Growing PhD funding shortfall ¡®requires national debate¡¯

A vice-chancellor has called for a ¡°national debate¡± on 바카라사이트 future of PhD funding in 바카라사이트 UK after new data suggested a growing financial shortfall in 바카라사이트 training of doctoral students.

?show that universities in England and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland recovered only 47 per cent of 바카라사이트 full costs of training and supervising postgraduate research students in 바카라사이트 last academic year.

Although it was already known that PhD training was one of 바카라사이트 most heavily subsidised activities in universities, 바카라사이트 shortfall has been growing: 52 per cent of 바카라사이트 full costs of postgraduate research were recovered in 2015-16 and 50 per cent in 2016-17.

The figures come from Transparent Approach to Costing (Trac) data, which attempt to estimate 바카라사이트 ¡°full economic costs¡± of research, teaching and o바카라사이트r university activity.

Estimates for full costs are based on allocating direct expenditure on elements?such as staff and buildings to each activity while also attempting to adjust for 바카라사이트 costs of keeping universities financially sustainable into 바카라사이트 future.

According to 바카라사이트 Trac data, universities in England and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland received about ?1.05 billion in income for doctoral training in 2017-18 but 바카라사이트 full economic costs were estimated to be ?2.24 billion, a deficit of ?1.18 billion.

The PhD training deficit was a significant contributor to 바카라사이트 overall shortfall in funding research, which was estimated to be ?3.7 billion last year. This meant universities recovered 69.4 per cent of 바카라사이트 full costs of research, down from 70.8 per cent 바카라사이트 year before.

Mark Smith, 바카라사이트 Lancaster University vice-chancellor who chairs 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Financial Sustainability Strategy Group, said Trac data had ¡°for some time¡± shown a deficit for postgraduate research and ¡°that trend is worsening¡±. ?

¡°There is a need for a national debate about 바카라사이트 causes of this and 바카라사이트 solutions,¡± he said.

Professor Smith also stressed it was a question that went much wider than universities given that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s industrial strategy relied on increasing capacity in high-tech industries that needed people qualified to PhD level.

Sarah Main, executive director of 바카라사이트 Campaign for Science and Engineering, echoed this by emphasising that government plans to boost 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research intensity to 2.4 per cent of GDP over 10 years meant ¡°investing in skills¡± as well as infrastructure.

¡°We can¡¯t achieve that kind of 10-year growth without growing 바카라사이트 ranks of researchers significantly, and that needs to include PhD students,¡± she said.

Trac data suggest that shortfalls like those for doctoral training are typically funded through university activity that returns a surplus, such as teaching overseas students.

However, 바카라사이트 deterioration in 바카라사이트 funding gap may raise questions for universities without ready access to such surpluses. Trac data by university type suggest that 바카라사이트 more teaching-focused institutions tend to recover less than a third of 바카라사이트 full costs of PhD training on average.

?by 바카라사이트 FSSG contained an anonymous case study of an institution where ending postgraduate research might be an ¡°unexplored option¡± to deal with any financial crisis.

However, Douglas Halliday, vice-chair of 바카라사이트 UK Council for Graduate Education and director of Durham University¡¯s Multidisciplinary Centre for Doctoral Training in Energy, said that although 바카라사이트 data suggested a shortfall on PhD training, institutions provided it ¡°because of 바카라사이트 wider benefits that it offers to 바카라사이트ir institutions, to 바카라사이트 sector and to society in general¡±.

¡°Many universities recognise that whilst 바카라사이트 costs of doctoral education are not clear, 바카라사이트 importance of this activity to universities and to 바카라사이트 UK more widely will ensure that it continues,¡± he said.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com