WR DTC – ESRC Studentships 2012/13

White Rose DTC ESRC Studentships 2015/16
Introduction
The WR DTC Academic Quality Committee (AQC) aims to announce ESRC studentships as
early as possible in the academic cycle to allow departments and pathways time to plan for
match funding and develop collaborations with external partners. This document sets out the
allocation for the 2015-16 academic year. Full details of the distribution of studentships are
listed in Annex 1.
Post Mid-Term Review
The ESRC report that there is an increasing move across DTCs nationally to allocate
predominantly +3 studentships and they are keen to correct this imbalance. It is therefore
important that robust application and selection processes are in place at your local level.
This could mean Pathways/Departments taking further action to increase the number of 1+3
applicants and giving more thought to how some students (including those with existing
masters degrees) may benefit from this 4 year period of study. It is essential that
comprehensive documentation is submitted to the Academic Quality Committee for each
studentship nomination with a full Training Statement giving detailed information on the
nominee’s previous methods training background and how any training gaps would be
addressed. This should make reference to the ESRC Postgraduate Training and
Development Guidelines 2009.
Background
In year 1 (2011-12) the WRDTC AQC used a quality metric for each of the units of
assessment (UoAs) involved in the DTC Pathways to determine approximately 70% of the
awards to departments and schools. That metric was based on the same metric used by
ESRC to allocate the quota of 48 studentships to the DTC when first established. In addition,
Network, Collaborative and Advanced Quantitative Methods (AQM) studentships were
offered via an open competition.
In year 2 (2012-13) the allocation of awards was again informed by the quality metric, but
was used primarily as a heuristic for decision-making, given changes to Pathways since the
DTC award. Open competitions for Network studentships and Advanced Quantitative
Methods awards were also offered. As an innovation, the DTC also offered half (50%)
studentships to encourage match funding and increase the overall number of awards. This
innovation was noted positively by ESRC.
In year 3 (2013-14) following consultation responses we attempted to distribute studentships
across more departments and schools in the DTC, to ensure inclusivity and to build up the
collective capacity for excellent training across the social sciences. We introduced the
Pathway Development awards for those units that had not yet received awards from the
DTC but had a well developed training offering. We also offered via open competition
Collaborative Awards, to encourage partnership working with external partners – this is one
of the key drivers from the ESRC – to offer exciting opportunities for students to carry out
1
White Rose Doctoral Training Centre  Located at: University of Sheffield, Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences
(ICoSS), 219 Portobello, Sheffield,S1 4DP, UK  Tel: +44 (0)114 222 6060  Email: [email protected]
Web: wrdtc.ac.uk
research in partnership with others in the private, public and civil society/third sectors. We
continued to offer half (50%) awards.
In year 4 (2014-15), we again allocated awards informed by the quality metric and the
responses to the WRDTC Training Questionnaire regarding the extent to which quality
research training was available in all of our pathways. We were also mindful of the ESRC
subject benchmarking exercise that showed changes in allocations to subjects across the
UK since the advent of DTCs. A further aim remained, to increase the match funding of
studentships, ideally using non-university sources of income.
In year 5 (2015-16), following on from our successful ESRC Mid Term Review and with our
eye on the ESRCs Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) direction of travel towards recommissioning in September 2016, our intention is to continue to distribute awards in ways
that a) enable the best candidates with the best ideas to receive ESRC studentships, based
in areas of research excellence; b) promote the development of collaborative arrangements
with external partners; and c) allow us to meet our ESRC steers. We will maintain the
Discipline Awards as profiled last year but will be discontinuing the Pathway Development
Awards, and offering 3 new Networks that are thematic and challenge focused, all of which
are offered via open competition to all pathways.
Details regarding the various award schemes and the distribution of Discipline Awards are
given below.
ESRC awards commencing 2015/16
In this 2015/16 cycle there are 31.5 studentships that we have distributed to departments
and schools - to hold discipline-based competitions - across the three White Rose
Universities. Please see the Annex 1. for the full list.
The following table summarises the full range of studentships on offer for 2015/16
Type of studentship
1. (Discipline) Awards to
Schools/Departments (see Annex
1 for full details)
2. Advanced Quantitative Methods
(AQM)
3. White Rose DTC ESRC Networks
4. Collaborative Awards
31.5
4
9
6
Process Notes
Awards for discipline-based competition.
This includes 2 full awards as Languagebased area studies (ESRC steer)
Via open competition (ESRC steer)
Via an open competition. 3 studentships
available in each of three new Networks –
1 x Big Data and 2 x thematic and
challenge focused – all requiring 20%
match funding from partners
Via open competition. Requires
collaboration with a non-academic partner.
Partner contributions need to be financial
or in-kind.
2
White Rose Doctoral Training Centre  Located at: University of Sheffield, Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences
(ICoSS), 219 Portobello, Sheffield,S1 4DP, UK  Tel: +44 (0)114 222 6060  Email: [email protected]
Web: wrdtc.ac.uk
You are strongly encouraged to include a collaborative dimension to ALL the
studentship applications. This element may not necessarily mean a financial
contribution from the external partner. See section 4. below.
Schools/Departments are also reminded that studentships are available as either 1+3
awards or +3 awards and can be undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis. As
mentioned above, a detailed Training Statement should be included with each
nomination showing the suitability of the candidate for either a 1+3 or +3 award and
how the planned training will relate to the ESRC Postgraduate Training and
Development Guidelines 2009.
1. Discipline Awards to Schools/Departments
The DTC continues to distribute studentships directly to departments and schools in the
three White Rose Universities in order that local pathway competitions are held to award to
the best candidates with a studentship. A number of the awards are offered as (half) 50%
studentships to allow opportunities for match funding and to encourage collaboration. See
the table at Annex 1. We also encourage the joining of part studentships within Pathways
(shared between institutions) to support Pathway development or between Pathways (to
encourage inter-disciplinary and multidisciplinary research).
This distribution model allows us to support the strategic value of a collaborative (crossinstitutional) environment; capacity build; improve regional outreach, and maximise the
number of studentships that can be supported by the ESRC funding - whilst also continuing
to offer awards in areas of excellence.
Where 50% scholarships are offered, departments/schools could consider the following
options:
a) Identify 50% funding to match the allocation (from the department, non-academic,
government/business or civil society/third sector organisations),
b) Identify other half awards and join the 50% with their allocation (both within and
across Pathways),
c) Decline the offer and return the allocation to the DTC pot for recycling to others.
2. Advanced Quantitative Methods (AQM) open competition awards
Four AQM awards are available via open competition across all outlets and will be of specific
interest to those schools/departments that have a strong track record of AQM or are looking
to expand into this area. The DTC will give priority to those who will be working with large
data sets (an ESRC priority). Both 1+3 students and +3 students are eligible for nomination.
Cross-department or cross-institutional supervision is possible, especially where this adds
value to the proposed research and/or increases the training opportunities for the student.
3
White Rose Doctoral Training Centre  Located at: University of Sheffield, Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences
(ICoSS), 219 Portobello, Sheffield,S1 4DP, UK  Tel: +44 (0)114 222 6060  Email: [email protected]
Web: wrdtc.ac.uk
3. WR DTC ESRC Networks competition
In previous years, Network themes have been determined in various ways (defined by the
AQC or suggested by colleagues). For 2015/16 the WRDTC is offering three new Networks
which are thematic and challenge focused:
(a) Network 1 – committed to Big Data
(b) Network 2 & 3 – based on the ESRC’s revised research priorities, as identified in the
Delivery Plan for 2015-16, i.e. Business Innovation, Social Science of Environmental
Change, Urban Transformations, Epigenetics, Education, and Europe.
We recommend that you refer to the ESRC Delivery Plan 2015-16 when considering your
Network theme.
All three Networks will be funded by the WRDTC at 80%, with the remaining 20% to be
match funded through collaboration with an external partner (private sector, public sector or
civil society/third sector etc). We will also consider White Rose HEI match funding, for
the required 20%, where external partners are committed but are only able to make in-kind
contributions.
The table below shows the breakdown of costs per studentship:
3 Years
£ Per
studentship
ESRC DTC 45,352.00
contribution
£ Per
annum
15,117.33
1+3 Years
£ Per
studentship
ESRC DTC 60,216.00
contribution
£ Per
annum
15,054.00 80%
Match
Funding
11,338.00
3,779.33
Match
Funding
15,054.00
3,796.50
Total
56,690.00
18,896.67
Total
75,270.00
18,817.50
20%
Successful proposals will be required to advertise their WR ESRC Network Studentships via
usual recruitment processes and interview and select suitable candidates to fill the three
studentship places.
4. Collaborative awards
A minimum of a further six collaborative awards are available via an open competition for
studentships in partnership with non-academic organisations. These could be awarded as
full studentships, however, wherever possible, match funding is encouraged either from
departmental/faculty funds or, ideally, the external partners.
4
White Rose Doctoral Training Centre  Located at: University of Sheffield, Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences
(ICoSS), 219 Portobello, Sheffield,S1 4DP, UK  Tel: +44 (0)114 222 6060  Email: [email protected]
Web: wrdtc.ac.uk
The ESRC has reiterated its requirement that 20% of DTC studentships are designated as
‘collaborative awards’, although the contribution from the non-academic partner does not
necessarily have to be financial. These collaborative awards are defined as follows:



Collaborations must be with a non academic organisation in the public, private or civil
society/third sector
Collaborations must include substantive knowledge exchange and not just one way
engagement (e.g. not only data collection)
Collaborating organisations should be involved in the development of the project.
Those Pathways and Networks that have been in receipt of the recently offered DTC
Collaborative Funding will be in a strong position to submit well developed proposals.
Proposals with attached placement/internship opportunities will be particularly welcomed.
5
White Rose Doctoral Training Centre  Located at: University of Sheffield, Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences
(ICoSS), 219 Portobello, Sheffield,S1 4DP, UK  Tel: +44 (0)114 222 6060  Email: [email protected]
Web: wrdtc.ac.uk
Key Dates
The ESRC require that the studentship process is completed by the end of April 2015. The
timetable below outlines the key dates:
WRDTC ESRC Discipline/AQM awards timeline
3 February 2015
Application deadline for students
3 March 2015
Deadline for nominations from schools/departments to be submitted to
DTC Office via local Scholarships Officers
April 2015
Departments/students informed of outcomes by Scholarships Officers
WRDTC ESRC Networks process and timeline
7 October 2014
Stage 1: deadline for Teams to register an interest via DTC Office via
[email protected]
13 October 2014
Stage 2: DTC invites network proposers to a development workshop (held
at each of the White Rose HEIs, 23 Oct Sheffield, 27 Oct York, 28 Oct
Leeds – time/venues to be advised)
9 December 2014
Deadline for Network award proposals to be submitted to DTC Office via
[email protected]
w/c 19 January 2015
3 x Networks announced by DTC
Date tbc
Successful Networks advertise studentships, shortlist, interview etc
14 April 2015
Nomination from Networks into DTC Office via local Scholarships Officers
Late April 2015
Networks/students informed of outcomes by Scholarships Officers
WRDTC ESRC Collaborative awards process and timeline
9 December 2014
Deadline for collaborative award proposals to be submitted to DTC Office
via [email protected]
w/c 19 January 2015
6 Collaborative awards announced by DTC
Date tbc
Successful collaborative award holders set own deadline and advertise
studentships, shortlist, interview etc
14 April 2015
Nomination into DTC Office via local Scholarships Officers
Late April 2015
Students/staff informed of outcomes by Scholarships Officers
Further information and updated FAQs will be available on the White Rose Doctoral Training
Centre web site as soon as possible:
www.wrdtc.ac.uk
Academic Quality Committee
White Rose Doctoral Training Centre
July 2014
6
White Rose Doctoral Training Centre  Located at: University of Sheffield, Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences
(ICoSS), 219 Portobello, Sheffield,S1 4DP, UK  Tel: +44 (0)114 222 6060  Email: [email protected]
Web: wrdtc.ac.uk
Annex 1
Pathway
School/Department
Communication & Media Studies
Com Stds (L)
Institute of Communication Studies
Economics
Econ (S)
Department of Economics
Econ (Y)
Department of Economics & Related
Studies
Econ (L)
See LUBS below
Education
Education (Y)
Department of Education
Education (L)
School of Education
Education (S)
The School of Education
Environment & Sustainability
Env (L)
School of Earth and Environment
Human Geography
Geog (L)
School of Geography
Geog (S)
Department of Geography
Env (Y)
Environment Department
Health & Wellbeing
Health Sci (Y)
Department of Health Sciences
Language-based Area Studies (ESRC steer)
WREAC (L)
White Rose East Asia Centre
SEAS (S)
School of East Asian Studies
Linguistics & Language Sciences
Lang (Y)
Department of Language & Linguistic
Science
Management & Business, Accounting and Finance, and Work Psychology
LUBS (L)
Leeds University Business School
Mgt (Y)
The York Management School
Mgt (S)
Management School
Planning
ITS (L)
Institute for Transport Studies
TRP (S)
Department of Town & Regional Planning
Politics & International Relations
Pol (S)
Department of Politics
Pol (Y)
Department of Politics
HEI
Leeds
Studentships
2015/16
0.5
Sheffield
York
1
2
York
Leeds
Sheffield
0.5
1
0.5
Leeds
Leeds
Sheffield
York
1
1
1
0.5
York
1
Leeds
Sheffield
1
1
York
0.5
Leeds
York
Sheffield
2
1
1
Leeds
Sheffield
1
1
Sheffield
York
2
0.5
7
White Rose Doctoral Training Centre  Located at: University of Sheffield, Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences (ICoSS), 219 Portobello,
Sheffield,S1 4DP, UK  Tel: +44 (0)114 222 6060  Email: [email protected]
Web: wrdtc.ac.uk
Pathway
School/Department
HEI
Studentships
2015/16
Psy (S)
Psy (L)
Psy (Y)
Department of Psychology
Institute of Psychological Sciences
Department of Psychology
Sheffield
Leeds
York
SPSW (Y)
Dept of Soc Policy & Soc Work (not Soc
Work)
York
1
School of Law
School of Law
Leeds
Sheffield
1
1
Department of Sociology
School of Sociology & Social Policy
Dept of Sociological Studies (not Social
Work)
York
Leeds
Sheffield
1
2
2
Psychology
0.5
1
1
Social Policy
Socio-Legal Studies
Law (L)
Law (S)
Sociology
Soc (Y)
SSP (L)
Soc St (S)
Sub Total
31.5
Also available via open competition:
WRDTC ESRC Networks (20% match funding required)
Network 1 - Big Data
Network 2 - thematic & challenge focused
Network 3 - thematic & challenge focused
3
3
3
Advanced Quantitative Methods (AQM) - ESRC steer
4
Collaborative Awards (external partner collaboration required)
6
Total
50.5
White Rose Doctoral Training Centre, July 2014
8
White Rose Doctoral Training Centre  Located at: University of Sheffield, Interdisciplinary Centre of the Social Sciences (ICoSS), 219 Portobello,
Sheffield,S1 4DP, UK  Tel: +44 (0)114 222 6060  Email: [email protected]
Web: wrdtc.ac.uk