Application Process

A visitor is generally considered to be someone who comes from another academic institution, for a single specific visit to Oxford, typically lasting from one week to one year, during which time they are based and work in the department and are provided with departmental and university facilities.

  • A visitor is considered to be an individual visiting the department who will be carrying out some form of activity related to the work of the department.
  • A University-hosted research project is considered to be a programme of research for which the University receives specific funding.
  • A visitor is said to be working on such a project if he/she has been invited to carry out (whether paid or unpaid) an identified sub-programme of research within the project.

An affiliate is an academic based in the university, but whose primary contractual employer is not the department, and who is still very closely involved in teaching and/or research directly run by the department. This is typically college JRFs or externally contracted research fellows (e.g. Newton International Fellow, SNSF Fellow, etc).

 

The online application form must be completed in advance by the academic host (a member of academic staff of the department) for all prospective visitors or affiliates to the Mathematical Institute who will be carrying out some form of activity (paid or unpaid) and who, irrespective of their planned length of stay, require access to services during their visit, including access to departmental IT facilities, University Card, desk space and Whitehead Library.

Please be aware if your visitor needs a visa or ATAS certificate then it typically takes them several months to go through the process to obtain one. Such a person cannot be permitted to work in the building until these are in place and so it is important to plan ahead and submit visitor applications well in advance!

 

This form must be completed before arrival as this enables the Department to make ready any specific requirements, desk space etc., and to effectively welcome the person, and also to check any legal and visa requirements without which they cannot be admitted or provided any service.

In some cases the visit will be funded by a research project or centre in which case the form can be completed by the local administrative support. In other cases the host may be an individual member of the faculty, in which case the form should be completed by that faculty member with the help of the Visitors Coordinator/HR.

The online application form walks you through the information you need to submit. For certain types of visitors, and for visits longer than 3 months, more information is required - e.g. supporting statements, CV of the proposed visitor etc.

A submitted online application triggers a notification to the relevant research group head. They can reject, authorise or return the application for further clarification. When they approve the application it triggers a notification to the departmental approval stage. Again at this stage the application can be rejected, approved or returned for clairification. If/when approved the submitted information then reaches the visitor coordinator who issues the invitation letter (if marked as required), and arranges other facilities as appropriate, prior to welcoming the visitor when they arrive.

Visits supported by funded research projects will require prior approval within the grant from the funding body to request expenses.

At any time you can discuss the visitor form with the Visitors Coordinator (@email) or Keith Gillow.

Arrival and induction

The person will receive a welcome pack at reception and will have an induction to the building. All visitors who require access to departmental facilities will be asked to complete a visitor registration form and confirm that they have the appropriate visa or right to visit the department.

If the visitor requires a visa, or is a visa national, a check will be made of their visa and a copy of their passport and visa (if applicable) kept along with the visitor registration form. This check may be made locally (i.e. by research centre administrative staff) but the paperwork must be forwarded to the Visitor co-ordinator, within a day of arrival. The department is required to record this information to comply with UK Visa and Immigration regulations. Failure to comply can result in individual fines.

Please contact us with feedback and comments about this page. Last updated on 18 Aug 2023 15:12.