Initiating research careers in Maths HoDoMS 7 th April 2006.
-
Upload
layla-batch -
Category
Documents
-
view
213 -
download
1
Transcript of Initiating research careers in Maths HoDoMS 7 th April 2006.
Initiating research careers in MathsInitiating research careers in Maths
HoDoMS
7th April 2006.
Initiating research careersInitiating research careers
• Doctoral training
• Postdoctoral fellowships
• First grants
Mathematical Sciences Programme PrioritiesMathematical Sciences Programme Priorities
• The exploitation and generation of new knowledge are
both recognised as key components of research;
• Researchers can develop skills and build research
capabilities to address challenges now and in the
future;
• Collaboration with colleagues in other disciplines or in
other countries is welcomed and encouraged;
• Current and future leaders of research are motivated
and supported
Doctoral TrainingDoctoral Training
“The panel found that a typical UK PhD Programme is
of shorter duration and more narrowly focused than
those in other countries. As a result, new PhDs from
the UK usually have less breadth and experience
than their peers from other countries and have
difficulty competing for research fellowships and
academic posts”
-IRM Panel
PhD trainingPhD training
• Universities responsible for quality
• EPSRC
– is only one of the resource providers
– cannot require universities to change their teaching strategy
– can choose to distribute our resources to those universities that we believe provide the best training
PhD training PhD training
• Need to maximise the resources we have to benefit the
UK
• Pump priming PhD taught course centres– pilot programmes– EPSRC funding short term (one-off) – Any investment conditional upon the universities
committing to a continuing effort after the initial investment
• Closing date 25th May
• Courses available to their first intake of students Oct 07.
PhD taught course centres PhD taught course centres
• Aim– Add breadth and/or depth– Raise the international academic profile of
the UK PhD– Add value to existing provision
• As a result PhD students should be– Broadly trained, competitive in international
market– Making mature/informed decisions about
future research
PhD taught course centres PhD taught course centres
• How– This is up to you– Deliberately flexible within some constraints– Not one size fits all
• Subject focussed / broad• Regional / national• Real/virtual
• Centres provide leadership– Improving quality– Sharing best practice and expertise– Access to students from a range of institutions
Doctoral Training Accounts- Why?Doctoral Training Accounts- Why?
• To provide universities with maximum flexibility in managing their research studentship population.
• Wide range of options in the way that funds are used.– offer stipends above EPSRC's required minimum, – offer longer support if a project requires it– can switch funding to other areas of related expenditure,
such as consumables, travel, conferences, external training courses and career guidance
– can be used to provide taught elements– pool with other departments and/or leveraged against
industrial funding– can be used for MRes– offer summer internships for 2nd year undergraduate
• In Maths there is also some level of guaranteed income for most departments- so you can appoint the best students at an early stage
DTA Allocation MechanismDTA Allocation Mechanism
• All Departments with any current or announced research
grant or fellowship income from the Mathematical Sciences
Programme at (1 September 2005) are eligible to receive DTA
funding.
• There is an INSTITUTIONAL threshold of 3 studentships, below
which the DTG is not announced. Any doctoral training money
earned and not awarded is held (“in the bank”) and added to
the next year’s allocation.
How can I increase my department’s How can I increase my department’s studentship funding from EPSRC?studentship funding from EPSRC?
• Research grants jointly funded with other EPSRC Programmes earn DTA funding via the algorithm
• Project studentships on research grants (can be 4 years)
• Maths CASE
• CASE for new academic appointees
DTA Allocation MechanismDTA Allocation Mechanism
• Current mechanism developed by Adrian Smith et al prior to the
introduction of DTAs in 2001.
• An algorithm based on research grant income is not an
appropriate way of allocating the Mathematical Sciences
Programme doctoral training grant funds
• Training resources allocated primarily on the basis of data
and information provided by departments, advised by peer
review.
DTA Allocation MechanismDTA Allocation Mechanism
• the amount of funding a mathematical sciences
department receives from this exercise is determined
by the information in the proforma, taken with data
provided by EPSRC, judged against the published
criteria.
Example: Research Environment and Example: Research Environment and Departmental StrategyDepartmental Strategy
• Department provides details of– New appointments– research and student recruitment strategies, – joint research training with other departments– marks of research distinction including esteem factors and
non-EPSRC fellowships, – major non-EPSRC research funding, – external research collaborations etc.– Number of mathematical sciences students irrespective of
funding source.
• EPSRC provides:– Number and value of EPSRC research grants funded
through the Mathematical Sciences Programme.– No. of EPSRC Postdoctoral, Advanced and Senior
fellowships.
DTA Allocation Mechanism- ResourcesDTA Allocation Mechanism- Resources
• Baseline for all departments based on 80% of previous years
allocation from the Mathematical Sciences Programme (total
allocations can include DTG funds from other EPSRC Programmes)
• unless this takes the allocation below 1 studentship (£60k) when
baseline is zero.
• First two years allocations based on studentship pool data.
• Redistribution of top-sliced 20% to move away from historical profile
& reward excellence in training
DTA Allocation MechanismDTA Allocation Mechanism
• Messages from departments and the allocation
panels that:
– Profile no longer accurate– Based on data now approaching 10 years
old– Time for a re-evaluation, or
comprehensive review of the allocations
DTA Allocation Mechanism – the way forward?DTA Allocation Mechanism – the way forward?
• Programme to decide the allocations to departments “from the
bottom up”
– NOT via an algorithm– When? RAE 2008?– What data would be needed to do this
properly?– What should the criteria be?– What happens in subsequent years?
• Do you think this is a good idea? SAT+ consultation later in
2006.
Postdoctoral FellowshipsPostdoctoral Fellowships
• Awarded to talented young researchers to enable
them to establish an independent research career
directly or shortly after completing their PhD.
Postdoctoral Fellowships – 2006 awardsPostdoctoral Fellowships – 2006 awardsSuccess Profiles for EPSRC Research Topics (2005/2006)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Research Topic
Num
ber
of p
ropo
sals
Office Sifted Panel Sifted Funded
Postdoctoral Fellowships: 2006 exercisePostdoctoral Fellowships: 2006 exercise
Out of remit, 3
Office Sifted, 16
Panel Sifted, 46
Funded Reserve, 1
Interviewed but not fundable
10
4
Postdoctoral FellowshipsPostdoctoral Fellowships
• 77% of applicants rejected before interview
• 20% of applications sift rejected before panel
• Consequences
– high cost (time & money) of:• Preparing application, including JeS, HoD time etc.• Peer review of low quality PDF applications
• How to:
– Reduce number of low quality applications• e.g. Departmental “cap”- but disadvantages to this too
– Increase number of high quality applications• e.g. Support from departments – shown to increase
funding rates e.g. Kent 50%
Early career researchers- new appointmentsEarly career researchers- new appointments
• First grant funding rates:
By number By value
2003/04 38% 38%
2004/05 54% 55%
2005/06 (approx) 49% 50%
Early career researchers- new appointmentsEarly career researchers- new appointments
• First grant applications
– Some excellent, others disappointing– Should never be a badly written proposal
• Make contact with EPSRC at an early stage
– Mock panels– Departmental visits (team or APM)
• How to nurture early career researchers?
Summary and Key MessagesSummary and Key Messages
• Early stages of research careers vitally important for
achieving future goals
• Investment in pump priming taught courses
• Rethinking the DTG allocations profile to better reflect
current situation
• Need to reduce numbers of low quality PDF applications
• Support for new academic appointments