This call is open to all BU students undertaking an international mobility. This can be a placement undertaken as part of a placement year, a voluntary traineeship, or a short-term study (ex: summer school), or traineeship undertaken shortly after graduating). Funding is available to support BU students with the costs associated with undertaking a mobility.
Information on how to find a placement can be found by visiting https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/students/careers-employability/find-placement and information about short term study opportunities can be found by visiting https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/students/careers-employability/other-international-opportunities/summer-schools .
Students undertaking a placement as part of their degree should work with their Faculty Placements team and Career and Employability department, to find a traineeship related to their field of study.
To be eligible, the activity must:
- take place anytime between 01 September 2023 and 31 August 2024 (this date does not include travel days)
- meet the minimum duration of 4 weeks (28 days)
Who is eligible?
The programme is opened to BU students at any level from any programme at BU. All successful applicants will receive a cost-of-living grant.
Student from disadvantaged backgrounds
Students from disadvantaged backgrounds will receive a travel grant as well as a monthly cost-of-living uplift in addition to the standard cost-of living grant. To be eligible for a disadvantaged background status, you must meet at least one of the following (1-4):
- Household income of £25,000 or below (as assessed by Student Finance England/Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland),
- In receipt of a BU Maintenance Bursary or BU Financial Support Fund for the current 2023/24 academic year.
- You meet one or more of the following:
- Student receiving Universal Credit or income-related benefits because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them, such as a child or partner
- Care-experienced students (Students who have been or are currently in the care system (including living in care with foster carers, living in a children’s home) or from a looked after background at any stage of their life, no matter how short, including adopted children who were previously looked after)
- Students from low participation neighbourhoods (The Office for Students provides a tool to look at how likely young people are to participate in higher education across the UK, and shows how this varies by area. A low participation neighbourhood would be one where young people were not likely to participate in higher education).
- Black and Minority Ethnic Students
- Students who are the first in their family to attend university
- Mature students (21 or older at the start of their programme)
- Students with caring responsibilities (Caring responsibilities are providing unpaid care to a family member or friend who could not cope without their support. This may be due to illness, disability, a mental health issue, or substance misuse.)
- Estranged students (where a student does not have support from their parents due to a breakdown in their relationship or where neither of the student’s parents can be found or it is not reasonably practicable to get in touch with either of them)
- Refugees and asylum seekers
4. Students with additional learning needs (including students registered with ALS at BU):
- The term additional learning needs refers to learners with special education needs (SEN), including those whose SEN arise because they have a long-term disability that has a substantial and long-term effect on the ability to do everyday tasks or are in receipt of Disabled Student Allowance. This would include learners who identify as having a disability, special needs, or medical condition as categorised below:
- Social/communication impairment such as Asperger’s syndrome/other autistic spectrum disorder
- Blind or have a serious visual impairment uncorrected by glasses
- Deaf or have a serious hearing impairment
- A long-standing illness or health condition such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, chronic heart disease, or epilepsy
- Mental health condition such as depression, schizophrenia, or anxiety disorder
- Specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, or AD(H)D 13
- Physical impairment or mobility issues, such as difficulty using limbs or using a wheelchair or crutches
- Disability, impairment or medical condition that is not listed above
Applicants who meet the aforementioned criteria must be keen to develop a hands-on work experience in a different cultural context, gain intercultural skills and global awareness, enhance their employability and career prospects, and enrich the world as socially responsible global citizens.
What will the Turing Scheme funding cover?
Turing Scheme funding provides grants to support students with specific costs related to undertaking their traineeship. The amount of the grant is determined by the length of the mobility and the destination country where the work is being undertaken. The sections below outline standard funding and funding for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
NB: Turing Scheme funding is intended to be a contribution towards your living costs. It is not intended to, and will not, cover the full costs incurred on an international mobility.
You will receive an initial payment of 90% of funds upfront after completing a pre-departure session and paperwork. After your activity is complete, you will be asked to complete a form, a feedback survey and submit a blog. The remaining 10% will be paid after these requirements have been met.
- Funding for Students from non-disadvantaged backgrounds
This funding consists of a cost-of-living grant.
Cost of Living Grant
To calculate the cost-of-living grant, destination countries are divided into three groups based on the cost of living in each country (https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/cost-of-living-groups/ ). There is no travel grant for students who are not from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- For placements in Group 2 or 3 countries/territories, the grants are calculated as follows:
- £480 per month (pro-rata) for placements up to 8 weeks in duration
- £335 per month (pro-rata) for placements from 9 weeks to 12 months
Example Grant calculations for students from non-disadvantaged backgrounds
|
Traineeship Location
|
Traineeship Duration
|
Calculation
|
Total Grant
|
|
United States
(Group 1 Country)
|
6 weeks
|
£545 x 1.5 months
|
£817.50
|
|
Australia
(Group 1 Country)
|
4 months
|
£380 x 4 months
|
£1520
|
|
Lebanon
(Group 3 Country)
|
6 weeks
|
£480 x 1.5 months
|
£720
|
|
Austria
(Group 2 Country)
|
4 months
|
£335 x 4 months
|
£1340
|
- Funding for Students from disadvantaged backgrounds
This funding consists of a cost-of-living grant, a cost-of-living uplift, and a travel grant. Additional funding is available as outlined below for other costs related to undertaking a mobility.
Cost of Living Grant
To calculate the cost-of-living grant, destination countries are divided into three groups based on the cost of living in each country (https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/cost-of-living-groups/ ).
- For placements in Group 2 or 3 countries/territories, the grants are calculated as follows:
- £480 per month (pro-rata) + £110 per month (pro-rata) for placements up to 8 weeks in duration
- £335 per month (pro-rata) + £110 per month (pro-rata) for placements from 9 weeks to 12 months
Travel Grant
Travel grants are calculated based on the distance to the destination country. Distances are calculated from Bournemouth University to the city where the traineeship is taking place. To find the distance:
- Go to Google Maps
- Right-click on Bournemouth and choose ‘Measure Distance’
- Click on your destination city to create a path to measure
- The total distance will be displayed in the bottom centre of the map
The rates are as follows:
- 10 to 99km: £20
- 100 to 499km: £165
- 500 to 1,999km: £250
- 2,000 to 2,999km: £325
- 3,000 to 3,999km: £480
- 4,000 to 7,999km: £745
- 8,000 to 12,000km: £905
- 12,000km+: £1360
Supplemental travel funding may be available to cover real travel cost for exceptionally expensive travel.
Other Funding
- Funding may be available to offset real costs related to obtaining or updating a passport, obtaining a Visa, or Covid-19 related costs. Receipts are required for these costs to be considered.
- Actual costs for support directly related to additional learning needs. Receipts are required for these costs to be covered.
Example Grant calculations for students from disadvantaged backgrounds
|
Traineeship Location
|
Traineeship Duration
|
Calculation
|
Total Grant
|
|
United States
(Group 1 Country)
|
6 weeks
|
(£545 x 1.5 months) + (£110 x 1.5 months) + (£745 travel grant*)
|
£1727.50
|
|
Australia
(Group 1 Country)
|
4 months
|
(£380 x 4 months) + (£110 x 4 months) + (£1360 travel grant)**
|
£3320
|
|
Lebanon
(Group 3 Country)
|
6 weeks
|
(£480 x 1.5 months) + (£110 x 1.5 months) + (£480 travel grant)
|
£1365
|
|
Austria
(Group 2 Country)
|
4 months
|
(£335 x 4 months) + (£110 x 4 months) + (£250 travel grant)
|
£2030
|
*amount will depend on location in the US
**amount will depend on location in Australia
Travel Information
Entry Requirements
You must have a valid passport with at least six months remaining from the date of your return departure to the UK. Please factor this into the timescales of your planned travel.
Visa Requirements
Applicants will be responsible to research whether they will need a visa to enter the specific country where they will undertake their mobility and how long it will take to obtain a visa.
Immunisations (if applicable)
Please refer to the NHS guidelines regarding immunisations:
Travel vaccinations - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
You will need to book immunisations through your local GP at your own cost.
Insurance
BU will provide comprehensive Travel Cover for the duration of the overseas trip (please note that this cover is not valid for recent graduates).. Please note that you might be required by the host organisation/partner university to purchase a valid medical/health insurance for the duration of your stay.
Applicants are responsible for researching the types of insurance they are required to carry for their destination country. Some countries require specific medical insurance to meet visa conditions (ex: to obtain the relevant visa for a traineeship in the USA, you must hold insurance with $100,00 or medical benefits, $25,000 for repatriation of remains, $50,000 for medical evacuation, and $500 deductible for accident or illness).
If you are applying to go to a European destination, you could apply for a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or use an existing UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if it is still valid. Please refer to the NHS guidelines regarding the UK GHIC/EHIC:
https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic/
Covid-19 Requirements
Applicants will be responsible to check the Covid-19 entry requirements to the specific country where they will undertake their mobility.
Please refer to the FCDO advice about entry requirements and Covid-19 regulations:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
Successful applicants will receive further information regarding Covid-19 considerations and travel guidance once they are officially accepted onto the programme.
Travel Implications
- There could be sudden changes that affect your travel plans, including changes to border control advice which may prevent travel and changes to quarantine and/or testing requirements in your host country or when re-entering the UK.
- BU MUST approve travel before you depart. Your travel plans should be in line with UK Foreign Correspondence and Development Office advice. Travel approval will be made on a case-by-case basis within two weeks of the start of the traineeship and, where travel is not possible, you may be able to start work remotely, depending on your host organisations requirements.
- Funding will only be paid where physical travel takes place and BU has approved travel in advance.
- The Global Engagement Mobility Team will support you with the funding process. You will also be given support by your Placement Coordinator and Placement Development Advisor for mobilities that are part of a BU placement year.
It is your responsibility to ensure all the necessary information is provided correctly. Incomplete applications will be marked as void and removed from the process.
If you have questions about your application – please contact internationalgrants@bournemouth.ac.uk.
Please note the panel’s decision is final and we cannot provide individual feedback on applications.
What will happen next if I am successful?
All applicants will be informed about the outcome of the application within four weeks of applying.
If you are successful, you will be required to attend a pre-departure session. We will not be able to accept applicants who do not attend a pre-departure session within 2 weeks of being invited.
Am I eligible to apply for future mobility programmes if my application is declined?
If your application is declined, you can apply again (assuming that you still meet the eligibility criteria). Depending on the reason it was declined, reapplying may require changes to your activity dates or location.
Important notes
(1) Please ensure your email address is correct. All communication will be sent to your student email address, so please check this!
(2) If successful, your participation in the above programme is subject to your placement organisation finalising the terms of the arrangements for your placement.
Timeline
Student Call Launch: 04 September 2023
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and the application will remain open until funds are used.
Announcement of results: within four weeks of your application date