The Turing Scheme Eligibility and how to apply
The Turing Scheme provides funding for students to take part in life-changing experiences to study or work abroad. These grants can help you cover costs while you are away.
Read student blogs about how the Turing Scheme funding helped them enjoy their placements.
Activity areas
There are seven international activity areas funded by the Turing Scheme in the 2024-25 academic year:
- Study placements abroad
- Work placements abroad
- Postgraduate research placements abroad
- Summer Schools
- Medical electives
- International Health Research
- Global Experiential Learning activities:
For summer schools and experiential learning activities, placements must be undertaken with one of the agreed partner organisations. For more information on these partners, please contact the relevant activity lead.
Eligibility
To be eligible for Turing Scheme funding, you must meet the following criteria:
1) Be a registered University of Leeds student
If you have suspended your studies or taken a leave of absence, you will not be considered a registered student. Intercalating students studying at a different UK institution will not be considered registered students at Leeds.
2) Have applied for an overseas placement of 28 days or longer through the University
Your overseas placement must be approved by the University of Leeds and you must intend to complete your placement in person, in your host country.
To be eligible for this year’s scheme, your placement must be 28 days or longer and fall between 1 September 2024 and 31 August 2025. Any placement dates before 1 September 2024 will not be funded by the Turing Scheme.
3) Must not be receiving funds from more than one source to cover your costs
You should not receive funding from more than one source to cover the costs of your placement (excluding loans from Student Finance England). Find out more about funding and grants.
4) Must have a complete risk assessment
The risk assessment you submit as part of your application must be complete before the start of your placement.
5) Must only receive one Turing Scheme grant per academic year
You can only receive one Turing Scheme grant in a single academic year. For example, if you received Turing funding for your 2024-25 Study Abroad placement, you will not be eligible for Turing funding for a Summer School in summer 2025.
Compulsary work and study placements
For the academic year 2024-25, we have also received sufficient funding to provide grants to students participating in compulsory study and work abroad placements who have been identified as coming from underrepresented backgrounds.
A compulsory placement abroad is one you are required to complete as part of your degree (and not an optional variant). This includes students on the following programmes:
- Languages
- Law with language
- Integrated Masters in the School of Earth and Environment
- BMus Music (Performance)
How to apply
All students undertaking a study or work placement abroad in 2024-25 will be contacted by the Turing Scheme team by email and eligible students will be invited to complete an application form.
Step 1: Apply through your activity area
The activity leads from each of the activity areas will forward the placement details of eligible and selected participants to the Turing Scheme team.
If you are eligible, an application form will be emailed to your University of Leeds email account. It is your responsibility to submit the application form by the given deadline.
You will be able to declare your eligibility for the Underrepresented Backgrounds grant on the form (if applicable).
Please note that funding is limited. If there are more applicants than funding available, we will send you further information about the selection process.
If you don’t know the exact dates of your placement, please provide provisional dates and email the Turing Scheme team at TuringScheme@leeds.ac.uk if your dates change.
Step 2: Complete and submit your risk assessment
You will be advised by your activity lead about the risk assessment process you need to follow for your international placement. If you have any questions about this process, please contact your activity lead.
Please engage with the risk assessment process early as your activity lead may request that you make amendments before they can complete the risk assessment review. Your risk assessment review must be complete before the start of your placement to receive and retain your Turing Scheme grant.
Step 3: Complete your Grant Agreement
If your Turing Scheme application is successful, you will receive a personalised Grant Agreement via email.
Please make sure that you read the details of this document carefully, specifically looking at your start and end of placement dates, before accepting the terms and conditions.
If your placement details change after you have submitted your terms and conditions form, email the Turing Scheme team at TuringScheme@leeds.ac.uk to let us know as soon as possible so that your record can be updated.
Step 4: Upload your bank details to Minerva
Please upload your bank details to Minerva as soon as you receive your Turing Scheme Grant Agreement so that your payments can be made on time.
Step 5: Upload your proof of arrival
Acceptable documentation includes boarding passes or a letter signed by your host institution to confirm your arrival – please use our letter template. Keep hold of all documentation as it may be requested at a later date.
Your proof of arrival documentation must contain:
- Your full name
- Date of arrival
- Name of host country or institution
Step 6: Upload your proof of travel costs (Underrepresented Backgrounds grant recipients only)
Upload your proof of travel costs.
You must prove you have spent your Turing Scheme Travel Grant fully on one return journey. This can include transfers from your home to the travel hub (e.g. airport) and onwards to your host destination, and back on your return. Transfers include trains, buses, taxis, and any other reasonable means of travel.
Please keep all your booking confirmations, receipts, invoices and tickets as you will need to submit these as evidence. All evidence must clearly show your full name and the cost incurred.