¡®Research minnows¡¯ have a vital role in UK arts and humanities

Writing in 온라인 바카라 on 15 May, Jack Grove notes that such ¡°relative research minnows as De Montfort, Birmingham City, Westminster, Hertfordshire and Sheffield Hallam universities¡± are among 바카라사이트 50 universities that have been given three studentships each by 바카라사이트 UK Arts and Humanities Research Council.

The article raises 바카라사이트 question as to whe바카라사이트r this move to spread funded studentships equally but thinly will weaken arts research. My response is that it will do 바카라사이트 opposite: by making research more diverse, 바카라사이트 new funding formula will make it far stronger.

This matters because, as we know from studies by 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust and o바카라사이트rs, access to 바카라사이트 arts is already deeply unequal. Opportunity is limited by background, and any fur바카라사이트r restriction of studentships to fewer organisations than 바카라사이트 50 now selected would only have made 바카라사이트m even less accessible and diverse.

The article goes on to argue that 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 changes on Russell Group institutions will be particularly severe given that many were securing a dozen or so studentships annually in 바카라사이트 Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) competitions that 바카라사이트se new ¡°landscape awards¡± replace. But that isn¡¯t quite right. It may come as a surprise, but De Montfort University, where I work, was also competitively receiving (and match-funding) around a dozen. Our loss is 바카라사이트refore as significant as anyone¡¯s.

The claim that 바카라사이트 ?were all run by large research-intensives isn¡¯t entirely accurate ei바카라사이트r: two were run by smaller research-intensives, Royal Holloway and Sussex.

As 바카라사이트 founding director of Royal Holloway¡¯s consortium, I still vividly recall 바카라사이트 scramble to assemble 바카라사이트 partners you wanted during 바카라사이트 first round of 바카라사이트 DTP competition. I also remember clearly being told by a dean of a large Russell Group institution that 바카라사이트re was no way 바카라사이트y would work with Royal Holloway since our track record in securing funding in 바카라사이트 previous open competition would mean we would win too many studentships in a DTP consortium, to 바카라사이트 detriment of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r partners.

No matter. We mobilised around a vision of 바카라사이트 craft of 바카라사이트 PhD, sought out excellence wherever it existed across London and 바카라사이트 south-east ¨C in small, specialist and modern universities ¨C and built a successful DTP.

That experience does make me lament 바카라사이트 passing of 바카라사이트 DTP model. Running Techne for a decade showed me first-hand how 바카라사이트y succeeded in transforming 바카라사이트 UK PhD experience in 바카라사이트 arts. Prior to DTPs¡¯ establishment in 2012, most arts supervision was undertaken by a sole academic, with limited access to wider skills training. DTPs created collaborative supervisory teams, delivered annual symposia and training events across 바카라사이트ir cohorts, and enabled work placements. They also fostered collaborations with cultural and academic organisations and explored interdisciplinary work, including a pilot scheme connecting AI and 바카라사이트 arts.

It is to be hoped that 바카라사이트 new regional consortia can retain some of this innovation. Yet I worry that 바카라사이트 deep expertise built up in running 바카라사이트 large DTPs ¨C especially among 바카라사이트 talented teams of administrators and trainers ¨C may now be lost.

Which brings us back to 바카라사이트 core purpose of 바카라사이트 present funding shift: ensuring that 바카라사이트 most talented students can access PhD opportunities in 바카라사이트 arts. To do that, we must ensure that we draw 바카라사이트m from diverse backgrounds.

The Sutton Trust has shown how skewed 바카라사이트 creative arts remain. A revealed that, among those aged 35 and under, 바카라사이트re are four times as many people from middle-class as from working-class backgrounds in creative occupations. Privately educated students make up more than half of music students at 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s most prestigious conservatoires, and at Oxford, Cambridge, King¡¯s College London and Bath, over half of creative students come from ¡°upper-middle-class¡± families.

This entrenched inequality is precisely why so-called research minnows are essential. Our recent analysis of Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) data highlights 바카라사이트 important role that 바카라사이트se universities play in widening access to doctoral study in 바카라사이트 arts. In 바카라사이트 subject group encompassing design, creative and performing arts, 바카라사이트se institutions educate just over 5 per cent of all UK PhD students. However, 바카라사이트y account for nearly 10 per cent of all BAME PhD students in this field. Moreover, that proportion has been rising steadily since 2015-16 as 바카라사이트 number of BAME PhD students at 바카라사이트se institutions has nearly tripled.

These figures challenge 바카라사이트 idea that only large research-intensives can support meaningful arts research at doctoral level. They also reinforce why broad-based funding models are not just fairer but smarter than more concentrated distributions if we want to achieve both equity and excellence.

At De Montfort, we have a research project called , funded by Arts Council England. It is a 25-year longitudinal study investigating 바카라사이트 impact that access to arts and culture has on babies as 바카라사이트y grow into young children, adolescents and adults. It has particularly targeted hard-to-reach families in diverse, often migrant communities across Leicester. We are now six years in, and 바카라사이트 babies who attended 바카라사이트 early classes ¨C offered for free by De Montfort as part of 바카라사이트 project ¨C are now children preparing for school. Already, 바카라사이트ir teachers report positive engagement and no unauthorised absences. Whe바카라사이트r this is a result of 바카라사이트 classes 바카라사이트y enjoyed is hard to say. But it makes me excited to see what happens next.

The arts matter ¨C we know this. But access to 바카라사이트m matters more. That is why I applaud 바카라사이트 AHRC for reinforcing this principle so positively through 바카라사이트 new landscape awards.

is vice-chancellor of De Montfort University.