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• Your research degree
• • Getting started on your research degree
  • Your supervision
  • Your attendance
  • Your progress: Formal Progression Reviews
  • Changing your registration
  • Preparing and submitting your thesis
  • Your examination
  • Regulations and policies
  • Forms and letter requests

Your attendance

On this page you will find information about how and when you're expected to attend and engage with your research degree. You will also find information about taking annual leave or parental leave, undertaking periods of fieldwork, and how much paid employment you may undertake during your registration.

Attendance

The expectations for PGR attendance and engagement are laid out in the Attendance, Engagement and Absence Policy (see 'University regulations and policies' section). Additional information is also available on the Student Hub pages. 

As a minimum, you are expected to have a formal supervision meeting with your supervisor(s) once a month if you are full-time, or every other month if you are part-time. Formal supervision meetings are usually expected to take place in person, unless you are registered as a distance learner. The content and dates of formal supervision se meetings must be recorded via Sussex Direct within one week of the meeting taking place; they will create a useful history of discussions with your supervisors which you can refer to during your research. Your Faculty/School will have processes in place to monitor your attendance on a regular basis, in accordance with the above stated University policy. If your Faculty/School has additional expectations over and above these minimum requirements, you will be advised at your Faculty/School induction and/or in your Faculty/School PGR Handbook.

Training

You are entitled to a minimum of 10 days per academic year (pro-rated for part-time PGRs and non-standard starters) to engage in activities and training to support your professional and career development. You should inform your main supervisor of planned training in advance. It is expected that, following the training, your supervisor will discuss and review the activities undertaken with you during a formal supervisory meeting.

Annual leave

The University recognises the importance of time off as a key feature of a healthy work/life balance. PGRs are strongly encouraged to plan ahead, and to use their entitlement of annual leave, which is 40 working days (including public holidays and minimum service days), per academic year (pro-rated for part-time PGRs and non-standard starters). You are responsible for requesting and recording your annual leave in line with your Faculty's/School’s procedure, including notifying your supervisor(s).

Employment

Together with your supervisor(s), you should ensure that any time you spend on paid employment and/or voluntary work does not jeopardise the on-time submission of your thesis, or compromise your wellbeing. Subject to any conditions imposed by your funder, any Student Visa conditions (see the Student Hub pages), and the approval of your supervisor, if you are a full-time PGR you may undertake a maximum of twenty hours of paid employment and/or voluntary work per week* (excluding periods of annual leave). This includes teaching and demonstrating and the associated preparation and marking (whether in employment at Sussex or elsewhere; if you are engaged as Doctoral Tutors at Sussex, you should refer to the Doctoral Tutor Collective Agreement). It also includes 'on-call' hours where you are not actively engaged in work but where you have to be in a particular place.

*For certain categories of paid employment or voluntary work closely related to the research project, exceptions to the maximum working hours may be made. You should speak to your supervisor in the first instance, noting that exceptions will not be possible for international PGRs on Student visas where they have a maximum of 20 hours per week, during term, permitted under the terms of their sponsorship.

Conducting research away from Sussex, including fieldwork

On successful completion of your first Formal Progression Review, you may be permitted to carry out research elsewhere in the interests of your academic progress. The period of time you may spend undertaking research away from Sussex will normally be up to two years if you are a full-time PGR or up to four years if you are a part-time PGR. 

Before you proceed on fieldwork you should ensure:

• your thesis title and research outline/research topic have been submitted and approved
• you have ethical approval for fieldwork where necessary
• you have completed the necessary risk assessments and insurance applications
• you have received notification in writing from Student Data and Records that approval has been granted for you to proceed on fieldwork
• if you are attending a Research Skills Course as a compulsory requirement for your studies, that you have completed this course before going on fieldwork. 

Applying for and returning from a period of research away from Sussex, including fieldwork

Applying

You must apply for permission to undertake fieldwork in advance; retrospective applications will not be approved.

Please complete an application to undertake fieldwork or to study away from the University; this can be found on the Forms and letter requests page. Once completed your application should be passed to your main supervisor who will make a recommendation to the Associate Dean (Research and Innovation), or nominee(s), in your Faculty/School for consideration. You will be notified of the outcome of your application by Student Data and Records.

If approved, you must ensure that any change of address (for fieldwork or otherwise) is kept up to date in Sussex Direct. You should also contact the relevant Professional Services colleague in your Faculty/School regarding any workspace you may be allocated during your absence.

Extending

Noting that the period of time you may spend undertaking research away from Sussex will normally be capped at two years if you are a full-time PGR, or four years if you are a part-time PGR, you can apply to extend your period away if you have not already reached these limits.

In order to extend your period of fieldwork or study away from the University, you should complete the Fieldwork Application/Extension form (found on the Forms and letter requests page), again and before the end of your current period of fieldwork.

As per your original application, once you've completed the form you should pass it to your main supervisor who will make a recommendation to the Associate Dean (Research and Innovation), or nominee(s), in your Faculty/School for consideration. You will be notified of the outcome of your application by Student Data and Records.

Returning

On your return from research away from the University, please update Sussex Direct with your correct term-time address and check that the addresses held for you are correct.

Parental leave

PGRs are entitled to take periods of parental leave (i.e. maternity, paternity or adoption leave). If you have:

• more than three months left of your maximum period of registration, you should apply for an intermission
• three months or less left of your maximum period of registration left, you should apply for an extension.

In either case, leave will be granted up to one year and any period approved will not count towards the maximum amount of intermission or extension a PGR may accrue.