Please note that the agreement for this doctoral student exchange programme has expired, as of 2021, as University of California, Berkeley have de-centralised their processes for accepting visiting research students. Durham does have an institutional Memorandum of Understanding with University of California, Berkeley, and as such any doctoral students interested in visiting UCB for research purposes are invited to contact the International Office who can support making a connection to UCB's Global Office.

The University of California, Berkeley and Durham University both believe it is important for the graduate student experience to include the stimulation of discussion, new techniques, access to documents, samples and fieldwork as well as exposure to complementary approaches to their research question which visits to other research groups can provide. 

If you are a UCB graduate student interested in undertaking a period of research at Durham, in the first instance it may be helpful to discuss your proposal with Fiona O'Carroll from our International Office.

Information for Berkeley Students wishing to study at Durham

We are delighted that you are interested in undertaking a period of research at Durham.

There are no fixed deadlines for applying for a place on this exchange but placements will be arranged taking into consideration the most appropriate time for the research work to be undertaken along with more practical considerations such as availability of supervisors and on-campus accommodation. Exchange periods will generally be for 3-6 months though alternative periods may be considered according to the planned objectives of the visit.

In the first instance it may be helpful to discuss your proposal in more detail with Fiona O'Carroll before making a formal application.

Once you have decided to proceed with your application please complete the form below and send it together with the required supporting documents to: incoming.exchange@durham.ac.uk. Please include within your research proposal the rationale for your visit and the past record of collaboration between the groups at Durham and UC Berkeley and the impact of the visit on future collaboration. One of your referees should be your supervisor at UC Berkeley and the other the member of staff at Durham with whom you would like to work during your visit.

Resources

• Research Exchange Application Form

Outgoing (from Durham) Students

Students wishing to apply for a period of research at Berkeley through our Exchange Programme will need to apply to the International Office at Durham in the first instance before being nominated to participate in the exchange. In general the exchange allows for up to four Durham students per academic year but the exchange needs to balance over a period of time so it is possible that there may not be places available at certain times. Additionally if more than one student wishes to be considered for a particular semester at Berkeley there will be a selection procedure at Durham to decide who is nominated. Nominated students will then have to complete a separate application to the Berkeley Visiting Scholar and Postdoc Affairs (VSPA) Program.

An idea for an area of research and a supervisor ideally would be given on the initial application form to the International Office at Durham. Unfortunately, we are unable to source supervisors for individual students.

Costs

Students are responsible for meeting the costs of a research exchange at UCB. Current costs are:

• University Services fee of $1000 for their time at Berkeley which allows access to all facilities;
• Departmental visiting researcher fees. Some departments may not charge fees or choose to waive them but this is dependent on each individual department;
• Visa charges will also apply.
  

How to Apply

Students wishing to spend a period of time at Berkeley should submit an application form to the International Office at Durham University.

Before submitting an application, students should have identified a potential project and supervisor at Berkeley. Departmental Exchange Coordinators may be able to advise of any contacts. Professor Santiago Fouz Hernandez is a useful first point of contact owing to his links and previous work with UCB. He can be contacted via santiago.fouz@durham.ac.uk

Further useful information can be found via UCB's Visiting Researcher website.

Documents to include:

• Research Proposal
• Personal statement and references must be included with the application form
• 2 x Academic References. Once of which should be from a Durham member of staff, preferably the Durham PhD supervisor

Deadlines

In principle, applications can be received all year round however timings of placements cannot be guaranteed and will depend on the partner university. It would be preferable to receive an application at least one term in advance of a proposed research exchange.

Applications should be submitted to international.partnerships@durham.ac.uk

Resources

• Research Exchange Application Form DU (last modified: 16 March 2018)