PGR open day Faculty of Humanities The University of Manchester November 2016

Postgraduate Research in the Faculty of

HumanitiesDr Ian Fairweather

(Researcher Development Manager)

Ms Carole Arrowsmith

(Graduate Administrator)

What we will cover

• What it is to be a PhD student in the Faculty of

Humanities.

• The key aspects involved in getting a PhD.

• The importance of the supervisors in the PhD

process.

• Funding a PhD.

• Researcher development.

• How to apply.

Doing a PhD

• Most people think of the PhD as the thesis (or series of articles etc.) that

you will produce.

• This makes them think of the PhD as a lonely enterprise.

• However, in Humanities we aim for PGRs to have a sense of community.

• PhD colleagues, supervisors, students (if you teach), research contacts etc.

all have an impact on how your PhD develops.

• Important to think of this aspect of the PhD: the PhD as process, and not

just the end product

Aspects of the Process

Subject &

Discipline

Knowledge

Supervision &

Dialogue

Research

Integrity

Methodology &

Approaches

Fieldwork &

Data

CollectionReflective

Practice

Interdisciplinary

working

Publications

Academic

Practice

Academic

Conferences

Researcher-

led activities

Teaching

Research

Seminars

Research

Communities

Working with your supervisor(s)

• This is (still) at the heart of the

PhD.

• Finding the right supervisor(s)

is therefore incredibly

important.

• Not just about expertise, but

also about how they will work

with you.

• Try to speak with your

prospective supervisors during

the application process.

The PhD Journey

• Whatever your ‘thesis’ product, you

are aiming to become a highly

skilled, recognised researcher

Wider training

opportunities are

important

Methods training, researcher training,

integrating into the research environment

are all important aspects of a PhD

researcher’s development

How do universities support this?• The precise set-up may vary from university to university, but all will

seek to integrate you with your cohort and with academic researchers in your area.

• The relevant Research Councils – the AHRC and ESRC – fund DTCs, DTPs and CDTs: all these bring together doctoral researchers to train and develop together.

• These arrangements foster interdisciplinary work, impact and knowledge exchange.

• Many of the RC-funded training structures are now inter-institutional.

• These are the most sought after sources of studentships but we also have other attractive schemes (e.g. Presidential Doctoral Scholar Awards at Manchester), often with wider eligibility.

It pays to do your research!Studentships Awards

Bursaries Scholarships

Typical Award ValuesFully-funded PhD studentships should provide support for:

•Tuition Fees (£4,121 FT UK/EU 2016/17)

• Stipend (maintenance award): £14,296p.a. (2016/17 minimum RCUK rate). Rates vary between the various funding bodies.

• Some studentships also provide an allowance towards research training costs (equipment, participant expenses, travel, conference attendance etc.) – this is often referred to as the RTSG allowance.

• Supplementary support may be available for overseas fieldwork expenses, disability, maternity/illness cover etc.

• Always ask to check the terms and conditions of your funding so you are clear on your entitlements

Major Funding Bodies•UK Research Councils

• Charities

• Employers

• Industry

• Universities

• Overseas Funding Councils

Main funders in the Faculty of Humanities • ESRC via the North West Social Science Doctoral Training

Partnership (NWSSDTP)

http://www.nwdtc.ac.uk/

• AHRC via the North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP)

http://www.nwcdtp.ac.uk/

• EPSRC studentships

• President’s Doctoral Scholar Award

• Research Impact Scholarships

• School specific awards

Searching for funding• Online funding database:

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-

research/funding/opportunities/

• School websites – PGR funding webpages

SEED: http://www.seed.manchester.ac.uk/fees/postgraduate-research-

funding/

SOSS: http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/study-with-

us/fees-and-funding/postgraduate-research-funding/

SALC: http://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/fees/postgraduate-research-

funding/

MBS: http://www.mbs.ac.uk/phd/programme-overview/funding.aspx

LAW: http://www.law.manchester.ac.uk/fees/postgraduate-research/

Typical criteria3 Year PhD

• Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree

• Masters qualification at merit with 60% minimum in dissertation

• Previous research experience

Connections for training...• Manchester is part of the ESRC Northwest Social Science

DTP (www.nwdtc.ac.uk) and leads the AHRC Northwest

Consortium DTP (www.nwcdtp.ac.uk)

• This means students at Manchester have access to resources

and training at institutions across the Northwest (and vice

versa) and of course wider opportunities to interact with with

academics and doctoral researchers at these institutions

• The AHRC NWCDTP is also working with partners outside of

the HE sector, such as the BBC, TATE Liverpool, HOME, who

can provide specialist training and support doctoral

researchers in developing knowledge exchange skills

Methods and all that

methods@

manchester

Researcher Development Programme

artsmethods@

manchester

In Humanities,(and in the DTPs we are a part of) we provide methods training through methods@manchesterand artsmethods (and their ‘Northwest’ counterparts)

Researcher Development Programme provides opportunities to develop

important transferrable skills

Also: Events, workshops, online resources, student-led activities. See ProGRess@Humanities research training hub

Online resources for researcher development

• http://www.vitae.ac.uk a national organisation supporting the professional development of researchers

• http://thesiswhisperer.com/ a blog newspaper dedicated to the topic of doing a thesis and is edited by Dr Inger Mewburn, Director of research training at the Australian National University.

• http://www.beyondthephd.co.uk A website dedicated to discussing what happens after a PhD in arts/humanities

• PGR Doc Blog: https://pgrdocblog.wordpress.com

• Humanities Researchers Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/349538218544619/

• Follow us on twitter @HumsResearchers

How to apply• Know what subject area you would like to research

• Identify a preferred supervisor

• Write a research proposal – liaise with your potential supervisor to develop your proposal. Guidance is available within your school e.g. http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/study-with-us/how-to-apply/postgraduate-research/writing-your-proposal/

- Make sure that your research idea, question or problem

is very clearly stated and well-grounded in academic

research.

- Make sure that your proposal is well focused and

conforms exactly to the submission requirements described

here.

- Poorly specified, jargon-filled or rambling proposals will not

convince us that you have a clear idea of what you want to

do.

• Submit online with supporting documents

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

Standing out from the crowd•Read between the lines – which qualities are you being asked to demonstrate

at each stage?

• Take ownership from the start – don’t be afraid to ask searching questions

• Show preparedness – knowledge of relevant publications, background to the

research group, wider developments in the research area, potential ‘impact’….

• Assess the ‘fit’ of the research training to your own requirements (career

progression, depth/breadth of training, potential outputs etc.)

Key contacts

• AHRC NWCDTP: carole.arrowsmith@manchester.ac.uk

• ESRC NWSSDTP nichola.ellis@manchester.ac.uk

• EPSRC: anusarin.lowe@manchester.ac.uk

• President’s Doctoral Scholar Awards: anusarin.lowe@manchester.ac.uk

• Research Impact Awards (Alumni): anusarin.lowe@manchester.ac.uk

School contacts• SoSS: vicky.barnes@manchester.ac.uk• SALC: joanne.marsh@manchester.ac.uk• SEED: pgr-seedfunding@manchester.ac.uk• Law: helen.davenport@manchester.ac.uk• MBS: lynne.barlow-cheetham@mbs.ac.uk