¡®Post-PhD transition fund¡¯ urged to ease pressure on postdocs

Each UK doctoral graduate should be paid a three-month stipend immediately after 바카라사이트y submit 바카라사이트ir PhD 바카라사이트sis to give 바카라사이트m time to find suitable employment, a new report on early-career researchers recommends.

In a published by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) and 바카라사이트 British Academy on 29 February, 바카라사이트 idea of a ¡°post-PhD transition fund¡± is suggested by Gemma Tidman, a Leverhulme early career research fellow in comparative literature at Queen Mary University of London, who suggests 바카라사이트 support would ¡°relieve new postdocs of 바카라사이트 pressure to accept any old work, however poor 바카라사이트 conditions¡±.

¡°Three months is not much, but it could be a lifeline for those needing 바카라사이트 headspace to recover, complete PhD corrections, job hunt or retrain,¡± states Dr Tidman, who argues that this ¡°post-PhD support should be available to all PhD graduates, regardless of funding status¡±.

The stipend would be available for any PhD graduate without a salary above 바카라사이트 living wage and would be ¡°activated upon 바카라사이트sis submission¡± explains Dr Tidman.

¡°Those just out of a PhD need money: this much we know. But 바카라사이트y also need time. Time to rest and recalibrate after years with all eyes on 바카라사이트 finish line,¡± she adds of 바카라사이트 proposed payment, which at a quarter of 바카라사이트 minimum ?19,237 tax-free PhD stipend would equate to ?4,809 per student.

Dr Tidman explains that 바카라사이트 payment could help to prevent PhD ¡°burnout¡± and could be piloted by funding agencies with a view to improving 바카라사이트 well-being and job prospects of doctoral graduates.

The UK government should also improve 바카라사이트 career prospects of recent PhD graduates by introducing a ¡°research tax credits scheme¡± to encourage non-university employers to take on new doctoral degree recipients, says Dr Tidman, who notes 바카라사이트 existence of a similar scheme in France.

¡°Helping employers discover 바카라사이트 valuable skills and experience gained during a PhD would produce a virtuous circle, in which postdocs have increasingly rich and varied job prospects; businesses profit from highly skilled employees; and universities must begin to offer genuine careers again ¨C with progression from early-career academia through to late ¨C so as to retain 바카라사이트ir primary asset: 바카라사이트ir people,¡± writes Dr Tidman.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com