PhD fund - Politics and International Studies

Our PhD fund awards grants to PhD students on the Politics and International Studies programme on a competitive basis for conferences and fieldwork

POLIS PhD students are welcome to apply to the fund but before you do so please read the terms of the fund outlined below to make sure that you are eligible. Please then complete the relevant application form and return it to the PhD administrator by email (phdadmin@polis.cam.ac.uk).

Applications for conference and fieldwork funding are normally considered only after May/June of the first year following successful completion of the first year registration exercise. Registered PhD students can apply at anytime.

Terms of the fund:

  1. The Fund will be used in support of  graduate students registered for the PhD in Politics and International Studies.
  2. During the period of study for the PhD, each student will be able to make an application to the fund for a contribution to the cost of either fieldwork or for a contribution to the cost of attending a conference. How this split is managed is up to students to decide. The full fund available is £500 per student for the duration of their PhD.
  3. Students should look for other possible sources of funding besides the department.
  4. Students can apply to the fund for a contribution to the cost of fieldwork and/or a contribution to presenting at a conference subject to the conditions below. 
  5. You must be in the first three years of your PhD for any applications for Fieldwork Funding – i.e. you cannot apply for this fund when you are a final year student in the writing up period. This does not apply to Conference Funding applications.
  6. You must have Leave to Work Away approved before you apply travel (If away more than 14 days), or have initiated the process.

Conferences 

Money will only be paid for conferences when:

  1. the student is presenting a paper (not a poster or attending a conference) and
  2. the student has applied for any available concessionary postgraduate places.

Awards for conference will be up to a maximum of £500 (please see terms). Funding will be conditional on successful registration. The student should submit by email (to PhDadmin@polis.cam.ac.uk) a completed form with confirmation of presentation and printed quotes or receipts for travel/hotel bookings and a confirmation that they have registered their bank details on Camsis. Forms can be downloaded from the top of this page.

After the conference, students should present receipts, and return anything not spent. 

Fieldwork 

  1. Funding will be conditional on successful registration. The assessor’s reports will be taken into account.
  2. Applications for fieldwork will normally be made in the first year for fieldwork to be undertaken in their second year.
  3. The cost of accommodation whilst on fieldwork are ineligible as are per diems
  4. The Fund will not be used for bursaries or scholarships.

Registered PhD student can apply for fieldwork/conference grant funding at anytime of the year. Forms must be approved by supervisors prior to submission.

After the fieldwork, students should present receipts, and return anything not spent to the university by bacs payment. Account details to be provided on request.