Academic Visitor Scheme

The DPIR’s visitor programme exists to facilitate links and collaboration with other universities, governments and organisations, both in the UK and overseas, and to allow academics and practitioners the opportunity to collaborate in joint research with the department’s academics.

Our academic visitors generally hold an academic appointment at a university elsewhere and visit DPIR to pursue their research agenda within one of the department’s research centres or programmes, or within the department more generally.

Practitioners likewise will visit to collaborate in joint research with our academics. Post-doctoral applicants are also welcome.

Academic Host

Each visitor has an academic host who will supply a letter of support as part of your application; provide advice on collaborations, events and other research activities; and introduce the visitor to relevant members of staff and other contacts.

DPIR academic visitors are responsible for managing their own research activities and work agenda whilst in Oxford and normally will work independently. The visitor's Academic Host will offer advice and support wherever possible, although this may in practice be limited due to the host’s term-time and other commitments.

It is recommended that the prospective applicant consider who in the department might be able to offer you such support and contact them for advice before applying to the Academic Visitor Programme. 

Browse a list of DPIR academic staff.

During your visit

Academic Visitors may join the department for a minimum of one month and a maximum of one year.

Visitors will normally be given the title of ‘Visiting Research Fellow’ and will use this title in all references to their association with the department and the University of Oxford. ‘Senior Visiting Research Fellow’ may be given where appropriate.

We ask all visitors to supply a short biography and outline of their current research for the DPIR website. 

In order to improve the DPIR visitor experience, we will ask you to complete a feedback form at the end of your visit.

Visitor Charges

Departmental visitors will normally apply for research funding schemes through their home institution in order to fund the cost of their visit. Please note that the department does not provide salary or other financial payments to visitors, unless these form part of a visiting fellowship grant (see External Funding Schemes below). There are two options:

• Shared desk - £250 per month / £600 per term

  • University card, University email account, access to library services, IT support

• Dedicated Workstation - £350 per month / £750 per term

  • University card, University email account, access to library services, printing facilities and a workspace (when available), IT support

External Funding Schemes for Visitors

If you wish to apply for funding through the department, please make a case for exceptional consideration at least two months in advance of the funder's deadline. Applications through the department to external funding bodies will be considered separately from the application to visit, by the department's Research Committee.

Please note that the Department does not have any funding available for visitors to apply for directly in order to support their visit to the Department.

Enquiries regarding external research funding schemes should be made to the Department's Research Facilitation Team. A number of Oxford colleges also offer Visiting Fellowships – details of their schemes are available on their respective websites.

How to Apply

Your application to the DPIR visitor programme must include:

• A completed Visiting Academic application form (see below) 
• A current CV
• A Letter of Support from a full member of the department of Politics and International Relations wiling to act as your Academic sponsor (usually a full member of the Department)
• A letter from your home institution, confirming approval of your proposed visit

Completed applications should be emailed to enquiries@politics.ox.ac.uk.

Applications to the Academic Visitor scheme will be considered by the department's General Purposes Committee/Head of Department and will be assessed on suitability of the applicant’s qualifications, background and experience, the proposed contribution to the department's activities, and the strength of the letter of support from the Academic Host. Once we have processed your application, we will write to you confirming the outcome, and if successful, confirm the details of your visit.

Deadlines for the academic year 2023 – 24:

• Monday 25 September 2023 (Michaelmas Term)
• Monday 1 January 2024 (Hilary Term)
• Monday 8 April 2024 (Trinity Term)

Visas and Work Permits

Please contact enquiries@politics.ox.ac.uk well in advance of your proposed visit start date in order to discuss visa arrangements. Please note that you will need to wait until you are accepted as a DPIR Visitor before you apply for a visa. Once accepted we will provide a letter of support to facilitate your visa application. The following will apply:

• If you will not be undertaking paid employment as part of your visit, you will need to apply as an Academic under the Standard Visitor Visa.
• If you will be collaborating on a research project hosted by the University and receiving a salary, you will need to apply as a Sponsored Researcher under the Temporary Worker - Government Authorised Exchange (T5) visa; the University will need to assist with the submission of your application.

Please contact enquiries@politics.ox.ac.uk if you require further information. For further information regarding Temporary Worker - Government Authorised Exchange (T5) visas, please contact the HR Manager Penny Taylor (penny.taylor@politics.ox.ac.uk) or the HR Officer Genevieve Moffa (genevieve.moffa@politics.ox.ac.uk).

ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme)

An additional requirement that has been introduced is to check whether the academic visitor has to apply to the ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) for an ATAS certificate. This applies to those international students who intend to study at postgraduate level in certain sensitive subjects, where an individual’s knowledge could be used to develop military technology, weapons of mass destruction or the means of delivering weapons.

From 21 May 2021, this will be extended to international researchers, or posts which contain an element of research, at PhD level or above in a sensitive subject, in the following visa routes:

• Initial and extension Skilled Worker and Tier 5 (GAE) Sponsored Researcher visa. The ATAS certificate must be obtained before SIT can issue the Certificate of Sponsorship
• Visiting researchers coming under the Standard Visitor route. The ATAS certificate must be obtained before the individuals commences their research, although it will be strongly recommended they obtain this prior to travelling to the UK.

An application is made to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for an ATAS certificate. Nationals from the EU, EEA, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, South Korea and the USA will be exempt. Further information can be found at: ATAS Expansion from 21 May 2021 | Staff Immigration (ox.ac.uk).

Please note, this only applies to those subjects that would be considered ‘sensitive’. As such, this would not apply in the case of most Social Science subjects.

COVID-19 Requirements

Go to the UK Government website for more information before you travel. For more information about the University and Coronavirus, please go to Coronavirus and Oxford University.  

College Association

If you wish to apply for association with a college for the duration of your visit, you will need to contact the relevant college directly. Please note that there is a separate fee for college association: you will find details on individual college websites. (Browse the full list of colleges). Being accepted as an Academic visitor does not automatically grant College association.

Terms and Conditions

Visitors who are accepted onto the Department's Visitor Programme will be required to adhere to the University's Statutes and Regulations as described here during their visit and to sign the department's Visitor Agreement which can be downloaded here.