Taking time out of your research

If you are unable to study or believe your progress is being significantly disrupted, then you must let your Graduate School know immediately so they can support and advise you.

You can access more information about suspensions and extensions for PGRs via the Suspensions and extensions policy on the Research student guidance page of the For Students website.

We understand that you may encounter events or circumstances that disrupt your academic progress (for example, ill-health or personal difficulties). In many cases it will be possible to recover any time that is lost within the period of study remaining on your candidature; however, for significant difficulties, this may not be possible.

If you encounter a disruption, there are options to mitigate the impact on your study.  These include a period of suspension or extension of study, or authorised absence.

If you are looking to request an authorised absence or suspension of study on the grounds of maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave there is more information available on the For Students website. 

Please contact your Graduate School as soon as possible for advice and support. If you are able, it is a good idea to also let your supervisors know of any issues; alternatively the Graduate School can contact your supervisors on your behalf with your permission. It is important to keep an up-to-date record of any challenges or concerns in GRAD in case you need any additional support later on.

In addition to the Graduate Schools, there are specialist teams across the University who will be happy to talk to you. You can find more information on the Postgraduate support and wellbeing page of the For Students website. 

The Student cases page on the Secretariat website also has useful information on policy and processes.

Suspension of study

During a suspension of study you temporarily leave your programme for a minimum of one month.  During a suspension you are not expected to progress your research or to pay academic fees. You won’t have access to supervision, the library or other University facilities (such as laboratories), but you will keep access to IT facilities, including email. Your deadlines will be lengthened to account for the suspension period. Typical reasons for suspension of study are illness, maternity leave, or personal difficulties. If you feel you may need a suspension of study, let your Graduate School know immediately.   When you can return to study will differ from person to person depending on the circumstances; it may be when you are medically fit, have overcome any personal difficulties or are simply due back after planned leave, eg parental leave. 

You will need to re-register within four weeks of returning from a suspension; this means that you may need to register twice in the same academic year. If you do not register following a period of suspension you may lose time available to complete your thesis or be presumed to have withdrawn from the University.

If you are returning from a suspension of studies due to illness, you may be asked to provide evidence you are fit to return to your programme of study.

Suspension of study will normally not be back-dated for more than one month. Retrospective suspensions will only be considered in exceptional circumstances. 

Extension of study

An extension of study adds more time to your programme, to take account of an unexpected or unavoidable disruption which has significantly slowed down your progress, and for which you are unable to make up the lost time. You will continue to work on your research and make progress, and your supervisor will work with you to agree a timetable for completion. If you request an extension during your overtime period, you will need to explain how much of your thesis is complete and submit a plan for completion of your thesis, agreed by your supervisor.

If your maximum period of study is extended, you will need to register for any extension longer than one month. There is no fee for the extension. If you do not register during an extension of studies, you may lose time available to complete your thesis or be presumed to have withdrawn from the University.

Length of suspensions or extensions

The length of suspension or extension that you request should be reasonable and relevant to the problem or difficulties you are experiencing. Requests for suspensions of study will not be granted indefinitely. The minimum period of suspension is one calendar month, and requests are normally granted for no longer than 12 months in the first instance. The University will not normally approve periods of extension and suspension which add up to more than two calendar years for a full-time PGR or three calendar years for a part-time PGR (suspensions for maternity or adoption leave are excluded from these limits). External funders, sponsors or professional bodies may also set limits on the length of suspension or extension that you can take.  For more information, please see the policy linked at the top of this page and contact your Graduate School.  

Short term absence (authorised absence)

An authorised absence is a short break from your studies, normally up to four weeks’ duration in a 12 month period (in addition to any period of annual leave) which can be authorised by your supervisor. You and your supervisor must agree that the absence won't affect your ability to submit your thesis on time. Typical reasons for an authorised absence include short periods of illness (supported by medical evidence), short term (ordinary) paternity leave, emergency compassionate leave and personal difficulties.

In circumstances linked to maternity leave it may be possible to seek approval for an additional period of absence of up to eight weeks duration in a 12 month period, however approval must be given by the University’s Student Visa Compliance Manager.  You must speak to your Graduate School if you wish to seek a period of authorised absence of up to eight weeks in relation to maternity leave.

Once the period of authorised absence finishes, it is expected you will return to your studies as normal and should be able to resume your research effectively. Your maximum time limit for thesis submission will not be extended.  If you're not ready to return, you should contact your supervisor and your Graduate School who can advise on the options available to you. If you do not keep in contact for a prolonged period, the University may assume you have withdrawn from your studies. It is therefore crucial that you discuss your return following absence with your supervisor and Graduate School.

Authorised absences should normally be requested at the time of disruption to your studies, or as soon as possible after it.  Retrospective requests for authorised absence may only be considered in exceptional circumstances. Please provide details and any required evidence as soon as possible to your Graduate School.

Where circumstances or events occur which affect your academic progress for more than four weeks, you should make your Graduate School aware immediately and consider seeking a period of suspension instead. 

Paid periods of authorised absence 

An authorised absence will not normally affect your maintenance payments but you should check with your funder if you are in any doubt.  UKRI funded students may be entitled to additional funding for sick leave, maternity, paternity and parental leave and some emergency/compassionate leave in accordance with UKRI terms and conditions.  Please see the UKRI sick leave and compassionate leave page on the For Students website and the UKRI Training Grant Terms and Conditions.

Requesting authorised absences, suspensions and extensions of study

You can request an authorised absence or suspension or extension of study through the change requests tab in GRAD. GRAD is the preferred method but if the request is sensitive or confidential and you don’t want the details in the system, please contact your Graduate School first.

You can also get advice from your Graduate School, Director of Postgraduate Research Studies or supervisor.  You should make sure to flag any problems as soon as you can.

If you are on a Student visa, it is your responsibility to inform the university of any periods of absence or change of location so they can advise of any potential impact on your visa status.

Ethics review 

Where ethics approval has been required, PGRs requesting an extension of study will need to report an amendment to a previous ethics review to the Research Ethics and Governance Team, as an extension of study will result in a change to the end date of the programme. This should be discussed with the supervisor.
Further information about the University’s Research Ethics Policy, ethics review processes, requirements for researchers and training and support is available on the Research Ethics pages of the Secretariat website.

Data quarantining

If you are applying for a suspension of study of 12 months or a new, continuing suspension of study which will take you up to 12 months in total you should speak to your supervisor regarding your data in line with the University’s data retention procedures, and requesting an exemption from the data quarantining process. You can find out more information about the University’s Data Quarantine process on the Data Protection information pages on the IT website (requires logging in for access). 

Student Visa postgraduate researchers

Authorised absences do not affect your visa provided they do not change the overall time limit for completion of your programme of study. If your programme requires ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) approval, and your period of study is suspended or extended, you may be required to apply for fresh ATAS clearance. Please consult the ATAS page of the For Students website for more information. 

Before requesting a suspension or extension, you should check your visa requirements and seek support from the Student Visa Advice team.

Documentary supporting information for absences and extensions  

It is your responsibility to provide up-to-date objective documentary supporting information to support requests and you should do so within a within the period stated by your school. It is unlikely that your request will be considered until appropriate documentary supporting information is submitted.   

For more information about documentary supporting information for a period of authorised absence please see the Documentary supporting information page on the For Students website.

Sponsors and funding

You are responsible for checking any implications of an authorised absence suspension or extension of study on your funding with the scholarship provider or the awarding body if your funding is not administered by the University of Leeds (ie not UKRI or University of Leeds scholarship).  

For UKRI or University administered scholarships, please refer to your scholarship terms and conditions and contact your CDT/DTP or Graduate School if you have any questions.

If your submission deadline is extended and you are in receipt of funding, please be aware that your funding may not also be extended. You should discuss funding arrangements with your Graduate School if you are granted an extension or suspension.

Retrospective claims for paid sick leave may be considered in exceptional circumstances and must be requested at the earliest point you re-engage with your studies.