your supervisory team. This request should be logged via eVision, with supporting information outlining the delay to research and the reasons for the delay. This request will be approved by your Supervisor(s) and the extension to candidature will be automatically granted if approved. Other progression measures, which take place in different Schools and Colleges (such as ‘mini Viva’ examinations), will take place online and will be recorded through eVision.

If you are undertaking a joint research degree, we know that a fee can be applied to an extension of studies. We are working with our partners to address this and apply as much flexibility as possible. Please check back at these pages for an update.

Face-to-face meetings was suspended from 16th March. You should continue to hold regular meetings with your supervisory team during this period online, and these progression meetings are included within this guidance.

We are working with external funders, including UKRI and Third Sector organisations, to provide guidance on the funding of your research degree during this period. All organisations are working to be flexible and supportive during this exceptional period. We will provide further information on specific guidance from funders through your cohort-based programmes or local PGR Administrators. 

For UKRI-funded students, UKRI has published its own UKRI Training Grants Specific Guidance. Their advice is as follows: “We recognise that students may find themselves unable to complete essential tasks and/or experiments in order to be ready to submit their thesis, for example due to departmental or institution closures. To avoid unnecessary pressure on students, extensions to submission dates should be awarded.”

UKRI funded PhD studentships are eligible for a cost extension of up to 6 months if completion falls between 1 March 2020 and 31 March 2021 and if the extension to candidature is agreed.

Therefore, if you are a UKRI-funded student, you should discuss any changes to your planned research programme or an extension to your candidature with your supervisory team and this can be recorded via Je-S.

Further funder guidance is available as follows:

• UKRI
• UKRI – Training Grants Specific Guidance
• British Heart Foundation
• Cancer Research UK
• EPSRC – Students
• European Research Council (ERC)
• Leverhulme Trust
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• National Institute of Health Research (NIHR)| Guidance on NIHR Funded Research 
• Wellcome Trust

Students funded by the University, who are due to finish their programmes before 31 March, 2021 are able to request an unfunded extension to their candidature. To request an extension you should first speak to your supervisor and log the conversation in e-Vision and follow the procedures set out in the University’s Academic Guide - Academic Regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Students who receive a mix of funding from UKRI and the University, who are due to finish their programmes before 31 March, 2021 will be able to request a funded extension. To request an extension you should first speak to your supervisor and log the conversation in e-Vision and follow the procedures set out in the University’s Academic Guide - Academic Regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

We understand that you may be concerned about using pooled resources, such as Research Training Support Grant or travel funds, within specific timeframes. Please be assured that the University is working with all partners to enable a flexible approach to research expenditure. This page will be updated to provide further information, please check back.

Swansea University will be paying all Zero Hours contracted people who we believe would have been working between now and the end of the academic year, including PGR Teaching Assistants and Demonstrators. If you have any questions, please contact your College HR Business Partner.

Thesis submission will take place online. Electronic versions should be submitted via OneDrive to your School or College. You can find more information on how to use OneDrive and how to share folders using OneDrive, and this is available within your University Microsoft 365 services.

No hard copies of your thesis will be required unless there are extenuating circumstances (such as an examiner requesting a hard copy). If there are any circumstances that require the submission of hard copies, please liaise with your School or College about how you can print and send hard copies remotely.

Our priority is to protect the health and well-being of our students. During this exceptional time. all Viva examinations should be held online, through Zoom, Skype or your preferred and available telecommunications channel.

If you wish to postpone your Viva examination for any reason, please discuss this with your supervisory team.

Find out more about our updated guidance for Viva examinations.

You can complete your corrections as normal through remote working. However, if you require access to any data, facilities or equipment and you are no longer able to access these resources directly, please discuss this with your supervisory team in the first instance. It may be possible to approve an extension for your corrections.

Please conform to the following protocols in relation to conducting research with research participants in the foreseeable future:

1. Students are requested to contact their academic supervisors prior to starting, or carrying on with any research.
2. Prior to commencing any research please consult the UK Govt. Coronavirus webpage
3. All ongoing research should make changes to how participant interactions are conducted.
4. With immediate effect, stop or where possible minimise, all face-to-face interactions with research participants. This includes research conducted with participants outside the UK.
5. In consultation with your academic supervisor, consider if participant interactions can be conducted remotely.
6. Wherever possible, it would be better if, with the agreement of participants, interviews are conducted over the phone or through an online interaction method like zoom or skype.
7. If this isn’t possible then the research must be paused.
8. Students recruiting or intending to recruit and collect data in their home countries (outside the UK) should abide by the above and pause face-to-face interaction with participants until further notice.
9. Students expecting to commence research, and gather data outside UK must ensure that their research application has been granted ethical approval by the School/College research ethics committee.
10. Please note that data gathered without ethical approval will not be accepted for research purposes (dissertations or thesis).
11. Ethical approval granted for undertaking research by any other country, will not be accepted and research proposals will have to be re-reviewed according to Swansea University ethics guidelines.
12. Those conducting research with the NHS should consult the HRA webpages https://www.hra.nhs.uk/planning-and-improving-research/policies-standards-legislation/covid-19-guidance-sponsors-sites-and-researchers/
13. Research participants should be informed that the research has been paused (if no other option of data collection could be arrived at) with an explanation of how the research method would change.
14. Research protocols and consent forms should be revised, to reflect the change in the manner in which data would be gathered.
15. Unless the changes made to the way in which researchers interact with participants results in a substantial change to protocol, they will not need to submit a modification request.  They should simply update recruitment documents to outline how they will remotely interact and then proceed. Kindly note that this is only a temporary measure.
16. All field trips and Travel for research (staff and students) are suspended indefinitely.
17. Overseas travel for research will not be undertaken. This includes attending conferences/Seminars.

Pedagogic (Educational) Research:

If you are conducting research on fellow students, or as an integrated part of daily lectures, then this permission must be re-requested, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, and assurance sought that the permission previously given still stands. Any student researcher, who is recruiting students outside of their own College/School must move to remote recruitment or pause the study as outlined above.

Research on COVID-19

• An expedited review process will be considered for any new studies relating to COVID-19 where there are proven public health grounds to commence.
• In order for such a study to gain clearance to proceed with face-to-face participant interactions and for this review to be expedited, the student must consult the supervisor and the supervisor must act at the Principal Investigator/Primary contact for the research and must provide the following information:
• What are public health grounds for the study to be conducted?
• What is the rationale for the study to be conducted at this time? Why can it not be conducted at a later time?
• Evidence of a Risk Assessment, considering the potential risk to the researcher themselves, signed off by the College Director of Research and Chair of College Ethics committee.
• Researchers should copy their email to the Research Governance Officer

• Please title the email “New Study relating to COVID-19” for prioritisation.
• Please contact your academic supervisor with your research ethics queries in the first instance.

See the question ‘How does COVID-19 affect research data capture and research ethics?’

If your research concerns engagement with the public, this will need to be postponed. In the first instance, you should speak with your supervisory team to determine whether adaptations to your research are appropriate. If this is not possible, then the delay to research caused by the Ccoronavirus, should be logged via e-Vision to enable any appropriate extension to the candidature period. It is important to record these reasons as they may be called upon for supporting evidence at a future date.

See the question ‘How does COVID-19 affect research data capture and research ethics?’

You need to discuss any changes to your planned research programme with your supervisory team. They will be able to advise on whether you are able to go ahead on an ethical basis or in line with University policies, or may be able to provide a suitable mitigation measure or determine whether you will require an extension to your studies. This decision should then be logged on eVision.

Your School or College will be in touch with you regarding the reopening of specific labs.

You should continue to undertake postgraduate research remotely, online, and to meet with your supervisory team regularly through Zoom, Skype or your preferred telecommunications channel.  Please discuss any changes to your planned research programme with your supervisory team. They will be able to advise on whether you are able to go ahead, on a suitable mitigation measure or whether you will require an extension to your studies. This decision should be logged on eVision.

Inline with the Government's most recent advice, we have closed all PGR study spaces as well as our libraries.

July enrolment is continuing as expected. You should contact your supervisor in the first instance to check you are able to start your research programme, before enrolling. Any variation in process will be communicated directly to the enrolling student.

If you are due to arrive after 16th March, please liaise with your host supervisor in the first instance.

Your interview will now take place online, or will be postponed. Your prospective supervisor or administrator will be in touch with you.

All face-to-face skills and training workshops were postponed from 16th March. You can access online skills development and training resources online, under the 'Research Skills' module on Blackboard.

All face-to-face cohort activities were cancelled from 16th March to. These may be re-scheduled for a later date, please contact your Doctoral Training Manager or Director for more information.

The following measures have been proposed for students in Singleton Residences, UPP Bay Residences, Beck House and Hendrefoelan Student Village: 

• Any student who no longer wishes to continue staying in the above accommodation at the end of the current rent period (27th March) will be released from their Tenancy Agreement. This means that students not staying in Swansea do not need to pay the third instalment of their Residence Fees which would have been due on 7th May 2020.
• Students who want to remain or who cannot leave by this Friday will be charged for any additional weeks up until their key is returned.
• Students who wish to remain in residences for the duration of their contract  may do so, subject to any changes in Government guidance, and we will continue to support you.

Information is being sent to students via your accommodation account that you must complete should you wish to be released.

Please let us know if you are self-isolating in either University halls or private student accommodation, if you have previously told us about this and your situation has changed please let us know, we do not need to know if you are self-isolating at your home – contact myunihub@swansea.ac.uk.

We will also need to know the address of your accommodation.

Please let us know if you are staying in your halls of residence, if you have previously told us about this and your situation has changed please let us know, we do not need to know if you have returned home and have already told us – contact myunihub@swansea.ac.uk.

We will also need to know the address of your accommodation.

Please let us know if you have returned to your home country – contact tier4attendance@swansea.ac.uk. You will be given important information about your visa and also asked to provide further information to us.

Please let us know if you have returned to your home country – contact myunihub@swansea.ac.uk.