Please note this timeline is a guide for reference purposes only and may be subject to change.
| 1st November 2023 | Registration for Webinar Opens |
| 15th November 2023 | Webinar with Programme Directors 11:00 – 12:00 |
| 27th November 2023 | Call for applications opens |
| 31st January 2024 23:59 | Call for applications closes |
| w/c 25th March 2024 | Shortlisted applicants are invited to interview |
| 14th & 15th May 2024 | Face-to-Face panel interviews take place in Bristol |
| 23rd May 2024 | Applicants notified of the interview outcome |
| 3rd July 2024 | Face-to-Face Meeting for Programme and Institutional introductions |
| 18th September 2024 | Mandatory Introductory Day |
| September 2024 – March 2025 | GW4-CAT HP fellows identify their supervisors team and write their project proposals with assistance from a GW4-CAT HP Director and the Programme Manager |
| w/c 1st April 2025 | GW4-CAT HP fellows submit their project proposals for peer review |
| April – May 2025 | Project proposals sent for peer review and fellows respond to comments |
| w/c 11th June 2025 | Project proposal interviews take place |
| 15th July 2025 | Any amendments to project proposals are completed and signed off |
| August – October 2025 | Most GW4-CAT HP fellows will commence their PhD (start dates are negotiable) |
| September – October 2025 | Mandatory Induction Day |
After appointment on the GW4-CAT HP Programme, a typical journey is as follows:
Post Appointment Process
June – August
- Up to 6 applicants per cohort can be appointed to the programme
- Following the interviews, all candidates will be notified of the outcome
- References will be requested for candidates that have been made a verbal offer of a fellowship
- On receipt of satisfactory references formal offer letters will be issued
- Once the formal offer has been accepted, it is expected that appointees will withdraw from any other PhD applications pending
- Fellows will attend an introductory afternoon where they will have the opportunity to meet the management team to discuss initial PhD ideas, potential senior and lead supervisors.
Pre-PhD Year
September
- Fellows are expected to attend a compulsory GW4-CAT HP introductory day
October – May
- With the support of a member of the board of directors and the GW4-CAT HP Programme Manager, project ideas will be honed and cross-institutional supervisory teams will be agreed
- The supervisory team, and the relevant GW4-CAT HP director, will help the fellow to develop a project proposal and an itemised budget request
- Projects proposals will be sent out for peer review
June – August
- Registration at your primary institution commences
- At a formal PhD proposal interview your project plan will be scrutinised and advice and feedback will be provided
- The interview panel will consist of all members of the Board of Directors, or appropriate substitutions if required
- This interview will be a part of an iterative process, rather than a ‘pass or fail’ situation, so you will have the opportunity to amend your proposal for resubmission if necessary
- You will have the chance to address the feedback from the project proposal interview and resubmit your project plan and budget request if necessary
- If the concerns of the directors are satisfactorily addressed at this point, they will officially approve your project and budget proposal
- GW4-CAT HP is the acting funder for your grant, so this final approval is an essential aspect of the proposal process. If they still have concerns, they will provide action points that they think are crucial to address before they are able to sign-off on your project plan and your requested grant budget
September – October
- Most GW4-CAT HP fellows will commence their PhD projects in September
- There will be a compulsory induction event GW4-CAT HP induction
PhD Year One
- You will likely be undertaking research and honing the focus of your project
- There will be the opportunity to have a welfare meeting with the Programme Manager. This informal meeting is an opportunity to check that you have settled into your team and are happy with the progress you are making with your PhD studies. Here you can also discuss any potential issues that may have arisen in the early stages of your PhD work
- At the end of year one, any institutional progress monitoring processes will be completed
- You will also meet with a GW4-CAT HP director for a programme review. The director will ensure that any stop:go points you identified in your project proposal have been met, that you are working well with your supervisory team, and they will discuss with you how the project has evolved and any challenges that you have faced