Vitae responds to the BIS consultation for postgraduate research study

Vitae submitted the following response to the BIS consultation examining support for postgraduate study in England, including postgraduate research study. 

In our response we focused on questions relating to support for researchers, demand for skills of researchers among employers, attracting the right talent and generating funding to support postgraduate research. 

In formulating the response, Vitae invited staff supporting researchers at subscribing member institutions to share their views, which have been incorporated into the document. 

We’d like to extend our thanks to all of those who informed our position. 

Department for Business Innovation & Skills, Consultation on Support for Postgraduate study

Review of support for postgraduate research students 

1. How can we broaden and strengthen support for postgraduate research students and excellent postgraduate research? Please give specific examples and evidence where possible:

Vitae, managed by CRAC: The Career Development Organisation a UK charity, and dedicated to realising the potential of researchers, is pleased to submit the following examples and evidence to the Government’s review of support for postgraduate research students.

Vitae plays a key role in the UK drive for high-level skills, innovation and world-class research by leading the professional and career development of researchers. We play a major role in enhancing the capability of the sector to implement the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers[1], gathering researchers’ views through UK surveys, making research careers in the UK more attractive, while also providing researchers with the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge of alternative career paths. Vitae works with more than 130 higher education institutions in the UK to implement innovative professional development for both researchers and the staff who support researchers’ development.

In formulating the response, Vitae invited staff supporting researchers at subscribing member institutions to share their views and these are incorporated into our response.

When considering how support for postgraduate researchers might be broadened and strengthened, the importance of comprehensive developmental support for researchers cannot be understated. A majority of doctoral graduates have careers outside academia,[2] so it is crucial that all postgraduate researchers have access to professional development opportunities to maximise their impact both during their period of doctoral research study and upon entering the labour force in and out of academia.

The Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF) identifies the knowledge, behaviour and attributes of successful researchers.[3] It is useful at several different levels. For the individual researcher at any stage in their career, it provides a framework to examine their own professional development needs. Researcher developers can utilise the RDF to align their training and development opportunities with core requirements, while institutions can benefit from an analysis of gaps in provision and development opportunities for their researchers.

Furthermore, the ‘lenses’ on the RDF focus in on the specific attributes that are important to develop for different career or professional development goals. The Employability lens was created by combining published research on the skills most frequently sought by employers with employer surveys to highlight the key abilities that researchers may bring to careers outside of higher education research.[4] This is one example of a resource created through collaboration between the HE sector, employers, and Vitae, and further such resources should be supported and developed as signposts to researchers and employers of the wide range of competencies of researchers which can be utilised in the labour market to good effect.

To ensure that postgraduate research students continue to benefit from professional development opportunities, researcher development staff and provision within institutions should be encouraged, recognised and rewarded by the Government to demonstrate its importance in intersectoral transitions. Evidence suggests that researcher development activity impacts several key areas, including but not limited to improving the employability of researchers, positively impacting research practice and outcomes, increasing grant income and publications, and much more.[5] Several recent studies suggest positive long-term outcomes resulting from participation in researcher development.[6] 

Finally, Vitae supports the professionalisation of the staff responsible for researcher development at UK HEIs. Through innovative continuing professional development opportunities, networks, collaborations, research projects, and a new career development framework, Vitae provides the platform for advancing researcher development provision in the UK. Investment in strengthening the professional nature of support of postgraduate researchers is an important contribution to a sustainable future for excellent researchers and excellence in UK research.

2. Is there unmet demand for postgraduate research skills and qualifications amongst employers and potential students? If so, please provide evidence:

There is a growing demand in the labour market for employees with a postgraduate research qualification. This is evidenced by their secure employment levels and wage premiums relative to other highly qualified individuals, including other postgraduates. The wage premium over first degree holders is 33% at 3.5 years from degree completion.[7] An OECD report showed that across the UK labour force from 2003 to 2009, the estimated wage premium increased from 2% to 9% compared with other postgraduate degree holders, and from 6% to 14% compared to first degree holders.[8] This trend is seen across OECD countries and is despite the increasing percentage of doctoral degree holders as a percentage of the workforce.

High demand for postgraduate research skills and qualifications is furthermore evidenced by the ability of doctorate holders to weather the 2009 recession, with median wages and employment rates holding steady, while those for first-degree and master’s graduates fell.[9]

Whilst previous evidence from the UK suggested that there may be ‘a deficiency in demand for higher level skills’[10], this is not borne out by the more recent labour market evidence cited above. This same study cites that employers value qualities such as analytical and creative thinking, problem solving, independence, and research capability, which are all gained through postgraduate research study. Thus, any perceived deficiency in demand may reflect employers’ lack of understanding of the competencies gained through postgraduate research and the ability of researchers to articulate these skills.

Vitae bridges this gap in many ways. First, the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF) allows researchers to identify areas important for their professional development and provides a common language to describe the multitude of skills, traits, and behaviours that describe excellent researchers. Vitae provides a wealth of online resources for researchers to access directly, including advice for all stages of a doctorate, professional development planning, career stories, and research into career destinations of doctoral graduates. We provide innovative training and development programmes for HEI staff to deliver at their own institutions to enhance their provision. These programmes help researchers navigate the various stages of their doctorate, develop a personal action plan, and begin an effective job search to continue into successful careers in many different sectors.

From the perspective of potential students, demand for postgraduate research study is heavily driven by the availability of funding, especially for UK domiciled PGRs.[11] A recent study evidenced a fear among HEIs that the introduction of £9000 fees from Autumn 2012 will reduce demand for postgraduate study as students will already have accumulated debt from the undergraduate degree and potentially master’s degree. This may have a negative effect on the supply pipeline of researchers, reducing the number of high-quality candidates entering PGR study.[12] Currently, institutions report that the main constraint they face in recruitment of highly-qualified applicants is ‘getting the funding and resources into place to support the right candidate’.[13]

An additional source of unmet demand is from non-traditional students and those seeking part-time places, in particular mid- or late-career individuals who may not be able to afford the fees or persuade their employer to invest in five or more years of fees support. To meet this demand, the structure, delivery and financial support of doctoral degrees should allow more people from a range of backgrounds and career stages to take advantage of part-time study.

3. How can we attract and retain top research talent in the UK? What is the impact of the availability and level of individual stipends, and other factors such as postdoctoral opportunities? Does this vary across subjects? Please provide evidence.

The UK must attract the best research talent from both within the UK and internationally to sustain its research competitiveness. While the UK remains a top destination for international postgraduate researchers, we are facing increasing competition, in particular from other European countries and the US. This is due to three key reasons: increase in doctoral programmes across Europe offered in English, often with no fees, restrictions on UK funding streams, and perceived unfriendliness towards international researchers, particularly through our visa conditions.[14]

First, there is an increasing number of universities offering high-quality postgraduate research degrees in English, accompanied by a growth in graduate schools and provision of researcher development programmes outside of the UK, offering more choice to international students. Second, restrictions on funding for non-UK students make the UK less competitive compared to other countries who do not have such restrictions. While EU students are eligible for home fees, (considerably lower than international fees) they are not eligible, for example, for the full RCUK studentships. Finally, perceptions of challenges facing international students and researchers has further disadvantaged the UK’s ability to attract the best researchers. In particular, tighter restrictions on visas, the discontinuation of the post-study work visa, along with negative press coverage of government targets to decrease net migration to the UK are identified as potential barriers to recruitment. Indeed, the number of enrolled international postgraduate students declined by 10% from 2010-2011 to 2011-2012.[15]

The increasing strength of doctoral research programmes outside the UK requires sustained commitment and investment to stay at the forefront of innovation in UK doctoral education, as well as an attractive and welcoming research environment. One way this can be accomplished is by continuing to provide leading-edge professional development for researchers at every stage of the career spectrum. Vitae works with membership institutions in the UK to implement innovative professional development for both researchers and the staff who support researchers’ development. Vitae plays a major role in enhancing the capability of the sector to implement the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers[16] and thus make research careers in the UK more attractive, while also providing researchers with the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge of alternative career paths. In addition, easing visa restrictions for researchers and reinstating the post-study work visa scheme for doctoral graduates would help to attract and retain the best talent into the UK.

Partnering to support postgraduate research students

4. How could the Government further develop partnerships with industrial and charitable partners to leverage public sector funding to support postgraduate research? How could the Government link with existing funding mechanisms and finance platforms and/or support new or innovative approaches? Please give specific examples and evidence where possible

Vitae HEI membership respondents indicate that institutions are pursuing innovative strategies to develop external partnerships, leverage public sector funding, and increase private and charitable funding to support postgraduate researchers. Many of these could be applied more broadly at the UK level, for example:

• A brokerage or matching system between public, private, and third sector organisations for:
  • Matching PGR candidates to relevant research and funding opportunities,
  • Facilitating joint research ventures through a central database of ideas, opportunities, expertise, and specialities
  • Encouraging private sector companies to participate and contribute funding, placements, and mentoring, while gaining the benefit of links to academic research community
• Incentives for philanthropic giving to encourage more donors and sponsors to provide universities with scholarship funding
• Limiting the number of restrictions placed on RCUK funding, as the restrictions make it difficult to find matching funding from industry. Furthermore, the restrictions and need to provide matched funding for doctoral training centres and partnership result in less institutional influence over the direction of research, and potentially less opportunity for funding individual researchers.

There is an opportunity for the Government to fund the collection and dissemination of case studies of success in this area.

Income contingent loans to support postgraduate research students

5. Would the availability of a £25,000 loan influence a student‘s decision to pursue postgraduate research study or the location of study? Please give your views on the loan amount and any other factors that may influence a student’s decision.

6. Should we prioritise specific subjects where the scientific and economic case is strongest, or instead provide broad support to all subjects, even if this means capping the total number of loans or offering them on less generous terms

7. Should we prioritise specific subjects where the scientific and economic case is strongest, or instead provide broad support to all subjects, even if this means capping the total number of loans or offering them on less generous terms? If we prioritise certain subjects, how should we go about it?

8. How can we ensure loans complement existing funding mechanisms, maintaining a focus on the most excellent research and on linking with external funding?

Vitae’s position is that loans must not be a substitute for studentships, but would be a welcome addition to the funding options available for doctoral degree programmes. Currently, nearly 40% of PGRs are self-funded, and a loan programme may be valuable to this group in particular. However, the proposed sum of £25000 over three to four years would not cover the tuition and living expenses needed to complete a doctorate, indeed, it is less than 40% of the RCUK stipend and tuition benefit.

Specific subjects should not be prioritised for funding support, as diversity in research skills and disciplines important to the nation’s growth and economy. In cases where the economic benefits are most obvious, such as in the sciences and engineering, it is relatively easier for a prospective student to obtain funding for their doctorate. The largest proportion of self-funded students are found in the arts and humanities, yet these doctoral holders go on to contribute in diverse and important ways to the labour market and society, and are power houses of creativity and innovation.[17]

Finally, there is already concern among UK HEIs about a decrease in demand for postgraduate research places following on from the increase in undergraduate fees cap to £9000 per annum.[18] If an individual already has a significant loan burden from their undergraduate programme, they may be less likely to be willing or able to take out additional debt. This may adversely affect those targeted through widening participation efforts – individuals from lower income, ethnic minority backgrounds, and other protected characteristics.