Maternity, paternity and parental leave for PGRs

PGRs who are pregnant, whose partners are pregnant, or who are adopting a child can apply for a period of leave on parental grounds.  

If you become pregnant we would encourage you to discuss what support you may need for your research at an early stage of the pregnancy. In the first instance you can speak to your supervisor, Graduate School, Director of Postgraduate Research (DPGRS) or any other member of staff who you feel comfortable with, and we also recommend reading the University’s policy on support for pregnant students and students with very young children (doc). 

Parental or adoption leave is normally managed under the suspension of studies process (and/or authorised absence). Periods of suspension for parental or adoption leave are not included towards the normal overall limit on suspensions/extensions over a candidature.

For more information about authorised absence and suspension of studies please see the If your research is disrupted page of the For Students website. 

It is important to note that you should not return to University for at least two (in some cases four) weeks after giving birth, depending on the nature of your work, for health reasons. Please check the policy for more details. 

Ordinary paternity/parental leave  

Partners are entitled to take up to two weeks paid Ordinary paternity leave. This must be taken in one go, cannot start before the birth and must end within 56 days of the birth.  Partners are also entitled to an extended period of unpaid parental leave, up to a maximum of 50 weeks through annual leave, authorised absence or suspension of study.  

Requesting a period of maternity, paternity or adoption leave 

For information about applying for a suspension of study or authorised absence please see the If your research is disrupted page of the For Students website. 

PGRs on a student visa 

If you are studying on a student visa, you should be aware of the possible impact of suspensions or extensions on your visa. Please contact the Student Visa Advice team for advice and support. It is your responsibility to inform the University of any periods of absence or change of location. Before submitting a change of study request you should also seek advice from the Student Visa Advice team. 

Documentary supporting information for periods of authorised absence or suspension 

For information about documentary supporting information required to support an absence request on the grounds of maternity, paternity, parental or adoption leave please see the Documentary supporting information page on the For Students website. 

Paid periods of maternity/adoption leave for funded PGRs 

For funded PGRs, please check the Terms and Conditions for your studentships and speak to your Graduate School for more information. 

If you are in receipt of UKRI/University of Leeds funding at the point when maternity or adoption leave starts, you are likely to be entitled to paid leave of up to 26 weeks paid at full stipend rate, pro-rated as necessary for part time students, followed by up to a further 13 weeks paid at a level commensurate with employee entitlements to statutory maternity pay.  A further period of 13 weeks unpaid leave may also be taken.   Please check your scholarship terms and conditions to confirm eligibility. More information is also available on the UKRI Maternity, paternity and parental leave page of the For Students website. 

PGRs who are parents or carers 

We believe that being, or becoming, responsible for a child or dependent adult should not be a barrier to your research. The University is committed to being as flexible as possible, whilst, at the same time, making sure that any accommodations made for you will not compromise academic standards. Further information can be found in the policies and guidance page of the Equality and inclusion unit website and the Children and family pages of the For Students website. 

Return from a period of maternity, paternity, parental or adoptive leave 

Support for a return to study after period of maternity, paternity or parental leave will be discussed with the supervisor, DPGRS and Graduate School. 

PGRs are expected to return to their studies at the end of the period of suspension and to re-register within four weeks of their return. Registration will open one month before their suspension end date. The Graduate School will contact the PGR at this time (to their University email address) to provide information about the registration and return to study process. PGRs are not required or expected to begin re-registration until their period of suspension has ended. However for PGRs in receipt of funding through the University, early access to registration is available to ensure there are no delays with receipt of stipends.