The Turing Scheme; eligibility and how to apply

There are specific eligibility criteria you need to meet to get Turing Scheme funding. Find out whether you qualify, and how to apply for Turing Scheme funding.

Eligibility 

You are eligible to apply for Turing Scheme funding if:  

  • You are registered as a current University of Leeds student (this includes international students) 

  • You have applied for an overseas placement through the University of Leeds (independent applicants are not eligible) 

    • For Study Abroad or Work Placements in 2022/23, your placement abroad must be a compulsory element of your degree, or you must be eligible for Underrepresented Background funding
    • For summer schools, volunteering and summer internships, the placement must be with one of the agreed partner organisations 

  • Your placement has been approved by the University of Leeds 

  • Your placement is 28 days or longer, e.g., July 1st to July 28th  

    • If you intend to complete multiple placements with different host organisations, each placement must be 28+ days and you must complete a separate Turing application for each placement 

  • Your international placement is due to take place between 1st September 2022 and 31st August 2023 

    • You can apply for funding if some of your placement takes place outside of these dates, but you will only be eligible to receive funding for the placement dates that fall within this timeframe. 

  • You intend to complete your placement in-person, in your host country 

  • You are not receiving funding from another source to cover the same costs (this does not include loans from Student Finance England) 

  • You have completed the risk awareness process and had your risk assessment approved before the start of your international placement 

  • In the 2022/23 academic year, you can only receive Turing Scheme funding for one activity area, e.g., if you receive a Turing grant for Study Abroad, you will not be eligible to receive funding for a summer school

Please note that selection criteria may need to be implemented if there are more eligible participants than the number of placements that can be funded by the Turing Scheme. Selection criteria will be decided upon by each Activity area. The Turing webpages will be updated once decisions on selection have been made.

Application Process

  1. Apply for your international placement through the activity area that supports your chosen activity.

The *Activity Leads from each of the activity areas will forward the placement details of eligible participants to the Turing team. Application forms will be sent out to participants’ Leeds email account. It is the responsibility of the student to submit the application form by the given deadline. Students will have an opportunity to declare eligibility for the Underrepresented Background grant on the form (if applicable). 

Please note that funding is limited. If there are more applicants than funding available, you will receive further information about the selection process from the relevant Activity Lead.  

  1. Complete the risk assessment process relevant for your activity area.

You will be advised by your activity area (not the Turing team) about the process you need to follow for your international placement. If you have any questions about this process, please contact your Activity Lead. 

  1. Submit the Turing Scheme application form and declare your eligibility for the Underrepresented Background grant (if applicable).

Eligible participants will receive an application form via email from the Turing team.

  1. Upload your bank details to Minerva  

It is critical that you do this at an early stage so that Turing payments can be made on time. 

  1. Review and accept the terms and conditions of your Turing grant, as stated on your Grant Agreement  

This document will be sent to you via email within 3 weeks of submitting your application form. 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. 

  1. Upload your Proof of Arrival documentation 

This can either be a boarding pass or a letter that has been signed by your host institution, which confirms your arrival. Please keep hold of your boarding pass as we may request this evidence from you later. 

*Activity Leads manage your activity area. There are 8 activity areas funded by the Turing Scheme: Study Abroad, Work Placements, PGRs, Graduates, Volunteering, Summer Schools, Summer Internships and Medical Electives.

Participants To-Do List

The section below explains all the necessary documentation that needs to be submitted prior to each Turing payment.  

Note: It is vital that you provide your correct Student ID number on all Turing Scheme forms. Your form responses will not be received if your ID number is incorrect. Please double check the number on your University of Leeds ID card before submitting each form. 

Start of Placement

The Turing Scheme application form and personal Grant Agreement discussed below will be sent directly to eligible participants’ Leeds email account.

Students eligible for the Underrepresented Background (URB) grant: 

You will be paid your Travel grant once you have: 

  • Completed the Turing Scheme application form  

  • Agreed to the terms and conditions of your Grant Agreement  

Students on short term placements (4-8 weeks): 

You will be paid your first Cost of Living instalment (70%) once: 

  • You have completed the Turing Scheme application form 

  • You have agreed to the terms and conditions of Grant Agreement  

  • We have received confirmation from your Activity Lead that you have submitted a satisfactory **Risk Assessment.   

Provided that you submit the above paperwork 2-3 weeks before your start date, your first Cost of Living payment should reach your bank account approximately 1-15 days before your start date.  

Students on long term placements (8 weeks and longer): 

You will be paid your first Cost of Living instalment (70%) once: 

  • You have completed the Turing Scheme application form  

  • You have agreed to the terms and conditions of Grant Agreement  

  • We have received confirmation from your Activity Lead that your **Risk Assessment has been approved by your activity area 

Once we have received the necessary paperwork, it can take 10-20 days for payment to reach your bank account. 

** Risk Assessments must be of high quality before they are approved by your activity area. It is important that you engage with the Risk Assessment process early as your Activity Lead may request that you make amendments before they can approve the documentation. 

Risk Assessment Approval 

Please note that if you do not submit your Risk Assessment prior to the deadline given by your activity area, the start date used for funding purposes may be impacted.  

E.g., if your placement starts on September 1st but your risk assessment is approved by your activity area on September 20th, your start date will be recorded as September 20th. This will impact the funding you are eligible to receive from the scheme, as funding is calculated based on the duration of your placement. It can also impact your eligibility for Turing funding if your new placement duration falls below 28 days. 

End of Placement

Towards the end of your placement, you will need to submit the following documentation to receive your final Cost of Living instalment (30%).  

  1. Upload your Certificate of Attendance 

Please download the certificate of attendance template here 

Certificates of Attendance should be completed no earlier than one week before your end of placement date and should exclude any remote learning/ working periods.

Note: it is your responsibility to check that the dates on your certificate are correct before uploading them to the form above. 

  1. Agree to the Final Grant Confirmation  

This documentation will be sent to you via email within 3 weeks of submitting your Certificate of Attendance. 

  1. Submit the Turing Scheme feedback form (this will be linked on your Final Grant Confirmation) 

Contact Details for Activity Leads  

For questions relating to the Turing Scheme activity areas, please contact the Activity Lead from the list below. For all other Turing Scheme-related enquiries including eligibility, how to apply and funding, please email TuringScheme@leeds.ac.uk