Family, medical and additional leave benefits for UKRI and University of Leeds funded PGRs  Family leave

A person who lives with the birth parent and the child in an enduring family relationship but is not the birth parent’s parent, grandparent, sibling, child, aunt or uncle. A partner may be married to or be a civil partner of the birth parent, but this is not a requirement. 

Spouse; partner; child; grandchild; parent; or someone who depends on you for care 

Parent; parent in-law; son; son in-law; daughter; daughter in-law; stepparent; stepdaughter; brother; sister and if any of those listed has a partner, that partner. 

You can begin your maternity leave up to 11 weeks before your expected week of childbirth.

You’re eligible for maternity leave if: 

• Your leave is planned to start (or does start) before the end of your funded period, and 
• You are the birth parent of the child. 

• First 26 weeks: You’ll receive your full stipend. 
• Next 13 weeks: You’ll be paid at the rate of Statutory Maternity Pay. 
• Final 13 weeks: This period is unpaid. 

Request your maternity leave, usually through a suspension of studies or via authorised absence. Your Graduate School team can talk to you through your options. 

If you suspend your studies, suspensions begin on the 1st of each month. If your maternity leave is scheduled to start on a different date, please contact your Graduate School to confirm how this will be arranged. 

Your funding end date will be extended to reflect the time away from your studies. 

If you are a Student visa holder, contact the Student Visa Advice team to understand any visa implications and subsequent costs.  

Please also read the Support for Returning to your studies page. 

You will continue to accrue annual leave during  paid periods of your maternity leave. 

If you withdraw from your studies after taking maternity leave, you may need to repay some of your maternity pay. Read our leave repayment policy.

If this applies to you, your Graduate School can provide you with information on repayment.  

We know that many PGRs are interested in Shared Parental Leave. Although PGRs funded by UKRI or the University of Leeds aren’t eligible for the statutory UK government scheme, we are launching a pilot initiative to explore what might be possible for PGRs at Leeds. Find out if you are eligible for the shared/combined parental leave pilot initiative and apply.

You can take partner’s or paternity leave if: 

• Your leave is planned to start (or does start) before the end of your funded period, and it begins within 52 weeks of the child’s birth.

You are either: 

• The father or non-birth parent of the child, or 
• The partner of the child’s birth parent. 

You have, or expect to have:

•  Main responsibility for the child’s upbringing, alongside or apart from the birth parent. 

• You can take up to two weeks of paid leave. 
• If you’d like to take a longer period of leave, you can request a suspension of studies. However, please note that stipend payments are limited to the first two weeks.

We know that many PGRs are interested in Shared Parental Leave. Although PGRs funded by UKRI or the University of Leeds aren’t eligible for the statutory UK government scheme, we are launching a pilot initiative to explore what might be possible for PGRs at Leeds. Find out if you are eligible for the shared/combined parental leave pilot initiative and apply.

You may be eligible for adoption leave if: 

• You’ve been newly matched with a child through an adoption agency, or 
• You’ve used a surrogate  

If you’re the main adopter, your adoption leave can begin either: 

• On the date the child is placed, or 
• On an agreed pre-placement date. 

As the main adopter, you’re entitled to leave that’s equivalent to maternity leave, including both paid and unpaid periods. 

If you’re the partner of the main adopter or a co-adopter, you’re entitled to leave that’s equivalent to partner’s or paternity leave.

You can claim your stipend for attending adoption appointments after being matched with a child. These appointments don’t extend your studentship. 

Request your adoption leave, usually through a suspension of studies or via authorised absence. Your Graduate School team can talk to you about your options. 

If you choose to suspend your studies, suspensions begin on the 1st of each month. If your adoption leave is scheduled to start on a different date, contact your Graduate School to confirm how this will be arranged. 

Your funding end date will be extended to reflect the time away from your studies. 

If you are a Student visa holder, contact the Student Visa Advice team to understand any visa implications and subsequent costs.  

Please also read the Support for returning to your studies page.

Keeping in Touch (KiT) days 

Please read the Maternity, paternity and parental leave for postgraduate researchers page for information on Keeping in Touch (KiT) days.  If you are funded by UKRI or your maintenance stipend is paid either fully or partially by the University of Leeds you will be eligible for up to 10 days paid leave (pro-rata for part-time PGRs).   

You will continue to accrue annual leave during paid periods of your adoption leave. 

We know that many PGRs are interested in Shared Parental Leave. Although PGRs funded by UKRI or the University of Leeds aren’t eligible for the statutory UK government scheme, we are launching a pilot initiative to explore what might be possible for PGRs at Leeds. Find out if you are eligible for the shared/combined parental leave pilot initiative and apply.

You may be eligible for neonatal care leave if: 

• Your child is born during your funded studentship or a planned period of maternity leave, and 
• The child is receiving neonatal care in a hospital, and 

You are either: 

• The mother or birth parent, or 
• The father, non-birth parent, or partner of the birth parent.

• You’ll receive one week of neonatal care leave for each week or part-week your child is in neonatal care, up to a maximum of 12 weeks. 
• This leave is in addition to your maternity or paternity leave. 
• Your stipend will continue to be paid at the usual rate during this time. 

There is also support available through the Student Counselling and Wellbeing service.

For short-term issues, we encourage using flexible study arrangements where possible, as these can often be absorbed within the overall duration of your studentship

If a longer period of absence is needed, you can request unpaid parental leave. This is usually managed through a suspension of study, during which your maintenance payments will stop or may be adjusted later. 

If leave is taken in shorter periods (less than one month), your stipend will continue as normal, and an equivalent unpaid extension will be added to the end of your candidature.

You can take up to one month of unpaid leave per academic year for this purpose, usually through a suspension of studies or authorised absence. Your Graduate School can talk to you about your options.

You won’t receive any additional stipend payment for this leave. 

Your candidature end date may be adjusted to reflect the time taken. 

If you are a Student visa holder there may be restrictions on adjusting your candidature end date to accommodate these periods of leave. Contact the Student Visa Advice team to understand any visa implications and subsequent costs. 

If you need time off to attend antenatal appointments, this is now covered under medical leave. You should follow the usual process for requesting medical leave.

If you are a PGR and the partner of a mother or main adopter who dies during or shortly before their maternity or adoption leave, you may be eligible to take maternity or adoption leave yourself.

Please contact your Graduate School.

There is also support available through the Student Counselling and Wellbeing service.

If you experience a pregnancy loss or the loss of a child, you can request additional leave. This leave is designed to give you time and space for recovery and bereavement.

There is also support available through the Student Counselling and Wellbeing service.

You may need to provide medical evidence to support your leave request.

Read more about our list of accepted documents.