Information About Visiting Researchers
Academic staff and researchers from any Research Organisation within the UK and the rest of the world are welcome to visit the Department of Environment and Geography and/or SEI York. This role will involve no remuneration, but offers a formal attachment to the Department of Environment and Geography and access to research facilities such as the library. The Department assumes that visitors will come to York to pursue their independent research and does not provide or arrange any academic supervision.
Visiting researcher positions can be awarded from any period from one month to a year. Visiting researchers will normally be expected to present a paper in one of the weekly departmental seminars during term-time or other events. Professors or researchers visiting for more than a term or more who wish to collaborate with the University on a regular basis can apply to Senate for the conferment of title of Honorary Visiting Professor or Honorary Visiting Fellow, depending on their status.
Researchers who are currently studying for a PhD can apply to visit the Department under this scheme for up to one month to undertake independent research. If a longer visit is planned, applications should be made online. For more information and to apply, please see visiting students. Visiting students can apply to attend taught modules in the Department.
All visiting researchers need to match themselves with a academic host who would take responsibility for looking after them in terms of their time in the Department and the research they are completing. Potential applicants should be referred to Find an Expert to find staff that match their areas of interest.
How to Apply
To apply, candidates should prepare the following documents:
- a brief letter of application, covering
- which academic they are coming to York to work with
- why it would be useful to them to spend time in York
- how they intend to pay the monthly fees (£250 per month)
- the period they wish to be in York (eg start and end date of their stay), and their plans for finding accommodation.
- a one to two page research proposal for their time in York
- a one to two page CV, with full name, address, and current academic position
- a letter of recommendation from their Head of Department or other senior academic who knows them and their work. If they are wanting to be given the title of Honorary Visiting Professor/Fellow then they need a second letter of recommendation.
Candidates will need to send enquiries and application by email to environment-research@york.ac.uk - if wanting to be based in Environment and Geography - or Sarah West (sarah.west@york.ac.uk) if wanting to be based in SEI York.
Applications are considered once a month by the Department Management Team and applicants will be informed as soon as possible after the meeting has taken place. Unfortunately we are not in a position to invite every applicant and applications will be reviewed according to the following criteria:
- how they fit with the department’s research interests
- the benefit to the department in terms of research engagement, prestige and potential for collaboration
- the strength of application or research proposal.
Facilities
The following are provided for visiting researchers:
- University of York email address and use of University and Department computing facilities, including limited use of printing and photocopying
- use of the University Library and online journal access
- admission to most undergraduate and postgraduate lectures and workshops. The academic year runs October to June.
- copies of course material
- admission to research seminars and other public events
- shared office space.
Fees
Bench fees are costs which visiting academics are required to pay, in order to cover the costs that the University will incur in hosting them. These are £250 a month or £3000 a year. These can be funded through grants held by the visiting researcher or covered by the visiting researcher themselves.
We do not intend for these costs to be prohibitive and there may be ways in which we can help.
Visiting researchers will be invoiced on arrival for payment of bench fees.
Visas and Accommodation
If they require a visa to enter the UK it is essential that they seek advice on how to obtain the correct visa to suit the purpose of their visit. The Department cannot provide advice on visas. For more information on visa applications, please visit the University pages on Immigration Advice.
The Department is unable to help with accommodation, but the University Accommodation Services has advice and is able to assist if required.