1

Update on Centres for Doctoral Training

ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL

Lucy Brady, Head of Research Careers Strategy, EPSRC

2

The current CSR features - EPSRC Picture

Values are £m commitment 2008 - 11

£1,940 million committed

to our core business inTraining, Knowledge

Exchange and Research

3

CDT launch event – 5 December 2008

4

CDTs – a high volume new investment

Speaking at the launch in December 2008, Lord Drayson said:

“Britain faces many challenges in the 21st Century and needs scientists and engineers with the right

skills to find answers to these challenges. EPSRC’s doctoral training centres will provide a new wave of engineers and scientists to do the

job”.

£280m was invested in 2008 in 45 new centres* which will train over 2000 students over the next 5 years.

*now 50 full new centres totaling £304 million are in place

5

CDT Portfolio by Area

CDT PORTFOLIO BY MISSION AREA64 FULL CENTRES (including one remaining Engineering Doctorate Centre and 14 original

Life Sciences Interface and Complexity Science Centres)

6, 9%

19, 30%

3, 5%

15, 23%

14, 22%7, 11%

Digital Economy Mission Energy Mission Industrial Doctoral Centres

Nanoscience Mission Research Base Cross-Disciplinary Interfaces

6

Research Base CDTs by Programme area

'RESEARCH BASE' CDTs BY PROGRAMME15 new centres and 14 current centres in cross-disciplinary

Interfaces including complexity science

16, 56%

5, 17%

3, 10%

3, 10%2, 7%

Cross Disciplinary Interfaces

Physical Sciences

Mathematical Sciences

Information and Communication Technologies

Materials, Mechanical and Medical Engineering

7

EPSRC thoroughly reviewed its ‘Balance of People’ support by programme

during 2009

(studentships, postgraduates, early career, fellowships, established career)

8

Number of people supported by EPSRC across the career path – current portfolio 2010

Current Portfolio -2010

Vacation Bursaries

5,983 Postdoctoral Researchers

90 Postdoctoral Fellows

1 Other

315 First Grants

3 EURY1

47 Career Acceleration Fellows

151 Fellows**

40 Leadership Fellows

18 Senior Fellows**

18 Other Senior Champions e.g. Research Chairs, Senior Media Fellows

4,315 students via Doctoral Training Accounts

2,910 Project Students

1234 students via Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT)

569 Industrial Case +503 ‘Other’

3,639 Research Grants

6,698 Unique Investigators (4,947 PIs and 6,685 Co-Is)

TotalTotal9,531

Total6,074

Total365

Total191

Total36

Undergraduate Postgraduate Postdoctoral Early Career Established Career

[+120 new SPSRC StF* & 350 Mission/User led CDT students starting annually from 2009]

9

Balance of People Exercise - Postgraduate Training: Advice and Next Steps

Flexible provision that adds real value to the

individual and allows widening of horizons – no

automatic move to 4 year PhD.

Better career advice pre-entry.

Support for cohort approach to training – keep

coverage provided by Centres for Doctoral Training

under review.

EPSRC statement of expectations of postgraduate

training support and University statement of how

EPSRC support is being used strategically.

10

Encouraging Creativity - A possible approachCreativity@Home objectives

For the academic groups to:Learn about a range of creative problem solving tools and

techniques and how this might help creativity in research.

Explore the future research vision and cross-disciplinary

opportunities in their group using these tools.

Engage postdoctoral and postgraduate researchers in

idea generation.

Develop a cohort of trained people that have learnt

creative problem solving techniques so that the

approaches become embedded in their group,

department, institution.

11

Creativity@home Outcomes

Positive impacts on participants (research managers, senior academics, post-docs, students….).

Imperial CDT – Wing-Chau’s experience.

What can EPSRC do to persuade other Centres to commit resources to this?

12

What's Next?

The EPSRC ‘Strategic Plan’ for the next four

years was published in late March 2010.

Treasury announce results of the Spending

Review on 20 October 2010.

The EPSRC Delivery Plan (the ‘HOW’

document) will be published in early 2011.

13

Evaluation framework

Aim to demonstrate the success of centres

based on the original objectives of their

strategic importance, international standing

and training, supervision and management at

host research organisations.

This includes the effect the centre is having on:

The students themselves and their subsequent

careers

The host research organisation

The wider community nationally and

internationally.

14

Evaluation Framework – outline timetable

Review at 3 year point.

May 2011 – Reports sought.

July to September 2011 – Review panels /

interviews / visits as required to collect

information.

October 2011 – Feedback.

After experience of recruiting 3 full cohorts.

15

The key questions at the review in 2011

Objectives and CDT operation?

Student outcomes (in and out)?

Taught components management?

Impact at host research organisation?

Wider impact outside the research

organisation?

16

Some final thoughts:

How can Centres share their experience/benefits of the

Centre/cohort approach to training more widely - within

their Institutions, within their fields?

How can Centres share experience and successes

amongst themselves and learn from each other most

effectively?

What can Centres share and learn about exposing

students to broader experiences and environments

outside the host Institution?

Remember to share your successes with us!

17

CENTRES FOR DOCTORAL TRAINING:

EPSRC contact points

Complexity Science Centres [Kedar Pandya]

Digital Economy Centres Helen Bailey

Energy Centres Samantha Riches

Industrial Doctoral Centres Jim Fleming

Life Science Interface Centres [Kedar Pandya]

Nanoscience Centres Chris Jones

Research Base Centres Steve Milsom

18

Thank you for your attention

Questions and queries?

Lucy.brady@epsrc.ac.uk

Steve.milsom@epsrc.ac.uk

Monitoring and evaluation framework at:

www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/students/centres/framework/Pages/default.aspx