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Turing Scheme at UCL
About the Turing Scheme
In 2021 the UK Government has launched a new £110m Turing Scheme designed to offer global mobility opportunities for 35,000 students from UK schools, colleges and universities, with additional support for students from more disadvantaged backgrounds.
Universities that wish to participate in the new scheme apply for funding to the Turing Scheme directly. Where successful, funding will then be administered by universities to students directly.
University College London is committed to providing a range of opportunities for our students to broaden their university experience by going abroad. We have submitted an institutional application to the 2024-2025 cycle of Turing Scheme to seek support and funding for study and work abroad placements for our students. We are usually notified of the results of our application over the summer/autumn – students do not apply to the scheme directly. Future funding for the Turing scheme will be subject to future UK government Spending Reviews.
Under the Turing Scheme, UK organisations with successful applications will receive funding towards delivering placements and exchanges. This will include providing participants with grants to help cover costs of living, and administrative funding for delivering the projects. The student grant rates provided are set by the Turing scheme. The grant rate will vary depending on the duration and destination country/territory of a student’s placement. It is a partial reimbursement for costs incurred during a student’s mobility and is not intended to cover all expenses.
The Turing Scheme runs in project cycles and the next project cycle starts on 1st September 2024 and ends on 31st August 2025. Students can only be funded for mobility period that falls within the project cycle timeline.
UCL students can only participate in the Turing Scheme and apply for Turing funding if they:
- are undertaking a Year/Semester abroad placement as part of their degree programme; or
- have been nominated by their department to participate in a Turing departmental activity; or
- have been successful in the Global Internships Programme Turing Grant and have been nominated by UCL Careers.
For more information about the Turing Scheme please see the scheme’s website here.
- How can I apply for Turing funding?
The deadline to apply for the Turing grant for students who will study or work abroad in an international destination as part of their degree for a semester of a full-year for 2024/2025 has now passed.
We require exact placement dates in order to calculate the amount of Turing funding that a student is entitled to. We use the dates you supplied us to make your personalised Grant Agreement. Your Grant Agreement outlines the amount of Turing funding that you are entitled to.
- The dates that we require are the start and end date of your placement (i.e. the first and last day that you will be required to be in attendance), NOT the dates on which you plan to travel to and from your host country.
- For study placements: you can find the exact dates in the academic calendar of your host university.
- It is vital that the dates you have provided Study Abroad Team on the Turing Grant Application form are correct. You will not be able to complete our paperwork requirement with inaccurate placement dates.
The grant is intended as a contribution to assist with the extra costs of studying/working abroad. It will not cover all the costs of your year/semester abroad, and should not be factored in to budgeting for core living expenses like rent, food etc.
The grant does not replace the standard student loans or grants to which you are entitled. If you normally receive a maintenance/tuition loan or UCL bursary, you should continue to apply for these in the normal way.
- Do you give extra consideration to students who identify as widening participation or from under-represented groups?
Yes. UCL Turing Scheme Project supports social mobility and widens participation across the institution and it is our goal to help and promote equal access and opportunities to all participants regardless of their background. We hope to prioritise students who fall within the Study Abroad under-represented groups. We will assess the qualitative parts of the Turing Grant Application form to ensure a fair and inclusive selection procedure. Students are all welcome to apply regardless of their background.
- I am not a UK citizen / I pay international fees, am I still eligible to apply for Turing grant?
Yes. Students from all nationalities and backgrounds are welcome to apply for the Turing Scheme. Please check further eligibilities with the departments running the Turing-funded departmental activities (for example, some activities may be limited to undergraduate students).
- Eligible destinations
There are no restrictions on the country or territory in which mobilities can take place, however the destination must be outside of the UK. FCDO travel advice must be adhered to and it is the responsibility of students to assure adherence.
- Cost of Living Groups
Below you can find details of which countries/territories are in each group. For the most accurate and updated list of countries and categories visit the Turing Scheme cost of living groups page.
Destination countries/territories will be grouped into two categories:
Group 1 (higher cost of living)
- American Samoa
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue
- Cuba
- Israel
- Japan
- Kiribati
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Niue
- Norway
- Papua New Guinea
- Puerto Rico
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Switzerland
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- USA
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
Group 2 (lower cost of living)
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Angola
- Antarctica
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canary Islands
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo
- Congo (Democratic Republic)
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Curaçao
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- East Timor
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Falkland Islands
- Faroe Islands
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- French Guiana
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Italy
- Ivory Coast
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Martinique
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korean
- North Macedonia
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Rwanda
- San Marino
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slivenia
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Georgia and The South Sandwich Islands
- South Korea
- South Sudan
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen
- Sweden
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- The Occupied Palestinian Territories
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vatican City
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- How much will I get / What is the Turing Grant rate?
A set amount of funding will be provided to go towards the general cost of living. This will vary depending on sector and/or destination country/territory, as well as placement duration.
Standard Student placements with a total duration of four to eight weeks will receive:
- £570 per month (equal to £133 per week for Group 1 destinations)
- £510 per month (equal to £119 per week for Group 2 destinations)
Standard student placements with a total duration of nine weeks to twelve months will receive:
- £420 per month (equal to £98 per week for Group 1 destinations)
- £360 per month (equal to £84 per week for Group 2 destinations)
Additional support for those from disadvantaged backgrounds
Students who fall into the under-represented groups defined by UCL Study Abroad Team will receive a higer grant amount.
As such, the total cost of living grant funding provided to students from disadvantaged backgrounds will be as follows:
For placements with a total duration of four to eight weeks:
- £690 per month (equal to £161 per week to Group 1 destinations)
- £630 per month (equal to £147 per week to Group 2 destinations)
For placements with a total duration of nine weeks to twelve months:
- £540 per month (equal to £126 per week to Group 1 destinations)
- £480 per month (equal to £112 per week to Group 2 destinations)
Please note that placements lasting nine weeks to twelve months will receive the rates identified for this category for the full duration of the mobility and not the higher rates for the initial period of eight weeks.
Find out more about the rates of funding for each group by visiting the Turing Scheme funding opportunities page.
- Turing Travel Grant for students from under-represented groups
Students from under-represented groups defined by UCL Study Abroad may be able to claim travel costs up to a set amount, but this is contingent on the submission of valid travel receipts, invoices and proof of travel. Travel grant amount depends on placement destination (the country of the host organisation or location of the fieldwork), which you can check here.
Please note that students can only receive either the Turing Travel Grant or the SFE Travel Grant.
For more information on grant rates please see the Turing Scheme website.
- The official Turing Scheme website suggests different requirements or application timelines than the ones UCL has listed. Why is this?
A lot of information, including the application deadlines, on the Turing Scheme page are only applicable to institutional applications to the UK government for funding, and do not apply to students. Please follow UCL guidelines when applying for Turing funding, these will be outlined for each individual activity.
- When will I hear back about my application for the Turing grant?
If you are going abroad as part of your degree programme, the Study Abroad Team will reach out to students when we receive information from the UK government.
- Receiving your Turing Grant
Students successful in their Turing Grant application are enrolled onto a Moodle Course where specific instructions about how to receive Turing funding will be detailed.
We are only able to make payments in GBP (pounds sterling) by bank transfer into a UK account. Before the start of your mobility you must ensure that you have a UK bank account. During the summer before you go abroad, you will be asked to add your bank details to your Portico account (instructions will be provided) so that we can make the transfer quickly and easily.
Saving your Bank Details on Portico
Log in to Portico with your UCL userid and password Click on ‘View/Update your Bank Details’ Under ‘Studentship Stipends’ enter your correct UK bank details and save them, using a recognisable label (i.e. Turing grant details).
- Turing Grant payment timeline
Grant payments can only be made to students once funds are received by UCL from the UK government, usually in the autumn. However, there is no confirmed date for payment and this can be subject to delays, so please make sure that you have sufficient funds to cover your placement.
Grant payments will only be made following submission and processing of all the required paperwork. The Study Abroad Team will process Turing paperwork twice a week during peak times, once a week during the rest of the year. The UCL Finance Team process payments twice weekly. We will aim to ensure that grant payments are processed within a maximum of 14 working days following submission of completed documentation. You should consider these processing/payment schedules when you are preparing your budget.
Although the Turing grant is calculated according to a monthly rate, it is paid as a lump sum in two unequal instalments:
- Instalment 1 (80% of the total grant)
The first instalment of your grant will be processed following submission of your Grant Agreement and Confirmation of Arrival Form signed by your host organisation. If you submit these on time, this should be shortly after the start of your placement, assuming that UCL has received the funding from the UK government.
- Instalment 2 (remaining 20% of the total grant)
The remaining 20% of your grant will be paid after your placement has ended, conditional upon you having submitted all paperwork throughout your placement and your Confirmation of Departure Form signed by your host organisation. You will also need to complete a post-mobility survey.
The date of arrival and date of departure on both Confirmation Forms must match with the mobility start and end dates stated on your Grant Agreement in order for Study Abroad Team to process your paperwork.
- Confirmation of your Grant payment
After payment is made by UCL you will receive a ‘Remittance Advice’ notice by email from Accounts Payable to your UCL account. It is your responsibility to check that you have received the funds and alert us if you have not received them within the expected timeframe. It is therefore important that you are able to access your bank account from abroad – it is recommended that you set up internet or mobile banking for all your accounts before leaving the UK.
- Undertaking two Turing placements during your Year Abroad (split year)
Please note that each Turing placement is treated as a separate mobility. If you are spending your year abroad on two separate Turing placements, you were already advised to submit one Turing application for each placement. If your application is successful, you will receive a paperwork pack (Grant Agreement) for each placement separately. You will also receive your mobility grant for each placement separately.
- Change in circumstances on your year abroad
If you return early from your Turing placement, if you fail your year abroad, or if you contravene the terms of your Turing Grant Agreement, it is likely that you will have to return some or all of your Turing grant.
In any of these cases, it is paramount that you let the Study Abroad Team at UCL know as soon as possible of any changes in your situation which may affect your eligibility to receive a grant.
It is a condition for receiving your grant that you undertake to return all the necessary Turing paperwork to UCL during the course of your Turing placement. If you do not do so in line with deadlines, you should be aware that you will be deemed ineligible to have received the grant and will be asked to return any money you have already been paid.
- Changes to placement dates whilst abroad
Students who are successful in securing Turing funding will be asked to complete Microsoft Form in autumn to confirm their final placement details (dates, host organisation, etc). In the event that there are unforeseen changes to your placement at a later date please notify the UCL Study Abroad Team as soon as possible. For example, if the dates or duration of your placement has now changed, or if you are notified by your host institution/employer that your start and/or end date differ to the dates stated on your Grant Agreement. The Study Abroad Team will assess the change and respond accordingly.
Any extensions to placements must be communicated to the Study Abroad Team at least one month before the anticipated end date of the placement. Any reductions in placement duration will result in a reduction of grant amount.
Please raise an enquiry on askUCL as soon as possible to inform the Study Abroad Team of any chances to placement dates whilst abroad.
- Required documentation
In line with Turing regulations, you are required to submit a number of documents to us in order to qualify for your Turing Grant. Students will be enrolled on to our Moodle Course where further details about the required documentation are clearly stipulated.
- Who should I contact if I have any questions about Turing Scheme?
Please raise an enquiry on askUCL for Study Abroad Team.
- How can I apply for Turing funding?
- Students need to enquire with their home department to see if their department is running any Turing-funded departmental activities. For departments who run Turing-funded departmental activities, they will usually launch a call of interest to students. Once the departments have received and assessed their students’ application, they will nominate successful students to the Study Abroad team. The Study Abroad team will then reach out to individual students with a link to complete the formal Turing Grant Application Form online. The application timeline can differ significantly for different departments.
- UCL Careers also runs the Global Internships Programme which offers applications for Turing Grant for students who have self-sourced a Summer internship or research placement and applications typically open towards the end of the Spring term.
It is not possible to apply for Turing Grant directly with the Study Abroad Team unless you are going abroad as part of your undergraduate degree programme.
We require your exact placement dates in order to calculate the amount of Turing funding that you are entitled to. Once we have received your dates, you will receive your personalised Grant Agreement. Your Grant Agreement outlines the amount of Turing funding that you are entitled to.
- The dates that we require are the start and end date of your placement (i.e. the first and last day that you will be required to be in attendance), NOT the dates on which you plan to travel to and from your host country.
- It is vital that you complete the Study Abroad Turing Grant Application Form once you can accurately confirm your placement dates and prior to departure. Your departmental / UCL Careers nomination does not automatically entitle you to any Turing Grant. Students must complete a formal online application form with the Study Abroad Team in order to be considered for Turing funding.
- When will I hear back about my application for the Turing grant?
The Study Abroad Team will be in touch with you once your data has been successfully submitted on the government Turing Scheme portal. The Study Abroad Team will reach out to students when we receive confirmation from the UK government.
- I am a final year student, can I apply for Turing funding via my department if they run Turing departmental activities?
If your department runs Turing-funded departmental activities and if their activities include recent graduates as part of their cohort, then it will be possible for students in their final year to apply for Turing funding for an activity that falls outside of their course enrolment time at UCL. If your department does not include recent graduates as part of their cohort, you must ensure that your course end date is on or after your mobility end date, i.e your course enrolment time must cover the entire duration of your mobility.
On the official Turing Scheme website, recent graduates are mentioned as eligible participants but it is up to individual departments to decide the cohort that they would like to include for their Turing departmental activities. The department is also required to submit an expression of interest listing the cohort to be included for funding a year before the funding cycle.
- Is there a minimum or maximum duration for an activity in order to qualify for Turing Grant?
Your mobility must last for at least 28 days and no more than 12 months. This rule is set by the Turing Scheme. On top of this, your department may also set specific duration or time frame when you can start or finish your activity to ensure that it does not have any impact on your degree programme and study.
- Does Turing Scheme provide funding for incoming students or traineeship outside of UCL?
No, the Turing Scheme does not fund incoming students or traineeship. The Turing Scheme provides grants to successful organisations to fund individuals undertaking education and training in the UK to enable them study or participate in work placements across the world. There is no reciprocal arrangement for inbound visits to the UK.
- Does UCL still accept incoming Erasmus+ students or trainees from the EU?
For incoming Erasmus+ traineeship students, there must be a bilateral agreement in place between UCL and the sending institution. UCL departments can contact the Study Abroad Team to check if an Interinstitutional Agreement (IIA) is in place with the sending institution. New IIAs will not be set up for traineeships.
For incoming traineeships, please check with the sending host institution of the Erasmus+ traineeship to see if they agree to provide Erasmus+ traineeship funding to students with a receiving host institution in the UK.
Please also note that traineeships for incoming students are not managed centrally at UCL through the Study Abroad Office. Students who are interested in coming to UCL for an internship should contact the school, department or institution of their interest directly to be able to explore this possibility.
To enquire about lab-based traineeships, students should contact the research group they are interested in working with, including details of their proposed training programme. Contact details can be found on the UCL website using the search function.
To enquire about office-based traineeships, students should approach the department they are interested in interning with, including details of their proposed training programme. Contact details can be found on the UCL website using the search function.
Agreeing to host a trainee is at the discretion of the UCL department and they are not obliged to accept any traineeship proposal.
The traineeship would need to be agreed on by the department, and a mentor and supervisor appointed for the trainee. This person would be the trainee’s key contact and responsible for agreeing a work plan for the training period. The department would need to arrange for the relevant access for the student (library, computers) whilst they are here.
UCL welcomes trainees throughout the year, in a variety of disciplines. Departments that are approached by a potential trainee, should think about whether there is capacity to offer the student a suitable level of supervision and support.
Remuneration
Trainees at UCL are not expected to receive a salary; however, the department may choose to reimburse some costs relating to the student's stay in the department.Insurance for incoming trainees
UCL doesn't provide general accident insurance for incoming trainees. Unless your lab offers something specific which could be extended to cover the trainee, this will need to be noted on the Training Agreement.Incoming trainees will be covered by UCL's liability insurance if not provided by the sending institution.