University of Exeter has bright future with £40m 'clean sweep'
The University of Exeter has attracted around £40 million to train PhD Students in a funding ‘clean sweep’.
The funding has come by successfully securing a range of prestigious Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) from nearly all of the UK’s major research councils.
The Partnerships have been awarded at a time when the Research councils are planning the establishment of doctoral training centres to concentrate funding for doctoral training into a smaller number of high quality institutions.
By securing the partnerships University of Exeter has further improved its standing as a high quality research institute as well as open the door to future funding.
Professor Nick Talbot, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Transfer said: “This is great news for the University. Not only does it mean that the next generation of researchers will be trained here in Devon and Cornwall, but it is also essential for our standing as a research university.
“Being successful in our bids for DTP’s reinforces our reputation as a centre of research excellence and gives us an excellent platform for future funding.”
The most recent DTPS secured by the university were from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and will see doctors trained in water engineering and meta-materials.
Metamaterials is a solely Exeter initiative whereas water engineering is led by Exeter within the GW4.
In most cases the DTPs have been secured by working with a number of other universities; such as Bristol, Bath and Cardiff through the GW4 research partnership.
The GW4 or Great West Four is collaboration between Exeter, Cardiff, Bristol and Bath universities which will see the universities work together on research and improve academic connections.
University of Exeter has thanked and congratulated all staff involved in the successful bids and the operation of the DTPs, which are performing very well and providing excellent postgraduate supervision.
A spokesman for the University wrote: “This has been a fantastic effort to secure funding for postgraduate education in every area of our activity. It also demonstrates the growing importance of our GW4 partnership with Bath, Bristol and Cardiff and how we can secure future success by working together as leading research intensive universities.”
The overall result is that Exeter has attracted approximately £40 million of funding for doctoral training which will provide finance for a share of 770 studentships.
