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Yes. The Bailrigg campus is providing a remote and reduced operating model for accessing services and facilities on campus for those living on campus. Most other staff will be working from home, and we encourage PhD students to do the same. The Storey Institute in Lancaster City Centre is closed until further notice. Students that are reliant on University research labs should consult with their PhD Supervisor in the first instance.

This question will need to be answered on a case-by-case basis, so in the first instance talk to your PhD Supervisor and / or PGR Director/ Coordinator. We will do our best to support time-sensitive lab work, particularly that in the current national / international interest. It must be clear that a safe working environment is available. We would hope that discussions with your supervisor may also help to identify other, less specialist resource-intensive, elements of your PhD that could be tackled during this challenging period.

Yes. As the University is attempting to limit face to face interaction, supervision meetings should be held using the digital platform (MS Teams, Skype, Zoom or other) preferred by you and your supervisor until further notice. If the availability of technology is limited, meetings can if necessary be held by telephone.

Yes. Given the challenging circumstances, it is more important than ever that there is a record of the meetings that have taken place. Please ensure that all meetings are logged using the PGR Records system on Moodle.

Yes. The University is attempting to operate as close as is possible to ‘business as usual’, but with most staff working from home. Appraisal panels will be conducted online, using a digital platform such as MS Teams (departments may choose to use an alternative platform). However, timings may invariably change. If you believe that you are getting to the stage where an appraisal is overdue, please contact your PGR Administrator and / or PGR Director / Coordinator.

Yes. ISS have a range of online classes available that you will find on the University web site.

Yes. Our regulations support vivas being conducted online (as a result of supporting many hundreds of online PhD students). The normal model is that we would try to avoid those involved in the viva being in more than two locations at once. However, this will likely be unavoidable during the COVID-19 outbreak. We, therefore, ask that on any written records of the viva it is made clear both how the viva was conducted, and why it was conducted in that way. As per standard University guidance, the viva should either be recorded, or there should be an independent chair.

The submission of soft copies is very much for the convenience of the examiners, so if agreed by the examiners we are able to allow electronic only submission. Don’t forget however that you may want your own soft copy for use both before and during the viva

In the first instance, discuss with your PhD Supervisor and / or PGR Director / Coordinator. There may be opportunities to gather data remotely, use secondary data, or to focus on different areas of your study. We will explore opportunities for intercalation with you, if appropriate. We must be mindful though that visa regulations mean that a tier 4 student intercalating must return home, which in itself might be difficult in the current circumstances.

At the present time, this is highly unlikely, and the default position is No. Please consult with your PhD Supervisor and / or PGR Director / Coordinator, and do not travel without seeking permission.

This question will need to be answered on a case-by-case basis, so in the first instance talk to your PhD supervisor and / or PGR Director / Coordinator.

In principle this should be okay, if the intention is to continue to study, but we will have to consider on a case by case basis. We need to check the visa regulations, and understand how you will continue your studies from home. In the first instance talk to your PhD supervisor and / or PGR Director/ Coordinator. In terms of regulations, an initial period of 3 calendar months may be authorised without a Tier 4 visa being affected, but we would want to check with the visa office before you organise travel. It should be possible to extend the period beyond 3 months on a case by case basis if you are making academic progress.

In the first instance talk to your PhD supervisor and / or PGR Director / Coordinator. There will need to be a dialogue between the University and your funder to understand the status with regard to your visa, and your funding.

Please do not make any plans without consulting with your PhD supervisor and PGR Director / Coordinator. Your view of being close to completion might not be the same as that of your supervisor, so it is important to have open discussions. In terms of visa regulations, the University would register your departure to the Home Office and your visa would be curtailed. You would need to apply for a short-term study visa for the times you are required to re-enter the UK as part of your studies.

No. Try to carry out with your studies as normal.

Contact your PhD supervisor, PGR Director/ Coordinator and PGR Administrator to look at the options re: intercalation. Please do this as early as possible so the University is in the picture as soon as possible. Further details with regard to being tested for the illness can be found on the University Intranet.

Contact your PhD supervisor and PGR Director/ Coordinator. If all alternative avenues have been considered in terms of elements of the work that can be completed now, we can look at the options in terms of intercalation or extending registration periods.

You may be able to get access to student aid funding, and in the first instance should email studentfunding@lancaster.ac.uk. If your PhD is funded by a research council such as the EPSRC, given the exceptional circumstances, there may be a small amount of additional funding available to support you. Please discuss with your Supervisor.

Given the nature of the situation around COVID-19, the likelihood is that departments will require more teaching support rather than less, although, granted, this support might take a different form.

The PhD could start remotely, or you could attempt to travel to the UK. It seems logical to remain where you are at this stage. If you are a tier 4 student it is likely you will only have a 30 day vignette in order to travel and if travel is delayed beyond that the default position is that a fresh visa application is made. We have, however, approached the UKVI to enquire if exceptions can be granted and vignettes extended in view of the current situation. Your department should contact the visa and immigration team to investigate further.

There is also the opportunity for you to defer your start to a later date when the situation will have stabilised. Whilst we have standard start dates in October, January and April, under the circumstances non-standard start dates are likely to be approved.

Things are fluid in this regard, as organisations are coming to terms with the situation. You should follow up concerns with your PhD Supervisor and / or PGR Director / Coordinator. Headline information includes:

• Costs incurred as a result of cancelled travel due to Government/official advice can still be claimed.
• Where students are ill with Covid-19, UKRI will accept any variation in Government’s guidance regarding medical certificates.
• Where students are not ill, but self-isolating, studentships will not be suspended
• Where self-isolating undermines a student’s ability to finish their doctorate within the funded period, an extension will be considered, for example where a student has had to self-isolate for a significant period, or where there has been a postponement of critical activities
• If planned events are postponed, such that they fall outside the student’s funded period, the cost can still be drawn from the grant