TRAINING FUNDS
SGSSS is committed to supporting students’ training and development throughout their PhD journey.
Training is available all year round and is led by outcomes of the Training Needs Analysis (TNA) process. SGSSS builds on the training provided by our partner HEIs and delivers advanced training where the TNAs identify training needs, which would be of benefit to other PhD students across Scotland. We draw on the expertise at our partner HEIs or bring in external specialists where this is required.
Training also supports and facilitates cohort development, interdisciplinarity, and knowledge exchange and impact through monthly training events across Scotland, the summer school programme and pathway hub activities.
Funds are directed towards several key areas, which cover Advanced Training, Student-led Training, Spring into Methods, Working with Business, Pathway-specific training and the prestigious SGSSS Summer School.
Pathway Training Fund (PTF)
The PTF supports advanced and specialist training events for PhD students across Scotland. The fund can cover speaker’s travel, accommodation, student travel, catering and related logistical costs. The funding limit is usually £2,500 for single discipline/pathway events. Multi-day events and interdisciplinary/joint pathway events can be proposed with higher funding requests.
Please complete the application form linked below in conjunction with the associated PTF Guidance. Details of the SGSSS governance structure can be found here.
Please Note
- Planned events must be at least 6 weeks from the deadline date.
- We now have a deadline for receiving PTF event invoices of two months post event. Any SGSSS agreement to fund PTF events lapses if no invoice is received within this deadline.
- By submitting an application or receiving an award, pathways are still expected to participate in the SGSSS Hub Festivals. Please also consider if your proposed PTF event will be manageable alongside the Advanced Training Programme and Summer School events.
Call Deadline Dates for 2022/23
5pm on 29 July 2022 (for events running between September 2022 and August 2023)
SGSSS is currently reviewing the PTF process and application date for the 2021 call. Please check back in February 2021 for further details.
For all events taking place in 2020/21 (including PTF events), please see Social here.
Student-Led Training Fund (SLTF)
The Student-led Training Fund is an initiative that supports the delivery of advanced and specialist training events, where students can make an argument that their event offers something new and useful. The SLTF aims to deliver the highest quality advanced training to postgraduate students in Scotland through producing a year-round calendar of events.
In order to ensure this part of our training is inclusive, for the next SLTF round, we are seeking training that is delivered online. Rather than providing funding to cover catering, travel etc., we will look to pay for costs associated with online events, e.g. an online facilitator fee; the digitisation of training materials or the fee for PhD students to deliver an online session (preferably recorded).
The application process for SLTF is open to all social science PhD students studying in Scotland (as well as ESRC-funded students currently in their master’s year of a 1+3 award) and ECRs who have the right to work during their studies.
Please submit the application form via the link below by the following deadlines:
Call Deadline Dates for 2022/23
4pm on Friday, 29 July 2022 (for events running between 1 September to 23 December 2022)
4pm on Tuesday, 28 February 2023 (for events running between 1 April to 31 August 2023)
SGSSS is currently reviewing the SLTF process and application dates for the 2021 calls. Please check back in February 2021 for further details.
For all events taking place in 2020/21 (including SLTF events), please see Social here.
ESRC Training Funds
There are several additional funding resources available for ESRC-funded students to access during the course of their PhD studies. These include the Overseas International Visits (OIV), Overseas Fieldwork (OFW) and Difficult Language Training (DLT) funding strands, alongside the Research Training Support Grant (RTSG).
