Budgets

Research & Training Support Grant (RTSG)

Each student typically has a £25,000 RTSG budget in total, that is divided between the CDT at the University of Manchester and the host university. Each party contributes £12,500 to the overall RTSG budget (50% each), unless you are otherwise advised.

  • All RTSG budgets apply across the whole 4-year term.

  • You must not exceed any budget heading - so careful expenditure planning is required.

  • The host university holds the budget for project consumables/facilities costs (£9,000) and placement (£3,500). This is £12,500 total.

  • The CDT at the University of Manchester holds the budget for CDT training (£5,500), Conferences & Summer Schools (£5,500), and placement (£1,500). This is £12,500 total.

Your RTSG budget has 4 elements;

  1. Project Consuambles - expenditure of this budget is entiely under your control. It must last for all 4 years. Your supervisor will give you the budget code at your univeristy.

  2. Placement - your placement proposal should set out how the £5,000 budget will be employed - you will receive confirmation if your proposal is successful and you have won the funding. You can spend up to £3,500 via your budget at your home university, and also ask the CDT to spend up to £1,500 towards your placement.

    Placement Proposal Form

  3. Conferences & Summer Schools - this budget is managed by the CDT. It will support your attendance at the annual CDT conference, and other conferences or summer school that you wish to attend that support your skills and training. Students should use the form below to propose a conference or summer school event they wish to attend. Once approved by the CDT the booking arrangements will be agreed by email.

    Conference & Summer School proposal form

  4. CDT training - this budget is controlled by the CDT and held at the University of Manchester. It is used for your technical and professional skills CDT training programme across years 1, 2, 3 and 4.

If one of your locally held budgets is underspent, you may apply to transfer funds from the underspent budget to another budget within your studentship. Virement of funds is typically authorised only if the objective of the fund from which money is being taken has, or will, be achieved. Permission to do so should be sought from the CDT Manager.

You are responsible for managing your planning and expenditure of your budget. We suggest that you include this in your supervision meetings, so that you discuss activities that are affordable, and that you make use of the budget avaialble to you in the most efficient way.

Computer Equipment

Your supervisor should arrange for you to be provided witha laptop at the start of your programme. The CDT may be able to lend you a laptop for the first 3 months, if you need it. It is your responsibility to look after the equipment that has been loaned to you, it is for your exclusive use. You must bring the laptop to any training for which it is required.

Travelling by car

For sustainability and budget reasons the CDT supports train travel and has budgeted for this. If you wish to travel by car, you must first make sure you have permission from your University (some use an authorised drivers system) and have suitable business insurance. Fuel / mileage can be expensed, but only up to the cost of a standard class off peak return rail ticket from your home university. PLEASE NOTE: If you do not already hold a rail card you cannot buy one and expense the cost.

Expense Claims

Please note the following general expense rules:

  • Under no circumstances can any alcohol be expensed.

  • Itemised receipts are essential for all expense claims. Claims will be rejected without an itemised receipt. We recommend that you take a photo of all receipts immediately so that you have a copy.

  • Subsistence limits for meals are as follows;

  • Breakfast: £10

  • Lunch: £15

  • Dinner: £30

  • no ad hoc snacks or drinks can be claimed

Expenses during CDT training should be submitted to Fran at the University of Manchester by email, using the claim form below, and will be charged to your CDT Training budget.

Expenses during project-related activities should be submitted to your academic supervisor at your host university, and will be charged to your project conumables budget.

Please note, when subsistence is claimed, be very careful to make sure that what you are claiming for covers the cost of a meal for yourself only and is suitably appropriate and within budget. These rules will apply to everyone in order to maintain a fair and balanced system. Under no circumstances can alcohol be claimed under expenses.

Expense Claim form (University of Manchester)