Withdraw and extensions

For a variety of reasons, participants may need to gain an extension or withdraw their interest or active participation in the EdTA (e.g., if you are completing your studies or leaving the university). Please email our EdTA team and your mentor to notify us of your change in circumstances. 

Email us: IAD.cpdframework@ed.ac.uk

If you are approaching your EdTA end-date, our team will email you to ask if you intend to submit at the final submission point. If you are unresponsive to our communications or confirm that you are unable to make that deadline, we will withdraw you from the scheme and provide some options for future fellowship opportunities. Options include using your work to make a direct application to Advance HE or re-joining the waiting list to start the scheme over at a future date.

It is your responsibility to manage your time, attend to deadlines, and notify us if anything changes during your time within the scheme. 

Challenges and changes to your working or studying pattern

Some participants encounter challenges during their time on the EdTA, for example:

• Illness: If you have been suffering from an illness that is impacting your ability to work or study
• Bereavement: If someone in your life has passed away

Some participants also have changes to their workload, personal, or professional working or studying patterns, such as:

• Caring responsibilities: If you take on new caring responsibilities to children or dependents
• Change to duties at work: If your role at the university has changed in a significant way during your EdTA (i.e., workload, teaching, research commitments, etc.)
• Part-time working pattern: If you currently work or study part-time or have recently switched to a new part-time working or studying pattern.

Here are our recommendations for managing or accommodating these challenges and changes to your working or study patterns.

Seeking an extension

For most EdTA participants, if you have had shorter-term challenges or changes to your working or studying pattern, we would recommend an extension. We recommend that you seek this extension in your final two months of your EdTA (nearing your end-date).

Key facts about extensions:

• All participants may receive only one extension during their time on the EdTA.
• We have a blanket extension policy, which means that all extensions sought will be given.
• You do not need to share a sick note or other personal or private details with us.
• Most extensions will be 3-6 months in length.*
• If you need more than 6 months of extension, we will recommend that you withdraw from the scheme.

How do I get an extension?

Please email the EdTA team and notify us of your need for an extension. In your email to us, please provide two key facts: 1) the reason for your extension (illness, bereavement, caring responsibilities, changes to work duties, and/or part-time working pattern), and 2) describe how much progress you have made on your EdTA submission so far, so that we can estimate how much time you need. We will email back with a new proposed end date and confirm the extension.

If you need further time beyond your initial extension to prepare your submission, we will recommend that you withdraw from the scheme. 

*Part-time working or studying

If you are studying or working part-time (0.6 FTE or less) at any time during your EdTA, you are entitled to an additional 6 months of extension. Please seek this extension at the end of your time on the EdTA (nearing your end date) rather than at the start of the scheme. This allows you to incorporate any challenges or changes into one extension that is applied (e.g., if you work part-time and have had a chronic illness you could request up to 9 months or 12 months extension all together). 

Withdrawing from the scheme

If you have a major life event that means you will be off work or study for more than 6 months, we will recommend that you withdraw from the EdTA and rejoin the EdTA upon your return to work. Please notify us if you need to withdraw. We encourage you to rejoin the EdTA by completing the waiting list form and we will contact you once your name reaches the top of the list. During your time away from the EdTA, you can continue to work independently on your claim through writing and evidencing. Once you start the scheme again, you can resume progress on your EdTA work.

Often long-term leave can be due to sudden or unexpected events and we understand that there are many reasons that you might not be able to notify us right away. But, when you are able to, please let us know as soon as possible.