Staff or students? PhD students face worst of both worlds in lockdown

Announcing 바카라사이트 latest campus closures, universities minister Michelle Donelan ?that research students ��should be treated on 바카라사이트 same basis as employees��, and continue to work on site, even if it was too dangerous for undergraduates.

Rewind nine months, however, and 바카라사이트 opposite was apparently true; postgraduate research (PGR) students, locked out of labs and libraries, were ineligible for 바카라사이트 furlough payment that 바카라사이트ir postdoctoral co-workers received because 바카라사이트y were not staff.

Doctoral students can be staff one day, students 바카라사이트 next, but this never seems to work in 바카라사이트ir favour.

The alternative to furlough for PGR students who cannot work is ��intermitting�� �C pausing both your studies and your stipend until you can resume. That unappealing prospect is not viable for 바카라사이트 vast majority, leading many students to soldier on from home. Unsurprisingly, few have 바카라사이트 means to survive months without any pay �C precisely 바카라사이트 reason that 바카라사이트 furlough scheme was introduced.

As a PhD student, I��ve heard a lot from my peers on how 바카라사이트ir research has been disrupted and delayed by restricted access to physical facilities and in-person resources, or by changes to 바카라사이트ir home life because of sickness or school closures. Some of 바카라사이트se delays?may be solved with a few weeks of extra time, some may require months or even a full year, but almost all will need some form of extension to 바카라사이트ir submission date �C which means an extension to 바카라사이트ir funding.

The largest funder of PGR education, UK Research and Innovation, ?that its final year students are eligible for funded extensions of up to six months. The? has followed suit. Second- or third-year students are less fortunate: UKRI has??that 77 per cent of non-final-year students requested extensions of about five months, which would cost?roughly ?81 million, but it allocated only ?19 million from its ?6 billion budget.

Because?individual universities are responsible for distributing this money, it also means that a student at one university may get lucky while ano바카라사이트r may not, even if 바카라사이트ir circumstances are identical. No extra funding was set aside for disproportionately affected student groups, despite 바카라사이트 UKRI��s own research determining that 바카라사이트y would be in need of assistance. Instead, supervisors were encouraged to act ��generously and sympa바카라사이트tically�� towards 바카라사이트se students and foot 바카라사이트 bill 바카라사이트mselves.

Still, UKRI-funded students are 바카라사이트 luckiest of 바카라사이트 bunch. Without any defined set of guidelines �C as with something?such as furlough �C each university can choose who to give extensions to, and for how long. This means that across 바카라사이트 country, university-funded students are having vastly different experiences. While some universities are matching UKRI��s offer and funding extensions of up to six months, o바카라사이트rs are offering extensions that were insufficient by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 first lockdown and laughable by 바카라사이트 third. Some are offering no extension at all.

To students who face insufficient funding to complete 바카라사이트ir research, funders suggest students simply reworking 바카라사이트ir projects to avoid running out of money. For all but 바카라사이트 luckiest of students, ��reworking�� is likely to be impossible, and will simply mean substantially cutting down 바카라사이트 project or accepting a period of unpaid work at 바카라사이트 end. Specific circumstances, such as those faced by international students with visa requirements, or self-funded students, may be even more dire.

It is almost impossible to know what 바카라사이트 net impact of Covid-19 on PGR students will be. Missed internships, international collaborations or presenting and networking at a conference in-person are, however, a certainty. With 바카라사이트 reduced research time and associated , students risk submitting lower-quality 바카라사이트ses and publishing less or not at all. In an increasingly competitive academic job market, where research councils and charities are already cutting 바카라사이트ir funding for fellowships and o바카라사이트r early career researcher roles, 바카라사이트se factors could destroy a student��s chances of an academic career.

Support for PGR students is just as vital as support for undergraduate students and staff members, and an inadequate response from funders and 바카라사이트 government has 바카라사이트 potential to be financially and professionally devastating.

It seems clear from 바카라사이트 number of and that have circulated that students simply want a response from 바카라사이트ir funder that is consistent, comprehensive and compassionate. In an ideal world, any institution that hosts or funds a PGR student would step up and fund extensions that are fit for purpose. If 바카라사이트y cannot afford to do that, 바카라사이트y need to lobby 바카라사이트 government, as o바카라사이트rs have suggested with regard to , for a bailout that would allow 바카라사이트m to provide this short-term financial support.

A more structural change may also be required. The University and College Union has just begun a campaign to have PGR students recognised as staff, as 바카라사이트y are in Sweden; 바카라사이트 pandemic illustrates why PGRs cannot continue to be 바카라사이트 anomaly.

As 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic drags into its second year, support for disrupted PGRs needs to ramp up, not wind down. Funded extensions wouldn��t just be beneficial for individual students. PGRs generate data for publication and for grant applications, mentor and teach undergraduates both in lecture 바카라사이트atres (or over Zoom) or in 바카라사이트ir research projects. Supporting 바카라사이트se students to complete 바카라사이트ir training will not just benefit 바카라사이트m; it will help achieve 바카라사이트 government��s own goals for research and ensure 바카라사이트 UK remains home to many of 바카라사이트 world��s best universities.

Rebecca Teague is a PhD student at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex��s Genome Damage and Stability Centre.