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Aims: This study investigated, 'What is the perceived value of a PhD to doctoral and postdoctoral nurses in the UK?' Background: Little is known about what happens to the careers of nurses who undertake a doctorate and whether they use these skills in the next career steps. Methods: Nurses (n = 47) with doctorates were recruited via professional networks and twitter (@NMAHP_DoctorateStudy). Qualitative responses from the nurses were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Three themes emerged from qualitative analysis: impact on career, utilization and value, and impact on self. Conclusions: This study provides one of the few insights into how doctoral trained nurses understand and experience the value and utility of their studies to themselves and others. Implications for nurse management: Nurse managers can play a crucial role in generating a research‐led culture within their clinical setting. This would include promoting an understanding of research as something directly related to patient benefit rather than an abstract, intellectual activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenges of developing nurses, midwives and AHPs (NMAHPs) as clinical academics (CA) have received international attention. Balancing clinical practice and academic pursuit, often where managers are unfamiliar with academic career requirements, is one such challenge; however, the current literature provides limited developmental guidance. The aim of this article is to describe the DINARC© (Dissemination, Implementation, Networking, Active Research and Clinical practice) Toolkit, a continuous practice development aide for NMAHPs who are in the early post-doctoral phase of a clinical academic career (CAC). We identified five DINARC© elements, through evidence review and synthesis, as requisites for supporting the progression of a CAC. An 'expert reference group' (CAs, academic supervisors and nurse leaders) advised and assisted in development of the DINARC© concept. A Practitioner Research Plan and Mentor--Mentee Discussion Guide was developed and applied within a large metropolitan UK university teaching hospital; this was designed to identify the essential elements required to successfully navigate a CAC pathway. Early feedback from practitioners and managers suggests that DINARC© aids CAs in navigating an early CAC and offers guidance for managers. Further application and evaluation of DINARC© is now required by those developing a CAC. Implications for practice: DINARC© is a resource to guide practitioners' CAC development with the goal of integrating and strengthening clinically-based NMAHP research activities, with related improvements in patient care. We believe that DINARC© has wider relevance as a useful tool, worthy of testing internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Consultants who act as Educational or Clinical Supervisors to postgraduate doctors must now be recognised as trainers by the GMC. This is a formal process conducted at employer level using supporting information against domains formulated by the Academy of Medical Educators. Recognition is recommended to Health Education England and reported to the GMC. This article addresses how paediatricians in the UK can gain recognition as a trainer of foundation doctors and specialty trainees in paediatrics and how to maintain that recognition over the 5-year cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interdisciplinary research teams and departments are seen by some as a way of addressing problems that cannot be understood using a traditionally narrow and uniform approach rooted in a particular discipline. This paper presents a postgraduate perspective by discussing the positive and negative impacts on Ph.D. research of this type of work and making recommendations for integrating students into teams containing multiple unfamiliar disciplines. These include formal discussion of opportunities and risks and following advice from those who have taken this route. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper autobiographically considers the role of teaching-only staff as a contingent labour force in the contemporary higher education system in the UK. The aims are twofold. First, whilst much attention has been paid to the role of the research fellow, there has been less consideration, in the UK context, of the teaching fellow as an alternate form of postdoctoral experience. Accordingly, this paper gives voice to the teaching fellow--a member of academic staff who is not allocated writing and research time as part of their contract--whose views are often marginalised in ongoing debates concerning the plays of power in the neoliberalised academy. Second, the paper raises these voices to bring into consciousness the impacts of the teaching fellow experience for the fellows themselves and the faculties they work in. It is argued that teaching fellows face challenging circumstances with regard to their career trajectories in the academy. Accordingly, this paper considers the ways in which fellows, through tactics of place-making, presence and visibility, and collaboration, negotiate the challenging structural and institutional conditions that underscore their contracts. It is contended that exploring the teaching-only workforce is vital for critically assessing the workings of the contemporary academy and questioning the unequal power relations that shape work places in a culture where contingent labour is expanding; becoming less of a fixed-term and temporary feature of the university system but, rather, a stable and enduring one [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postdoctoral training is a typical step in the course of an academic career, but very little is known about postdoctoral researchers (PDRs) working in the UK. This study used an online survey to explore, for the first time, relevant environmental factors which may be linked to the research output of PDRs in terms of the number of peer-reviewed articles per year of PDR employment. The findings showed reliable links between the research output and research institutions, time spent as PDR, and parental education, whereas no clear links were observed between PDRs' output and research area, nationality, gender, number of siblings, or work environment. PDRs based in universities tended to publish, on average, more than the ones based in research centres. PDRs with children tended to stay longer in postdoctoral employment than PDRs without children. Moreover, research output tended to be higher in PDRs with fathers educated at secondary or higher level. The work environment did not affect output directly, but about 1/5 of PDRs were not satisfied with their job or institutional support and about 2/3 of them perceived their job prospects as “difficult”. The results from this exploratory study raise important questions, which need to be addressed in large-scale studies in order to understand (and monitor) how PDRs' family and work environment interact with their research output—an essential step given the crucial role of PDRs in research and development in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examines an innovative pilot programme of extended specialty training in general practice initiated by the North Western Deanery in Great Britain. It evaluates the programme using established qualitative research techniques. The study conducts semi-structured interviews at fixed points and data were examined for recurring discourses and themes using a framework thematic analysis.

The article presents a study which evaluates the development of a five-year pilot project within general practice in Great Britain. An interpretative approach was adopted using focus groups and face-to-face interviews of practitioners in primary care. Results of the survey indicated positive attitudes towards the project.

Background: Although there is increasing pressure on Universities to implement e-learning, this 'glorious revolution' has been met with disappointing results and universities have struggled to engage academic staff, who are major stakeholders, with its use. Although literature suggests online teaching adds to traditional faculty workload, information surrounding the actual 'cost' to individuals is sparse. For academics involved in postgraduate clinical education, it is even more incomplete. Involvement can be a risky undertaking for academics unfamiliar with the resources required. Aims: This study outlines staff resources required to create an e-module for busy, practicing clinicians. Method: Data (web analytics, email traffic, and work logs) was collected and statistical analysis performed outlining time involved, work patterns and responsibilities. Results: Data analysis revealed 75% of academic time occurred out of normal office hours. Sixteen total staff hours (12 planning and four delivery) were required to support one hour student online activity. Technical responsibilities were essential throughout, but unpredictable. Conclusions: Universities struggle to engage staff with e-learning due to its unrecognized and (many academics believe) unsustainable workload. Avoiding 'traditional' workload assumptions that are inaccurate, this study provides academics and managers involved in clinical education clear guidance and an increased understanding of workload with a goal to inform practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This survey was designed to investigate whether male and female postdoctoral researchers (PDRs) in the U.K. in physics and chemistry had different experiences and whether this then affected their long-term career intentions. A total of 776 PDRs completed the survey. Most of the analysis was confined to those who stated their gender and declared that they worked in a chemistry or physics department. Statistical significance was tested using Chi-squared test. Overall, more differences were found between chemists and physicists than between the genders, indicating that there may be important cultural differences between the disciplines. Where gender differences were found, they were generally greater between male and female chemists than between male and female physicists. The data also highlighted that appraisal, induction and mentoring were still not commonplace in many departments and less than half of postdoctoral researchers actually felt valued within their department. It is clear, therefore, that more needs to be done to improve the experience of PDRs in physics and chemistry, regardless of gender or discipline [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International postdoctoral researchers are growing in number and importance in academic research around the world. This is contextualised by a shift to international and enterprise modes of academic production. Through a multiple case study, this paper analyses the role of international postdoctoral employment in life sciences and engineering fields at universities in the United States and the United Kingdom. In doing so particular attention is given to understanding why there are increasing numbers of postdocs from abroad working in these fields and countries, and the ways in which international postdoctorates are incorporated into research laboratories and projects. International postdoctoral employment appears driven by the same factors in the US and UK but is related to different modes of academic production. The findings of this study have implications for research on academic labour, and the organisation of academic production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview with British musician and academic Ed Wright is presented. When asked about his doctoral work in music at Bangor University, Wright says his work was focused on electroacoustic and instrumental music. He comments on whether practice-led research was useful to him. He discusses the key issues/opportunities in the music industry, as well as major barriers to making the most of these opportunities.

In this article, Brendan Cantwell and Jenny J. Lee examine the experiences of international postdocs and their varying career paths in the current political economy of academic capitalism through the lens of neoracism. Using in-depth interviews with science and engineering faculty and international postdocs in the United States and the United Kingdom, the authors identify differing faculty expectations and treatment of international postdocs. They further reveal culturally specific stereotypes that negatively affected postdocs' work opportunities as they moved toward their professoriate career. The authors extend the concept of neoracism in globalized higher education by examining the larger structures of the academic job market and varying degrees of opportunity, depending on one's country of origin as reported, by faculty and, postdocs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are an increasing number of university courses throughout the UK and worldwide which deal with enterprise and innovation, including both undergraduate and masters programmes, not just for business school students, but also as modules as part of many other subject areas. However, there is little in the way of integrated enterprise training for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers outside of business school programmes. Many of these researchers are likely to need this training in the future if they obtain employment in commercial or non-profit organisations, or remain in academia as researchers where they may find spin-out ventures. This paper describes a strategy used to assess the enterprise training needs of researchers using primary and secondary data and trying to cater for these needs within the framework of an academic research setting by creating an integrated enterprise training programme for researchers at university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As students move between universities on different continents, they are expected to adjust rapidly to the academic and cultural practices of their host university. Many of these students are higher educational professionals in their home country and on their return home they are faced with the challenge of how to fit back into - or whether to make changes in - their institution's established academic practices. I explored international PhD students' understanding of, and responses to, the perceived differences between academic cultures of host (UK) and home universities. Whereas some students regarded the changes made in how they conducted and wrote up educational research as temporary and strategic in order to pass the PhD course, others saw themselves as change agents. They were keen to transform academic practices once they returned home and were already actively working out politically and practically how to go about this. By reflecting on how educational research practices are changing and being influenced by the movement of academics between countries, I suggest how UK university departments can respond positively to the differing research practices in which international students engage in their home institutional contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents updates on the Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology Training Committee (DSEPTC) and how the committee overcame the challenges in promoting the training standards in Sport and Exercise Psychology in Great Britain. One of the key developments of the society is the creation of comprehensive training routes for those interested individuals to become a registered Chartered Psychologist. The committee focuses on the articulation and propagation of standard for the postgraduate program accreditation in Sport and Exercise Psychology. One way of contributing the promotion and sustainment of DSEPTC training routes is to join the Training Committee.

This paper traces the development of professional doctorates within UK higher education and highlights some of the issues relating to quality and standards that have emerged. It is based on a review of the literature in the field, which is limited at present; interviews with a number of programme directors and examiners; and the personal experience of the author as director of two professional doctorate programmes. It should also be noted that the author has supervised over twenty PhD students and is therefore experienced in both PhD and professional doctorate programmes The paper is not based on an extensive research project, but rather represents personal reflection by an experienced practitioner in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2002 the United Kingdom Council for Graduate Education claimed that ‘universities offering professional doctorates need to be aware that the supervision role is complex and not entirely the same as supervision of a PhD’ (UKCGE, 2002, p 37) yet there has been little research into supervision of the professional doctorate and no research into issues of supervision from the perspectives of supervisors and students on education doctorate programmes in English universities. This research suggests that the difficulties with EdD supervision are associated with considerable variation in the social construction of the EdD within and across programme teams. It also suggests that variation in conceptions of the EdD are related to differences in the value that individuals place on different types of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines proposals to change the academic organization of universities in Great Britain. Analysis of existing problems in internal academic structures; Production of artificial barriers and tensions; Evidence of the argument in the Commonwealth Universities Yearbook.

In this paper, PARIP's full-time postdoctoral research associate constructs a contingent historiography of practice as research, including the development of PARIP (Practice as Research in Performance). It is a partial account of the origins of PARIP, and of the politically charged institutional contexts of 'creative practice' in UK higher education over the past ten years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the challenges facing geography postgraduates have been receiving increasing attention of late, British academics have largely neglected to examine the North American education system where a number of procedures are in operation which may be of benefit to Britain. This paper compares the aims, structure and methods of postgraduate training in Britain, Canada and the United States and discusses some common problems confronting students. It is suggested that the introduction of some course work and the wider adoption of supervisory committees might smooth the abrupt transition from undergraduate to postgraduate life in Britain, and aid in improving completion rates without sacrificing the quality of Ph.D.s produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the new policy of the British Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) for postgraduate research students. ESRC Council has been changed in composition to include more industrialists and civil servants, so that academics, once dominant, are now in a minority. ESRC has decided to reduce the number of doctoral students it funds and to allocate all the awards through a single student competition. The student and supervisor will have to submit a joint proposal which outlines the research topic, including the aims of the study and the reasons for choosing it. There will be just one type of Ph.D., adopting the training based model. For prospective students, the most obvious effect of the pooling of a reduced number of studentships will be that the competition for new awards will be very fierce. In addition to being outstanding at taking examinations, prospective geography postgraduates will have to be very well-organized. Not only will they have to decide on a topic and produce a clear and well thought out research proposal, to appeal to a committee containing many non-academics and few if any geographers, but they will also have to find a person willing to supervise the project. The few students who are successful in the competition will almost certainly be expected to undergo some sort of research training.

This article presents the author's views about the relevance of postgraduate research education to employment in Great Britain. It is the most neglected area of the higher education system in the country. This neglect also affects discussion about fundamental issues, including the purposes of a research training. The ablest students from each graduating group are absorbed into the research syndrome, without considering the career or educational implications of such a move. A survey of research students in the earth sciences reveals that 41% of the subjects want to get an academic post in higher education. The somewhat abrupt end to expansion in both the public and university sectors of higher education has a great impact on the career prospects within the system for those gaining research qualifications. Thus, the purpose of postgraduate education is a training for which there is little or no prospect of employment. Therefore, if the postgraduate cannot aspire to the field of employment for which his training notionally most suits him, it must be asked whether the postgraduate research provides a valuable training for alternative areas of employment. Some recent studies also show that the conventional research model is inappropriate for employment in the real world.

The article presents educational opportunities related to veterinary medicine in Great Britain. Several health government agencies and cancer research institutes have collaborated to initiate Summer Internship/Externship Research Opportunities for medical students at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). An invitation was made to British students for postdoctoral residency and graduate training positions in laboratory animal medicine at the University of Southern California.

The article presents information on several institutions related to the field of sociology. The National Center for Social Research is contemplated as Great Britain's premier research group that specializes in social surveys and qualitative research for the development and evaluation of public policy. The Institute for the Study of Homelessness and Poverty is a research and policy organization in Los Angeles, California, that examines issues surrounding both homelessness and poverty and distributes much of its findings through its Web site. The Web site gives information about the institute's programs. The article also focuses on a new Ph.D. program in computation, organizations and society, created by Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the drive to increase the postgraduate training of a general practitioner (GP), the four-year training in Scotland, and an evaluation of a two-year extension to GP training.

The author discusses the 4 factors that influence postdoctoral career progression within academic medicine including mentorship, work environment and access to funding. It cites a pathway overseen by the National Institute for Health Research that encourages junior doctors with interest in research to advance from an academic clinical fellowship to clinical lectureship. It suggests for research institutions to implement measures to help trainees feel welcome and supported.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "This week," in the December 5, 2015 issue.

The article offers information on the event conducted by the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee to present the leading experts in science, engineering and technology (SET) in Great Britain.

The RAS is seeking applicants for two postdoctoral Research Fellowships, to be held in UK institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]