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