Information/Q&A session for supervisors of students beginning October 2012

Barry HirstDean of Postgraduate Studies, FMS Graduate School and DTP Director

Dianne FordDTP Director, Newcastle University

Tim CheekDTP cohort coordinator, Newcastle University

Richy HetheringtonResearcher Skills Development Co-ordinator, FMS Graduate School

28 March 2012

Studentship allocation

• 14 partnerships funded• 220 four-year studentships p.a. for three intakes from October

2012• Newcastle University lead research organisation in partnership

with the University of Liverpool and Durham University– Awarded 15 studentships p.a– Matched funding generates 30 studentships p.a.– Allocated on basis of BBSRC income

• 16:11:3 (Newcastle:Liverpool:Durham) for 2012-13

Studentship allocation

World ClassUnderpinning

Bioscience(45%)

Food security (35%)

BasicBioscienceUnderpinningHealth (20%)

World ClassUnderpinning

Bioscience(47%)

Food security (27%)

BasicBioscienceUnderpinningHealth (6%)

Bioenergy & IndustrialBiotechnology (20%)

78%

70%

• Plus “exploiting new ways of working”– cross cutting enabling theme– multidisciplinary and quantitative approaches

Training programme structure

• Integrated MRes/PhD– Concession for 3 year

programme

• MRes Biosciences in year 1• Submission within 4 years

of MRes registration– NO additional year for

writing up

MRes programmes

Training programme structure

• Integrated MRes/PhD– Concession for 3 year

programme

• MRes Biosciences in year 1

• Submission within 4 years of MRes registration– NO additional year for

writing up

• MRes course structure– Semester 1 80 credits taught

• 3 x 20 credit subject-specific modules– May be mandatory

module(s)» Bioinformatics and

Computational Systems Biology (MSc)?

• Total >30 MRes modules• 2 x 10 research skills modules

– Under review for 2013

– Semester 2 (from mid-February) 24 week research project

PIPs

• Three months within the 4-year programme

• “Each student will take a three-month internship during their PhD, to experience working in an area not directly related to their PhD project”

World ClassUnderpinning

Bioscience(45%)

Food security (35%)

BasicBioscienceUnderpinningHealth (20%)

Meeting our requirement to deliver training in BBSRC priority areas

• October 2012 - return data on studentships to BBSRC (via JeS)

• Plus “exploiting new ways of working”– cross cutting enabling theme– multidisciplinary and quantitative approaches

Project summary (maximum of 4000 characters including spaces/returns) PLEASE ENSURE YOU INCLUDE SOME KEYWORDS RELATING TO THE BBSRC STRATEGIC RESEARCH PRIORITIES

Student recruitment

• BSc First Class Honours (or high 2.1)– Conditional offer (2.1)

• Three year programme by concession– e.g. MRes or equivalent

• Two academic references• Interview by two academic selectors• Selection to include also DTP representative– DF to sign off on E2R

Meeting our requirement to deliver wide-ranging training

• RO's encouraged to adopt 'cohort' based training programmes (structured training)

• MRes– semester 1 research skills modules for 1+3

students?• Day of talks given by second year students to

to peer group plus incoming first years (no supervisors)

• Biennial meetings at which students present their work to a consortium-wide audience – contribution to organisation will help develop research

management skills

• Supervisors– this meeting– supervisors to present at their own institution (share

best practice)

• Activities reported to BBSRC via 'Portfolio Agreement' (annually monitored)