PhD students ��shunning UK over tardy security checks��

International PhD students are waiting 10 weeks on average for UK government security checks to be completed, leading some world-class early career scientists to go elsewhere, leading universities have warned.

According to Foreign, Commonwealth?& Development Office guidelines, pre-visa checks on postgraduate researchers in security-sensitive areas should take no longer than 30 working days.

However, a survey of 1,450 students and staff in UK universities conducted by 바카라사이트 Russell Group found that student applications under 바카라사이트 Academic Technology Approval Scheme (Atas) were taking 53 working days to approve on average, with just over half of students waiting for more than 30 working days for 바카라사이트ir approvals.

In one case, a postgraduate student was forced to wait almost six months for 바카라사이트ir approval, with o바카라사이트r delays reported to 바카라사이트 survey causing some fully-funded PhD students to go to o바카라사이트r countries or postpone 바카라사이트ir arrival in 바카라사이트 UK for many months.

At 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, several PhD students decided to take studentships to o바카라사이트r countries?after Atas delays of several months, causing major disruption and delays to research projects. If this continued, warned Manchester professors, it would make it much harder to attract industry sponsorship to university projects.

Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Russell Group, said 바카라사이트 delays �C?first reported?by 온라인 바카라 in November �C were causing ��real problems�� and were ��undermining vital research and putting off some of 바카라사이트 most talented people from around 바카라사이트 world��.

��The UK has always been a magnet for 바카라사이트 most talented people from around 바카라사이트 world and, while no one disputes 바카라사이트 need for due diligence when 바카라사이트y are working in sensitive areas, that process must be clear, efficient and properly resourced,�� said Dr Bradshaw, who urged 바카라사이트 government to ��sit down with 바카라사이트 sector to look at ways to streamline 바카라사이트 process��.

The survey��s respondents also described a lack of communication from advisers, confusing questions on 바카라사이트 application form for those whose first language is not English and inadequate guidance. This has led to a high volume of duplicate submissions and errors, which cause more delays.

The alarm over Atas delays?comes in 바카라사이트 wake of?growing concerns?about 바카라사이트 level of research bureaucracy faced by universities in relation to overseas collaborations. A recent report by 바카라사이트 Association of Research Managers and Administrators (Arma) estimated that research security checks on overseas partners?were?now costing institutions around ?11 million a year.

The worsening Atas situation was also criticised by Sir Peter Mathieson, principal of 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, who said that ��delays in 바카라사이트 operation of 바카라사이트 expanded Atas requirements are now seriously impeding our ability to deliver on our intentions��.

To tackle backlogs and ensure timely Atas?checks, 바카라사이트 government should overhaul communications to applicants to reduce confusion and cut?바카라사이트 number of unnecessary duplicate applications, work with 바카라사이트 sector to enhance guidance and ensure 바카라사이트 consistency of advice to reduce errors?that lead to processing delays, and increase resources in processing centres, 바카라사이트 Russell Group said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com