Participation in the programme is voluntary and unpaid. We will reimburse reasonable expenses for travel to client meetings or data collection and travel within Oxford for project meetings. Expenses for travel or data collection can be reimbursed only through completing the University claim form and on presentation of receipts.
It is the responsibility of all applicants to ensure they can take on this experiential learning project within the terms of their study commitments, funding or visa agreements.
Information for DPhil students
DPhil students who apply and participate in the programme must satisfy themselves that the project is suitable for their needs in terms of the learning opportunity and nature of the work involved, and are advised to
- consult their supervisors on how the programme helps fulfil their training needs and agree time commitments;
- seek advice on visas from
Information for research staff
For research staff, it is the University’s policy to support individuals in identifying relevant professional development and training. In some cases, this includes a quantified allocation of time, such as up to ten days per year in MPLS and 5 days in MSD.
Research staff should also ensure compliance with the University’s Council regulations on holding outside appointments and those of any funders providing salaries. University academic and academic-related employees (with the exception of Associate Professors who have colleges as their main employer; please see the paragraph below) are permitted to hold outside appointments and to undertake other outside activities, including consultancies, which require a commitment of time that otherwise might reasonably be expected to be devoted to University duties, subject to the approval of their direct line manager (where relevant) and their head of department or the chair of the faculty board.
Applicants whose salaries are funded from externally-funded research grants or contracts, or who are Principal Investigators or Co-Investigators on outside-sponsored projects, must adhere to the terms and conditions stipulated by or agreed with the sponsor and, if necessary, seek written approval from the sponsor. For example, The Wellcome Trust’s grant conditions include stringent conditions relating to the holding of consultancies and these apply equally to individuals who are in receipt of Wellcome Trust research grants, as well as to those whose salaries are paid from Wellcome Trust grants.
Permission may be required from a PI, Head of Department and possibly the funding body providing the award from which their salary is paid.
University employees continue to be bound by the University’s statutes, regulations and policies in particular the policies on Conflict of Interest, and Intellectual Property, as well as respecting the duties of confidentiality as set out in their contracts of employment.
Research staff are therefore advised to consult:
- their PIs or departmental HR representatives on the terms of their contracts and wish to use some of their allotted time for professional development activities;
- the staff immigration team on visas.
Potential queries relating to research ethics in client project work will be considered in advance and on a case-by-case basis in accordance with University guidance on ethical procedures.