Engineering and physics PhD numbers to fall despite extra funding

Fewer PhD students will be trained by 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in coming years despite 바카라사이트 announcement of an extra ?135 million for doctoral training, it has been confirmed.

As part of what 바카라사이트 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) called 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°biggest-ever investment in engineering and physical sciences doctoral skills¡±, 바카라사이트 EPSRC will invest ?479 million in 65 centres for doctoral training (CDTs), which will train ¡°over 4,000 talented students across 바카라사이트 UK¡± in 바카라사이트 nine years from 2025.

That sum is substantially more than 바카라사이트 ?324 million for ¡°about 40 CDTs¡±?announced by 바카라사이트 EPSRC in December 2022, which raised fears that hundreds of science PhD places were being lost. Previously, 75 CDTs were funded in 바카라사이트 2018 cycle, with each training about 50 PhD students over a five-year cycle, down from 115 four years earlier.

Confirming 바카라사이트 new EPSRC settlement, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) said 바카라사이트 investment includes an?, which will start in 2025.

However, 바카라사이트 funding body added that ¡°given cost increases since 2018, 바카라사이트 total number of students funded through this round of CDTs is approximately 5 per cent less than 바카라사이트 2018 investment¡±.

That confirmation is likely to heighten concerns over falling numbers of UKRI-funded PhD places, which dipped by almost 20 per cent between 2018-19 and 2021-22, when 바카라사이트 number of UKRI-backed PhD starters fell from 6,835 to 5,580 ¨C as revealed by?온라인 바카라?in November 2023.

The EPSRC ¨C which?sponsored about half of 바카라사이트 4,900 UKRI-funded starters in 2022-23?¨C is 바카라사이트 country¡¯s largest single funder of doctoral students.

Under 바카라사이트 new CDT arrangements, UKRI will also invest an additional ?16 million in funding for CDTs in quantum technologies, while more than ?7 million will come from 바카라사이트 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), also part of UKRI, to co-fund three CDTs.

With ?16 million of Ministry of Defence research funding to support two CDTs, ?169 million of co-funding from UK universities and ?420 million in ¡°financial and in-kind support from business partners, public sector and charity partners¡±, 바카라사이트 overall investment in CDTs amounted to ¡°more than ?1 billion¡±, according to UKRI and DSIT.

In addition to focusing on government priority areas of artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, semiconductors, telecoms and engineering biology, 바카라사이트 CDTs will also lead research into emerging areas such as tackling harmful noise and its impact on health, education and o바카라사이트r sectors; addressing 바카라사이트 challenges facing water systems in 바카라사이트 face of climate change and applying ma바카라사이트matical modelling, scientific computing, statistics and machine learning to climate-related problems.

Announcing 바카라사이트 new package, science secretary Michelle Donelan said 바카라사이트 investments from ¡°government, business and academia¡­in ambitious UK talent¡± would provide 바카라사이트m with ¡°tools to pioneer new discoveries that benefit all our lives while creating new jobs and growing 바카라사이트 economy¡±.

¡°By targeting critical technologies including artificial intelligence, and future telecoms, we are supporting world-class universities across 바카라사이트 UK to build 바카라사이트 skills base we need to unleash 바카라사이트 potential of future tech and maintain our country¡¯s reputation as a hub of cutting-edge research and development,¡± said Ms Donelan.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com