An appraisal of changes to the UKRI Standard Terms and Conditions of Training Grant for disabled and carer doctoral students: Mode of study, challenges, drivers and mitigation of challenges, and the suitability of training grants to address these challenges: Mode of study, challenges, drivers and mitigation of challenges, and the suitability of training grants to address these challenges

James Richards*, Katherine Sang, Jemina Napier, Dong Lin, Beth Wedgwood, Rebecca Kennedy

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Book/ReportCommissioned report

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Abstract

In 2020 the UK Government committed to creating a New Deal for Postgraduate Research. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) undertook to hold a call for input and in parallel commissioned Advance HE to produce an assessment of the UKRI Standard Terms and Conditions of Training Grant from an equality, diversity and inclusion perspective. The analysis made a series of 80 recommendations for changes to the terms and conditions. In response to these pieces of work UKRI committed to review the support available to doctoral students that it funds. A set of the most straightforward amendments were made to UKRI’s training grant conditions in November 2023. The rest remain under consideration, and UKRI commissioned the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Caucus (EDICa) to help provide an evidence-based assessment of the likely impact of adopting a subset of 26 of the Advance HE recommendations. The 26 recommendations focus on support for UKRI funded students who have children or caring responsibility, disabled students, support for mode of study (such as part-time study) and phased returns, and the information needs of students. We looked at financial support as well as leave and flexibility available to students. Appendix 10 sets out each recommendation that we looked at in turn.

This report focuses on the current experiences of doctoral students and the potential impact on them of adopting the 26 Advance HE recommendations. 113 students, former students who had left their training, and potential students who had decided against pursuing their doctoral education, participated in the focus groups (FGs) (n=114, across 12 FGs) and interviews (n=13). The FGs focussed on students who had children, caring responsibilities or who are disabled (see Appendix 2). We also held FGs and interviews with 14 professionals involved in the delivery of postgraduate research training (see Appendix 2 and Table 7.1).

The FGs support UKRI’s wider analysis of the full set of Advance HE recommendations by providing a robust evidence base on the mechanisms that may underpin trends in doctoral training. Our analysis found that:

•For many of the participants, doctoral training is only accessible thanks to funded studentships. The research revealed how UKRI training grant conditions already play an important role in making doctoral studies accessible to groups defined by disability, childcare and caring responsibilities (page 18).
•Students with children are in some instances feeling forced to take on paid work to qualify for tax relief on childcare and subsidised childcare. As students are not eligible for childcare support in their own right, some are changing to part-time study to qualify for childcare support, and we heard how this can negatively impact students’ well-being and energy levels, in some cases compromising their ability to complete their studies (page 19).
•Other students with children reported that a lack of childcare meant they were missing meetings with supervisors or leaving their studies altogether (pages 19-20).
•Students were often unaware of provision for maternity or paternity leave until the point at which they or their partner was expecting a baby. Current provision of maternity leave was broadly welcomed, but there was some frustration at having less provision for partners and the inability to access the government’s paid Shared Parental Leave scheme, meaning some women may be taking longer career breaks from training or careers than would be the case with more equitable support (page 21-22).
•Disabled doctoral students reported a wide variation in experiences of getting adjustments required to undertake their studies. Some had positive experiences, but others were getting incorrect information from their research organisation (including, but not limited to, information from supervisors), undertaking additional work equivalent to a full-time job to secure the arrangements they required to complete their degree, or could not get adjustments put into place. Importantly, the data reveals that disability advisors reported challenges providing adjustments for disabled doctoral students due to the different ways of studying between research and taught degrees. Further, disability advisors reported a need for improved understanding of adjustments which would benefit disabled research students (page 24).
•Some students who move to part-time mode of study to help manage health, disability, childcare or caring responsibilities are receiving less support than their peers who were able to study full-time. Part-time students were less likely to have space within their institution. The transition to remote study for many part-time students resulted in reduced access to university life, including seminars, student counselling, and informal social interactions. This isolation can have a profound impact on academic progress and mental well-being.
•Some students are not switching to part-time despite university staff feeling this was the best option for them, because the student was concerned that they could not return to full time study later. In such cases, we heard examples of students having negative health outcomes or withdrawing from study.
•Inability to switch mode of study more than once may also be a barrier to students gaining experience in industry or commercialisation through part time placements (page 33).
•Students were not taking leave because they believed that their funded period would not be extended (page 32) or they incorrectly assumed they had no option of a phased return after the period of leave (page 37).
•Requirements for medical evidence have a cost for students in terms of considerable time which may significantly reduce time they have available for research or study compared to their peers (pages 35-36).

The implementation of the recommendations would alleviate the pressures, including financial, experienced by doctoral students. Such pressures are reported to place considerable burdens on doctoral students including issues related to stress, financial hardship, and difficulty accessing reasonable accommodations and changes to mode of study. For many current doctoral training students, the system of support in its current form is entrenching wider inequalities, particularly relating to caring responsibilities, disability and the benefits that may be achieved through change of mode of study. In the conclusions section we present an overview of the changes the 26 recommendations could make to the lives of doctoral training students, and the wider research and innovation (R&I) ecosystem.

UKRI is committed to removing barriers to inclusion across the R&I ecosystem. The training grant is a key lever for accelerating equity by opening doctoral study to those who may have been historically excluded or marginalised. The implementation of the recommendations, along with a holistic approach, will help to centre equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) across the R&I ecosystem. Not only will this create equity by removing barriers to participation and excellence, but also ensures the R&I community reflects the societies it serves.

Importantly, while this report focuses on doctoral students, many of these changes would affects positive change for staff across the R&I ecosystem. Many of the challenges reported by disabled, neurodivergent and deaf doctoral training students have also been reported by staff in universities (Sang et al., 2022; O’Brien, 2023). It is vital that there are changes in the provision of support for staff to prevent disabled people ‘falling off the cliff edge’ that they report in the transition from doctoral student to staff in universities (Sang et al., 2022). The implementation of the recommendations would create the foundations for significant practical changes to remove barriers to participation in R&I careers by those with caring responsibilities and disabled, neurodivergent, and deaf people.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherUKRI
Number of pages79
Publication statusPublished - 30 Jan 2025

Keywords

  • EDICa
  • EDI
  • UKRI
  • Doctoral training grants
  • PGR
  • Focus groups

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