UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is to replace nine doctoral training schemes with two new programmes across the biological sciences, engineering and

UKRI harmonises doctoral training cutting nine programmes down to two

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2024-11-19 18:30:14

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is to replace nine doctoral training schemes with two new programmes across the biological sciences, engineering and physical sciences, and natural and environmental sciences. Investment of more than £500 million will support about 4800 PhD students over the next three years at a similar level to previous years.

UKRI is working to simplify and harmonise PhD studentships and early career fellowships under a UKRI-wide umbrella rather than individual research councils allocating them. In January this year, it released details on funding for two new schemes. Doctoral landscape awards will provide flexible funding across a broad range of research areas allowing rapid responses to emerging research ideas. Doctoral focal awards will fund research training in specific, focused themes or challenges. Both awards will provide opportunities for non-academic partners to engage such as through co-designing student projects and experiences. At least 25% of studentships will be delivered in collaboration with non-academic partners.

From January, universities have been able to bid for training grants for doctoral landscape awards run jointly by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council worth £293 million. These will fund more than 2300 studentships at 21 universities in five cohorts. Grants have now been awarded to universities with students due to start in autumn 2025. Research topics include artificial intelligence for bioscience, food biosystems and exascale computing.