The new deal for postgraduate research (PGR) aims to ensure that PGR in the UK remains open and attractive to a wide range of candidates both from the UK and abroad. PGR should be sustainable and deliver the highly skilled researchers the UK and global societies need.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) launched a cross-sector consultation in spring 2022. UKRI published an analysis of the consultation responses in May 2023.
UKRI’s ‘A new deal for postgraduate research: response to the call for input’ sets out the actions UKRI will take as funder and convenor. It is a comprehensive long-term commitment to strengthening support for PGR and aims to help bring about positive change in the sector.
The work will support efforts to break down barriers to opportunity, in line with the government mission, by making PGR more accessible.
Over the next year, significant changes are being made to the support available to UKRI-funded students through our training grants and their management.
How we are investing in PGR
Our response to the new deal includes examples of activity that we have already undertaken to support positive change. We have already:
- increased the minimum stipend and published an analysis of stipend levels
- reviewed our standard terms and conditions of training grant to better support students and announced changes that training providers will need to put into effect from the start of the 2025 and 2026 academic year
- embedded equality, diversity and inclusion as a core requirement for our doctoral training investments, both in terms of recruitment and the environment provided for all funded students
- invested in order to develop and share best practice doctoral training including supervisory practice, widening participation and supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing
- established a cross sector Postgraduate Research Funders and Providers Forum, bringing together other funders and representatives from research organisations of all sizes. It will work on areas of common interest raised in the call for input
Our next steps
We have set out an action plan outlining the steps that we will undertake to support PGR in our response.
We intend to review progress against the action plan in autumn 2025.
Council reviews and related work
As well as the overarching new deal, four of UKRI’s councils have published reviews of their investments in PGR. The findings from this work directly contribute to UKRI’s approach. These are:
- Arts and Humanities Research Council’s engagement in the future of doctoral training
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s review of future approach to support doctoral education
- Economic and Social Research Council’s review of the PhD in the social sciences
- Natural Environment Research Council’s cohort training review
Other related work that UKRI has published includes:
- an analysis of the UKRI terms and conditions of training grants from an equality, diversity and inclusion perspective
- the UKRI EDI Caucus’ appraisal of changes to the UKRI standard terms and conditions of training grant for disabled and carer doctoral students
- a report on research supervision, on supporting excellent supervisory practice across UKRI doctoral training investments
- an update on its work toward a more consistent offer for doctoral funding through collective talent funding
Last updated: 30 January 2025