ID146 Supporting Postgraduate Recruitment

The Idea

Funding for postgraduate research (PGR) degrees is increasingly challenging leading to a drop in new PGR recruits in many areas. However, other pathways such as distance learning PhDs, professional doctorates and more recently PhD by publication offer routes to increase access to PGR study, maintain PGR numbers, and support the university REF submission. Despite funding challenges there are increasing initiatives to support NHS clinicians and allied health professionals undertake research (e.g. NIHR Insight and related initiatives) recognising that this leads to better clinical and career outcomes. 

We have a pipeline from Undergraduate (UG) to Postgraduate Taught (PGT) and then onto Postgraduate Research (PGR) which is popular but opportunities to support this pipeline are not always visible across Keele or adequately publicised in current recruitment processes.   

1. Maintain and increase visibility by widely publicising alumni fee discounts and staff discounts to maximise the pipeline from UG to PGT and PGR study.  
2. Introduce a new partnership fee discount to encourage uptake from key strategic local partners, (initially piloting with the four University Partner NHS trusts) to ensure that partner staff considering undertaking PGT/PGR study do so at Keele rather than other competitor HEIs. Key target partner staff could include those on clinical academic pathways or those who have an interest in developing research within their roles.  

Why This Idea Should Be Considered

Strategic partnerships would both increase PGR recruitment improving the size of the PGR community and the University’s research environment including REF, while contributing to Keele’s local and civic responsibilities including Keele Deal Health (especially to support the objective around workforce development supporting the rapidly changing skills needs across our regional health and care systems). Whilst the initial pilot would be focussed around NHS partnerships, the model could be extended to develop other strategic partnerships over time (perhaps considering other key employers or whether the development of engineering UG programmes may have potential for PGR partnerships).

How We Would Implement This Idea

1. Work with GSRA to design and publish a Keele landing page highlighting Research Programme fee reductions and waivers for PhD by Publication and linking to programmes and supervisor information.  
2. Agree a reasonable and attractive fee discount rate for partner staff.  
3. Promote these reductions alongside other scholarships.  
   • To staff.  
   • To alumni and at key exit points (e.g. ahead of graduation).  
   • To NHS Partners via our academic network of contacts and via specific outreach activity. We would look to link this with partner initiatives such as MPFT STARS programme  STARS - The Research and Education Programme :: Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust to highlight the partnership potential for research interested staff.  

What Success Would Look Like

1. Increased PGR recruitment across each of the groups (alumni/staff/partnerships). 
2. Increased engagement with the University, resulting in more likely conversions and assist those for which the cost is a barrier to study. 
3. Strengthen research networks and research implementation in key areas of research specialisation. 
4. Strengthen research environment, supporting REF PGR completions and future externally funded doctoral training partnerships.