Research and event funding for cohorts from 24/25 onwards (DTP2)

RTSG Application form on Flexigrant 

Please note the application form is now hosted on Flexigrant, and you will need to register an account the first time you use this platform.

If you have already registered an account when applying for LISS DTP studentship, you can use this account.

You might find this guidance helpful, if you have questions about using the form. If the problem persists, contact liss-dtp@kcl.ac.uk.

LISS funded students are eligible to apply for Research Training Support Grant funds (RTSG).  These funds are intended to be used to pay for expenses that you and your supervisor deem to be in direct support of your research.

The ESRC provides a notional amount of RTSG funding to the LISS DTP. The actual allocation of funds towards RTSG is at the LISS DTP’s discretion, based on the funding available within the Doctoral Training Grant. Given the allocation, LISS DTP expects to award approximately £940 p/a to each student, based on the original funding duration of the studentship. It is your responsibility to budget wisely and reserve funds to cover your expenses, and/or find additional sources of funding. 

Eligible Expenses: 

• UK fieldwork expenses 
• UK, EU and overseas conferences, training courses and summer schools 
• language training courses usually undertaken in the UK prior to an overseas fieldwork trip 
• reimbursement of interpreters, guides, assistants, participants 
• survey costs e.g. printing, stationery, telephone calls 
• purchase of small items of equipment e.g. cameras, recorders, films, 
• gifts for local informants 
• books and other reading material not available through libraries 

RTSG cannot be used fund trips to areas to which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel. See: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice 

Development Needs Analysis (DNA)  

The DNA is a compulsory annual task for all LISS DTP students and is a condition of receiving ESRC Studentship funding.  As such, to access RTSG applications, this form must be completed on an annual basis and returned to the LISS DTP. Failure to do so will result in your application for research funds being declined. 

Office Equipment:

In normal circumstances computers and office equipment are not eligible.  Any such request must be justified based on the nature of the research being undertaken and the student’s circumstances and must be essential for the successful completion of the PhD.  Note that the purchase of high-power computer equipment with a value of over £500 is only eligible if it is not available at your university under normal circumstances.   LISS DTP reserves the right to take custody of any equipment purchased in excess of £200 following completion of the award. This condition is waived for purchases resulting from the CV-19 pandemic and lockdown.

Allowance and Budgeting:

RTSG allowance is available to all current students and is calculated on a nominal annual allowance of £940 per original funded year. This must be used in line with the rules specified by the ESRC ESRC Postgraduate Funding Guide. Please note that the £940 is not a personal allowance.  For example, a 1+3.5 student will have access to £4,230 (4.5 x £940) and a +3.5 student £3,290 (3.5 x £940). 

The total amount is calculated on a full-time equivalent basis, so part-time students receive the same total as full-time students. Extensions to the funding period do not increase this total amount.  

Your full RTSG will be available to you for the entirety of your funded period, which means that you can accumulate and carry over funds from year to year or spend them as required. You are encouraged to work out a budget for the lifetime of your studentship with your supervisor in the early stages of the award period. 

RTSG is only available during the funded part of the study i.e. you cannot access any unused element once your funding has ended. RTSG funds cannot be used for conferences or any other activities that take place after the end of your funded period, even if, for example, a conference is booked during the funded period. 

It is your responsibility to keep receipts and evidence of your spending and be able to produce them if called upon to do so for auditing purposes.  

It is only possible to access the funds by submitting a formal application by one of the four annual deadlines and after approval from the LISS DTP.  

You should inform the LISS DTP if your plans change following award of RTSG funding.  

If you have questions about the eligibility of certain expenses, please contact us at liss-dtp@kcl.ac.uk  

To apply:

Applications will be reviewed on the first working Monday of January, April, June and October each year.  Decisions will take up to 2 weeks of the application review date to announce. KCL students should note that depending on volume of applications it may take a further 2 weeks to arrange payment.  

Please note that, due to capacity constraints, LISS DTP cannot review out-of-cycle review applications, so you should plan appropriately and submit your application for funding within the quarterly review periods. You may make applications retrospectively providing that receipts etc are available but note that there is a risk that your application may not be approved. 

Queen Mary and Imperial students should contact their institutional LISS administrators (see Institutional Contacts) if you have not received notification of outcomes within two weeks of the application review date, or payment within one month of the review date.  King’s students should contact liss-dtp@kcl.ac.uk. 

We review a lot of applications so please be specific in your query, including the date, type of research funding application you have made, and the amount of money you applied for. 

Important Update for KCL Students: Business Travel Policy 

As of June 2025, King’s College London has introduced a new Business Travel Policy that applies to all staff and students undertaking travel for university-related purposes. This change affects how you apply for and use your RTSG for travel.

If your RTSG application includes overseas travel (e.g. conferences, fieldwork, or training) or UK fieldwork travel, you are now required to:

1. Submit a Business Travel Authorisation (BTA) request, and

2. Apply for Business Travel Insurance

Both forms are available via Helix. Further information on the policy can be found on the KCL Travel Services internal site.

Please follow your local departmental process to obtain the necessary approvals for your BTA and insurance.

Note: The BTA and insurance form might ask for travel details. Please provide the actual or planned travel details. You’re NOT expected to book the travel before you receive approval on your application.

Once you have received both approvals, please email them to liss-dtp@kcl.ac.uk. The required documents must be the Helix email titled ‘Can we help you further?’, which includes the full details of your Business Travel Authorisation and Travel Insurance requests.

LISS DTP cannot process any overseas travel or UK fieldwork-related RTSG payments until both the BTA and insurance confirmation emails have been received.

Note for Queen Mary students:

The Queen Mary Travel and Expenses policy states that all travel and accommodation must be booked via KeyTravel. Please go to the KeyTravel website for a quote to accompany your RTSG application. Once approved, please email it to the QMUL LISS Administrator Angela Kamara a.kamara@qmul.ac.uk who will arrange the purchase of your travel/accommodation using the LISS budget code and raise a Purchase order number which you then send to KeyTravel to confirm your booking. Note that your RTSG application must be approved before Angela can purchase travel/accommodation.  

Please see: Queen Mary Finance Guide for LISS Students for information. 

Students undertaking the doctoral element of their award are eligible to apply for financial support for Overseas Fieldwork Funding (OSFW) to carry out primary research.

• Any anticipated overseas fieldwork is expected to have been mentioned in the original project proposal. If you and your supervisor decide that a fieldwork period would be valuable once you have started your studentship, please raise this as soon as possible with LISS DTP. 
• Overseas fieldwork must be an integral part of the PhD and take place during the funded period. Studentships will not be extended to reflect periods of fieldwork.
• Students can apply only once for OSFW during the studentship to support up to 3 periods of fieldwork, provided that there is a significant justification for multiple field visits.
• The primary supervisor’s support of the application is required.
• Regardless of mode of study, all students are normally expected to undertake fieldwork on a full-time basis (i.e., part-time students are normally expected to transfer to full-time status for the duration of the fieldwork).
• LISS DTP has limited funds to support the entire cohort, therefore approved grants aim to contribute rather than cover all expenses incurred by the fieldwork. Fundings are generally capped at £5,000.
• Once approved, no funding will be provided beyond the amount confirmed. It will not be increased to cover extra expenses incurred whilst abroad. 
• Normally the DTP will not support fieldwork of more than 12 months. Exceptionally, we can support fieldwork of up to 18 months, if there is demonstrable and justifiable need for it.
• If approval is given for overseas fieldwork lasting more than 9 months, students are advised to hold a mid-way in-person meeting with their supervisor.
• You must obtain approval for overseas fieldwork prior to undertaking it; retrospective claims for overseas fieldwork expenses cannot be considered.

Eligible costs:

• overseas travel (flights/trains)
• accommodation costs*
• visas
• living costs (if significantly higher than the UK)

*for any trips over 3 months it would generally be expected that accommodation costs would be covered by the student’s stipend, and they are therefore advised to plan accordingly.

Restrictions: 

Overseas fieldwork expenses CANNOT be used for the following: 

• fieldwork within the UK (RTSG funds should be used towards these costs) 
• trips for purposes other than primary research 
• trips during periods of study interruption 
• trips during the final 6 months of the studentship 
• trips during periods when you are not in receipt of funding 
• overseas conference costs (RTSG funds should be used for these) 
• any family member accompanying the student
• trips to areas to which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel.  See https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice 

To Apply:

Applications will be reviewed on the first working Monday of January, April, June and October each year. Decisions will take up to 2 weeks to announce, depending on volume of applications.

You must make a strong case, demonstrating careful planning and investigation of costs options to ensure value for money. You should provide a clear plan as to how you will conduct your research, and what means, mechanisms, and support you need to realise your plans.

You must provide evidence to support your cost estimates and amounts requested, e.g. screenshot from a price comparison website for accommodation, flights, etc.

Additionally, the DTP will be considering how your application shows value for money. This is demonstrated by itemising and justifying cost estimates, particularly if they are not the most cost-effective options.

Institutional Travel Policy

KCL students:

Please complete the following two forms:

1. Submit a Business Travel Authorisation (BTA) request, and

2. Apply for Business Travel Insurance

Both forms are available via Helix. Further information on the policy can be found on the KCL Travel Services internal site.

Please follow your local departmental process to obtain the necessary approvals for your BTA and insurance.

The required documents must be the Helix email titled ‘Can we help you further?’, which includes the full details of your Business Travel Authorisation and Travel Insurance requests.

LISS DTP cannot process any overseas travel and fieldwork-related OSFW payments until both the BTA and insurance confirmation emails have been received.

Queen Mary students: 

The Queen Mary Travel and Expenses policy states that all travel and accommodation must be booked via KeyTravel. Please go to the KeyTravel website: https://www.keytravel.com/uk for a quote to accompany your application.

Email the quote to the QMUL LISS Administrator Angela Kamara a.kamara@qmul.ac.uk who will arrange the purchase of your travel/accommodation using the LISS budget code and raise a Purchase order number which you send to KeyTravel to confirm your booking.

Please see: Queen Mary Finance Guide for LISS Students for information. 

Imperial College London students:

Please see Imperial staff travel and expenses. Imperial LISS Administrator Samira Modaresifar can offer further guidance.

Expenses:

If the funding is approved, funds will be distributed as per local practice at your home institution, and no further funding will be provided beyond the amount confirmed. Please follow the expense guidance notes attached with your outcome email.

All reimbursements must be settled within 3 months of the activity taking place, following local practice at your home institution.

Apply Now:

Overseas Fieldwork funding application form 

Additional Research Funding is available to students via their Institutions as follows:

• QMUL Doctoral College – PhD Student Funding
• KCL Centre for Doctoral Studies – PhD Student Funding
• ICL Graduate School – Research and Communities Funding

Students may also receive funding for their research via grants to their supervisors, via collaborations with external partners, and are encouraged to hold additional grants themselves, provided that the annual income from these is not equal to or in excess of the annual value of your LISS DTP studentship. You should inform the LISS DTP team immediately if you are applying for an award from another body to support your postgraduate work, especially in the form of payment of fees or a maintenance grant.

Student Led Activity Fund Application Form

Student Led Activity Fund (SLAF)

LISS DTP invites applications from students for funding to support interdisciplinary events and other activities. To qualify for funding, your event must:

• Involve at least 1 LISS DTP funded student as an organiser.  Please see a list of our current funded cohort here.
• Be student-centred (primarily organised by and/or for students). 
• Be accessible to students from all 3 institutions. 
• Be open to all LISS DTP affiliated students (although priority may be given to LISS DTP funded students if enrolment needs to be capped for resource reasons).
• Have at least 1 activity within 3 months of the closing date of the call 
• Have a LISS DTP Research Area lead as the academic ‘sponsor’ who agrees to manage the funding (sponsor should be based at the institution where the majority of funds will be spent) 

Activities eligible for funding can include one-off events like a workshop or conference, recurring events like reading groups or seminar series, or involve the creation of resources such as web apps, handbooks, etc. We encourage innovative and imaginative proposals.  We are very happy to receive applications to co-fund events with other DTPs or other organisations. 

Planning & Budgeting

You should get in touch with the Deputy Director for Training to discuss your ideas before submitting an application, and you should submit your application at least 2 months ahead of the planned date in order to give sufficient time for the necessary publicity and planning. 

We will consider applications for up to £500. We reserve the right to award a smaller sum that the one applied for. Please email the LISS Deputy Director for Training and Cohort Development to notify them that an application has been submitted.

Research Area Lead Fund Application Form

Research Area Lead Fund (RALF)

If the event you have in mind is relevant to a particular discipline area, then it would be eligible for funding by a Research Area.  Research Areas have funds to support both staff and student led activities.  Please approach the relevant academic Research Area Lead to discuss your idea in the first instance.  Names of Research Area Leads can be found on the Research Areas page.

The annual budget for RALF is £2,660 so please discuss planned events within your Research Area.

Applications are processed quarterly on the first working Monday of January, April, June and October. Decisions will take up to 2 weeks after this deadline. LISS DTP reserves the right to limit reviewing out-of-cycle review requests, applicants should plan appropriately and submit their application for funding within the quarterly review periods.