CFE Research is undertaking an independent review of UK doctoral training in the social sciences on behalf of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The views and experiences of current doctoral students and recent graduates are vital to this review because they will help the ESRC to understand the strengths and weaknesses of doctoral training and how it helps graduates to progress and succeed in their chosen careers. These insights will be used to develop and enhance doctoral training in the future.
We would, therefore, like to invite you to take part an online survey that asks about your motivations for, and experience of studying a doctorate and the impact that it is having/had on your wellbeing and career aspirations. The survey should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.
Your responses will be reported anonymously so it will not be possible to identify you in the results. No identifying information will be passed on to the ESRC. Further details about this review and how the personal information you choose to provide in the survey will be treated and stored is available in the Data Protection Privacy Notice
We understand that we are asking for your help with this review in very challenging and uncertain times. Many of you will be worried about your own health and wellbeing and that of your family and friends. Those of you who are still studying may also be concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on your ability to continue with your research. While we understand your concerns, if you decide to take part in the survey, we would be grateful if you could think about your experience of your doctoral programme prior to the outbreak.
If you would like to take part in the survey, please click https://survey.euro.confirmit.com/wix/p251706263659.aspx?hei=10&
Alternatively, you can copy and paste the survey link into your internet browser, but please take care to copy all of the characters in the link.
If you have any questions about the study or experience any problems accessing the survey, please email Dr Guy Birkin on guy.birkin@cfe.org.uk in the first instance.
Many thanks for your support with this important review.
Dr Sarah Tazzyman
On behalf of CFE Research and the ESRC