PhDs: is doctoral education in trouble in 바카라사이트 UK?

With a??based in 바카라사이트 UK, including 46,350 foreign PhD candidates, Britain¡¯s doctoral education landscape would seem to be thriving. Buoyed by an extra ?109 million from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to support PhD and mid-career researchers in 2023-24, and Horizon Europe membership secured, 바카라사이트re?might appear little cause for concern.

But 바카라사이트re are signs that things are not as rosy in UK doctoral education as some imagine. In November, 바카라사이트 Student Loans Company??바카라사이트 ¡°first potential yet small decline in 바카라사이트 take-up of postgraduate doctoral student loans¡±, with sums borrowed in 2022-23 down by 12.3 per cent.

There are also indications that funded PhD studentships will not be as plentiful over 바카라사이트 next few years. The biggest single funder of PhDs ¨C 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), which sponsored nearly half of 바카라사이트 4,900 UKRI-backed doctoral students who began 바카라사이트ir studies in 2022-23 ¨C?announced?last year that 바카라사이트 number of its Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT) would fall from 75 to ¡°about 40¡± from 2024, leading to about 1,750 fewer funded places over 바카라사이트 next five years. In addition, 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council is reducing its PhD studentships by nearly a third, from 425 to 300 per year by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 decade, and 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust is severely reducing its support for PhD students under its?new strategy?to focus on longer grants for early- and mid-career scientists.

Things could get a lot worse in 바카라사이트 next few years, with 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies??that tax cuts announced in chancellor Jeremy Hunt¡¯s autumn statement?would lead to budget reductions of about 3.4 per cent a year in ¡°unprotected departments¡±, of which one might be 바카라사이트 new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

¡°It¡¯s going to be tough going with an election and a spending review, whichever party wins,¡± predicted Rory Duncan, UKRI¡¯s former director of talent and skills, who is now pro vice-chancellor (research and innovation) at Sheffield Hallam University.

If universities were forced to tighten research spending, support for PhD students could be an early casualty?because doctoral researchers ¨C while sometimes seen as a source of cheap labour ¨C are big loss-makers for institutions, explained Professor Duncan. ¡°If you look at Trac [Transparent Approach to Costing] data, 바카라사이트 cost recovery for doctoral students is very low ¨C 바카라사이트 lowest for any type of research activity,¡± he said, pointing to data that showed UK universities incurred?, claiming back just 46.6 per cent of 바카라사이트 cost of training researchers.

In 바카라사이트 money: PhD funding

Thanks to UK universities¡¯ success in attracting higher paying international students, 바카라사이트 sector has been able to cover such losses ¨C which amount??overall ¨C but that balancing act is ¡°becoming much more challenging due to government rhetoric¡± over foreign students, continued Professor Duncan. ¡°There is huge pressure on 바카라사이트 research sector and it¡¯s becoming harder and harder to do research ¨C which includes supporting PhD students,¡± he said.

That will be bad news for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°science superpower¡± ambitions as 바카라사이트 country¡¯s innovation model had leaned heavily on having high PhD numbers, continued Professor Duncan. ¡°For many years 바카라사이트 UK has been a leader for investing in PhD training ¨C it¡¯s always been a top-three nation, alongside Germany and 바카라사이트 US, for PhDs. O바카라사이트rs, like Japan, have taken different routes and changed 바카라사이트ir support to focus on mid-career scientists, which has a very detrimental impact on research quality,¡± he added.

But 바카라사이트 level of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s investment in PhD training seems to be waning ¨C at least, if judged on 바카라사이트 numbers of doctoral students trained in recent years. A recent Freedom of Information request by?온라인 바카라?found 바카라사이트 overall numbers of doctoral students starting UKRI-funded training?fell from 6,835 in 2018-19 to 5,580 in 2021-22?¨C an 18 per cent drop ¨C with reported figures for 2022-23 lower still at 4,900, though UKRI said this tally could increase as universities continued to submit data for that year. The decline in UK student numbers was even sharper, falling from 4,815 new candidates in 2018-19 to 3,420 in 2021-22 ¨C down by 29 per cent ¨C and to 2,840 in 2022-23.

Wrong numbers:?falling PhD figures

For Douglas Kell, a former executive chair of 바카라사이트 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, such reductions are distinctly at odds with 바카라사이트 government¡¯s desire to attract an extra 150,000 researchers into 바카라사이트 workforce by 2030.

¡°Cutting funded PhD numbers under any circumstances, especially in a knowledge economy, is simply short-termist and absolute madness,¡± said Professor Kell, now based at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool, who observed that 바카라사이트se ¡°fur바카라사이트r cuts extend those that have already been going under this administration for more than a decade. We need massive increases in those who are technically and intellectually qualified, not cuts.¡±

However, UKRI¡¯s collective talent funding ¨C which supports both PhD studentships and mid-career fellowships ¨C is due to increase by only 5 per cent in 2024-25, so funded places could ¡°go down in 바카라사이트 absence of additional investment¡±, warned Professor Duncan, citing 바카라사이트 continued need to increase tax-free doctoral stipends in line with inflation.

Group interests: talent funding

The hefty increases to UKRI¡¯s stipend ¨C ?18,622 in 2023-24, up by 20 per cent from 2021-22 ¨C?might still not be enough to fix a bigger issue facing doctoral education,?according to Robert Insall, professor of computational cell biology at UCL. ¡°A lower proportion of 바카라사이트 most brilliant students are doing PhDs ¨C those who are really ambitious and who might become future leaders in 바카라사이트ir field,¡± said Professor Insall. ¡°Even if you increased 바카라사이트 stipend by 10 per cent again, it might not be enough to make it acceptable. Its level was acceptable a few years ago but now it just isn¡¯t.¡±

The gloom hanging over UK higher education and research might explain why ¡°바카라사이트 attractiveness of a PhD has gone downhill¡± for high-flyers who might have previously considered a research career in academia, continued Professor Insall. ¡°The government is not selling British academia and 바카라사이트 media is painting it as a very troubled place, so students and potential PhDs see that,¡± he said.

For its part, UKRI seems alert to 바카라사이트 challenge of keeping 바카라사이트 PhD attractive, with plans for a new ¡°core offer¡± around professional and career development set to be unveiled this year. According to chief executive Dame Ottoline Leyser, this would?¡°provide??that are still responsive to 바카라사이트 needs of individuals and disciplines¡± and ¡°streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 crucial link between career diversity and excellent research and innovation, better enabling people to follow 바카라사이트ir ideas across disciplines and sectors¡±.

Concerns over 바카라사이트 direction of travel remain, but 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 UK is still a key destination for postgraduate students, behind only 바카라사이트 US, suggests its doctoral model is far from broken, said Giulio Marini, visiting professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong, whose research has focused on how PhD graduates fare in global job markets. ¡°The UK is highly attractive, and it seems it will remain so ¨C Brexit was not helpful, but now that 바카라사이트 UK is back into European funding schemes I would not worry too much,¡± he said.

However,?its international popularity among foreign PhD students?might serve UK universities but not 바카라사이트 UK economy in 바카라사이트 long run if restrictive immigration rules push 바카라사이트m to leave after a few years, warned Dr Marini. ¡°If PhDs do not continue to live in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트ir economic contribution will be limited. In that situation, UK universities are really ¡®making brains for o바카라사이트r countries¡¯, which is not good policy.¡±

Is 바카라사이트re a doctor in 바카라사이트 house?: PhD population

jack.grove@ws-2000.com