An Overview of Developments in PhD Programmes in Irish Universities

1
An Overview of Developments in PhD Programmes in
Irish Universities Professor Michael P. Ryan UCD
Dean of Graduate Studies Postdoctoral
Training Chair of the IUA 4th Level Ireland
Network - 2008
UCD Graduate Studies
2
Summary of Presentation

• International and National Context
• OECD Reviews .
• EUA Salzburg 10 principles
• IUQB Good practice in organisation of PhD
  programmes
• IUA Reform of 3rd Level and creation of 4th
  level
• HEA Graduate education forum
• Irish Government NDP and SSTI
• Funding SIF and PRTLI
• Individual Universities and Collaborative
  Initiatives
• UCD Structured PhD
• Conclusions

3
International and National Context

• OECD reviews.
• EUA 2005 - Salzburg 10 Principles.
• IUQB 2005 Good Practice in the Organisation of
  PhD Programmes in Irish Universities.
• IUA 2005 Reform of 3rd level and creation of
  4th level Ireland- securing competitive advantage
  in the 21st century.
• The new model Structured PhD Programme.

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Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation
(SSTI) 2006-2013

• Ireland by 2013 will be internationally
  renowned for the excellence of its research, and
  will be to the forefront in generating and using
  new knowledge for economic and social progress,
  within an innovation driven culture.
• To build up a sustainable system of world class
  research teams in terms of people and supporting
  structures.
• To double our output of PhDs.

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Funding to Support the Goals and meet the
targets of SSTI

• Research Councils IRCSET and IRCHSS
• Science Foundation Ireland
• Health Research Board
• Agriculture Food, Environment, Marine
• Other agencies
• HEA Programme for Research in Third Level
  Institutions (PRTLI)
• HEA Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF)

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HEA - SIF 1 2006IUA 4th Level Ireland Network

• Deans of Graduate Studies with network
  coordinators from the 7 universities and IUA
  dedicated resource .
• Work with funding agencies and government to
  ensure SSTI targets for PhD are achieved.
• Support the review , design, development and
  delivery of 4th level programmes.
• Inform national and international developments in
  graduate education.
• Develop 4th level Irelands international profile

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4th level Ireland Network PhD Graduates Skills
Statement

• Research skills and awareness.
• Ethics and social understanding.
• Communication skills.
• Personal effectiveness/ development.
• Team working and leadership.
• Career Management.
• Entrepreneurship and innovation

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4th level Ireland Network position paper

• Benefits of structured PhD programmes.
• Coordination of research infrastructure, spaces
  and supervisory capacity.
• Programme duration.
• Skills training.
• Funding levels and structure.
• Absorptive capacity.

9
Distribution of Full Time Research Graduate
Students in Higher Education Institutes
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SIF 1 2 Funded Collaborative Activities

• Development of Programmes in i) Marine
  Environment, and ii) Texts, Contexts and Cultures
  (TCD, UCC and NUIG).
• Transferable skills modules (TCD, UCC, NUIG ).
• Shannon Consortium (UL, MIC, LIT, ITT).
• Dublin Region Higher Education Alliance-
  DRHEA-Graduate Education-(UCD, TCD, DCU, NUIM,
  DIT, ITT) 6 disciplines Biomedical Science,
  Chemistry, Engineering, Economics,
  Politics/Sociology/Public Policy, Physics

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Graduate Research Education Programmes (GREPS)
Funded by IRCSET IRCHSS

• Quantitative Social Sciences (UCD, TCD).
• Gender, Culture and History (UCD, UL, QUB).
• Sustainable Development (UCD, TCD, QUB,
  Gotheburg, Nottingham. ITC Enschede).
• Bioinformatics and Computational Biomedicine
  (UCD, TCD, RCSI)
• Micro- and Nano-Engineering (UCC, UCD, TCD, UL,
  NUIG, NUIG, AIT, DIT, Northwestern, Fudan,
  Chalmers-Sweden)

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PRTLI 4 funded collaborative PhD programmes

• Biomedical Sciences Network (TCD, UCD, UCC, NUIG,
  RCSI).
• Biopharmaceutical Pharmacological Sciences
  (UCC, UCD, TCD, DCU)
• e-INIS the Irish National e-infrastructure (
  DIAS, NUIM, UCC, TCD, NUIG).
• Food Ireland National Food and Health
  Collaborative Research Programme ( UCC, UCD)
• Humanities Serving Irish Society (HSIS) (RIA,
  TCD, UCD, DCU, NUIM, NUIG, UCC).
• Nanoscience and Nano Scale Technologies for
  Ireland (Nanoteire-Inspire) (UCC, TDC, DCU, UCD.
  CIT, DIT, NUIG)

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Developments in PhD Programmes in Irish
Universities

• All 7 Universities have Deans of Graduate
  studies.
• All 7 involved in the IUA 4th level Ireland
  Network.
• All 7 involved in Inter-Institutional PhD
  programmes.
• Models of Graduate Schools and Structured PhD
  Programmes being implemented

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UCD Delivering the 4th LevelStrategic Context
The UCD Graduate Schools were identified in UCD's
Strategic Plan 2005-2008 as critical to the
further development of UCD as a research
intensive university
Commitment by the Government to provide
significant funding for higher education to
develop the 4th level Knowledge economy and
doubling of PhD numbers
Continuing UCDs tradition of being a key driver
in developing Irelands knowledge society and
economy
Continuing the transformation of UCD through the
modularisation of its graduate taught programmes
and the development of a hallmark research
masters and structured PhD.
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Overall Student numbers in UCD 2006-07

• Total 22,929
• Undergraduate 17,022
• Graduate 5,907
• Graduate students 27
• Annual intake UG approx 4000
• Annual intake Grad approx 3500

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Governance

• University- University Graduate Programmes
  Board
• College Graduate School Board
• School
• Programme/thematic areas

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UCD Graduate Students 2006 -2007
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UCD Graduate Students 2006 -2007
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Trends in Nationality of UCD PhD Students
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UCD Graduate Research Developments

• New Graduate School Governance
• New PhD Regulations
• Structured PhD
• Thematic Doctoral Programmes
• Transferable / Generic Skills - RPDP
• Codes of Practice to support PhD Regulations
• Regulations to support other research degrees

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UCD Structured Ph.D. ProgrammesKey Features

• Research
• Training programme
• Discipline specific modules
• Transferable skills modules
• Credit framework

1 ECTS 20-25 hours of student time Graduate
modules can include 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 15 and 20
ECTS Research Masters 90 ECTS of full-time
research (1 full calendar year) Structured Ph.D.
270-360 ECTS, at least 240 original research
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Structured PhD ProgrammesKey Features of a UCD
Research PhD Degree
Research Professional Development Plan
Initial Assessment (incl. accreditation of prior
learning)
Taught Modules
Research Component ? 240 credits
Transferable Skills Modules
Specialist Skills Modules
Principal Supervisor(s)
Formal Assessment
Final Assessment
Year 1
Year 4
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Research Professional Development Plan (RPDP)
Dean of Graduate Studies Postdoctoral Training

• Coordinates review of RPDP
• Supports production new version of RPDP based on
• review

Graduate School

• Overall QA of the RPDP process for PhD students
• Customise the RPDP for PhD students

Doctoral Studies Panel

• Monitors progress of
• student with RPDP
• Offers advice guidance
• Reviews RPDP to advise on
• transfer final submission

School Office

• Holds RPDP
• records
• Sends reminders
• receipt for
• submission

PhD Student

• Owns RPDP
• Completes RPDP in
• consultation with
• Supervisor DSP
• Responsible for
• timely submission

PhD Supervisor

• Supports student
• in the development
• completion
• Responsible for
• sign-off of relevant
• sections
• Reviews RPDP to
• advise on transfer
• and final submission

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UCD Structured PhD Transferable Skills Modules
for Students

• Introduction to Core Research Skills
• Project management for Research
• Basic Skills for Teaching in a University
• Innovation and Knowledge Transfer I
• Innovation and Knowledge Transfer II

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Conclusions

• Universities fully committed to development of
  4th level Ireland and to deliver the SSTI
  targets.
• Universities have committed resources and funding
  for the new model PhD.
• Much progress has been made in the last few
  years.
• UCD is delivering the 4th level with new
  graduate governance , structures and programmes
• Continuity of funding required to ensure that
  research spaces , systems, stipends are matched
  to the target of doubling the PhD numbers.