MyGlasgow News

The University of Glasgow enjoys a strong institutional partnership with Columbia University.  The Principal’s Early Career Mobility Fund offers financial support for Glasgow PhD students and postdoctoral researchers to take advantage of the considerable resources and opportunities this partnership makes available by spending a period of time at Columbia University.

Objectives for the bursaries:

1. To further enhance the links between the University of Glasgow and Columbia University through strengthening the interaction between research groups.

2. To offer PhD students and postdoctoral researchers the opportunity to visit one of Glasgow’s key institutional partners, and to work informally with one or more advisors or research partners based at Columbia.

3. To offer PhD students and postdoctoral researchers at the university of Glasgow additional research resources, and to introduce them to the academic culture and professional contacts available at Columbia University.

4. To provide PhD students and postdoctoral researchers with first hand experience of the partnership culture which is increasingly at the heart of academic collaboration.

Value of award and use of funds in conjunction with external sources

The award is intended to contribute to the expenses of participating students and researchers, including those relating to travel, accommodation, living, educational materials and/or education related costs.

The University of Glasgow has made available £20,000 to fund awards under this scheme for the 2013 period. Applicants must develop a clear proposal setting out details of the proposed visit, the amount required and a clear explanation of how the money would be used (see below for application details). The total amount requested should be less than £5,000, as no single award will exceed this amount.

Applicants are actively encouraged to use funds in conjunction with other sources of funding.

Eligibility and duration

Students and researchers who may apply for the award include:

• all those registered for PhD at the University of Glasgow who have full doctoral student status, and who will not submit their thesis before completing their visit.
• all those with a valid University of Glasgow contract to work as a postdoctoral researcher.

So as to ensure that the scheme can support a broad range of activities, there is no limit on the duration of the visit. However, students and researchers are advised that the visit should be substantial enough to allow for the development or expansion of academic relationships.

Application procedure

Potential applicants should first research the opportunities available to them at Columbia University, including, for example, potential scholars with whom they would like to work, or specific resources they would like to access. They should discuss the opportunity with both their University of Glasgow supervisor or Principal Investigator, and with a potential supervisor at Columbia. Support for the application should be secured at both the Glasgow and the Columbia ends.

University of Glasgow students and postdoctoral researchers should submit their application in the form of a dossier containing the following materials:

• A one-page statement of academic purpose explaining their progress towards completion of their research; why and when a visit to Columbia would be of benefit and what they would intend to do there. The statement should include a timetable for their work during the visit, indicating, where appropriate, the scholar/s with whom they hope to work, and/or the resources they would hope to use.
• A separate statement setting out the amount required and explaining how the money would be used. The statement should include a break down of envisaged expenses, set out in table format.
• A short statement of support from the student or researcher’s supervisor or Principal Investigator at the University of Glasgow.
• A short statement of support from the student or researcher’s potential supervisor or partner scholar at Columbia.
• The dossier must contain all documents set out in points one to four above, and should be submitted in electronic format to chris.yeomans@glasgow.ac.uk. Applications will be received on an ongoing basis until all available funds have been allocated. However, please note that all funds awarded must be spent by 31 July 2013.

A University of Glasgow selection panel will decide which applications will be supported. The panel will consist of: Professor Andrea Nolan, Senior Vice-Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor; Professor David Fearn, International Dean for the Americas.

Once accepted, the Glasgow student or postdoctoral researcher will receive a note of acceptance and, in due course, a formal offer of admission from the relevant administrative division at Columbia.

Academic status of exchange students/post-doctoral researchers

Glasgow students must remain registered at Glasgow for the duration of their visit to Columbia. Overall supervision will remain the responsibility of the student’s Glasgow supervisor/s.

Post-doctoral researchers must remain in employment at the University of Glasgow for the duration of their visit to Columbia.

Glasgow students and postdoctoral researchers will be registered as visiting research students/postdoctoral researchers in the relevant academic unit at Columbia.

Please direct any enquiries to: Chris.yeomans@glasgow.ac.uk

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First published: 18 January 2013