Please note: You would be required to comply with any UK Government rules on travelling to the UK and the rules of your country of origin. University guidelines may also be subject to change, any visit is dependent on availability of desk space within the school. You should also be aware that opportunities to meet academic staff and other PhD students face to face may be limited and research events continue to be online.

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The School's Visiting Postgraduate Research (PhD) Students Scheme enables national and international PhD students to come to Bristol and spend a period of time conducting research and participating in the school’s collegiate and diverse research community. 

Eligibility

Visiting postgraduate research students should be currently registered as postgraduate research students at another institution either in the UK or internationally. Applicants will need to demonstrate a strong academic record and a viable programme of research to be followed during their visit.

Applicants should identify a sponsor who is an academic member of staff within the School and will personally support their application and agree their proposed set programme of work.

Applications will only be accepted from students who have the support of their prospective visit with the identified sponsor.

If English is not your first language, you need to meet profile level 'B'. Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.

Fee structure

Please note we do not offer funding. The affiliation fee (‘bench fee’) is free up to a 3-month (or 92 days) period. For longer periods, the monthly fee is £250 per month during the entire visit period (pro rata fees apply for any period less than one month).

A waiver of the fees may be considered, and a case should be made in this respect alongside the application form. The waiver will be assessed on grounds of academic merit of the applicant and/or the applicant’s personal circumstances or if the applicant is from a low income country (as defined by the ODA).

Duration

Students may normally apply for visiting periods of between 4 weeks to 6 months.

Scheme objectives

The visiting postgraduate research students scheme seeks to enhance the already vibrant research culture and learning environment of the school.  With this in mind, the aims of the scheme are to:

• offer external to the University postgraduate research students the opportunity to carry out research with a view to presenting or publishing their work.
• enhance the research community within the University of Bristol Business School through their active participation in the academic life at Bristol.
• further develop and promote external research links with other universities, institutions and practitioners in the United Kingdom and overseas;
• provide staff and research students within the school with the opportunity to work with and learn from other research students from outside Bristol.

Relationship with the School

Depending on the length of their visit and the nature of their research, visitors are welcomed to contribute actively to academic life in the School. Depending on the applicant’s qualifications, the school may provide you with the opportunity to:

• deliver a guest seminar to academic staff
• deliver a guest lecture to undergraduates/postgraduates in relevant module(s)
• commit to reasonable attendance at the seminar series and Primary Units

Provision of resources

Visiting Postgraduate Research Students will receive/be provided with:

• a University Card
• hot-desk space
• the sponsorship of a school staff mentor, who will meet with the student and provide guidance and general academic support, but they are not able to advise on other issues eg legal or visa queries. It should be noted that it is up to the individual visitor to arrange this initial meeting with their mentor
• access to the Bristol University Library
• the visitor's email address will be added to the student mailing list, so that they are notified of any department/School events that may be of interest or relevance
• access to all School events, workshops and research seminars.

Please note:

• Visitors are encouraged to bring laptop computers which can be used at wireless areas around the University.
• We cannot provide assistance with living accommodation, although the University Accommodation office may be able to help.

End of visit report

At the end of the visiting term, students are asked to submit to the school research committee, a brief written report summarising their contribution.  This report may be excerpted and published by the school.

How to apply

Once you have secured the agreement of a potential supervisor, and have agreed dates for your visit with them, you should apply online via the online application portal. New applicants will need to create a new account and should refer to guidance at How to apply. Currently, there may only be one start date option for you to select (e.g. September 2024). Please ensure you indicate your proposed visit start date and the visit end date in your application.

You will also be required to submit the following documents with your application form:

• A letter confirming that you are currently studying for a PhD. This will need to be on official headed paper and signed or stamped by your university. If the original letter is not in English we will also need to see an official translation.
• Complete the Visiting PhD Students Application Form.
• Reference from your primary or secondary PhD supervisor at your home institution. It is your responsibility to ensure that the reference letter from your supervisor is sent in before the designated deadline.
• Statement of support from the academic member of staff at University of Bristol who will sponsor your visit.
• CV (2 x A4 pages maximum length).
• Outline of clear research objectives and programme of work to be pursued. Applicants should provide a clear explanation for the proposed duration and timing of their visit and have clear and realistic research objectives and programme of work to be pursued during that time.

Contact: Student Administrators (PGR) (Business School PGR Team Mailbox business-school-pgr@bristol.ac.uk). 

Visa requirements

All visiting students from outside the UK require a visa, regardless of length of study. Some students will need to apply for this visa in advance, some can travel through eGates on arrival. For visits six months of less, please read the short-term visa guidance. For longer visits, a Student visa is likely to be needed, and you must meet the eligibility requirements for this.

If you are already in the UK on a Student visa (and you are visiting from another UK institution) you need to be studying at a partner institution or agree to the visit as an agreed temporary location. You should contact Student Visa Services for advice. Please also note that most visa types will require ATAS, if the course needs ATAS. Some nationalities are exempt from the ATAS requirement.