Changes to Project Studentships

We currently fund project studentships (often referred to as tied studentships) associated with three types of our research grants: responsive mode standard grants, responsive mode large (consortium) grants, and research programme grants. A review of the mechanisms that NERC uses to allocate and deliver studentships took place in 2011. Having taken into account the recommendations of the review, support for project studentships associated with responsive mode standard grants has now been withdrawn (c.12 studentships per annum). This decision does not affect project studentships that are currently funded, or that have been included on proposals submitted to the July 2012 standard grant call.

We remain committed to funding project studentships on both large grants and research programme grants. We recognise the benefits (beyond a standard project studentship) that this unique training environment affords students, namely adding value through being embedded in a managed programme/large grant team and exposed to wider research group interactions and development opportunities.