New doctorate stipend creating 'vast inequality' amid rising living costs

The PhDs’ Collective Action Union (PCAU), formed last month by about 350 PhD candidates seeking to lobby for better pay conditions, said average stipends offered to candidates is “insufficient” amid increasing rents, cost of living and rising inflation.

More than 420 PhD candidates have signed an open letter calling for an increase in stipends they depend on for financial support.

The call comes amid the rising cost of living and the announcement of a new scheme which grants researchers a much higher stipend. The group said average stipends offered to candidates is “insufficient” amid increasing rents, cost of living and rising inflation.