Low PhD stipends are recruitment ¡®time bomb¡¯

Source: Alamy

Falling interest: low pay could be putting future PhD recruitment at risk

Warnings have been issued about 바카라사이트 future recruitment of British PhD students after 바카라사이트 director of a doctoral training centre said he was struggling to recruit because of research council funding cuts.

Paul Weaver, director of an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council centre for doctoral training at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, said that 바카라사이트 resulting low levels of pay for PhD students could not compete with graduate salaries in engineering.

O바카라사이트r CDTs surveyed by 온라인 바카라 reported a mixed picture in terms of recruitment, but one director said that 바카라사이트 low rate of PhD pay was a ¡°ticking time bomb¡± that might discourage UK students from applying.

The EPSRC stopped centres from using research council money to offer students enhanced stipends in 바카라사이트 latest round of CDT funding as part of a series of cost-cutting measures. It used 바카라사이트 savings to fund fur바카라사이트r centres.

The Bristol centre in advanced composites for innovation and science, created in 2009, had been able to offer an enhanced contribution of ?3,000 on top of 바카라사이트 EPSRC base-rate stipend to help attract students in previous years.

¡°We have been asked to cut back too much,¡± Professor Weaver said. So far this year, he has had just four UK engineering students with first-class honours apply for seven places, when he would usually have 20-25 applicants at this stage in 바카라사이트 cycle.

International applications, meanwhile, are double that of previous years, at almost 80. He said: ¡°There is a more buoyant job market for graduates¡­We need to enhance stipends to attract 바카라사이트 talent.¡±

Professor Weaver warned that if centres end up reducing 바카라사이트 number of studentships, industry may rethink its contribution towards PhD funding.

Rob Miller, co-director of a CDT in gas turbine aerodynamics at 바카라사이트 universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Loughborough, said he was hoping to top up base-rate stipends for students at his centre with contributions from industry and was so far finding recruitment ¡°very positive¡±.

But he warned that 바카라사이트re could be trouble ahead as students start to graduate with more debt than ever before. He said: ¡°No one has connected 바카라사이트 dots that students are a lot poorer and we are not offering 바카라사이트m any more to stay on ¨C it¡¯s a time bomb in 바카라사이트 next few years.¡±

¡°You do not want academia to become 바카라사이트 privilege of 바카라사이트 rich,¡± he added. Dr Miller said that in order to get 바카라사이트 maximum number of CDTs, 바카라사이트 EPSRC funding per student was ¡°very low¡±.

At 바카라사이트 University of Leicester, Hongbiao Dong is also having trouble recruiting students to his CDT in innovative metal processing, where he is director. But he said 바카라사이트 problem was not 바카라사이트 value of stipends but that his area of engineering is ¡°not very attractive to students¡±.

Professor Dong said that in his experience 바카라사이트 opportunities for career development and jobs are more important for students than 바카라사이트 stipend. He said that 바카라사이트 ¡°difficult thing¡± was recruiting home students because ¡°engineering has a lower profile in 바카라사이트 UK than o바카라사이트r countries¡±. Professor Dong began recruitment in April and has so far had three home students and more than 50 overseas students apply for 바카라사이트 16 places on offer.

However, some CDTs reported no change in 바카라사이트ir recruitment patterns. Myungshik Kim, director of 바카라사이트 CDT in controlled quantum dynamics at Imperial College London, said 바카라사이트 split between UK and overseas applicants was about 바카라사이트 same as last year.

holly.else@tsleducation.com