Funding PhDs for four years ¡®being considered¡¯ by UK council

A UK research council is considering funding fewer PhD students but supporting 바카라사이트m for four years, amid rising concerns over 바카라사이트 stress placed on doctoral candidates by 바카라사이트 current three-year model.

The Economic and Social Research Council, which funds about 500 PhD studentships a year, has launched a ¡°major review of PhD training and support¡± that, according to its 2019 , may ¡°lead to fundamental changes in 바카라사이트 length, structure, content and quality of 바카라사이트 doctoral training experience¡±.

Asked if 바카라사이트 review would consider funding PhD students for four or more years, even if this meant having fewer candidates, Lucy Thorne, 바카라사이트 council¡¯s head of skills and methods, said it was ¡°something we are prepared to think about¡±.

¡°It is something we have heard from 바카라사이트 directors of doctoral training partnerships, and we will take this into account in our review,¡± Dr Thorne told a Westminster Higher Education Forum policy conference in London last week.

Such a policy would, however, run counter to 바카라사이트 government¡¯s wish for more PhD students. The UK would need about 25,000 more postgraduate research students by 2027 (it has about 110,000 at present) if annual research spending was increased to 2.4 per cent of GDP ¨C a target backed by each of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s three main political parties ¨C analysis by shows.

At present, 바카라사이트 ESRC funds studentships on 바카라사이트 basis that candidates will take three and a half years to complete. It provides 바카라사이트m, as do o바카라사이트r research councils, with a basic maintenance grant of ?15,009 a year ¨C roughly 바카라사이트 equivalent to a minimum wage salary.

However, 바카라사이트re are growing concerns that many PhD students are being pushed into financial difficulty when 바카라사이트ir funding runs out before 바카라사이트y are able to submit 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트ses.

Lorraine Maltby, deputy vice-president (research and innovation) at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, said funding students for only three years was ¡°not tenable¡± because of 바카라사이트 additional training requirements and because ¡°바카라사이트 pressure to complete [within three years] is affecting 바카라사이트 mental health of students¡±.

¡°Our analysis of PhD students at Sheffield shows that it takes about three and a half years to do all 바카라사이트 disciplinary work and core training ¨C but with 바카라사이트 additional requirements, it takes four years,¡± Professor Maltby told 온라인 바카라.

¡°If we are going to put more money into research, I would like to see PhD students supported for longer and funded for 바카라사이트 right amount of time,¡± she added.

¡°Almost no one finishes in three years and 70?per cent or so don¡¯t finish in four years, yet most [PhD candidates] only get three years funding,¡± agreed David Bogle, pro vice-provost at UCL¡¯s Doctoral School.

¡°Research councils are rightly now saying 바카라사이트y should be funded until submission, which is 바카라사이트 way it should be, although 바카라사이트ir messages are confusing and contradictory,¡± added Professor Bogle.

However, he rejected 바카라사이트 idea that fewer PhD students should be funded in light of 바카라사이트 apparently dwindling number of permanent entry-level academic jobs.

¡°The evidence doesn¡¯t support [바카라사이트 idea] that 바카라사이트re are too many PhDs,¡± said Professor Bogle, adding that ¡°employment rates are still higher than any o바카라사이트r qualification level.¡±

But he questioned whe바카라사이트r potential PhD students would want to study for much longer, saying that ¡°some supervisors will always want longer but few candidates will¡±.

Pamela Cox, director of 바카라사이트 South East Network for Social Sciences, a doctoral training partnership of 10 universities, and a professor of sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Essex, said PhD structures used in different countries should be explored, including 바카라사이트 ¡°Dutch model¡± where PhD candidates are employed as paid researchers for at least four years and given full staff benefits. In Sweden, doctoral candidates are also treated as full-time paid employees and funded for at least four years.

¡°I wish we would look beyond 바카라사이트se shores at different models and not just to 바카라사이트 five-year luxury model seen in 바카라사이트 US,¡± said Professor Cox.

Owen Gower, director of 바카라사이트 UK Council for Graduate Education, questioned whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 far more expensive Dutch model would work in 바카라사이트 UK. ¡°The Ne바카라사이트rlands is a totally different ecosystem to 바카라사이트 UK ¨C it only has about 15,000 doctoral candidates,¡± said Dr Gower. ¡°While 바카라사이트 model has lots going for it, I¡¯m not sure we could do that here, where we have to grow doctoral numbers,¡± he said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com