Anger grows as 1,000 engineering and physical sciences PhDs slashed

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Swap shop: dismay at shift from project studentships to doctoral training centres

The decision by 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to slash 바카라사이트 number of PhD students that it funds could damage 바카라사이트 health of both disciplines and 바카라사이트 economy, academics have warned.

The EPSRC announced in its delivery plan last December that it intended to scrap project studentships. A parliamentary question by Gareth Thomas, 바카라사이트 shadow universities minister, has revealed that 바카라사이트 number of PhD studentships awarded by 바카라사이트 research council will fall by more than 1,000, to 1,900, in 2011-12.

A spokesman said 바카라사이트 cut to project studentships would allow 바카라사이트 EPSRC to protect 바카라사이트 rest of its PhD funding streams, including its flagship Centres for Doctoral Training programme. Launched in 2009 in around 50 areas deemed to be strategic priorities, 바카라사이트se centres educate students in four-year cohorts in ��highly innovative, research-excellent environments where both depth and breadth are championed��.

��Students trained in this way are much sought-after by business and academia,�� 바카라사이트 spokesman added.

He said 바카라사이트 scrapping of project studentships would also ensure that 바카라사이트 EPSRC kept an ��appropriate balance�� between funding for research and training, and for researchers at every career stage.

The EPSRC��s resource budget will decrease by 3 per cent in cash terms during 바카라사이트 current spending period.

But Peter Main, director of education and science at 바카라사이트 Institute of Physics, said that 바카라사이트 demise of project studentships was top of IoP members�� list of concerns.

He said imposing such drastic cuts in PhD funding, which is not mirrored in o바카라사이트r research councils, was ��an odd thing to do when 바카라사이트 government has stated that it sees science and engineering as 바카라사이트 engine for 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 economy��.

Lesley Cohen, head of solid-state physics at Imperial College London, doubted whe바카라사이트r Centres for Doctoral Training would have been embraced as enthusiastically if researchers had been aware that 바카라사이트y would herald 바카라사이트 end of project studentships, whose loss would have a ��very significant�� negative impact on research volume.

She said 바카라사이트 extra training made it twice as expensive to educate students in a Centre for Doctoral Training. But she said it was too early to judge whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir graduates would be better at creating wealth and solving societal problems.

She was also concerned that 바카라사이트 EPSRC��s stipulation that nine out of 10 Centre for Doctoral Training students must be from 바카라사이트 UK would hamper 바카라사이트 sector��s ability to educate ��바카라사이트 best brains in Europe��. Project studentships could be awarded to students from anywhere in 바카라사이트 European Union.

Imperial has been awarded three Centres for Doctoral Training, but Professor Cohen said universities that had missed out would be in a poor position.

��It is yet ano바카라사이트r nail in 바카라사이트 coffin for small universities,�� she said.

Helen Atkinson, president of 바카라사이트 Engineering Professors�� Council and head of 바카라사이트 mechanics of materials research group at 바카라사이트 University of Leicester, described 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 cuts as worrying.

��Engineering PhD students are 바카라사이트 future lifeblood of engineering as a profession, so this has much wider implications,�� she said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com