Fieldwork Fund
Application for Fieldwork Funds – School of Technology
The School of Technology has a limited annual fund from which it can support postgraduate research students in carrying out fieldwork. The Fund Manager uses a flexible interpretation of the word 'fieldwork' and may allow any significant research activity that cannot be physically carried out within Cambridge.
Whilst the fund is intended to support doctoral students, applications may also be considered by those students undertaking a Masters level course including a substantial research element. If you are unsure whether you are eligible for this fund, please contact the office of the School of technology on the below email address.
Please send your completed application form, along with evidence of approval for leave to work away to the School of Technology on education@tech.cam.ac.uk.
This fund is intended to
• support research students in carrying out substantial research outside Cambridge (in the UK or overseas) which is essential for the research project to succeed and cannot be conducted whilst in Cambridge;
• provide assistance that cannot be covered by other funding sources - applicants must also apply to all other available sources for which they are eligible;
• cover a proportion of total fieldwork costs and costs of associated travel;
• provide a contribution to affordable accommodation during short research trips where applicants are required to continue to pay rent in Cambridge.
Exclusions – the fund is not able to
• fund students registered at an approved University Partner Institution;
• fund students participating in an approved exchange agreement where there is a period spent at another institution and fees are waived at Cambridge (e.g. A*, NIH);
• fund participation on study tours;
• fund students with other financial sponsorship that includes adequate resources for fieldwork expenses;
• contribute to standard living and subsistence costs – students are expected to meet those costs normally sustained whilst in Cambridge;
• support trips of less than one week in duration or research which could be feasibly conducted from Cambridge using internet-enabled methods such as Skype or digital record collections;
• contribute to costs of travel for a period of time to be spent at another institution where this is not for the purpose of fieldwork, or provide funding for any related fees, or support travel to conferences.
Please also note that:
- applicants are expected to apply to all other available sources for which they are eligible;
- individual Fieldwork Fund awards of more than £3,000 are rare; and
- it is extremely unlikely that any individual student will receive more than £6,000 in total in awards from the Fieldwork Fund over the course of their PhD.
When to apply
Applications for fieldwork funds should be made at least one month before the date of travel. Any applications for trips longer than one term in length should be made by the midpoint of the term prior to that in which the fieldwork is to be undertaken, at the latest.
When will I receive an outcome?
You can expect to receive an outcome to your application within 2 weeks.
How will I receive the funding?
Any funding will be issued to you by your department. Please note, your department may request that you provide receipts for your expenses so do keep a record of your expenditure.
On return, you must submit your Fieldwork Fund Report (last page of the application form) confirming the details of your completed trip, highlighting any changes to the plan included in your fieldwork fund application. You will need to confirm your expenditure and if, as a result of funding from other sources or less expenditure than expected, unspent funds exist you will be required to return these to the fund.
Other funds available
Some Colleges and Departments also offer funding for fieldwork, and we encourage you to investigate these sources as well as applying to the School of Technology.