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Holliman, Richard; Smith McGloin, Rebekah and Danner, Elizabeth
(2023).
URL: https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/engage-conferen...
Abstract
UKRI (2023a) argues that “The PhD is the first step towards a career in research, providing graduates with training for a range of opportunities”. In a complementary mode, PhD programmes are routinely promoted on the basis of comprehensive training and professional development in core knowledge and transferable skills with the aim of developing researchers and enhancing employability prospects. Whilst UKRI’s (2023b) New deal for postgraduate research highlights a need for greater “collaboration with employers”, in terms of funding, co-creation of PhD projects and contribution to training, it places less emphasis on the need to support postgraduate research students in all aspects of an engaged research journey.
We argue that this context begs the following questions: what does a career in post-doctoral research now routinely involve; have PhD programmes kept pace with developments in the UK research system in relation to engagement and impact; and does a PhD provide a first step towards a job within or beyond academia that requires skills and competencies in impact and engagement?
Our provocation is that provision for ‘an engaged PhD journey’ is patchy. In some instances, PhD candidates are well served in preparing them for a range of impactful postgraduate opportunities, both within and beyond the academy. In other examples, training and support are less optimal for an engaged PhD journey.
In this session we will offer prompts for discussion about what we see as aspects of an engaged PhD journey that receive less attention (when compared to training and professional development):
1) PGR, Supervisor, Mentor and Examiner recruitment and selection;
2) assessment, ‘upgrade’ and examination processes; and
3) engaged PhD skills and competencies for employability.
Plain Language Summary
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a public funder of research. In 2023 this organisation published a ‘New deal for postgraduate research, highlighting a need for greater “collaboration with employers”, which is obviously welcome. However, UKRI’s new deal places less emphasis on the need to support postgraduate research students in all aspects of an engaged research journey.
Which leads us to our provocation, which is our concern that provision on the ground for ‘an engaged PhD journey’ is patchy.
In this session we will offer prompts for discussion about what we see as aspects of an engaged PhD journey that receive less attention when compared to training and professional development.
We will explore the following issues:
1) Recruitment and selection: What makes a high-quality engaged PhD supervision team?
2) Assessment: What measures are in place to assess the outputs of engaged PhD research, are these fit for purpose, and who is best placed to assess these contributions?
3) Employability: Are engaged PhD researchers given opportunities to learn, develop and evidence skills and competencies gained through engaged PhD research?
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
