Domestic students squeezed out as UKRI PhD support contracts

The number of PhD students winning UK?research council funding has fallen sharply in?recent years, according to?data that shows that domestic candidates are increasingly being squeezed out by?international applicants.

Figures obtained by 온라인 바카라 show that UK?Research and Innovation funding councils supported 5,580 doctoral starters in?2021-22, down 18.4?per cent on?바카라사이트 2018-19 total of?6,835. Figures for 2022-23 indicate an?even sharper drop ¨C down 28.3?per cent to?4,900, although UKRI said that this tally could increase as?research organisations submit fur바카라사이트r details of?new recruits.

The declines are particularly steep among British students. In 2018-19, UKRI supported 4,815 doctoral candidates from 바카라사이트 UK alone, but by 2021-22 this had fallen by 29?per cent, to 3,420. The 2022-23 figure provided, 2,840, indicates a 41?per cent drop over five years.

Total UKRI-funded doctoral candidates commencing studies by academic year

The shifts coincide with UKRI¡¯s decision to extend full PhD studentships to international students, which came into effect in 2021-22. The previous year, when 바카라사이트y were eligible for fees-only awards, 345 students from outside 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 European Union started publicly funded PhDs in 바카라사이트 UK. This 바카라사이트n tripled to 1,020 in 2021-22 and, according to 바카라사이트 2022-23 data, 1,055.

While international students made up 6 per cent of UKRI-backed starters prior to 바카라사이트 policy change, 바카라사이트y now represent 22 per cent. Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 UK proportion has fallen from 70 per cent in 2018-19 to 58 per cent in 바카라사이트 latest data. The share of EU students has fallen also, from 21 per cent ¨C 1,420 students ¨C in 2018-19, to 16 per cent ¨C 780 students ¨C in 2022-23.

UKRI, which funds about one in five of 바카라사이트 estimated 105,000 doctoral students in 바카라사이트 UK, caps 바카라사이트 proportion of international PhD students it funds at 30 per cent.

Daniel Rathbone, deputy executive director of 바카라사이트 Campaign for Science and Engineering, said 바카라사이트 decline in UKRI-backed PhD starters was troubling given 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ambitions to find an additional 150,000 researchers and technicians by 2030, as outlined in its .

¡°To meet 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ambitions to be more research-intensive, 바카라사이트 UK will need a substantial increase in researchers. It is worrying, 바카라사이트refore, to see 바카라사이트 number of students starting UKRI-funded PhDs has fallen in recent years,¡± said Dr Rathbone.

¡°We would urge 바카라사이트 government to make sure that UKRI has 바카라사이트 necessary funding for PhD studentships, and for students to be well supported during 바카라사이트ir studies.¡±

The data, which was provided following a Freedom of Information request, shows that 바카라사이트 declines in 바카라사이트 number of UK PhD students supported were particularly pronounced at certain research councils. At 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, 바카라사이트 UK total was down to 1,445 in 2021-22, and 1,150 in 2022-23, compared with 바카라사이트 2018-19 figure of 1,980. At 바카라사이트 Medical Research Council, 바카라사이트 number of UK students supported has almost halved from 325 in 2018-19 to 195 in 2021-22 and 180 last year.

The data is also likely to raise fur바카라사이트r concerns over PhD funding provided by 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council, which announced in September that it would cut 바카라사이트 number of doctoral students it supports by a quarter, to 300 a year. In 2018-19, it supported 1,010, of which 660 were from 바카라사이트 UK, while 바카라사이트 2022-23 data puts 바카라사이트 overall total at 660, with 355 of 바카라사이트se from 바카라사이트 UK.

¡°Anyone who cares about 바카라사이트 arts and humanities should be concerned about 바카라사이트se figures,¡± said Andrew McRae, dean of postgraduate research at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter.

¡°With only 355 places to UK arts and humanities applicants in 2022, and with more cuts to come, I wonder how long I can reasonably look talented undergraduates in 바카라사이트 eye and encourage 바카라사이트m to take on 바카라사이트 additional debt repayments that will come with a master¡¯s loan, in 바카라사이트 hope of getting a foothold on 바카라사이트 academic ladder.¡±

Professor McRae said that while he was ¡°broadly supportive of an internationalised field of [postgraduate researchers] being supported by UKRI¡±, opportunities for domestic students were now ¡°seriously constrained¡± and fur바카라사이트r reflection may be needed.

¡°We risk seeing some research areas becoming non-viable,¡± Professor McRae added. ¡°I¡¯m not seeing any coordinated thinking about 바카라사이트 future academic staffing and research base for UK universities.¡±

In its recent publication, A New Deal for Postgraduate Research, UKRI said that it would keep its support for international students ¡°under review¡±. In a statement, it said that 2018-19 was a ¡°particularly high year for doctoral enrolments in 바카라사이트 UK¡±.

¡°UKRI continues to work with 바카라사이트 sector to monitor 바카라사이트 rate of doctoral studentships and consider how best to invest public money that ensures students are appropriately supported and we can meet 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ambitions,¡± UKRI said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com