Doctoral College Research Enhancement Fund

Doctoral College Research Enhancement Funds

The Doctoral College Research Enhancement Fund (DCREF) provides support for PGR students at Newcastle University to participate in research-enhancing activities. The 2025–2026 DCREF application cycle is now open for Travel & Conference Funding, Additional Training Funding and Post-Submission Bursaries.

Funding Guidelines

• Applicants must be registered on a Doctoral or MPhil programme at Newcastle University. Students on Research Masters programmes (MRes, MMus, MLitt) are not eligible.
• DCREF does not cover primary research costs, which should be supported by your academic unit. Funding is intended for activities that enhance your research.
• Preference is given to self-funding PGR students and applicants who have not previously received DCREF support.
• Only one DCREF application per candidate is permitted. For example, you cannot apply for or receive both the Travel & Conference award and the Post Submission Bursary.
• Awardees must use their funding within the same financial year it is awarded, as it cannot be rolled over. This applies to all awards, so activities must be scheduled to be completed by 31st July.
• Please take the time to read the specific eligibility criteria for your chosen funding stream (Travel & Conference, Additional Training, or Post-Submission Bursary), along with the DCREF Funding Criteria before submitting your application.

Travel & Conference / Additional Training Funding

Purpose: Attend conferences, events, residential or training course that enhances your research.

Funding: Up to £1,650.

Eligibility & Conditions:

• Priority is given to applicants who have explored other funding sources without success. You should first consult your Faculty or School for available funding, as well as any Research Training and Support Grants (RTSG) provided by your PhD funder, if you are funded. Where partial funding has already been secured from these sources, the Doctoral College may provide a "top-up" award to contribute toward the remaining costs, depending on the total costs and funds available.
• We prioritise applicants who have had limited prior opportunities for travel or training during their PhD. Applicants must declare any previous financial support received for travel or training.
• Applicants must demonstrate how the proposed activity will benefit their research or professional development and provide significant "added value."
• A maximum one application per student is permitted. Given the one-time nature of this fund, candidates are encouraged to prioritise high-impact or prestigious opportunities.
• For conference travel, applicants must be actively presenting. Attendance for observation or poster presentations is not eligible for funding.

• Applications must be submitted before the activity takes place; retrospective applications are not accepted. It is recommended to apply at least 2 months in advance.
• Activities must take place between 1 November 2025 and 31 July 2026. All costs must be incurred by mid-July 2026 to ensure they can be processed before the financial year-end on the 31st of July 2026. Claims for activities conducted beyond this date cannot be reimbursed.
• Funding covers training, travel, accommodation, and conference fees only; subsistence costs are not included.
• All international travel must be arranged via Selective Travel, and quotes must be provided with the application.
• Applications must demonstrate value for money with realistic costings.

Please consult the full travel guidelines before applying, available below.

 

SAgE student feedback - "Attending the conference was an extremely valuable experience as it is a platform for exchanging ideas, findings, and advancements in my research field, as well as forming part of a network with fellow researchers which could potentially lead to collaborations or future research partnerships. I am very thankful for getting support from this funding."

If you have any questions on DCREF eligibility criteria or application process, please contact the Doctoralcollege@ncl.ac.uk

Post-Submission Bursary (PSB)

Purpose: This bursary supports students during the post-submission period to conduct activities that advance their professional trajectories, such as preparing and submitting papers to high-quality journals, delivering exhibitions or performances based on their research, or engaging in further dissemination or community outreach activities.

Funding: Stipend at current UKRI rate for a period of 6 weeks up to a maximum of 3 months depending on the impact and scope of the additional research needed. Please note that the bursary amount awarded may be lower than the amount requested.

Eligibility & Conditions:

• Applications must articulate how the bursary supports future career goals and professional development. Candidates should clearly outline expected outputs and outcomes, while demonstrating how the proposed work aligns with NU Research Priorities.
• The latest date in the 2025/26 financial year for consideration of a PSB award is the end of April 2026. This is to ensure that all payments due can be paid to successful applicants before the financial year end (by 31 July 2026). This means eligible students must have their thesis under examination or plan to submit by end of April 2026. Please note that the last date for applications for those due to submit in April 2026 will be by the 30th March 2026.
• Applicants are to submit their application for a PSB award within 3 months of their submission deadline. If you list a submission date that is prior to the date published in S3P, we will contact your supervisor to confirm your intended submission date and verify that satisfactory progress has been made and that you are within 3 months of submission.
• Payments begin after the Doctoral College receives confirmation of submission and the student’s registration status is updated to “under examination” (may take up to two weeks).
• Working during the bursary period may impact your eligibility. Employment may result in the cessation of payments, and any overpayments must be refunded.
• Payments will cease upon successful completion (as you will no longer be a registered student). If you receive payment for a period you are no longer entitled to you will be required to repay the overpayment back to the University.

 

FMS Student feedback - "The post submission bursary was fantastic to receive and use. Having received the funding almost 2 months after submitting my PhD it enabled me to take a step back and think of my PhD in a new way. This therefore has meant my research will be published which benefits myself, my supervisors and the university."

If you have any questions on DCREF eligibility criteria or application process, please contact the Doctoralcollege@ncl.ac.uk

Decision-Making Process

Once the monthly deadline has passed, applications move through the review process. First, the Doctoral College triage all submissions to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria. This includes verifying proposed submission dates, ensuring costings are realistic, and confirming that proposals comply with the University Travel Policy. Applications are then assessed and ranked by a cross-faculty decision panel comprising Postgraduate Research Deans and Doctoral College representatives. You can view the specific scoring criteria in the Checklist for DCREF Decision Panel (available via the drop-down below).

Please note that funding is limited for each call and awards are competitive. Consequently, we may be unable to support all applications, or we may offer a lower level of funding than originally requested.

Successful applicants will then be notified via email and will receive further guidance on the actions to take post-award.

If you are unsuccessful and require any feedback to help inform future applications, please contact us at doctoralcollege@ncl.ac.uk.