Review finds PhD stipends should rise 'significantly', ideally to €25,000 a year
Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said the independent report "marks an inflection point in our thinking on many critical issues for PhD researchers". Picture: Norma Burke/RollingNews.ie
PhD stipends should be “increased significantly”, ideally to €25,000 a year, an independent review of how Ireland supports its researchers has recommended.
The first report of the independent national review of State supports for PhD researchers has recommended the increase to take effect from this September and no later than January 1, 2024.
The stipend should also be adjusted in alignment with the likes of public service pay increases, increases to the student grant, and social welfare rates which reflect changes to the cost of living, the review also recommended.
Currently, PhD researchers receive annual stipends of around €18,000 to €19,000. Many say this is insufficient in the economic context in which they are studying given the current cost-of-living challenges.
However, the report also cautions that increasing stipends, while at the same time keeping enrolments steady, would require additional budget funding annually of more than €55.2m. If enrolments remain at current levels and if the stipend is increased to €22,000, additional annual funding of more than €37.2m would be required.
If budgets remain the same and if the stipend is increased to €25,000, it could result in 2,209 fewer PhD researchers a year, which represents a reduction of more than one-third of State-funded PhD enrolments.
“We acknowledge that in the absence of additional exchequer funding, which we recognise cannot be assured at this stage given other competing demands on Government finances, consideration may need to be given to some phasing of stipend increases,” the report notes.
“It is imperative to avoid a sudden and negative disruption to the intake of PhD researchers, which would have long-term and retrograde implications for Ireland’s research and innovation ambitions.”
The first report by the review panel has now been published by the Department of Further and Higher Education. It was compiled by Dr Andrea Johnson and David Cagney, and involved an extensive stakeholder consultation process.
This included 750 written submissions, as well as 35 stakeholder meetings held with PhD researcher groups, higher education institutions, research funders, trade unions, enterprise representative bodies, and relevant international counterparts.
The first report prioritised pressing challenges facing PhD researchers in terms of stipend levels and the particular issues being encountered by PhD researchers coming to Ireland from outside the EU or EEA. They will now focus on the outstanding elements of the terms of reference in their concluding report.
Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said he was pleased to receive the independent report. “I would like to thank Dr Johnson and Mr Cagney, as well as all stakeholders who have so constructively engaged with the process.”
“This marks an inflection point in our thinking on many critical issues for PhD researchers and how we can better support them to contribute to the realisation of Impact 2030’s vision."
The Department of Further and Higher Education said the first report "provides a rich picture, at a point in time, of a range of important issues that now need to be considered by all stakeholders".
"Any budgetary implications of recommendations will be dealt with through the normal budgetary processes."
