1. The Modern Doctorate and Timely Submission
Ian Douglas

2. The Modern Doctorate
PhD is no longer a training primarily for academia and/or research
Training to go into roles beyond research but where rigorous analysis required
Overall 3.7% end in academic positions
Public sector, charities and industry employers seek
Ability to apply research skills to business development
Social change drives change of focus
See League of European Research Universities – Doctoral degrees beyond 2010

3. Skills development as the cornerstone
Need for painstaking research
Increased public scrutiny due to greater disclosure
Non-research jobs
Excellence, ability to seek and marshall large amounts of evidence for complex decision making
Our responsibility is to facilitate
Interplay between professional research experience and personal development
Significant and original contribution
Output - individuals trained to think deeply and rigorously and to translate knowledge into opportunities for society
Knowledge economy - creative, critical, autonomous, intellectual risk takers in interdisciplinary environment

4. Effects on timely submission
Skills training
Training need, time,
Internships
Either directly related to PhD or valuable transferable skills
Progress of experimental work
Life events

5. Why is timely submission important?
Important for
the research program and future funding bids of the supervisor may be compromised
income to the university influenced by doctoral completions
contribution to various rankings for universities
student satisfaction
highly competitive international education sector.

6. RCUK funded students BBSRC, NERC and SFTC MRC AHRC, EPSRC and ESRC
Expect submission within the funded period
MRC
expect submission within 6 months of end of funded period
AHRC, EPSRC and ESRC
Expect submission within 12 months of end of funded period
Generally this equates to 4 years
RCs expect 70% submission rate

7. Why are submission rates important?
BBSRC CASE studentship
Number of Research Council supported ftes registered.
Total number of ftes registered in 2007 through 2010
% submission rate within 4 years for each
The iCASE Panel rejected pending clarification on the submission rates
Research Councils
Total
Academic Year
% submitted within 4 years
2007/08
100%
79%*2 (93%)
2008/09
N/A
50%*3 (67%)
2009/10
0%*1 (100%)
63%*4 (100%)