Postgraduate Research

Professor D Howard Green

Chair : UK Council for Graduate Education

Structure

• Change – some numbers

• Awards - diversity

• The Quality Agenda

• Recruitment

• Europe

Postgraduate growth

NumbersFT PT

1961/62 19,400 6,3001994/95 128,300 187,1001999/00 151,330 257,290Relative position

Total PGPopulation

1979/80 787,000 100,900 (13%)1994/95 1,528,000 315,400 (21%)

The Distribution of Doctorates Awarded by Institution (2000)

Quartile Number of InstitutionsUpper 5Second 9Third 18Lower 97

Source: Millichope, 2001

Total Number of Doctorates Awarded by UK HEIs, 1996-

2003Year Total Annual Growth (%)

1996 10,800

1997 11,860 9.8

1998 12,660 6.7

1999 13,140 3.8

2000 13,670 4.0

2001 14,115 3.2

2002 14,210 0.6

2003 14,875

RAE Grade and Student FTE

RAE Grade Submissions Student FTE Mean

N (%)3b 278 (11) 996 3.63a 499 (19) 2,800 5.64 664 (26) 6,545 9.95 715 (28) 14,144 21.35* 284 (11) 8,984 31.6

Students by Institution and mode 2001

Total FT PT TotalOld universities 47158 44949 92107New universities 5095 8175 13270

Colleges of Higher Education 631 1164 1795

Grand Total 52884 54288 107172

PG First Year UK 2002/3

PGR

FT PT

under 21 50 5

21-24 6250 600

25-29 1755 925

30 plus 2115 3980

Total 10100 5510

Source: HESA Table 1d & 1h

Bristol

2003/4 Total all students 22,705

PostgradsTotal F M FT PT

7850 3,870 3,975 2,695 5,150

1999/2000 Total all students 17,920

Postgrads

5360 2,610 2,750 1,820 3,540

Origins

1999/2000 2003/4

FT FT Total

UK 1230 1545 5445

EU ) 605

Not EU ) 590 1155 1805

Doctorates Awarded 2003/4

• UK 15,255• Cambridge 920• Oxford 705• UC 655• Birmingham 570• Imperial 515• Manchester 515• Leeds 465• Nottingham 460• Sheffield 455• Bristol 410

Diversity of Doctorates

• Standard PhD ( What is that?)

• Practice based doctorate

• New route PhD

• By thesis, by papers, by practice,

• Professional doctorate

Quality Agenda

• Origins in Harris 1995

• QAA Code 1999

• Improving Standards (HEFCE/SHEFC)

• QAA Code 2004

Drivers

• Value for money – 1993 White Paper – Realising our potential

• Funding– Limited – Numbers

• International markets

• Evidence

Code

• Precepts

• Explanation

Some elements

• Research Environment (P5)– ‘to do and learn about research’– ‘located in or across one or more institutions’

• Supervisors (P11,12,13,14)– NPC: Wellcome Trust

• Assessment (P22,23,24)

• Training (P18/19/20)– Personal and professional development

Roberts

• Training budgets – UKRCs including AHRC

• Review and evaluation

Code

• Does it establish the ground rules?

• No targets

• Levels of discretion?

Recruitment

Home domiciled PhD starters by subject area, 1997-98 and 2001-

02

1997 2001

Medicine and dentistry 1,004 9% 1,275 11% 27%

Subjects allied to medicine 640 5% 722 6% 13%

Biological sciences 1,995 17% 1,873 16% -6%

Chemistry 909 8% 789 7% -13%

Physics 466 4% 475 4% 2%

Other physical sciences 491 4% 458 4% -7%

• Money (STIPENDS ETC)

• Career structures

• Recruitment process

• Stipends:– Roberts provides a useful analysis – and the £13,000

rise– Impact on other funders and numbers

• International comparisons:– US $30,000 IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education

and Research traineeship – NSF) (£17,191)– Canada $30,000 Canadian (£14,679)

• Salary or stipend

Stipend

• Takes more than three years – so who funds final years

• Long hours in labs – little time for PT work

• National insurance

• Maternity leave

• Contribution to pensions (lost 3/80ths) for FT.

Career Structures

• Post docs – what do they do?

• What are their rights?

• Research Careers Initiative BUT:

• What are they paid – Roberts recommended at least £20,000 - This at the end of 7 years plus HE

• Maths/Chemistry BSc with 1st or 2.1 will start at £25,000 – 30,000 in the City

Progression 2002-03 (non-permanent research assistants)

Total %

• Permanent 550 3%

• Non permanent 14,750 69%

• None 5,964 28%

Progression 2002-03 Permanent Contract in following year

• Chemistry 1,530 2%

• Physics 1,505 2%

• Other physical sciences 623 4%

• Mathematical sciences 631 3%

Institutional funding

• HEFCE Dec 2004

• Impact– On institutions– On disciplines

• Regional possibilities

Units of assessment (UoA) with 50% or more submissions rated below 4

10 Nursing• 11 Other Studies and PAM• 16 Food Science and Technology• 21 Environmental Sciences• 26 General Engineering• 29 Electrical and Electronic Engineering• 33 Built Environment• 43 Business and management• 61 Library and Information Management• 64 Art and Design• 65 Communication, Cultural and Media Studies• 66 Drama, Dance and Performing Arts• 68 Education• 69 Sports Related Subjects• (Units in receipt of Capability Funds are italicised)

Recruitment conclusion

• Is there a process?

• Is it a market?

Europe – anew challenge

• European Higher Education Area

• European Research Area

• Bologna: three cycle model– 3+2+3+

• Salzburg Recommendations

• Advancement of knowledge through original research

• Embedded in institutional policies and strategies

• Diversity of programmes

• As early stage researchers

• Crucial role of supervision and assessment

• Achieving critical mass• Duration (3-4 years ‘as a rule’)• Innovative structures• Increasing mobility• Appropriate funding

• For agreement by Ministers in 2007 in Bergen

European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of

Researchers. (2005)• Develop and maintain a supportive

research environment – esp. early stage researchers

• Create transparent and equal recruitment and career development

• Sort out problems inhibiting mobility

• Equality of employment rights and benefits

Conclusion

• Lots going on

– Who is influencing – Who is deciding

• Need a pause to evaluate