Academic visitors

We welcome a wide range of academic visitors each year and have different pathways for students and staff.

Academic visitor status can also be granted to people from outside of academia for the purpose of collaborating in research or knowledge exchange activity. The process for this is essentially the same as for other visitors. Further details are provided below.

If you are a student currently registered and following a programme of study at an institution elsewhere, you will need to apply as a Visiting PhD Student. Please contact the Postgraduate Research Office who will be able to assist in your application via pgresearch.sps@ed.ac.uk.

Application procedure

For academic staff visits to the University of Edinburgh's School of Social and Political Science that will require access to our resources, you will need to have Visitor status. To be considered, you must first identify and contact an academic within the School who will support and sponsor your application. We cannot consider your application unless you are successful in finding an academic within the School to facilitate the visit.

Please note that academic visitors to the School are self funded; the School does not offer any financial support. We are not able to offer advice regarding visas or other aspects of spending time living in Edinburgh.

If the academic member of staff wants to go ahead with the application, you will need to complete a nomination form, supply a short (two-page) CV and submit to the host academic member of staff. Applications will be considered by the subject area and School Office, and you will be contacted directly by your host if you are successful.

For visitors from non-academic backgrounds, (sometimes known as Knowledge Exchange Fellows), applications should additionally be forwarded by the host academic to the School KEI Manager. A signed letter of support must be provided from the applicant’s employer, releasing the Visitor for the required number of hours to complete their proposed project within the School. You can find a template letter below. We would encourage that both parties involved in Knowledge Exchange Fellowship applications set out their expectations for the joint project at the outset.

Nomination for Visitor form (Word doc.)

Template letter of support from employer (Word doc.)

Expectations and arrangements

If we do accept you, you can expect that normally we will provide you with:

full access to library resources including e-resources
full access to IT facilities, using a login and password
induction and orientation when you arrive, including health and safety
a research mentor (your host academic) who will act as your main point of contact for planning your visit and throughout your time with us, and whom you can expect to see regularly for discussion
access to research activities such as attendance at research seminars and other research training
on request, a formal letter of invitation to present to your institution once you are accepted as a visitor, and a letter at the end of your time here confirming your contribution

In turn we will expect you to:

abide by the School’s procedures, especially those to do with ethical research conduct, copyright and the appropriate use of the SPS facilities
acknowledge SPS appropriately in any publications which arise from the period of your visit to us
contribute positively to the research culture and life of the School and any research group or centre to which you are attached during your visit

Examples of such a positive contribution that past visiting scholars have offered are: research seminars and blogs; a PhD masterclass; media and knowledge exchange work; articles for student magazines and journals; and contributions to the School’s practice programme.