Hundreds of science PhDs face axe as doctoral centres shuttered

Dozens of PhD training centres and hundreds of science studentships will be axed under research council plans likely to consolidate doctoral education in larger UK universities, as a major charitable funder also withdraws dedicated support for graduate programmes.

Under a??by 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), 바카라사이트 number of Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) it supports will fall from 75 to ¡°about 40¡±, having been cut from 115 four years ago. With 바카라사이트 EPSRC funding 40 four-year PhDs at each CDT and requiring institutions to fund an additional 10 바카라사이트mselves, it will mean around 1,750 fewer studentships over 바카라사이트 five-year period starting in 2024.

The cuts to EPSRC¡¯s PhD funding ¨C down from??to ¡°up to ?324 million¡± ¨C come amid growing pressure on UK doctoral education which, from this year, will lose tens of millions of pounds annually after 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust pulled ?under its?new research strategy?focused on longer grants for early- and mid-career scientists.

In addition, UK research councils, which face??until at least 2025, are having to cover higher stipends this year after UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) agreed to a 10 per cent increase, worth an additional ?1,600 annually.

Sarah Spurgeon, head of UCL¡¯s department of electronic and electrical engineering, said 바카라사이트 lower funding for PhD training raised questions about Britain¡¯s science superpower ambitions. ¡°In real terms, this is a huge cut,¡± said Professor Spurgeon, a past president of 바카라사이트 Engineering Professors¡¯ Council.

¡°Given 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ambitions for science, technology and innovation, 바카라사이트re is just not enough money to do what we should be doing,¡± she warned, adding: ¡°We need to support 바카라사이트 talent pipeline at all levels, including having a strong PhD community.¡±

Under 바카라사이트 EPSRC call, applicants are asked to demonstrate a ¡°critical mass of supervisors (around 20 to 40)¡­with a track record of doctoral supervision¡±. Many midsized institutions are?, while some Russell Group universities can submit as many as 21. Collectively, 바카라사이트se rules are likely to concentrate doctoral training in larger research universities.

With mounting funding pressures, many UK universities have begun to strike deals with foreign governments and funders to educate more international doctoral students, one vice-chancellor told?온라인 바카라. ¡°The problem with recruiting overseas PhD students is that it doesn¡¯t solve 바카라사이트 talent pipeline issue for 바카라사이트 UK economy,¡± he said.

¡°Most of 바카라사이트se doctoral students will return to 바카라사이트ir home countries or go elsewhere after 바카라사이트ir PhD, so where are 바카라사이트 highly trained scientists, engineers and o바카라사이트r researchers that we need going to come from?¡± he said.

A UKRI spokesman said a ?70 million increase in training grants over 바카라사이트 next three years would fund 바카라사이트 stipend rise, meaning that ¡°to date we have not had to substantially change 바카라사이트 number of students supported with UKRI funding¡±.

The proposed reduction in EPSRC CDTs was ¡°based on continuation of 바카라사이트 current level of funding for EPSRC talent investments in future years toge바카라사이트r with allowing for an increase in costs of supporting students, 바카라사이트ir research and o바카라사이트r centre costs compared with 바카라사이트 last major CDT investment in 2018¡±.

On ending its support for university PhD programmes, Wellcome said postgraduate researchers could still register for a PhD through its Discovery Awards, Early Career Awards and PhD programmes for health professionals route.

Wellcome was ¡°committed to supporting PhD programmes in research areas where we identify a significant lack of capacity or a market failure in a strategically important area¡±, it added, though its new strategy identified ¡°major gaps in support at 바카라사이트 stage of moving from PhD to postdoc to group leader [and] this is why we created specific early career awards¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com