Graduate School: support for cross-disciplinarity

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Graduate School support for cross-disciplinarity

• 29 June 2005
• Professor Paul M Heywood
• Dean of the Graduate School

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HM Treasury

• Science and Innovation Investment Framework
  2004-2014
• Para 1.21 new approach to assessing research
  will provide greater reward, and thus stronger
  incentives, for academics to work on both
  research relevant to users and work which crosses
  disciplinary boundaries.
• Para 2.9 we need to enhance a culture of
  multidisciplinary research in the UK and provide
  the underpinning infrastructure and funding
  mechanisms to support it.

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• Para 2.11 Over the next five years Research
  Councils (driven by the needs of their research
  communities) will work with universities and
  other funders in the public and private sectors
  to establish multidisciplinary capabilities in
  research-intensive universities.
• Research and Funding Councils will work with
  universities to establish more translational
  courses to help bridge the gap between
  disciplines.

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Research Councils

• Formal response to Science and Innovation
  Framework in Research Council Delivery Plans
  (May 2005) strong emphasis on
  multidisciplinarity
• Builds upon existing trends towards supporting
  multidisciplinary initiatives several joint
  programmes in recent years

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Examples of Research Council support for
multidisciplinarity

• AHRB
• The Challenge of Interdisciplinary Research
  major seminar May 2004
• AHRB/EPSRC
• Culture and Creativity Programme aim to support
  research at the interface between science and
  engineering, and the arts and humanities
• Designing for the 21st Century (2004) 5 yr
  programme
• BBSRC/EPSRC/ESRC/MRC
• New Dynamics of Ageing (2005) 7 yr programme
• Theme 1 Ageing Well Across the Lifecourse
• Theme 2 Ageing and its Environments
• Welcomes innovative interdisciplinary
  initiatives aimed at developing and applying
  novel methodologies that bridge conventional
  disciplinary boundaries

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• EPSRC/BBSRC/MRC/NERC
• Life Sciences Interface Programme to support
  research at the boundary between engineering and
  the physical sciences (EPS) and the life sciences
• Primary goal is to ensure that both exciting
  interdisciplinary research and training at the
  EPS life-sciences interface are supported in
  collaboration with () the other research
  councils.
• EPSRC
• Networks in Crime Prevention and Detection
• Multidisciplinary Critical Mass Centres in the
  Mathematical Sciences
• IDEAS Factory (Sand-pits) to provide
  mechanisms that will stimulate highly innovative
  and more risk-accepting research activities that
  would be difficult to conceive under normal
  circumstances

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• ESRC
• Towards a Sustainable Energy Economy (NERC/EPSRC)
• Climate Change (ESRC/EPSRC NERC Tyndall Centre)
• Rural Economy and Land Use (ESRC/NERC/BBSRC plus
  DEFRA and Scottish Executive)
• Sustainable Water Management (social and natural
  scientists, plus engineers)
• NERC
• Strategy for Science integrated environmental
  management and sustainable development require an
  interdisciplinary approach
• Promote collaboration to understand Whole Earth
  System environment and social issues (ESRC)
  human health (MRC) microbiology and
  biotechnology (BBSRC) waste management and
  sustainable energy (EPSRC)
• Address interdisciplinary skills shortages
  through targeted training initiatives

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University Research Strategy

• Aim of being international centre for the highest
  quality research to be achieved through six
  priority actions, including
• Proactive approach to forge interdisciplinary
  links in areas of research synergy and priority
  to society, based on Research Committee
  assessment and priorities of the research funding
  councils
• Nottinghams research strength derives from
  investing in and sustaining core disciplines
  combined with encouraging a collaborative
  approach, crossing academic disciplines and
  boundaries, to share valuable experience and
  forge breakthroughs in new areas.

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Role of Graduate School

• Support for Universitys crossdisciplinary
  strategy delivered through three main strategies,
  developed by Graduate Strategy Group in
  collaboration with Research Committee
• Interdisciplinary doctoral training centres
  (IDTCs)
• Collaborative training account (CTA)
• Roberts Money initiative

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IDTCs

• Aims to promote interdisciplinary research
  foster collective existence amongst members
  support funding bids
• Centre for Social Research in Health and Health
  Care
• Stem Cell Plasticity
• Slavery Studies
• Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
• Neurosciences
• Photonics and Electronics

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CTA

• EPSRC Collaborative Training Account (1.2m)
• to provide a seamless integration of
  world-class academic knowledge and the business
  and technology skills required by the modern
  workforce to compete successfully in dynamic,
  highly competitive and knowledge intensive
  environments.
• Four CTCs to integrate pg training and the
  workplace
• Cleaner Technologies (Chemistry)
• Food Process Engineering (Biosciences)
• Geospatial Science and Environmental Engineering
  (IESSG)
• Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacy)

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Roberts Money

• For postgraduate students, recommended
• increased stipends (12k per annum)
• improvements in training (minimum two weeks
  dedicated per year) principally in transferable
  skills, which should meet stringent standards
• Research Council funding for 42 months post-PGT
  qualification
• For CRS, identified
• lack of clear career structure and uncertain
  career prospects
• unsatisfactory training
• increasingly uncompetitive salaries
• Recommended
• Academic Fellowships
• Industrial secondments
• Clear development paths in HEIs

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Nottingham response to Roberts agenda

• University of Nottingham received 1.3m over the
  first three years of the initiative.
• Roberts Money Working Group
• Scoping exercise to investigate CRS experience in
  Schools and Institutes
• Initiatives to develop and integrate support
  services
• Careers Advisor for CRS
• Allocation of funds to support joint projects at
  School and Institute level