BBSRC, EPSRC and MRC CASE PhD Studentships A Summary

Transcription

1 BBSRC, EPSRC and MRC CASE PhD Studentships A Summary Purpse This dcument prvides an verview f BBSRC, EPSRC and MRC CASE PhD Studentship strategy and prvisin. Visin and Strategy The CASE scheme frms an integral part f each cuncil s research, training and skills strategy. It fits with EPSRC, BBSRC and MRC s ambitin t address skills gaps in key sectrs f the UK ecnmy as well as t encurage and facilitate cllabratin between academia and industry, thrugh crss-fertilisatin f training and ideas. The cuncils have agreed a shared visin fr CASE studentships: BBSRC / EPSRC / MRC Visin f CASE Studentships CASE awards will prvide PhD students with a first-rate, challenging research training experience, within the cntext f a mutually beneficial research cllabratin between academic and partner rganisatins e.g. industry and plicy making bdies. Benefits t the student CASE prvides utstanding students access t training, facilities and expertise nt available in an academic setting alne. Students benefit frm a diversity f experimental appraches with an applied/translatinal dimensin. Students have an pprtunity t develp a range f valuable skills and significantly enhance their future emplyability; many will becme research leaders f the future. Benefits t the academic / partner rganisatins - CASE studentships encurage prductive engagement between partners wh benefit frm a mtivated, high-quality PhD student undertaking cutting-edge research relevant t the rganisatins pririties and bjectives. CASE prvides pprtunities t explre nvel research cllabratins and strengthen current partnerships. Defining an excellent CASE Studentship : High-quality prject A challenging, feasible and realistically achievable PhD prject which stimulates excellent hypthesis-driven research. Thrugh a truly cllabrative apprach, it prvides tangible benefits t all partners. High-quality training envirnment Thrugh access t distinctive but cmplementary envirnments, partners prvide a stimulating framewrk fr research training in the prpsed field. Jint supervisin gives a unique and bradening perspective n the impact f cllabrative research. High-quality student experience An enriched integrated training experience allws the student t acquire nvel skills and expertise. The student gains a wider understanding f, fr example, applied research r plicy develpment that will enhance their future career prspects. Dr Rhswyn Walker 1

2 Eligibility The cuncils have als agreed a cmmn eligibility statement fr partner rganisatins submitting CASE applicatins, in cllabratin with an academic rganisatin: BBSRC/ EPSRC / MRC Nn-Academic Partner Eligibility UK-based rganisatins can be cnsidered as the nn-academic partner if they can prvide students with distinctive research training and experience nt available in an academic setting. Organisatins eligible fr Research Cuncil funding cannt act as a nn-academic partner 1. Where the nn-academic partner is a cmpany, it must have an established UK-based research and/r cmmercial prductin capability. In exceptinal cases, rganisatins based verseas may be eligible, but nly where they can prvide the student with an pprtunity t gain skills nt currently available in the UK. If eligibility remains unclear, applicants shuld make cntact befre submitting a prpsal. 1 A list f rganisatins eligible fr Research Cuncil funding can be fund at: Hw t Apply fr a CASE Studentship Cuncil s wrk tgether t ensure that where we ffer cmmn mechanisms t supprt CASE studentships, this is reflected in harmnised applicatin prcesses as far as practicable. An verview f BBSRC, EPSRC and MRC CASE studentship schemes is prvided belw. Fr mre detailed infrmatin please refer t the individual web pages. 1. Applicatins fr Individual CASE Studentships - Available frm BBSRC and MRC Detailed Scheme Inf - BBSRC Industrial CASE Awards: - MRC Industrial CASE Studentships: 08 Cmmn Features - Max f 1 studentship per applicatin - Submitted by at least 2 supervisrs (ne academic, ne industry) - Can be led by either the industry r academic supervisr - Open cmpetitin Applicatins frm SMEs encuraged (thrugh targeted cmmunicatins and financial incentives 1 ) 1 Financial incentives prvided by MRC scheme nly Dr Rhswyn Walker 2

3 - Based n a cllabrative PhD prject prpsal Student des nt need t be identified prir t applicatin - Submitted via the Jint electrnic Submissin (Je-S) system ( ) - Harmnised jint annual deadline (in ~ July each year) - Awards made in December fr students starting in the fllwing academic year - Applicants submit t apprpriate Cuncil (depending n scientific remit (health = MRC, underpinning bilgy = BBSRC) Pssible t transfer between cuncils pst-applicatin if essential e.g. in 2010 MRC accepted 11 ut-f-remit BBSRC CASE studentship applicatins, f which 2 were awarded. Prir t harmnisatin such applicatins wuld have been rejected withut review. 2. Blck Awards fr Multiple CASE Studentships - Available frm BBSRC and EPSRC Scheme Inf - BBSRC Industrial CASE Partnerships: - EPSRC Industrial CASE Cmmn Features - Awards made directly t cmpany fr multiple studentships - Cmpany respnsible fr identifying student and academic partner(s) - Allcatins made either by: BBSRC Scheme based n cmpany s training strategy, its apprach t student supprt and the additinal training pprtunities it will make available t students. EPSRC Strategic - allcated t cmpanies based n their participatin in EPSRCfunded research (algrithm based n their financial cntributins ver the last 3 years) and ther strategic cnsideratins. Thrugh Industrial CASE agents (mainly knwledge transfer netwrks in 2011) t help invlve small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the scheme. 3. Other Opprtunities fr academic-industry cllabrative PhD studentship training Each cuncil als ffer wider pprtunities fr PhD studentship prvisin within jint academic-industry cllabrative envirnments. Fr example: - ESPRC Industrial Dctrate Centres: - EPSRC als actively encurages industrial cllabratin thrugh the Dctral Training Accunt rute by setting research rganisatins a target f cnverting 10% f its (DTA) funds int CASE awards. Dr Rhswyn Walker 3

4 - BBSRC Dctral Training Partnerships: - MRC Integrative Txiclgy Training Partnership: - MRC clinical pharmaclgy and pathlgy fellwship prgrammes where clinicians undertake a PhD fellwship prgramme incrprating jint supervisin with industry. Onging Cuncil Cllabratin The cuncils cntinue t meet n a quarterly basis t facilitate cllabratin and nging strategic discussin f CASE studentship prvisin. Onging wrk includes develpment f a harmnised JeS applicatin frm. The remit f the crss-cuncil CASE cllabrative wrking grup was recently extended t include the Natural Envirnment Research Cuncil (NERC). BBSRC are currently undertaking an evaluatin f its Industrial CASE studentship scheme. See Terms f Reference included in Annex 1 belw. The evaluatin is expected t reprt in Summer Lessns learned frm this exercise will be shared by the cuncils. Dr Rhswyn Walker 4

5 Annex 1 BBSRC INDUSTRIAL CASE SCHEME EVALUATION TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE REVIEW PANEL 1. The task f the Review Panel is t cnduct an independent evaluatin f the training supprted thrugh BBSRC s Industrial CASE scheme, with a fcus n studentships with start dates between 2004 and The evaluatin will cver standard Industrial CASE and Industrial CASE Partnership studentships. 2. Specifically, the Panel is asked t review the infrmatin presented and t: a. assess the quality f the training supprted thrugh the Industrial CASE scheme, with a particular emphasis n the training prvided by industry partners: i. the industry placement ii. training in skills nt typically acquired thrugh an academic setting b. assess the utcmes and achievements f the pstgraduate research and training including, where apprpriate, any ecnmic r scietal impacts c. identify the benefits frm supprting pstgraduate training thrugh the Industrial CASE scheme in cmparisn t nn-case, cnsidering the benefits t students, industry and academia d. examine the drivers and barriers which influence industry, academia and student participatin in the schemes e. cnsider whether the current requirements fr financial cntributins frm industry are apprpriate f. cmment n the balance and cverage f the Industrial CASE scheme prtfli, including the extent t which the scheme is supprting training and research acrss BBSRC s remit and strategic pririty areas g. cmment n the range f industry partners that participate in the scheme (e.g. sectrs, SME representatin) h. cmment n the scheme s applicatin and administratin prcesses i. identify any examples f best practice in the prvisin f cllabrative training with industry j. identify strengths, gaps and weaknesses in the scheme s supprt fr pstgraduate training; cmment n ways t build n successes and ways t address any identified gaps and issues Dr Rhswyn Walker 5