Extend PhD support to four years to ease stress, UK funder told

A UK research council should extend its PhD funding period to four years, even if it means it supporting fewer doctoral candidates, an independent review has recommended.

In the first major review of doctoral practices at the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) in more than a decade, researchers interviewed more than 1,300 individuals from 120 different organisations as part of an 18-month study examining all aspects of the social science doctorate.

According to the report, published on 7 October, there was a “consensus” among respondents that the current funding period of three and a half years was “insufficient” and meant that a “significant proportion of students do not complete within this timeframe”.

“There is broad support for extending the funding period to four years, to enable students to undertake additional training, but little appetite for substantially longer PhD programmes like the US model,” says the report, written by University of York academics Paul Wakeling and Sally Hancock, alongside researchers from the consultancy CFE Research.

“Most UK universities allow for a one-year writing-up period at a significantly reduced fee, but this is not covered by ESRC financial support,” continues the report, which adds that students described “feeling pressure to race against the ‘funding clock’ to complete their PhDs”.

“This is one of many stressors that can negatively affect mental health,” adds the report, which says the need to complete before funding runs out is a “particular concern for students from disadvantaged backgrounds who may be unable to support themselves without funding”.

The recommendation – one of many to which the ESRC will respond by December – comes ahead of the launch by UK Research and Innovation of what has been dubbed a “new deal for postgraduate researchers” after this group was highlighted as a priority in the government’s People and Culture Strategy, which was published in July.

The consultation is set to consider the stipend level for doctoral students, the rights and conditions of doctoral studentships, the financial sustainability of doctoral education investments, doctoral student recruitment policies, and the health and well-being of students.

The recommendation to extend the ESRC’s PhD training periods to four years is made despite the recognition by the review, and its respondents, that “without additional funding, the implication of extending the PhD funding period to four years is fewer funded studentships”.

“Despite this, senior stakeholders were supportive of the proposal,” explains the report, which adds that “some supervisors felt that a reduction in funded studentships might help with the mismatch between the proportion of students who wished to pursue a career in academia and the number of available positions.”

A separate review of doctoral training at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), which spends about £200 million a year funding about 11,000 doctoral students and already funds them for up to four years, was also published.

Among its recommendations is that the council should “prioritise funding excellent doctoral experiences and access to opportunities over student numbers, while ensuring value for money”, although it also calls on the government to increase its investment in doctoral students to allow their numbers to expand.

Alison Park, interim executive chair of the ESRC, which funds about 500 new doctoral students a year, commented that “social science graduates are highly valued by employers for their critical thinking, depth of knowledge and research skills”.

“However, in a rapidly changing landscape we must adapt and innovate to keep pace and ensure doctoral students develop the skills and gain the experience they need,” said Professor Park.

jack.grove@timeshighereducation.com