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Funding arrangements for research degree programmes

HEFCE operates a support stream for research degree programmes (RDPs) as a single element within quality-related (QR) funding, and pays from it a standard contribution to the costs of supervising home and EC research students. This arrangement is simpler and more transparent than previous arrangements, and puts our support for RDPs on a consistent footing with the rest of our funding for research. It implements the proposals we consulted on in our 2003 review of research funding method (HEFCE 2003/38).

Allocations from this funding stream are made by reference to numbers of home and EC postgraduate research students registered in units eligible for research funding following RAE 2008.

This support stream is one of a number of funding sources which institutions will draw upon to fund RDPs. We have calculated the value of the stream by reference to these other sources and evidence of the costs and average length of RDPs. This evidence is set out in a study by JM Consulting.

The total value of the support stream was approximately £203 million in 2009-10. Allocations within this total are made by reference to numbers of eligible research students reported to us in the 2008 Research Activity Survey and are cost-weighted according to subject area. Cost-weightings reflect the three subject cost bands we use in allocating mainstream QR funding, which were validated by the findings of the JM Consulting study.

Allocations in 2009-10 for full-time students in each of the three research cost bands are set out in the table below. Allocation for part-time students are made pro-rata. These figures exclude the extra contributions we make in recognition of the costs of provision in London. These are paid at our standard rate for research funding (an extra 8 per cent for institutions in outer London and 12 per cent for institutions in inner London). Final institutional allocations are available in the 2009 grant letter to institutions.

The average length of postgraduate research programmes was found by JM Consulting to be 3.5 years for full-time students. To avoid undue administrative complications, we profile allocations (for the full programme) over a period of three years for full-time students or six years for part-time students.

Last updated 16 March 2009