Information for current students’ supervisors

Information about the MRC LID studentship scheme can be found under the ‘Studentship’ and ‘Current Students’ sections of this website. In particular, we’d like to highlight the Studentship Handbook, which provides students and supervisors with details of how the studentship works.

The MRC LID Studentship Induction & Annual Cohort Update slides may also be a useful source of information.

If you have any specific queries please contact us via mrclid@lshtm.ac.uk.

Other useful info

UKRI T&Cs and guidance for training funding (landing page for PDFs on required rules with additional guidance document providing explanations, expectations and support for ‘local’ decision-making; any reference to TGC on this page refers to these documents).
Additional MRC Terms & Conditions
Supervising a doctorate

MRC LID RD project supervisors’ responsibilities

The MRC LID board has awarded a studentship to your project with the expectation that all supervisors associated with the project will meet the requirements and responsibilities set out below.

Supervisors are required to meet their institution’s regulations and policies regarding student supervision, including
- maintaining a supervisory team that meets institutional training and composition requirements, and ensuring that the student has access to at least one supervisory team member available for the duration of the award
- ensuring timely completion of the PhD (our expectation is that the thesis will be submitted before or by the end of funding date)
- developing a flexible and suitable programme of supervisory meetings in response to student needs
- formalising the expectations of both staff and students from the beginning of the studentship, usually in a learning agreement, and keeping agreed written records of supervisory meetings and actions
- overseeing the analysis of a student’s development needs, ensuring that the studentship-holder’s training needs are assessed and accommodated
Supervisors must support all costs of the PhD project over and above the MRC standard annual RTSG allowance.
Any changes to the project and/or supervisory team after it has been accepted by MRC LID must be approved by the MRC DTP Board. (Please contact MRC LID admin in the first instance.)
Supervisors of MRC LID students must support their students in engaging with MRC/UKRI and MRC LID as an important element of the transferable and scientific skills training. This will include
- maintaining contact with, and sharing outcomes, success stories, and news items with MRC LID Board via the MRC LID admin team, at least annually but may be whenever good news can be shared;
- providing updates on project and status whenever necessary;
- attending additional training, as set out in the MRC LID Studentship Handbook and events set up by MRC LID;
- updating Je-S whenever prompted (and reviewing it at least once a year);
- providing outcomes information via UKRI systems (previously researchfish) and annual reports;
- providing information for any ad hoc requests from the DTP admin team and/or MRC (previous examples include MRC survey).
MRC LID students are expected to make the most of the opportunities and activities the additional funding provides, and their supervisors are required to support these elements of the award (for example, by encouraging students to attend MRC training days and retreats; supporting the student’s annual training plan review, together with their MRC LID board mentor; supporting additional skills training, with the MRC core skills and the student’s future career prospects in mind).

EDI refresher training for RD supervisors

MRC LID has committed to EDI training and biennial refresher training for all staff connected to our DTP2 grant.

A ‘Inclusive behaviours for PhD supervisors workshop’ is available as EDI refresher training for current and prospective supervisors. (It replaces the ‘EDI Reflective Practice for RD Supervisors workshop’ offered during 2023). This live, online, interactive workshop for PhD supervisors examines the application of the inclusive learning environment and its relationship to inclusive behaviour. The session
(a) begins the conversation and exploration of inclusive behaviour and its impact on the PhD student supervisor relationship, and
(b) supports the development of strategies and techniques to address identified issues and specific areas of practice across the PhD supervisory experience.
This workshop is part of MRC LID’s commitment to contribute to a supportive and inclusive academic community.

Workshop details and booking information is noted on the Prospective Supervisors page. Courses will close once all participant places and waiting list spaces have been taken. Please book for the earliest available workshop you can make, as courses later in the year tend to be oversubscribed.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact us via mrclid@lshtm.ac.uk.

Periods of absence or leave

Students must be made aware of the annual leave entitlement from the start.
UKRI sets out ‘reasonable paid holidays’ recommendation to be allowed by supervisors as ‘a minimum of 30 days to a maximum of eight weeks per year to include public holidays’ (pro rata for part-time students). Supervisors and students are asked to follow the institutional RD guidance on annual leave.
UKRI-funded students can access four categories of leave: Family Leave; Medical Leave; Additional Leave; and, Annual Leave. (TGC 8)
All leave must be requested through standard institutional RD procedures.
Leave must be recorded appropriately. Any use of recorded data must avoid discrimination (see TGC 3.4).
Students must not be expected to study during leave absences and you should take reasonable steps to ensure leave is used for its intended purposes.
Students returning from leave (other than annual leave) must be well supported, with appropriate policies in place for anyone returning after leave for adoption, bereavement, maternity, neonatal, pregnancy loss, stillbirth and paternity, including (but not limited to) using Phased Returns where appropriate.
Students undertaking study work in collaboration with non-academic partners are expected to consider their obligations to those partners in planning leave.

Exploitation, Impact and Acknowledgement

The primary supervisor’s institution will be responsible for the arrangements relating to the ownership and management of intellectual property.

The Research Operations Legal team are expected to put in place an agreement regarding the relative contributions to the creation of intellectual property and any associated revenue sharing arrangements before any commercialisation or exploitation commences. (TGC 11.1) and
All parties engaged in the research or training must make every reasonable effort to ensure that the intellectual assets obtained in the course of the research, whether protected by intellectual property rights or not, are used to the benefit of society and the economy. (TGC 11.2)

In individual cases, UKRI reserves the right to retain ownership of intellectual assets, including intellectual property (or assign it to a third party under an exploitation agreement) and to arrange for it to be exploited for the national benefit and that of the Research Organisation involved. (TGC 11.3)

Supervisors are expected to alert the relevant staff (and MRC LID) to any need for formalised arrangements and written agreements for their RD project at the earliest opportunity, and then to support the process throughout as required.

UKRI-funded students must publish the results of their research funded by the Training Grant (excluding theses), in accordance with normal academic practice and UKRI policy on Open Access. Publications and other forms of media communication, must acknowledge the support received from UKRI as required by the funder.

Placements

Placements are intended to provide students with a valuable opportunity to explore and learn outside of their standard PhD work. It should support experiences beyond a standard PhD (of the wider research environment, giving them access to expertise beyond their immediate research group; gaining skills; building and expanding professional networks; exploring and facilitating future career opportunities).

To broaden a student’s perspective of the field, the placement should be in a different research discipline and must not be directly linked to the focus of the student’s PhD project. It should be an opportunity to do something completely different, although possibly complementary to their research.

The MRC LID Board does not wish to be too prescriptive regarding placements, given the wide and varied nature of research/skills MRC LID studentships cover, and each student’s potential interests and opportunities. For example, a placement might be a formal internship through UKRI-UK Parliament to show how research feeds into policy, or it may be linked to a charity, or it might be planned with an industrial partner to demonstrate how research feeds into the development of products.

As the purpose is solely to learn and explore, there is no MRC LID requirement for material or tangible gain out of the placement (e.g. a paper written). Instead, the DTP is very keen to ensure that each placement is focussed on, and tailored for, each student, so that they get the most out of this parallel or lateral opportunity.

The timing of the placement is flexible and should be selected by each student and their supervisors to best accommodate the research project timetable. While students should not undertake the placement before upgrading it is advisable to discuss options early on to allow ample time to organise the placement and to anticipate costs within the given budget. Also, considerations should be made for the additional time pressures in a student’s final year. Placements must have been completed before a student’s official end-of-funding date, unless there are extraordinary circumstances to prevent this (which must be discussed with the MRC LID as part of a request for an exception).

The placement:

should be of about 3 months FTE duration
should not be directly linked to the student’s research
must not be at same HEI/Research Organisation/institution the student is based at (and preferably outside of the DTP partnership altogether)
should consider the MRC’s funding supplement and skills priorities
must be at a level suitable for a PhD student
must be achievable within the placement period.

Discussions and planning should include the student’s MRC LID Board Mentor, and should begin within the first 6-12 months of the research degree. These should be student-focussed and student-led, and cover

A student’s interests and skills building outside of their RD project. (This is not a stealthy way to cover training the supervisory team should be doing over the rest of the PhD.)
Any ideas the student has come across and/or through any potential contacts they’ve made via the centres and groups, would be useful and/or should be explored further.
MRC strategic areas and skills they might wish to develop.
Timing (when would be a good time to take some time out of their research degree),
Future career potential.

The details of the placement should be organised and agreed with the supervisory team.

All students will remain registered for their research degree study for the duration of their placement. The MRC LID stipend will be paid throughout, unless a student’s placement host will pay a stipend or a contribution towards a stipend at that time. (Students in this situation are expected to declare this to MRC LID, so that correct procedure is followed.)

Students can apply to the MRC LID Flexible Funding for a contribution towards travel to/from their placement and/or accommodation costs to be incurred as part of the placement, unless funding is available in the RTSG budget to cover this. Flexible funding is limited and therefore may not fully support a student whilst on their placement. Placement hosts must cover any ‘in-house’ costs related directly to the placement project.

All placements must be submitted to the MRC LID Board for approval before they are finalised and any placement begins.

Supervisors (at the primary institution and host), students, and any other third parties must have discussed and agreed each party’s roles and responsibility.

All necessary permissions must be in place before any project work begins.

In line with UKRI terms & conditions for training funding, all parties connected with a studentship-funded RD project must have processes in place to support

Health & Safety (safe environment both on and off-site; meeting all regulatory and legislative health and safety requirements; an individual risk assessment for a student who may need it (see TGC 3.3 and 3.4))
Reasonable adjustments (including anticipatory reasonable adjustments) where required to cover the breadth of a student’s research and training, including during field work and while on placement (TGC 3.4)
Conditions around absences/leave, extra leave or time required over the duration (and co-funding to support any arrangements required)
Handling and liability for issues and complaints (formal structures for reporting and investigating bullying and harassment; investigating and reporting unacceptable research conduct; whistleblowing)

CASE/iCASE Partnerships and other collaborations

CASE/iCASE studentships must include research activity time with the collaborative, non-academic partner. This is not ‘work’ aside from or outside of the RD project. Instead, the PhD is interdependent/collaborative and the PhD project itself would not be possible without the collaboration between both parties and the student. In addition, a CASE/iCASE PhD project includes skills training and PhD undertaken at/with both the student’s primary institution and the non-academic/industrial partner.

Time spent with collaborative partner is likely to be very variable (depending on what the project is; whether the student needs to undertake lab/other skills training in-person or use data held on site, or whether the partner is more advisory) and on how the PhD project evolves from initial application and planning through the programme. There is no explicit or divisible period of placement, nor a way to make an assessment on that portion that is separate from completion of the PhD. The supervisory team and student should have planned for the student to go to the non-academic partner for regular periods of time and as part of ‘work practice’ (this will depend on the student and project but may include blocks of time over a sustained period e.g. visits of a fortnight duration for 2-3 years or a single block of 3-12 months, or regular smaller routine periods e.g. two days a week for a duration). Whatever is discussed and agreed should be under 50% of the total programme.

CASE/iCASE partners must have a named supervisor for the placement at all times over the duration of the studentship.

MRC LID studentship awards that are to be converted into MRC LID industrial Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering (iCASE) studentship awards must meet requirements set out by MRC guidance.

The student’s primary institution (host research organisation) is expected to carry out appropriate due diligence in advance of any collaboration begins or where any material change occurs or external factors alter risk and potential usages. They are also expected to ensure appropriate mitigations are in place for risks (TGC 2.6). Due diligence must be undertaken in line with UKRI’s Principles on Trusted Research and Innovation.

MRC LID must be notified of any intention to convert a studentship to a CASE/iCASE award at the earliest opportunity, and agree to this. CASE/iCASE partnership agreements should be put in place at the earliest opportunity thereafter.

It is likely that the studentship agreement will be drafted using the Lambert Toolkit -Russell Group Studentship agreement template, unless the CASE/iCASE non-academic partner has their own template requirement.

The agreement should require third parties to meet UKRI requirements and guidance, and follow UKRI training grant terms regarding intellectual property and assets ownership, management, and exploitation. (TGC 11)

The agreement must outline clearly the roles and responsibility among the student, supervisors (at the primary institution and CASE/iCASE partner) and any other third parties.

Any financial costs and agreement must be approved by MRC LID before the agreement is finalised and signed. Particularly where the DTP is expected to cover costs (SME) and/or negotiations about equitable co-funding to support new requirements (e.g. around reasonable adjustments and leave).

All necessary permissions must be in place before any project work begins.

In line with UKRI terms & conditions for training funding, all parties connected with a studentship-funded RD project must have policies and processes in place to support

Health & Safety (safe environment both on and off-site; meeting all regulatory and legislative health and safety requirements; an individual risk assessment for a student who may need it (see TGC 3.3 and 3.4))
Reasonable adjustments (including anticipatory reasonable adjustments) where required to cover the breadth of a student’s research and training, including during field work and while on placement (TGC 3.4)
Conditions around absences/leave, extra leave or time required over the duration (and co-funding to support any arrangements required)
Handling and liability for issues and complaints (formal structures for reporting and investigating bullying and harassment; investigating and reporting unacceptable research conduct; whistleblowing)

A full text version of the thesis must be available no longer than 12 months following award of the doctorate. Where commercial, collaborative or publication arrangements may necessitate a slight delay this must be at the DTP and primary institution’s discretion, with the thesis deposited as soon as possible. (TGC 11.5)

Third parties (including placement hosts) are expected to follow UKRI guidanceand best practice.

MRC LID is unable to contribute to any costs incurred by the CASE/iCASE partner or student whilst working with the CASE/iCASE partner (outside of those outlined by MRC). The CASE/iCASE partner is expected to cover research costs, and leave costs as appropriate.

UKRI training grant terms & conditions and guidance

(And other updates to MRC LID information to support the changes.)

As of 1 October 2025 UKRI are making substantial and wide-ranging changes to their training grant terms & conditions (required rules) & guidance (explanation; support for decision-making and expectations). These changes are being made to support good practice across the sector; as part of their commitment to fund students flexibly, to support people from diverse backgrounds and with different needs; and in line with ‘applicable ethical, legal and regulatory requirements’.

UKRI updated information about PGR support and training grant details

New Deal for Postgraduate Research
Assessment of UKRI T&Cs of Training Grants from an EDI Perspective
UKRI Policy statement explaining review and changes (effective from 1 October 2025)

Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

EDI must be considered and supported at all stages of a studentship, and by all parties directly connected with MRC LID and/or a specific student’s research project, in alignment with UKRI EDI policies and principles.

UKRI training grant TGC 3.4.6 requires LSHTM to ensure all staff and doctoral students receive suitable training, information and support to ensure compliance with our obligations under all equality legislation. In addition to mandatory MRC LID EDI training, please take note of the information found in the links shared below:

Equality Act 2010

UK government Equality Act guidance
Protected characteristics (also ACAS information)
Direct and indirect discrimination
Public Sector Equality Duty

Supervision and all other training and research must be compliant with the Equality Act 2010 in England, Wales and Scotland.

Harassment and victimisation

Prohibited conduct under the Act
Harassment and victimisation
Your institution’s published policies, and reporting mechanisms (e.g. Report & Support)

Pregnancy, child birth and breast-feeding

Specific protections regarding maternity in non-work cases
Please see TGC 3.3 for instructions about individual risk assessments
Students should be made aware of the Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS).

Disability

UKRI Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) Framework
Students funded from a Training Grant are eligible for additional support where, because of disability, they are obliged to incur additional expenditure in undertaking their training.

Students should contact the Student Support team at their primary/’home’ institution to have their needs assessed and gain access to the funding. This can be done from the time they hold an offer from the DTP through to their end of funding date.

UKRI requires the student’s primary institution to put in place reasonable adjustments (including anticipatory reasonable adjustments) where required and to comply with all statutory obligations. Reasonable adjustments must cover ‘the breadth of a Student’s research and training, including but not limited to the research environment, within their department, during field work and while on placement’. Reasonable adjustments should be made in a timely fashion and Students must be provided with a process to highlight any adjustments that are not fully implemented, without risk of victimisation. Students should be encouraged to liaise with Student Support Services at their primary institution at the earliest opportunity to ensure this. (TGC 3.4.3 and TGC 3.4.5)

Once assessed the costs will be met by the student’s primary institution and then reclaimed annually via a grant maintenance request that MRC LID will submit. Assessment documentation must be sent to MRC LID annually, and in good time, to ensure recovery and payment.

Other requirements and information to highlight

General

MRC LID Current Students pages (for Handbook and DTP induction information)
Selection and supervision of students must be in accordance with current good practice as detailed in the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) publication: UK Quality Code for Higher Education – Advice and Guidance: Research Degrees, and in accordance with any additional Council requirements, including the relevant statement of Expectations [UKRI website] (TGC 2.9)
Students in full-time employment are not eligible for a DTP Studentship (TGC 5.2.1)
Students will be paid at the UKRI minimum studentship rates, with London weighting (TGC 4.2).
They are not expected to bear the cost of any shortfall in funding (other than the difference between the Home and International fees, for international students only) during their funded period (TGC 4.7.1).
Remuneration costs for duties considered to constitute employment, such as demonstration and teaching, must not be taken from the Student’s MRC LID stipend. Non-compliance could result in an HMRC tax liability on the institution or the Student. (TGC 4.6)
Where a Student is not an employee as part of their studentship award, due regard for employment law and tax law is still required. There must be no oral or implied contract of employment by academic or professional support staff involved in the delivery of the DTP. (TGC 2.20)
Costs charged to the RTSG and Travel & Conference allowances must be explicitly identifiable as arising from the conduct of the award and must be verifiable, auditable, and charged on the basis of the cash amount spent for and by the Student. (TGC 4.12) Costs for activities outside of a student’s funded dates are ineligible. (Other ineligible costs include: food and drink; supervisor travel and subsistence costs; equipment maintenance; costs relating to external examiners; equipment that MRC believes the institution should provide (e.g. laptops); general office consumables (e.g. paper, printing, photocopying, telephone, postage etc); equipment purchased within 6 months of the end of project without specific funder written approval. Anything that is unclear should be checked with MRC LID before it is purchased.)
UKRI funded students (both home and International) must be resident in the UK for the majority of their studies. Any time spent overseas should be for the purposes of fieldwork/long-term attachment. Stipends earned during periods outside of the UK may be affected by local tax laws. (TGC 5.2.4)
Where UKRI-funded International students are in the UK on a Tier 4 Visa or Student Visa, UKRI maternity/paternity leave and sickness leave and pay are subject to any restrictions imposed by UK Home Office visa legislation and guidance. (TGC 5.2.6)
Students must be offered the option of studying on both a full-time and part-time basis, with a minimum of 50% of full-time equivalent required. A lower FTE may be determined as a reasonable adjustment to a Disabled person. (TGC 5.3)
You should consider requests made by the Student requests to make permanent changes to their working study arrangements, including studying working compressed hours, from home and flexitime, should be considered. (TGC 5.3)
Students may change mode of study (between full-time and part-time, and vice versa), within institutional rules.

Legal obligations, requirements & compliance, policies & procedures, and best practice guidance

Everyone involved with an MRC LID studentship (through an individual student’s research project, funding through the training grant, and subcontracts or other agreements with a third party, and regardless of whether the research activity is carried out by the Research Organisation (RO), Students, Supervisors or other Third Parties) is asked to be responsible for helping LSHTM and the DTP Board meet our ethical, legal and regulatory requirements and adopt the principles, standards and good practice set out by UKRI.

As the Research Organisation (RO)/grant holder, LSHTM expects all organisations, staff, students and third parties (including fieldwork and placement hosts) to be aware of how their actions and decisions work within institutional responsibilities, particularly in relation to legislation, grant requirements and guidance, conducting due diligence, and to take care to meet UKRI requirements as if they were the RO.

National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021, including, but not limited to, individual students’ research projects (TGC 2.2.2)
Subsidy Control Act 2022 (TGC 2.3.1)
EU State Aid regulations (TGC 2.3.10)
UKRI Standard Terms and Conditions for Training Funding and MRC Funding: Additional Terms and Conditions (TGC 2.4)
Bribery Act (TGC 2.17)
Fraud Act (TGC 2.18 and TGC 7.3.3)
Consumer law, where Students are likely to be consumers (be clear, transparent and fair, allow complaints – with clear route for complaints and addressing issues) (TGC 2.19)
Employment law, where a Student is studying by virtue of an employment contract (TGC 2.20)*
Training consistent with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Quality Code and comply with any requirement of the Office for Students (TGC 2.21)
Research Ethics, Misconduct and Conflicts of Interest (TGC 3.1)
Use of Animals in Research (TGC 3.2)
Health and Safety (TGC 3.3)
Data Protection legislation & Equality Act 2010 (TGC 3.4)
Public Sector Equality Duty in the Equality Act 2010 (TGC 3.4.7)