Research in Practice update

This communication has been circulated by email to the relevant student and staff contacts.

Dear SCDTP students (2024-25 & 2025-26 cohorts) and supervisors

We are writing with some updates about Research in Practice.

1. We have a new administrative lead for Research in Practice, Penny White. Penny joined us after Easter having worked previously as the Centre manager for the ESRC National Centre for Research Methods, so she brings lots of relevant experience and networks.
2. We have a range of positive experiences to draw on from the students who have already completing or who are completing their placements. They are ambassadors for the SCDTP and their hosts have been impressed. See Blog: The placement that made me – South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership. We expect a large volume of students from the 2024-25 cohort to be setting up and completing their placements in the next few months. Penny White together with RiP academic leads Sarah Neal (Neal@soton.ac.uk) and Ajit Nayak (A.Nayak@soton.ac.uk) will be on hand to support this process, do work with them. Please do feel free to contact them through their direct emails or scdtp@soton.ac.uk
3. From the start of this funding round for the SCDTP, ESRC has made clear that the small amount of funding to cover the costs of the required Research in Practice placement relates to the expectation that a) hosts will contribute, and b) placements will be in the UK. Since then, the expectation of home placements has been even more strongly emphasised, with a recent ESRC document stating: “it’s important to remember that we are a funder of research and training in the UK and, therefore, expect that research and training we fund takes place in the UK. There are some exceptions such as the need to learn a language in the field, to undertake overseas fieldwork and to undertake an overseas institutional visit – these are reasons why a students might spend some of their studentship overseas that are recognised in the Postgraduate Funding Guide.” Further, regarding the possibility of overseas RiP placements, they say that “, given our role as a UK funder, would expect those to be exceptional cases that would provide an opportunity to develop skills that wouldn’t be available in the UK. We will therefore be working with you to explore excellent training opportunities with hosts in the UK.
4. New ESRC information now indicates that students on RiP may get paid by the RiP host, opening up the possibility of applying for paid positions. Note that for the corresponding period the stipend will be stopped to avoid the student receiving double payment. Please notify SCDTP if payment is a possibility and include this in your application as financial support from the host. Note also that RiP host payment maybe subject to tax and NI contribution.

Finally, do remember that there is comprehensive information about RiP on our website Research in Practice – South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership.

Good wishes,

The SCDTP team