Split Site PhDs

Split-site PhD arrangements should be conceived and developed in accordance with the university’s strategic aims. In particular, they are a means of attracting and nurturing a thriving postgraduate community that enhances the connectivity of education and research. The Split Site award supports PGRs who are working in a field where we have collaborative international expertise. Partner institutions are identified where there is strategic fit in the appropriate subject areas, involving collaboration of suitable academics with active research links. The following precepts must be observed:

• All split-site PhD programme arrangements require a Memorandum of Agreement between the University and the partner organisation(s), setting out the rights and responsibilities of the student, Liverpool John Moores University, and the partner institution(s)
• Proposals for Split-site PhD arrangements must undergo due diligence, as set out in the University’s procedures for the approval of collaborative provision
• Students who are admitted on to a split-site PhD programme must be registered as an LJMU student in the same way as all other research degree students
• All provision should be in line with the Research Degrees Framework
• There should be a nominated lead academic at LJMU responsible for a particular split-site PhD arrangement. This individual would work closely with the Doctoral Academy, as well as with the International Office and Academic Partnerships where appropriate
• Split-site PhD arrangements should be reviewed regularly, at least every five years

Split-site PhD partnerships are subject to the university’s collaborative approval mechanisms, and International Partnerships and the Doctoral Academy should both be involved in their development and approval.

In order to ensure rigorous quality mechanisms are in place to safeguard the PGR student experience the following workflow outlines the required process for institutional approval of a Split-Site PhD.

1. Partner Approval is completed using the Academic Partnerships - Partner Approval Process
2. The split-site PhD proposal should first be scrutinised by the relevant Faculty Research Lead to assure the university that students studying a PhD will continue to work in an environment reflecting the university’s standards for Research Degrees
3. Strategic Fit and Due Diligence will be conducted by International Partnerships in conjunction with Finance and the relevant faculty. The assessment of strategic fit should include a business case which includes the number of students to be recruited initially and in subsequent years. The document should include plans for building a cohort of students over a period of time
4. A site visit by a member of staff from the host faculty must be undertaken to a prospective partner institution. The visit should determine that there are sufficient resources including appropriate equipment and working spaces, laboratories/studio spaces, IT and online resources, appropriately resourced library facilities and opportunities to interact with other researchers and academic staff
5. A Memorandum of Agreement should be signed at institutional level by the Vice-Chancellor and their equivalent at the partner institution
6. A Legal Agreement should be drawn up by Legal & Governance (plus RIS if there is a commercial agreement in place but not if the agreement is between two HEIs)
7. Individual PhD Programme Agreements are approved by URDC, after the overarching arrangement with the partner institution is agreed

Information about opportunities to study for a split-site PhD programme should be provided in any publicity or other information available to students. Attendance and fees requirements should be clearly specified. The offer letter to students should include information about how the arrangement will operate, including fee and attendance requirements.

All candidates must apply using the LJMU application form and they must meet the university admissions criteria in terms of qualifications and language requirements (IELTs 6.5 or LJMU approved equivalent). All applicants are interviewed, either in person or through  video conference.  Applications must go through the normal faculty admission process in line with the university’s Code of Practice for Admissions. Only applicants with confirmed scholarships that cover the fees and costs will be considered.

The candidate will be responsible for applying for and obtaining the relevant UK visa and ATAS certificate (where required) in good time and for complying with all UK Visas and Immigration (UKVIS) requirements and regulations.

All candidates must spend a proportion of their studies at the LJMU main campus in Liverpool, UK. LJMU will assess the circumstances of the students on an individual basis and advise accordingly with regard to the most appropriate immigration route for the UK based portion of this programme.  Any visa issued will cover the period(s) of study in the UK only, and PGRs on Split Site PhDs may need to make multiple visa applications during their registration on the award.

All advice will be given in accordance with the UK Immigration Rules and compliance with the most up to date UKVI Tier 4 Sponsor Guidance.

Recommendations for the amount of time the student(s) needs to spend at LJMU will need to be agreed as part of the Individual Research Student Agreement. The total period of attendance at LJMU will normally be a minimum of six months over the course of the research degree. The precise attendance requirements will be determined by FRDCs and will be confirmed in writing to the candidate(s) at the time of acceptance for the degree and included in the agreement. Any subsequent changes to the schedule of attendance must be agreed with the candidate and recorded in an amended plan.

Students will normally be required to make an initial visit of a minimum of four weeks during registration in order to attend induction, meet their supervisory team, undertake a skills audit and attend subject specific skills training. Students will normally be required to attend their annual review meeting at the end of year one and have a further meeting with their supervisor. Students will normally be required to attend LJMU for their viva voce examination.

All split-site PhD programme students must have a formal induction at the start of their degree. The induction should address specific issues in relation to split-site study. All students should also be introduced to the university online progression tool eDoc as part of their induction process.

For split-site attendance the initial period at the university will normally prepare the student for the research project and ensuring that skills training needs have been identified and are being progressed. Where skills training provision is not delivered by LJMU it must be monitored and reviewed to ensure that the provision is appropriate, and comparable with skills training delivered to students based at the university.

The requirements of the university’s Research Degrees Framework must be met for monitoring the progress of students registered on a split-site basis.

Effective supervision, and planning on the part of both the student and members of the supervisory team, are fundamental to the success of a split-site PhD arrangement. It is therefore particularly important that informal monitoring and formal progress review meetings are carried out regularly, according to a pre-arranged schedule. Informal supervision meetings and formal review meetings should be fully documented, involving appropriate communication between supervisors as necessary, so that it is clear to all concerned how, when and where any problems or issues arising are to be addressed, and any subsequent actions taken.

Supervisory arrangements for split-site PhD programmes must meet all the requirements on supervision as set out in the Research Degrees Framework.

Students registered on a split-site PhD programme must have their Lead Supervisor at LJMU and a designated co-supervisor at the partner organisation. The remaining members of the supervisory team may be from either institution.

The timing of, and arrangements for, supervisory visit(s) must be agreed at the start of the student’s programme. The Lead Supervisor should meet the PGR at least once a month, normally in virtual meetings via webcam, email or other online technologies.

The progression of students registered on split-site PhD programmes must be monitored on the university’s online progression system, eDoc, in the same way as it is for all other Doctoral programmes students.

Any member of academic staff at the ‘Partner Institution’ wishing to act as a Co-Supervisor, must complete the Doctoral Academy’s approved programme of Supervisory Training for Split Site PhDs, either in person or via video conferencing.

All students registered on split-site PhD programmes degrees are subject to the submission and examination requirements as set out in the University’s Research Degrees Framework.

Where it is reasonably practical to do so, it is an expectation that the candidate will attend the viva voce examination at the LJMU main campus in Liverpool, UK. Exceptional requests for the oral examination to be conducted away from the university will need to be approved by the University Research Degrees Committee.

On successful completion, the PhD will be awarded by Liverpool John Moores University

LJMU’s procedures should be invoked if a complaint or an academic appeal is made in connection with the student’s period of study at the partner institution, although non-academic complaints may be considered under the partner institution’s own complaints procedures.

Split-site PhD arrangements should be renewed periodically, and not more than every five years. For institutional arrangements, the contract and memorandum of agreement for the partnership should only be renewed following a successful review exercise.

The annual tuition fee is charged at two rates reflecting the duration of study at LJMU: 40% of the standard international research degree tuition fee whilst the student is based overseas and 100% of the standard international research degree tuition fee whilst based at LJMU, subject to the normal reviews of the Fee Setting Group.

The overall fee will be determined at the start of the programme and will be charged annually as an average fee. The overseas rate of 40% includes an annual supervisory visit by the LJMU Lead Supervisor to the student’s home institution.

Costs of consumables and other project expenses incurred in partner organisations must be met by the student’s home institution.