Diamond’s commitment to developing skilled researchers starts at the earliest stages of a scientific career. To this end, Diamond collaborates with Research Organisations to co-supervise and part-fund a cohort of PhD Students each year.
While not a degree awarding institution, Diamond is committed to ensuring that Diamond’s Students receive the best training and support available through its Doctoral Studentship Programme. Diamond’s Doctoral Studentship Programme was a new programme implemented at Diamond for the 2017/2018 academic year.
This document provides existing and potential students partaking in a Diamond Studentship with information and guidance on studentships at Diamond.
Diamond’s Studentships are collaborations primarily with UK higher education institutions, but may include other organisations where appropriate and where approved by Diamond’s Executive.
A Diamond Studentship will typically be for a period of 4 years, or sometimes 3½ or 3 years, depending on the particular circumstances of the Studentship. In exceptional circumstances and where adequately motivated, Studentships over a shorter or longer period will be considered.
Every Studentship should be designed and managed to allow for the writing up of the research within the funded project period agreed by Diamond and the collaborating Research Organisation(s).
Diamond would typically expect submission of the thesis within the funded period unless otherwise agreed in advance.
Early each year, the Studentships available at Diamond will be advertised on Diamond’s website, on the Research Organisation(s) website and on any other agreed online platforms.
The higher education institution that will be awarding the degree to the Student must ensure that the Student meets the relevant eligibility criteria, including but not limited to residency, academic and subject criteria. A Studentship should not be offered to a prospective Student unless they meet all the eligibility criteria.
Each Student is required to attend an induction at Diamond, organised by the Student Engagement Manager. The Diamond Supervisor is also required to attend their Student’s induction.
An annual meeting will be held by the supervisors, the Student Engagement Manager and the Student to discuss and review the progress of the Studentship, and to plan for the balance of the Studentship. Within 7 days of this annual meeting, the Student will be required to submit the Annual Review Form to the Student Engagement Officer to add to the Student’s file.
The Diamond Supervisor will be:
Students may have more than one Diamond Supervisor and/or more than one Research Organisation supervisor.
The Diamond Supervisor is the Student’s primary point of contact for all Project related queries at Diamond. The Student Engagement Manager is the Student’s primary point of contact for all non-Project related queries at Diamond.
Diamond and the Research Organisation(s) are expected to provide excellent standards of supervision, management and mentoring during the course of the Studentship and should undertake to develop a research project of the same difficulty and challenge to a conventional doctoral programme.
Students should receive training in:
The training of Students should be as flexible as possible, allowing for customisation to suit the individual needs of the Student and the research area and Students should, wherever possible, benefit from the advantages of being developed as part of a broader peer group.
Students should consider the wider context of their research area and the importance of engaging the public with research. Students should receive in-depth advanced training and should develop a broad understanding of their subject area and how their research fits into the broader ‘research and innovation system’ and of practicable routes to maximise economic, social and/or health impact.
Learning and training opportunities should be provided to help Students develop their public engagement skills and the provision of transferable skills should form a fundamental part of the Studentship.
Diamond will contribute a fixed amount of funding for each Studentship. This contribution will typically amount to 50% of the total cost of the Studentship, but may be less than 50% where the tuition fees are high. The contribution will ordinarily be made to the higher education institution that will be awarding the degree to the Student annually in advance under the following headings:
Diamond will not contribute funding directly to Research Organisations for equipment, consumables or bench fees.
Diamond will provide reasonable and essential consumables required for a Studentship to the extent that such consumables need to be used at Diamond. Reasonable and essential consumables required for a Studentship at the Research Organisation(s) shall be provided by the relevant Research Organisation(s).
Any equipment and consumables requested by a Diamond Supervisor for a Studentship will come from the beamline/area budget, and must therefore be included in the relevant annual budget for the beamline/area involved.
The Student will receive at least the national minimum declared stipend as published annually by UKRI.
Stipend and Tuition fee contributions will be based on guidance from UKRI and will be reviewed and specified before the call for proposals is opened.
Where Diamond acts as the industrial partner for the collaborating institution, some studentships may be submitted for ‘CASE conversion’ (previously known as ‘Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering’). By securing ‘industrial’ funding some proposals apply to become ‘CASE Studentships’, this results in larger financial contributions from the research councils. Diamonds funding contributions will stay the same.
Arising intellectual property developed during the course of a Studentship will be dealt with as follows:
The parties to a Studentship shall grant each other the right to use their intellectual property to the extent needed for the Studentship and to the extent that it arises out of the Studentship. This right to use the parties’ intellectual property shall be granted for the purposes of the Studentship, for academic research and teaching and to develop and enhance the services and facilities that Diamond provides.
Research arising out of Studentships should lead to high impact academic publications, a thesis in furtherance of the Student’s career and should further Diamond’s status as a centre of excellence within the international scientific community.
The Student should provide Diamond with an electronic copy of the thesis no later than 12 months following the award of the doctorate, recognising that commercial, collaborative or publication arrangements may necessitate a slight delay. Please note that supervisors may request a hard copy version.
All published theses should provide recognition to all parties involved in accordance with normal academic practice.
Diamond expects every Student to spend 50% of their time during the course of the Studentship at Diamond. The Studentship should be structured to allow for this, and at the proposal stage a detailed and pragmatic plan will be required to demonstrate how the Student will divide their time between Diamond and collaborating Research Organisation(s).
A Student visa is the primary immigration route for non-EEA Students who wish to study full-time in the UK. Non-EEA Students must be sponsored by an education provider that holds a Tier 4 licence. The education provider is known as a sponsor. Diamond is not an education provider that offers courses of study to full time Students in the UK, and therefore does not hold a Tier 4 licence.
In the event that the successful candidate is a non-EEA national, it is the responsibility of the higher education institution that will be awarding the degree to the Student to ensure that the Student has any necessary visa/s and/or other permit/s required to reside in the UK and carry out the Studentship in the UK.
Access to beamtime at Diamond shall be in accordance with Diamond’s standard user terms. Diamond is not able to guarantee access to beamtime in any studentship agreement.
The Student will be given a FedID and the use of a hotdesk in a shared Student office. The Student’s access to Diamond, the synchrotron, beamlines and labs will be in accordance with Diamond’s standard terms of access. The Supervisor will be responsible for ensuring the Student has undertaken the necessary health and safety training (incuding health physics training) for their level of access.
Whilst at Diamond the Student is expected to be present from 9am to 5pm each day, unless otherwise requested by their supervisor.
The Student must be supervised at all times and the work undertaken must not be prohibited by law or too hazardous for the Student’s level of experience.
Diamond has a duty of care to ensure that the Student is able to recognise potential hazards and the control measures within the workplace to reduce or eliminate injury (and be advised of any specific areas where increased care is needed.
Any personal data provided by the Student will be used in accordance with Diamond’s prevailing personal data policy.
Diamond has public liability insurance in place. A copy of the certificate confirming Diamond’s public liability insurance is available upon request.
Doctoral Students are treated by Diamond’s insurers as “quasi employees” and as a result are covered as by Diamond’s employers liability insurance.
If any disputes or concerns arise during the placement (such as concerns about the level of supervision or the behaviour of a Diamond supervisor or Student), the Student Engagement Manager should be notified immediately and appropriate steps will be taken to address the dispute/concerns.
Diamond will keep a record of the placement following completion of the studentship. These records will be kept in accordance with Diamond’s prevailing records management policy.
Diamond Studentship Policy
Doctoral Studentship Proposal Form
Student Induction Checklist
Certificate confirming Diamond’s employer’s liability insurance
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