I know it is a bit silly to ask this on my 3rd year but isn't there a yearly budget for research students to use? (I am funded by HEFCE). I am undertaking a practice-based PhD and the stipend I receive is not enough to cover the expenses. I can sometimes claim travel expenses from the University's Staff Development Fund, but whenever I need to get something for my research, my supervisor's first answer is "there is no money left in your research budget". How is that possible? I've never used it. Do the supervisors need to use this money for on our behalf for other things (hidden expenses etc)? I even had to fundraise publicly for my last project. Only my supervisor has access to the research budget, I don't even know how much this is. Is there a standard research budget, or is it a university-specific thing? What is your situation (do you have access to your budget for example)? Thank you in advance.

Did your funding come with a separate amount for research expenses? I'm ESRC/MRC and in addition to the stipend they provide a Research Training Support Grant (RTSG). This varies (e.g. ESRC alone is less than ESRC/MRC) and it goes straight to the deparment - and my department then nabs it, says it has all been allocated before I even started (to things like photocopying, phone calls, faxes and other stuff I dont even have access to and which are completely NOT the things the ESRC says it should be used for) so I then have to apply to the school (i.e. beg) if I want money for actually doing any research.

(yes you've guessed I'm pretty annoyed about this setup)

I'd try and find out if your HEFCE funding had any RTSG element, and try and find out from your school what research money there is and how it is allocated.

Sounds really annoying 404.

I know that my CASE away gives a certain amount of money to me and the same again the my department, per year. The amount given to the uni is towards office space and me wanting to go to conferences and travelling. If I want to go to a conference, I normally can.

Thank you very much for the replies. I wonder if I have a right to ask them the certain amount and what's happening with my budget... And why do I have to compete with the rest of the staff when it comes to getting money to go to conferences etc and applying for school-wide grants to cover my research expenses. So annoying. Aliby, how did you find out about what ESRC says your research budget should be use for? Were you given any documents? I've looked everywhere on the HEFCE website before and couldn't find anything.

404, I got a booklet from the ESRC that gave information on the RTSG. (also available here http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Images/Postgraduate_Funding_Guide_tcm6-12067.pdf though that's not any use to you).

I don't think it is a question of having a 'right' to ask. IMHO (and I am getting very cynical about these things) I think Uni departments tend to rely on people NOT asking (and therefore not getting and so saving the department money). Oh, and also if people do ask, being as uninformative and unhelpful as possible and hoping students will get put off, and making the procedure to get stuff so difficult and time consuming that students give up.

Sorry, will stop ranting now - good luck with getting some support for your research!

Thank you aliby. You have a point. I am already a bit shy about asking for money; and I had enough of begging for money from my supervisor to be honest. I just want to know my rights so I'll feel better when I ask for my expenses to be covered. And my supervisor doesn't seem to be the best person to ask this (he knows how to sweet-talk around the subject). I will ask HEFCE and my research office to send me some information about the budget. Thank you again.