Departments, who hold STFC Training Grants (TGs) for Doctoral Training Partnership studentships, receive funding which includes unit costs for overseas fieldwork. There is a separate approval process for Departments to apply for exceptional fieldwork costs for STFC funded students who will undertake long term attachments to overseas facilities. A long term attachment is a single visit of 120 days up to a maximum of 365 days.
Departments need to apply for LTA funding for students that started in 2020. LTA applications should be submitted to studentships@stfc.ukri.org by 30 June 2021. Applications for LTAs should include overseas travel and subsistence expenses in connection with fieldwork or other visits that are considered essential to the student’s research/training programme.
Confirmation of the level of approved funding will be sent to departments by 2 August 2021. Once approved, payments of LTA funds will be made quarterly with the next payment of the training grant. A separate LTA reconciliation form will need to be attached to the Final Expenditure Statement (FES) at the end of the training grant.
Students travelling to CERN must contact the UK Liaison Office at least 4 months in advance to arrange the visit. LTA commencement dates will be announced as accommodation becomes available. Further information regarding start dates can be found on the Student LTA webpage.
Research Organisations will be responsible for providing students with adequate travel and medical insurance for short visits. This insurance should cover students for medical emergencies, repatriation, personal accident and disability.
STFC will continue to provide travel and emergency medical insurance cover for students on LTA for students that have already had approval for their LTAs (those that started in or before October 2019). Research Organisations will be responsible for providing the Science and Technology Facilities Council with student names and LTA dates for insurance purposes. It is the responsibility of the Research Organisation to contact Studentships if these dates change from those originally applied for.
Failure to do so could result in claims being invalid.
As from 1 September 2020 STFC travel insurance is provided through Chubb, the policy number is UKBBBD00217. This expires 31 August 2021. Chubb have provided a Travel Smart App to help students make adequate preparations before travelling and not take any unnecessary risks whilst away. This is a useful tool provided by Chubb that can be downloaded and used as required.
Students should contact STFC directly if they require a copy of the insurance policy schedule.
For new LTA applications for students starting from October 2020 it will be the responsibility of the Research Organisation to provide students with adequate travel, emergency medical, repatriation, personal accident and disability insurance and healthcare cover.
Last updated: 18 June 2021
Science and Technology Facilities Council
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