Postgrad pain

UKRI’s response to struggling PhD students will shape sector’s future

“Derisory”, “insulting in the extreme”, and “pure fantasy”. This is how some PhD students have described funder UK Research and Innovation’s efforts to support them through the pandemic. 

The Pandemic PGRs, as some of this cohort call themselves, made their frustration clear in a report published earlier this month. UKRI has made £60 million available to PhD students, which the group argue falls far short of what is required to assist all those who need project extensions due to the impact of Covid-19.