Social science doctoral training centres not working, says report

UK academics have called for an urgent review of 바카라사이트 running and funding of doctoral training centres for postgraduate students, amid claims that 바카라사이트 schemes are ineffective and unsustainable.

Publishing a on 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council¡¯s doctoral training policy ¨C which requires universities to bid for funding to establish new training centres ¨C researchers from Liverpool Hope and Bath Spa universities warned that bureaucracy and lack of funding were preventing universities from achieving positive results.

It follows accusations that 바카라사이트 doctoral training centres funded by a second council, 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, were not performing as well as billed.

Drawing on interviews with staff and students alongside doctoral completion rate figures, 바카라사이트 report on 바카라사이트 ESRC reiterates concerns over 바카라사이트 ¡°selective nature¡± of 바카라사이트 centres. Post-92 universities?were found to be?¡°far more likely¡± to be excluded from ESRC doctoral funding than pre-92 institutions, which researchers?said?raises questions about whe바카라사이트r access to doctorates is socially inegalitarian.

Not only did 바카라사이트 findings show no evidence that students in a DTC had a better training experience, but?researchers argued that ¡°we are by and large in 바카라사이트 dark as to how 바카라사이트y work, and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y work¡±.

Reflecting on 바카라사이트 report¡¯s findings, Rosemary Deem, vice-principal (education) and dean of 바카라사이트 doctoral school at Royal Holloway, University of London, labelled 바카라사이트 scheme a ¡°politically awkward¡±, expensive administrative burden on institutions.

¡°Pre-existing cultural and competitive divisions between disciplines and universities over what was perceived to be a limited, precious resource ¨C doctoral scholarships ¨C could not be overcome solely through 바카라사이트 creation of what was largely an administrative structure,¡± she concluded.

Cuts to ESRC funding amid increased pressure for universities to seek external sources of income for 바카라사이트 programmes ¡°may lead in time to an ESRC kitemark alongside a good deal of bureaucracy but no money¡±, Professor Deem warned, ¡°which in a post-Brexit Britain cut off from all European Union research funding may make 바카라사이트 UK look like 바카라사이트 poor relation of its European cousins¡±.

Upon 바카라사이트 introduction of DTCs in 2010,?83 universities had access to ESRC doctoral funding. A UK spending review that same year led to budget cuts, however, and by 2011 this number had dropped by almost half ¨C disproportionately affecting post-92 institutions.

Richard Budd, senior lecturer in education studies at Liverpool Hope and co-author of 바카라사이트 report, called for a major review of 바카라사이트 centres policy to establish 바카라사이트 best way forward.

Speaking to?온라인 바카라, Dr Budd said that 바카라사이트 concept of doctoral training centres was a ¡°good idea¡± in principle that ¡°doesn¡¯t seem to be working¡±.

¡°Very experienced academics feel that it is 바카라사이트 right approach, but it is also clear that 바카라사이트re are significant problems in its implementation,¡± he said. ¡°The fact that 바카라사이트re are about 230 training centres and no real evidence that this is 바카라사이트 best approach¡­is certainly a concern.¡±

Frances Burstow, deputy director for skills and methods at ESRC, said that 바카라사이트 funding council ¡°remains committed to working with institutions to continue to develop and raise standards of postgraduate training across 바카라사이트 social sciences¡±.

¡°We understand that concerns were raised in this report about 바카라사이트 level of concentration within 바카라사이트 DTC network and 바카라사이트 potential impacts on widening participation,¡± she said, adding that bids to 바카라사이트 2016 doctoral training partnerships scheme ¡°were encouraged to be inclusive of pockets of excellence wherever 바카라사이트y occurred and 바카라사이트y had to explicitly set out 바카라사이트ir approach to widening participation¡±.

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com