Costs involved in a PhD
The following table shows the costs involved in studying for three years from October 2005 as a research student towards the PhD degree.
The University and College fees are based on the October 2004 rates with inflation added for the following years. The maintenance rate is the latest estimate from the EPSRC for students receiving Doctoral Training Account awards starting in October 2005. This includes the increases proposed in the Chancellor's July 2002 Spending Review implementing the recommendation of the Roberts' Report. The support figures are based on the October 2003 rates, increased in line with inflation.
| 2005-6 | 2006-7 | 2007-8 | Total £ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fees | 5,175 | 5,356 | 5,544 | 16,075 |
| Overseas (non EU) supplement | 7,958 | 8,480 | 9,034 | 25,472 |
| Maintenance | 12,000 | 12,300 | 12,731 | 37,031 |
| Research training & conferences | 1,403 | 1,452 | 1,503 | 4,358 |
| Total | 26,536 | 27,588 | 28,812 | 82,936 |
The overall cost amounts to about £58k for a home or European Union student and to £83k for an overseas student from outside the EU. It is important that funding is guaranteed for the full three years before starting.
In practice, the EPSRC research training support grant (RTSG) and conference allowance are inadequate. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the Laboratory to support the equipment and travel needs of research students from this income and the Laboratory's equipment grant is being cut. Alternative provision may have to be made from research grants.
Grant support
Support for a studentship may be sought as a resource on an EPSRC research project. Maintenance is paid as a direct cost, attracting overheads at 46% in lieu of RTSG and other expenses. However, the University is reluctant to pass these on to the Laboratory, so it is prudent to include equipment and travel allowances explicitly. Home fees are paid as an exceptional item.
European projects only attract 20% overheads, so it will always be necessary to ask for equipment and travel allowances explicitly.
Industrial support
Studentships funded by industry do not attract overheads as long as the company does not claim any intellectual property rights. It is important to make sure that the industrial support includes an adequate allowance for equipment and conference attendance, at least as much as provided by the EPSRC for RTSG and travel. A convenient way to make the intellectual property position clear is for the industrial partner to donate the studentship to the University as a charitable gift.
Industrial sponsors may also support students through the EPSRC Cooperative Awards in Science and Engineering (CASE) scheme. Companies pay CASE students a further £3,000 per year and make a contribution of £1,400 to the department. Some companies also pay a modest honorarium to the supervisor. In return, the company can expect to exercise some control over the topic of the research, but not its details. The student would also expect to spend three months over a Summer vacation working on the company's premises. The overall additional cost is about £15k over three years.
If an industrial sponsor is retaining intellectual property rights, the University will require a formal exploitation agreement and will charge overheads at 70%. The company could also expect to exercise more control over the exact direction of the research. The overall additional cost is a further £20k over three years.
Note: The University is reviewing its position on overheads and intellectual property, so these arrangements may change.
Further information
Details of the University's costs are shown in the Graduate Studies Prospectus. Details of the EPSRC arrangements are shown in the EPSRC Funding Guide and information on Payments to Students.