Boost for PhD training

Postgraduate training in science and engineering at Edinburgh is to benefit from a £3.3 million boost.

The funding is part of a series of awards made to UK universities by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through its Doctoral Training Partnerships.

Partnerships are awarded to universities for the provision of postgraduate study and are allocated each year on the basis of EPSRC research grant income.

Flexible programmes

This significant investment shows that the UK is committed to top quality postgraduate research and training.

The grants allow institutions to be flexible in terms of student recruitment and retention, and enable them to vary the length of support, between three and four years, dependent on the project.

This year 38 universities will benefit from the Doctoral Training Partnership funding, which ranges from £300,000 to nearly £8 million.

The investment is worth £83.5 million overall.

Leveraged funds

Under the Partnership arrangement, universities are able to leverage funds, for example from industry, and potentially support higher numbers of students.

The announcement follows the Chancellor George Osborne’s recent announcement of investment in 22 Centres for Doctoral Training.

[These awards] demonstrate our commitment to excellence in postgraduate research and training. The grants will … provide universities with flexible funding to support doctoral students in their own priority areas.