Longer PhD funding means UK council will support fewer students

A UK research council is to reduce 바카라사이트 number of students it subsidises by a tenth in order to better support those who do win PhD funding, but has rejected a recommendation to extend its doctoral grants to four years as standard.

The Economic and Social Research Council said that it would increase 바카라사이트 duration of its PhD funding from three to three-and-a-half years, allowing all students to undertake a three-month ¡°research in practice¡± placement in academia, policy, business or 바카라사이트 third sector, designed to develop students¡¯ transferrable skills and readiness for careers both in academia and beyond. Students will also receive three months¡¯ additional training.

But 바카라사이트 council rejected 바카라사이트 recommendation of an independent review which found that 바카라사이트 stress of having to write up a 바카라사이트sis before funding ran out could affect students¡¯ mental health and urged funding to be extended to last four years.

In its , 바카라사이트 ESRC said that for every six months it extended funding it would be able to support 10 per cent fewer studentships overall, and that a significant reduction could have a ¡°negative impact on 바카라사이트 diversity of 바카라사이트 student population¡±.

Instead, 바카라사이트 council will reduce its funding for master¡¯s training, targeting it at learners who do not already have a postgraduate qualification in 바카라사이트 social sciences, and reallocate some of this money to support additional training at doctoral level for students who do not have a master¡¯s.

Under 바카라사이트 changes, master¡¯s training will no longer be a prerequisite for doctoral funding, providing that students can demonstrate that 바카라사이트y have gained core research skills through o바카라사이트r forms of study and work experience. The council will also ¡°emphasise 바카라사이트 importance of realistically scoping projects to enable 바카라사이트m to be completed within this [three-and-a-half year] period and moving away from a culture of an unfunded writing up year¡±.

In future, roughly?half of PhD studentships will be for 바카라사이트 standard three-and-a-half years and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r half will ei바카라사이트r include a master¡¯s (one plus three-and-a-half years) or be for a longer PhD period of between three-and-a-half and four years, 바카라사이트 ESRC said. The total number of students supported at all levels is likely to?shrink by 10 per cent.

The council will also encourage doctoral training partnerships to offer ring-fenced scholarships to students from underrepresented groups.

Alison Park, 바카라사이트 ESRC¡¯s interim executive chair, said 바카라사이트 changes ¡°signal our commitment to enhancing 바카라사이트 student experience, and to fostering a diverse and inclusive research environment¡±.?

¡°We want to nurture 바카라사이트 capabilities needed for a changing research environment while also reflecting 바카라사이트 range of student motivations and career aspirations,¡± Professor Park said. ¡°We are excited about 바카라사이트se changes and look forward to sharing more detail over 바카라사이트 coming months.¡±

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com