£20.2 Million from UK Government to Train Scottish PhD Students
£20.2 million has been awarded to seven Scottish Universities.
The ‘Doctoral Training Partnerships’ funding will support research projects and PhD students and will help turn new discoveries into marketable products with commercial support.
Seven Scottish universities are to share in a £20.2 million UK Government funding pot, which will give more students the opportunity of studying for a PhD, while giving vital research projects the extra staff they need to develop new ideas.
The funding will be awarded through the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) as part of the UK Government’s commitment to uphold the UK’s excellence in science and innovation, and develop it across the whole country.
The scheme will support new PhD students starting in October 2016 and 2017, and comes as part of a UK-wide £167 million fund for doctoral research support.
Universities are awarded funding on the quality of their research projects to allow them to train new PhD students working on, and the awards to seven Scottish universities reflect the strength of scientific research in Scotland.
For example - the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde will together receive more than £9.3 million to support projects like Glasgow’s world-leading expertise in optics and imaging, which is developing more accurate diagnoses for brain conditions and other diseases.
Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson said:
We are committed to securing Scotland and the UK’s position as world leaders in science and innovation. This new funding recognises the high quality of research in Scotland, and builds on our protection for science spending in the UK. These seven universities will be able to take on more Doctoral students to support their most promising research, leading to new discoveries like more accurate imaging for medical diagnoses and training Scotland’s science leaders of the future.
Scotland Office Minister Andrew Dunlop said:
This is a hugely important and significant funding announcement for universities in Scotland. Scottish universities have a strong track record and rich history in science and innovation, punching well above their weight across the world. This funding demonstrates the UK Government’s continued commitment to support Scotland as leading nation in science, research and innovation, as well as providing additional opportunities for our young people here in Scotland.
The seven Scottish Universities receiving funding are:
- Herriot-Watt University
- University of Glasgow
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Strathclyde
- University of St Andrews
- University of Dundee
- University of Aberdeen
Science funding through Research Councils is a reserved power for the UK Government. Scotland received 11 per cent of all UK public research funding in 2014, compared to its eight per cent share of the population.