Summary
This survey seeks your views on options for the future of the Department for the Economy (DfE) funded Postgraduate Award (PGA) Scheme and on changes to the current terms and conditions. Your response will help inform the Department’s future approach to Postgraduate Researcher (PhD) support.
Documents
- Public Consultation - Review of the Northern Ireland Postgraduate Award (PGA) Scheme
- Equality Screen Form - Review of the Northern Ireland Postgraduate Award (PGA) Scheme
- Data Protection Impact Assessment - Review of the Northern Ireland Postgraduate Award (PGA) Scheme
- Rural Needs Impact Assessment - Review of the Northern Ireland Postgraduate Award (PGA) Scheme
- Privacy Notice - Review of the Northern Ireland Postgraduate Award (PGA) Scheme
Consultation description
The PGA Scheme has been in operation since 2002 and currently provides funding (tuition fees and a stipend for living costs) for the equivalent of 729 full time PhD students per annum.
Funding supporting the PGA Scheme (while contingent on budget availability each year) is considered as a ringfenced* element of the annual block grant that is provided to universities to promote the financial sustainability of research and innovation (R&I). This institutional block grant funding also comprises core Quality-related Research (QR) funding and Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) streams to support R&I capacity and capability.
In 2022/23, the Department commissioned external consultants to carry out a review of the PGA Scheme to determine effectiveness and Value for Money, and subsequently held a number of workshops with key stakeholders to develop potential options to inform an economic appraisal for the Scheme going forward.
*Ringfenced funds are allocated for a specific purpose and cannot be spent on anything else
Ways to respond
Consultation closed — responses are no longer being accepted.