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One thing that's very clear from the @UKRI_News report on Covid-19 extensions for doctoral researchers is how few they actually spoke to (see p7).
They did *not* survey all funded doctoral researchers.
Instead they commissioned social researchers to run focus groups with a total of only 46 doctoral researchers.
(These groups were 'filtered' by the research councils to ensure demographic & institutional representativity.)
Instead they commissioned social researchers to run focus groups with a total of only 46 doctoral researchers.
(These groups were 'filtered' by the research councils to ensure demographic & institutional representativity.)
I'm not sure how representative these groups can have been, eg in terms of discipline.
They also held a meeting "with 10 doctoral student authors of an open letter to UKRI in August 2020" - this was not a proactive piece of research by UKRI but a response to public criticism.
And finally, their Director of Talent and Skills - abracadabra! - met with two (2) doctoral researchers with chronic illnesses "to discuss the impact on students with disabilities".
It's not clear whether this was a proactive or reactive engagement.
(I'm just one academic in one biggish department of one biggish institution. If I think of the number of current doctoral researchers I've encountered, at my institution and others, who have chronic illnesses or other disabilities... it's a lot more than two.)
Meanwhile, they ran:
- three surveys of UKRI grant-holding PIs
- a survey of training grant holders plus four follow-up focus groups with academics/managers/administrators
- three focus groups of university leaders and managers (comprising 16 participants, 9:5 RG/other)
...
- three surveys of UKRI grant-holding PIs
- a survey of training grant holders plus four follow-up focus groups with academics/managers/administrators
- three focus groups of university leaders and managers (comprising 16 participants, 9:5 RG/other)
...
- an unspecified number of "meetings" with VCs, pro-VCs etc "to reflect on policy development and UKRI’s response"
(NB—I think this is a nice way of saying that David Eastw**d and the like barged into their offices and shouted at them.)
(NB—I think this is a nice way of saying that David Eastw**d and the like barged into their offices and shouted at them.)
- meetings with the UKCGE (no, I don't know either), the Academic Registrars Council Postgraduate Practitioner Group, and the UK Research Office
- and, finally, a meeting with the National Association of Disability Practitioners
- and, finally, a meeting with the National Association of Disability Practitioners
