Student Initiative Fund
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This fund is open for applications from the 1st of October 2026.
This fund is for undergraduate and postgraduate taught students within the School of Social and Political Science, to support initiatives that will benefit the student community within SPS.
This funding could be put towards setting up a conference, hosting a speaker, holding a writing retreat, organising an event, or facilitating collaboration and networking. Once your funding has been confirmed in principle and you have completed your activity, you will need to submit a short 600-word reflection on the impact of the activity. Alternatively, you can contact the Student Development Office in advance to discuss other options, such as a blog post, student newsletter article or Instagram Story highlighting the impact on the SPS student community.
This reflection or alternative contribution must be submitted alongside your expense claim in order to receive your funding.
Key Information
The maximum available to request per student over the academic year is up to £200*.
* While every application is reviewed funding is not guaranteed.
For events with associated costs such as venue hire, catering, and transport, all suppliers must be approved University suppliers.
Please note: We do not provide double funding for the same event. Only one application per event will be considered for funding.
Application Process
- Read the Guidance and Information section of the Funding Opportunities page.
- Research your requirements and explore all possible alternatives. Example: You are planning an event with speakers who are travelling, explore all travel options including flight, rail and bus and note in your application the reason for selecting your preferred transport method.
- Applications must be made in advance of any purchases or agreements with suppliers.
- Items not listed on your application will NOT be funded.
Receiving Funding
- More information about these processes will be provided once your application has been reviewed and a decision made.
- Money will not be transferred to you directly in advance of the funded activity.
- All bookings with suppliers must be with approved suppliers who can invoice the School directly. All invoices must be proceeded by a purchase order created through the Student Development Office. Invoices with no purchase order will not be paid.
- You will not receive any funding if other required documents have not been provided. Examples: Travel Risk Assessment, Ethical Approval Form or Fieldwork Risk Assessment.
Student Expenses
- We are only able to fund activities through reimbursement of receipts and the completion of the Student Expenses Form (with the exception of Key Travel bookings). This form will be sent to you upon your application being successfully reviewed.
- For more information regarding expenses, please see the University of Edinburgh expenses policy.
Travel
- Any requests requiring travel will need to be accompanied by a Travel Risk Assessment and can be booked through Diversity Travel, in accordance with the University of Edinburgh Sustainable Travel Policy. This policy has been updated (September 1st 2024) with exemptions to allow booking through companies other than Key Travel, please check policy details.
- Travel booked through Key Travel will be invoiced directly to the University. If the cost of travel is more than the funded amount, you will need to reimburse the university for the difference.
- Travel requires submission of the Travel Plan and Risk Assessment (RA1) form to the Student Development Office (studentdevelopment.sps@ed.ac.uk) at least six weeks prior to the date of travel. This must be sent from your University email address and must be approved before you depart. You do not need to also complete Fieldwork Assessment Form FA1. Always await Risk Assessment approval before booking or traveling.
- We recommend you use the University's free travel insurance where applicable.