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The decision to focus on the financing of PhD "world leader" institutions encountered fierce resistance from other universities

Get a PhD graduate and can remember their desperate struggle to break the silence by speaking to factor in the morning or the tutor is to create breathing the same air that occasionally. Janice Robottom, who began his Ph.D. in biological sciences at the University of Leeds last month, has a very different experience.

At 33, she began a biosensing doctoral research with children and a career-high street bank. And two supervisors in different departments and third of independent advice and Robottom guardian is relieved to know that she is surrounded by a large number of research students in related fields.

His scholarship is one of 60 funded in part by a new partnership doctoral fellowship training in biotechnology and biological sciences Research Council (BBSRC) through Leeds, York and Sheffield universities. Students will share training in the sciences, as well as softer skills such as presentation. But above all, we are all part of a community. "It's great to have other people in the same situation as you, what happens in their investigation," Robottom said. "It makes you feel less isolated."

It was a turning point between the research councils to fund centers for doctoral training in the universities or consortia. Five of the seven councils now operate variants of this model, and the Natural Environment Research Council is ready to follow suit. This echoes a clear direction in the government to concentrate funds lobbied for training in research areas of proven excellence.

This may seem controversial - and provides an overview of doctoral training centers has many supporters. However, the development of doctoral education in a small number of large institutions, boards are on strike in the center of the highly charged debate about what it means to be a university.

Professor Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, said. "I think if you do not have a doctoral training center is in serious trouble is not a lot of money - is the Kitemark 's like musical chairs. Chair away and if you do not have a place to s 'sit, what is it? "

The main fear is that if you are not marked as a flagship training organization, other research grants may also be declining.

research councils are not the only supporters of doctoral scholarships, but colleges outside their chosen elite report which is difficult to find the money elsewhere. They are angry about the ripple effect through the pursuit of excellence importantly, who will distribute more than one billion pounds of government research funds. Data on doctoral research degrees will be a key element of its REF assessment.

Pam Tatlow, chief executive of the group of modern universities Million +, said. "It is very serious that the government can not keep track of what is really happening in doctoral education is not only a handful of universities that produce future researchers."

The elite Russell Group has fanned the flames last week a report urging the government to focus funding on "jewels" or risk falling behind everyone. He cited "strong evidence" that doctoral training is best done in the world, major universities. Million + criticized the report as "completely overwhelmed."

However, research councils argue that the merger was a fact of life, even before the change of policy PhD - a reflection of what is happening in the world. Professor Rick Rylance, Chief Executive of the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Chairman of the Board of RCUK coordination group, said: "Overall, 75% of CAP funding will be from 30 institutions and 39% goes to 10 institutions .. This is fairly consistent across the boards concentration is already a reality without genius is what you tell us peer review should be funded "

Although the Medical Research Council has not officially changed to the doctoral training centers, follows the same principles - 40% of its funds from 24 universities PhD with block grants automatic for 16 greatest players, including Oxford and Cambridge, University College London. Dr. Peter Dukes, head of research grants from the MRC career, apologizes for the Board's objectives. "It is a matter of quality over quantity," he said. "We used to think it was our duty to pump students, but we are the leaders of the future research."

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