Induction Checklist

PGR is an acronym for ‘postgraduate researcher’ which is a term we use to describe anyone studying for a PhD, Masters by Research, Professional Doctorate (eg EdD, DClinPsychol and DPaedDent), Doctor of Medicine or Integrated degrees of PhD and MSc, whether they are studying part time or full time.

All postgraduate researchers, or PGRs, are students and therefore eligible to use all the student services across the University.

Your Graduate School is normally the first point of contact for queries specific to your studies. For the full list of contacts, please see the Graduate School contacts page.

If you are unsure which Graduate School to contact or if you think your query might be for someone else, but you aren’t sure who, you can email doctoralcollege@leeds.ac.uk and your query will be directed to the correct team.  

Registration means you can officially confirm your place on your course, check the information we hold about you and confirm the financial arrangements for your studies. . You will need to complete registration within one month of your start date.
To complete your registration, we’ll also need to check your identity.

Please see the How to Register page on the For Students website for information about activating your online IT account, how to register and the online identity check.

Please note the University does not permit PGRs to study on a remote basis. If you are on a distance learning programme you are usually expected to be present in Leeds for Induction at the start of your programme.   
If you do not think you will be able to arrive in Leeds within one month of the start date of your programme, please contact your Graduate School.
If you are on a split-site or dual-award PhD there may be different arrangements in place; please contact your Graduate School.

If you are having any problems completing registration, please contact the Student Information Service who will be able to advise.

The Graduate Record of Achievement and Development (GRAD) is the University record keeping system for all PGRs. 
You can find out more on the GRAD page of the For Students website.

The Student IT induction introduces new students and PGRs to IT at the University of Leeds. It covers everything that needs to be done before your course starts, like setting up your username, password and DUO two-factor authentification, as well as useful things to know in your first weeks and months. There’s also information on University systems, the Library and email as well as advice on getting help and keeping up to date with the latest news from IT.

Your university e mail account and Microsoft Teams will be the main method we will use to communicate with you during your time at Leeds. Any reminders/automated notifications from GRAD will go to your University email account. It is expected that you will regularly check these channels. 
You should automatically be enrolled on the Leeds Doctoral College PGR’s Team but if you are not then you can request to join.

There is information about the support services available on the Postgraduate support and wellbeing page of the For Students website. 

If you are a disabled PGR please visit the Disability Services at Leeds webpages to find out how you can register with the service to access support. 

If you have any questions (eg. registering with Disability Services, applying for funding, changes to their existing support), you can speak to a member of Disability Services either online or in person:

Online appointments: 

Monday and Wednesday: 10-12.30pm
Thursday and Friday: 1.30-4pm
In person drop-ins (no appointment needed):

Monday-Wednesday 1.30-4pm
Thursday-Friday: 10-12.30pm
For in person drop-ins, students should come to the Disability Services reception desk in Chemistry West.

Information about appointment and drop-ins are also listed on the Disability Services at Leeds webpages.

In most cases the University can produce an official certificate confirming that you are a PGR at the University of Leeds. If you require proof of student status, you can request a statement from the Student Services Centre.

Full-time PGRs are eligible for Council Tax exemption or discounts. However, part-time PGRs are not eligible for Council Tax exemption or discounts.
 
If you are a registered full-time PG, and you enter your Leeds term-time address when you register, your details will be sent to Leeds City Council four times a year. This assists Leeds City Council with processing student Council Tax exemption. Full information and guidance (including what to do if you live outside Leeds or if you are an international student) can be found on the Council Tax exemption page of the For Students website.

If you are an international PGR and you are here studying on a visa, it is important that you understand how your visa works, and what to do if your circumstances change. All information, including Student Visa (formerly ‘Tier 4’) responsibilities, can be found on the Your Visa page of the For Students website. 

If you are considering working during your studies, please check our work and your visa pages to find out more about your rights in the UK. For more information on working in the UK after your Phd, check our Graduate Visa page. 
 
If you need specific advice on your visa, including how to extend your visa, please contact the Student Visa Advice team.  

There are a number of considerations before you commence your research to ensure you are fulfilling requirements for academic integrity, data management, ethical research and intellectual property.

You can find out more in the Research Practice page of the For Students website.

As part of your induction module you will be required to complete online training in the following areas. You can find out more information about the training resources below on the Postgraduate academic integrity, research ethics and research integrity page of the For Students website. 

Academic Integrity 
This online, interactive tutorial and test is designed to give you an overview of academic integrity, and what good academic practice means during your research degree at Leeds, at the end there will be a test to check your understanding. You can find out more on the Academic Integrity page of the For Students website.  

Research Integrity  

This training is designed to help you explore what research integrity means and your responsibilities as a researcher in maintaining standards of good research practice.  The resource encourages your reflection on why research integrity matters and how to tackle challenges you may face on your research journey.  

Research Ethics  

This training introduces your responsibility to fully consider the ethical implications of your work, apply the core principles of research integrity and how to apply for ethical approval (as appropriate to your project).  The ethics review process should be approached as a positive experience and not a barrier to your research, alongside the training please talk to your supervisor about research ethics and the possible requirement for ethical approval before starting your project. 

PGRs are encouraged to have a good work/life balance and full-time PGRs are entitled to 26 days holiday each year (15.5 for PGRs studying part time) plus University closed days. 

Holiday requests should be made via GRAD.

University closed dates, including bank holidays, can be found on the University almanac or alternatively in the University Year Planner which can be a useful format for PGRs with teaching responsibilities.

All of the key regulations, procedure and policy documents that apply to PGRs at Leeds are available on the Postgraduate Researcher Policies and Procedures pages of the For Students website.

Prepare for Leeds

If you’re joining us from outside the UK, you'll find lots of advice on our online Welcome Guide. There’s information to help you plan your journey to Leeds, information for international families and details about our visa advice service.

Finding accommodation for you and your family can be a time-consuming process. Make sure you are aware of important considerations about bringing your family to Leeds before you arrive. You can find more information on the Accommodation for Families page of the For Students website.

You'll also be able to book your arrival support, including our free airport pick-up service available from Leeds Bradford Airport and Manchester Airport available to all new international postgraduate researchers.

Link to Leeds Ambassadors 

Talk to our current students and postgraduate researchers to help you prepare for your studies at Leeds through Link to Leeds. Our ambassadors have written a range of blogs about their experience studying with us and you can contact them via email, attend live events or chat to them via the website. For more information please visit the Link to Leeds webpages.

Your first weeks at Leeds

We offer support and activities to welcome you and help you get settled in your first weeks in Leeds. As well as the welcome activities run by your school, join the Postgraduate Researcher International Orientation programme for essential information about living in the UK, ad-hoc webinars on finance and banking, healthcare and disability support and a week-long programme of talks, tours and social events to help you meet people and feel at home.

The University Buddy Scheme offers peer suport to help you feel at home and part of our community. The scheme is open to postgraduate researchers and you can apply to join at any point during your academic journey. 

Apply for the scheme to be matched with another University of Leeds postgraduate researcher who shares similar interests to you.

Every month there will be an in-person Doctoral College Meet and Greet session where you will have the opportunity to meet other PGRs from across the University as well as academic colleagues and colleagues from the University’s support services.  

The sessions are open to all PGRs, not just new starters, do feel free to come along for a coffee and a pastry and have a chat, ask a question or raise a concern any time during your research studies! You do not need to attend the full session and are welcome to drop in. 

You can find out the dates of the Doctoral College Meet and Greet sessions, as well as other events for PGRs, in the Doctoral College Events Calendar.

Register with a doctor and a dentist as soon as you can when you arrive in Leeds.
You can find more information on the Support and Wellbeing pages of the For Students site.

You can get to know campus by taking a self-guided tour, discover the interactive map or simply wander about and explore it yourself or with new friends! 

You can also find information about accessible building entrances, routes on campus, and facilities.

If you're bringing your family to Leeds when you come to study, find out about family life on and off campus on the Children and Family page of the For Students Website. There is information about accommodation for familites, childcare options, applying for schools, family activities and opportunities to meet other student parents.

Finding accommodation for you and your family can be a time-consuming process. Make sure you are aware of important considerations about bringing your family to Leeds before you arrive by checking our accommodation for families page.  

Research the process for opening a bank account early. Check our banking pages to get more information on arranging money for when you arrive, choosing choosing a bank and different types of account available in Leeds and what documents you will need to open an account in the UK.

If you are an international researcher, we also recomment attending the Money and Banking webinar during Postgraduate International Orientation or catch up on the session on demand if you are arriving after September.

If you haven’t already done so, you should contact your supervisor to arrange your first meeting; there may also be some reading that they can recommend, or they may be able to put you in touch with current PGRs in your research group.

You can find out more information about fee and maintenance payments (also known as a stipend) on the Funding for postgraduate researchers pages of the For Students website.

Health and Safety, equipment and facilities

You will receive detailed information about the following from your local school and faculty induction.As part of this induction you will be asked to complete the Safety in Research Induction for postgraduate researchers.  

If you require any adjustments to help you participate in induction, please contact your Graduate School.

Some buildings/study spaces/facilities might have key or fob entry only. This will be covered by your local school or faculty induction if it is relevant to you. Contact your Graduate School if you are unsure or want to know more about the PGR working spaces that may be available to you.

Talk to your supervisors about any specialist equipment you might need or have access to during your research. 

You may be required to complete a local health and safety induction before you can undertake your research. For instance, if you will be working in laboratories and/or other types of research facilities. You will receive further information from your Graduate School.