AHRC’s Postgraduate Programme Professor Lyn Pykett The Higher Education Academy Event – The Future of the Taught MA in English [date] 2008

The Postgraduate Programme AHRC’s Strategic Aim 2: “To promote and support world-class postgraduate trainingdesigned to equip graduates for research or other professional careers”

Postgraduate competition Doctoral Awards Scheme gain a PhD or DPhil qualification Research Preparation Master’s Scheme advanced study and research training as a foundation for doctoral research Professional Preparation Master’s Scheme developing high-level skills and competencies for professional work and practice

Applicant’s aptitude, ability and preparedness for proposed study Referees’ reports on the applicant’s proposal and preparedness for PG study HEI information about –Research training provision –Applicant’s quality and proposed research –Supervision arrangements –Other support and resources provided What is assessed?

2007 competition outcomes Eligible applications Awards taken up Success rate % PPM % RPM % Doctoral % Total %

2008 competition Final year of competition in its current format Cap on number of applications Guidance was published in December

New schemes For studentships to commence in October 2009: Block Grant Partnerships (BGPs) AHRC Studentship Competition

Goals of the new system 2 competitions – equal status. Approx. 80/20 split Support strategy for producing world-class postgraduates High-quality research and training Health & sustainability of arts & humanities disciplines Opportunities for interdisciplinarity Encourage integration of PG programmes with research and knowledge transfer strategies

BGP competition HEIs with average of 8 or more offers eligible Awards = 5 years of studentship award allocations Doctoral, RPM and PPM studentships HEIs make awards to students – move away from AHRC assessment of individual proposals

BGP applications to include: HEI’s overall strategy for arts and humanities research PG strategy – how does this align with AHRC priorities? Numbers of studentships sought over each of the 5 years, by type and subject of study Evidence that the HEI is a good place for study in the relevant subject areas

AHRC Studentship Competition aims to provide funding for ‘pockets of excellence’ open to HEIs who don’t hold a BGP Numbers of applications from each HEI will be capped to ensure a much higher success rate

Collaborative Research Training pump-priming to develop new or enhance existing research training provision departments in at least 2 HEIs provision of specialised, subject-specific research training £60,000 national scale bids £10,000 specialist training bids £2,000 student-led initiative

Partnerships - Collaborative Doctoral Awards analogous to CASE awards in science and engineering offering doctoral students the chance to conduct research in collaboration with a non-academic body supporting collaboration with partners beyond academic sector Annual comp – c. 150 projects current also offered in Strategic Research Programmes

International Library of Congress - Joint scheme with the ESRC National Institutes for the Humanities Japan (NIHU) – new for 2008 Scholarship for an award holder to undertake research at the Library of Congress in Washington DC or NIHU Provide opportunity to access resources at these institutions and network with a range of international scholars

Provides support for up to 2 doctoral students attached to an AHRC funded Research Grant Award holders treated in the same way as all other doctoral award holders Project studentships