Family leave

Up to 52 weeks of maternity leave may be taken by Doctoral Researchers registered at the University. Doctoral Researchers must discuss their forthcoming maternity leave with their supervisor/s and notify the Doctoral College Office (Academic Registry) as early as possible. The start date of the maternity leave must be confirmed no later than the 15th week before the date on which the baby is due.

Maternity leave can be postponed or brought forward to a chosen start date by informing the supervisor/s and the Doctoral College Office at least 28 days (or as soon as possible thereafter) before the leave is due to start.

A Doctoral Researcher may choose when to start maternity leave, subject to the following constraints:

• The maternity leave period cannot start before the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth.
• The maternity leave period will be automatically triggered if a Doctoral Researcher is absent from their programme wholly or partly because of pregnancy after the beginning of the 4th week before the expected week of childbirth.

The Doctoral Researcher will apply for a leave of absence from study in the normal way. However, all applications should be supported with a MATB1 form. A MATB1 form is not normally issued until 20 weeks before the expected week of birth (and is normally provided by a midwife). The Doctoral College Office will confirm in writing the terms of the maternity leave and when the Doctoral Researcher should return to study.

Doctoral Researchers who are self-funded, funded directly by a third party e.g., an international sponsor, or in receipt of tuition fee only awards or fee bursaries, are entitled to the periods of leave detailed within this policy, but will not be eligible for any financial support from the University. Doctoral Researchers who are funded by third parties must be aware of any terms and conditions that form part of their private funding arrangements.

Doctoral Researchers who are sponsored on a student visa by the University and are considering a leave of absence from their study on the grounds of maternity or adoption leave should seek advice from the Student Advice and Support Service.

Any full-time Doctoral Researcher still in receipt of a University administered stipend, granted a period of leave of absence on the grounds of maternity leave, will be eligible for 26 weeks payment of their normal University funded stipend during this leave. This includes all University funded Doctoral Researchers, i.e., those funded by the University, but also those funded through UKRI Training Grants administered by the University and paid to the Doctoral Researcher on behalf of those organisations. Some external funding administered by the University will have terms and conditions set out within the contract between the company and University, and these may not extend to covering funding extensions for situations such as maternity or parental leave.

After the first 26 weeks, the following 13 weeks will be paid at a level commensurate with employee entitlements to statutory maternity pay. The final 13 weeks are unpaid.

A Doctoral Researcher’s expected start of their maternity leave must occur within the studentship award period to be eligible for maternity leave funding. 
Doctoral Researchers who are registered on a part-time basis or who are receiving less than a full stipend award will receive their standard pro rata stipend payments for the same periods on the same basis as above.

Recipients of University administered stipend, as outlined above, may take paternity leave.

All Doctoral Researchers registered at the University are eligible for Ordinary Paternity Leave, if they are responsible for the upbringing of the child e.g. be the biological father, non-birth parent or adopter of the child, or the partner, civil partner or husband of the child's birth parent. They do not have to be named on the birth certificate. Paternity leave permits the individual to take up to two weeks leave on full stipend where the funding is administered through the University. Ordinary Paternity Leave must be taken in blocks of no less than 1 week, cannot start before the birth of the child, and must end within 56 days of the birth.

Shared Parental Leave is a mechanism though which the entitlement to maternity/adoption leave may be shared, and is available to those in receipt of stipend funding and who meet the following eligibility criteria:

• To qualify for shared parental leave you must share the care of the child with either: your husband, wife, civil partner, adopter, the child’s other parent or your partner;
• They must be taking the leave to look after the child;
• They must have qualified for statutory maternity leave or pay; or statutory adoption leave or pay or maternity allowance, or have qualified for the payment of a stipend during maternity leave under a policy such as this, (e.g., if they are also a Doctoral Researcher);
• They must have returned to work and must no longer be in receipt of maternity/adoption pay or allowance, or must have returned to their research/studies if they are also a Doctoral Researcher, (the start and end dates of their partner’s leave must be provided);
• They must have some entitlement to maternity leave remaining;
• The terms and conditions of their grant must not specifically exclude the taking of such leave.

The number of weeks that may be taken as shared parental leave will depend on how many of the 52 weeks of maternity/ adoption leave remains, but will in any event be capped at a maximum entitlement of 50 weeks. Shared Parental Leave must be taken as a continuous block and may not end later than the child’s first birthday, or one calendar year from the date when the child began living with you.

Doctoral Researchers who are self-funded (and those entitled to tuition fee only awards), are entitled to the periods of leave detailed within this policy but will not be eligible for any financial support from the University. Doctoral Researchers who are funded by third parties must be aware of any terms and conditions that form part of their private funding arrangements.

Doctoral Researchers who are sponsored by the University on a student visa are advised to seek advice from the Student Advice and Support Service when considering a leave of absence from your study on the grounds of parental leave.

Doctoral Researchers should apply for a leave of absence in the normal way. A form is available for this purpose. 

Up to 52 weeks of adoption leave may be taken by Doctoral Researchers registered at the University. Doctoral Researchers must discuss their forthcoming adoption leave with their supervisor/s and notify the Doctoral College Office (Academic Registry) as early as possible. A request for adoption leave must be in writing and must be received at least 7 days before a ‘match’ is made with a child by the Adoption Agency. In a request for adoption leave the University must receive a copy of the Matching Certificate of the child naming the Doctoral Researcher as the adoptive parent.

Any full-time Doctoral Researcher still in receipt of a University administered stipend, granted a period of leave of absence on the grounds of Adoption leave, will be eligible for 26 weeks payment of their normal University funded stipend during this leave. This includes all University funded Doctoral Researchers, i.e., those funded by the University, but also those funded through UKRI Training Grants administered by the University and paid to the Doctoral Researcher on behalf of those organisations. Some external funding administered by the University will have terms and conditions set out within the contract between the company and University, and these may not extend to covering funding extensions for situations such as adoption or parental leave.

After the first 26 weeks, the following 13 weeks will be paid at a level commensurate with employee entitlements to statutory adoption pay. The final 13 weeks are unpaid.

Adoption leave can commence from the date the child starts living with the Doctoral Researcher or 14 days before this date.
Doctoral Researchers who are registered on a part-time basis or who are receiving less than a full stipend award will receive their standard pro rata stipend payments for the same periods on the same basis as above. 

Doctoral Researchers are eligible for Neonatal Care Leave under the following criteria:

• The birth of the child is during the Studentship or the planned period of Maternity Leave and the child is receiving neonatal care in a hospital;
• They are either the mother/birth parent, father/non-birth parent or partner of the mother birth/parent.

Neonatal Care Leave will be provided for each week or part-week in which the child is in neonatal care, up to a maximum of 12 weeks. This is in addition to Maternity, Paternity or Shared Parental leave. 

The studentship end date and expected submission date of the thesis will normally be extended by a period equal to the period of maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental or neonatal care leave taken. 

Doctoral Researchers are expected to return to study for a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks after their leave period. If a Doctoral Researcher does not return for 12 weeks, then the University may claim back the 26 weeks full stipend payment.

A Doctoral Researcher who has been studying full-time but who indicates they wish to return to study on a part-time basis following maternity leave or shared parental leave, and has no visa restrictions, will receive sympathetic consideration of their request, and will be accommodated wherever possible.

Doctoral Researcher mothers must not resume their studies for a minimum of 2 weeks following the birth of their child.

It is the responsibility of the supervisor to hold a return to studies meeting at the earliest opportunity to discuss the Doctoral Researchers study arrangements.

The School in which a pregnant Doctoral Researcher works is responsible for risk assessments in relation to their work and environment.

Any health and safety concerns should be raised immediately within the appropriate School or Doctoral College Office. Occupational Health may be consulted for confidential advice and guidance.

Careful consideration will need to be made as to whether the Doctoral Researcher can undertake field work, placements or laboratory work, or study abroad, whilst pregnant.

Where necessary, health and safety and/or medical advice should be sought.