What will be the effect of the Postgraduate Training Guidelines?
The Postgraduate Training Guidelines underpin the recognition process. The fourth edition which is a minor update of the previous (third) edition continues to promote quality provision in research training, education and supervision. They reflect both ESRC and subject requirements, particularly in relation to the need for better training in research methods across the social sciences, and new developments in provision such as professional doctorates and distance learning. The ESRC will continue to focus on outcomes from training, in terms of the skills and competencies a social science researcher should have acquired by the end of a doctoral training programme. This means that recognition documentation will be less prescriptive in terms of length, organisation and method of delivery of training. Recognition applicants will need to argue that the chosen arrangements form cohesive programmes which will deliver the required outputs.
