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Research Student Information

College of Physical Sciences Graduate School information for research students. These Web pages include information on progression and monitoring arrangements. The research student representative this year is Matt Dennis. Please contact Matt if you have any complaints, suggestions or other issues to raise which you would prefer to be anonymous.

Sources of Funding and Financial Matters

The costs involved in doing a PhD largely depend on whether you will be funded by a research council, or whether you will be self-funding. The figures given here are for the 2005/06 academic year. Up to date figures for fees can be found in the Postgraduate Prospectus. Research council PhD studentships cover UK tuition fees (�3,085 per year for a full-time student) and provide a tax-free stipend to the student (EPSRC: �12,000). Some types of research council grant allow the studentship to be taken up by a European Union (EU) citizen, but most currently do not. For overseas (non-UK/EU) students, tuition fees are �10,968 per year (full-time). Overseas PhD students are not eligible for UK research council funding, and are encouraged to seek their own source(s) of funding: The above figures can be used as a guide for your annual costs.

• Computing Science Vacancies
• Community of Science (COS) - Funding Body Search Site
• British Council Funding (mostly for taught courses)
• Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme (ORS/ORSAS)
• EPSRC Postgraduate Training
• National Insurance No. (part-time overseas students will need one)
• Paying University Bills On-Line

Introductory Information

• Postgraduate Opportunities in Computing Science
• Joining Instructions for new research students (also useful for existing RSs)
• Kees van Deemter's induction slides

Regulations and Forms

• Computing Science rules about Research Student Monitoring (part of the staff handbook)
• Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees
• General Regulations for Postgraduate Study (includes PhD-specific regulations)
• University Code of Practice for Postgraduate Research Students
• Guidance Notes on Submission of Theses (see section 4)
• Change of Study Forms (usually require supervisor and/or HoD signature)
• More DISS forms (mostly for staff)

Support

• Home Office Crime Prevention Advice (Campus Security no. is 3939).
• University Counselling Service

How to get a PhD

The following are some of the interesting things I have found on the web.

• How to read a paper (intended for Medical students but still useful, especially as regards statistics and experiments.)
• The researcher's bible
• Alan Bundy's "how to" guides (e.g. "how to be my student", "how to write an informatics paper", "questions to ask of AI research")
• Sources of advice on research and writing
• "How to Succeed in Graduate School" by Marie Desjardins
• How to get on at conferences.
• Format of a first year report (this format may be required of first year reports in the future)
• Format of a thesis proposal (this format may be required of thesis proposals in the future)
• Aaron Sloman's guide to writing a PhD thesis.

Skills, Courses and Employability

• The ASPIRE Programme - Aberdeen Skills for Postgraduate Innovation Research & Employability
• The Language Centre - courses for in-session academic support.
• The UK GRAD Programme - national body which runs graduate schools and aims to have all postgraduate researchers fully equipped and encouraged to complete their studies and then to make the successful transition from their PhD studies to their future careers.

Reference Resources

• Google
• Electronic journals
• Aberdeen University library catalogue
• Citeseer
• Athens Gateway

Other

• Aberdeen Postgraduate Prospectus
• Aberdeen Student Recruitment Service
• Academic Quality Handbook.

Last updated: 9-Nov-2007, g.coghill at abdn.ac.uk