Update on UKRI New Deal for Postgraduate Research and Collective Talent Funding reforms

Since its launch in 2022, UCU has played an active role in shaping UK Research and Innovation's (UKRI) New Deal for Postgraduate Research. This work has included ongoing discussions with UKRI senior officials, submitting a large piece of research to the public consultation, and high profile campaigning by UCU members during the cost-of-living crisis.

In September 2023, UKRI published a response to the consultation to provide a summary of the actions that they are intending to take as a result of the sector's feedback and other commissioned research. In January 2024, UKRI then published an updated statement of expectations for doctoral training, which will apply to all future doctoral awards by UKRI and other key funders.

PGR members of UCU have raised two key sets of concerns in relation these recent updates. The first of these pertain to the lack of detail provided by UKRI in relation to improvements that will be made to PGRs' terms and conditions. The second set of concerns relate to a new reference within the statement of expectations which states that funded PGRs should submit within their funded period.

Representatives of UCU met with UKRI on 17 April for a productive discussion about these concerns and related issues. It was agreed that the below update could be sent to members.

The next meeting between UCU and UKRI will be taking place in early summer. If you have any questions in relation to this update, or UCU's work in this area more generally, then please contact Alex Kirby-Reynolds.

1. Update on status and timeline of New Deal for PGRs

Timelines - these remain broadly in line with those outlined in the New Deal for Postgraduate Research: Response to the Call for Input. Specifically:

1. as set out in that document, UKRI had previously commissioned a review of their Standard Terms and Conditions of Training Grant from Advance HE. They have reviewed Advance HE's recommendations and introduced the first smaller changes in November 2023
2. the response document also stated that UKRI would commission further evidence where this is required to underpin options for change - that commissioned research is nearing completion, with over 100 PGRs and students having participated in this
3. reflecting on that evidence, UKRI anticipate that they will be engaging with the sector (including UCU) in late-May/June to discuss the outstanding Advance HE recommendations - including clarifications, changes to the leave policy, phased returns and mode of study (e.g. different options for part-time study)
4. UKRI have also been looking at proposals regarding Disabled students and reasonable adjustments, and UKRI's Disabled Students Allowances (DSA) framework. Engagement on these will happen around September
5. while UKRI will aim to start making these changes in October, some may take place at a later point, with this being partly subject to the above engagement processes
6. on childcare, UKRI have commissioned further research, which has yielded some imporant insights. They will be sharing this with sector stakeholders to begin discussions regarding options might best support all PGRs with young children.

2. 'Changes' to expectations regarding thesis submissions

There have been no changes to UKRI's terms and conditions regarding the expectation for PGRs to submit within the funded period. The inclusion of this wording within the revised statement of expectations for doctoral training restates UKRI's longstanding position that doctoral projects should be designed to be achievable within the funded period. UKRI wish to avoid the perception that PGRs should rely on an 'unfunded writing up year'.

To expand on this aim, UKRI's expectation is that research organisations and supervisors should provide sufficient support to PGRs to ensure their projects are deliverable within the funded period - while accepting that a bit of grace period between the end of the funded period and final submission deadlines may sometimes be required. Their statement of expectations also makes clear that, alongside this support, research organisations should provide paid extensions to the funding period in accordance with training grant terms and conditions.

Research Councils currently have different practices in relation to the monitoring of submission rates and whether they will consider sanctioning institutions if their submission rates for UKRI funded students fall below a certain level. They do not sanction PGRs.

UKRI welcome UCU's offer to discuss this area of work as it progresses, and get input on how to best communicate their expectations.

3. Stipend rates

UKRI's commitment in the New Deal response document still stands. This commitment is to review how the minimum rate for UKRI stipends is set and to determine whether any changes are required. If changes do take place then these are likely to be phased in from academic year 2025-26. Analytical work is underway and UKRI are likely to provide an update either later this year or early 2025.

4. Update on wider Collective Talent Funding reforms

Parallel to their work on the New Deal for Postgraduate Research, UKRI are also engaging in broader reforms to 'Collective Talent Funding'. There are two main elements of these reforms:

• the first element is work to harmonise and simplify how UKRI make investments in doctoral training and fellowships. The intention is to make funding easier to understand and manage, increase the parity of support available for all researchers, reduce bureaucracy, and make it easier to work across disciplines and the Research and Innovation system. This work has been commenced through structural changes to the doctoral funding system. It will continue with a review of UKRI's research fellowship portfolio later this year
• the second element will consist of developing a more collective 'talent' strategy for UKRI - which will be enabled by the above changes having removed some of the barriers which have made it more complicated for collaborative investments. As UKRI prepare for their next spending review, which will take place after the next general election, they are working to identify priorities for researchers and research funding. This will provide an opportunity to implement their People and Teams action plan, which includes reducing precarity within research careers.