Study title

Survey and interview data from a study on the views and experiences of early career researchers (postdoctoral researchers) around the support from research organisations, funding bodies and career services and how this offer might be improved in the future. This applied to those employed inside and outside of academia. The data result from an online survey of early career social scientists (N=1048), interviews with a subset of the respondents (N=35) and with experts (N=9). The findings informed the strategy for careers advice and support provided by the Economic and Social Research Council through Doctoral Training Partnerships and Centres for Doctoral Training and the creation of new funding strands for early career researchers. The last two generations have seen a remarkable world-wide transformation of higher education (HE) into a core social sector with continually expanding local and global reach. Most nations are moving towards, or have already become, 'high participation' HE systems in which the majority of people will be educated to tertiary level. In the UK HE is at the same time a pillar of science and the innovation system, a primary driver of productivity at work, a major employer and a mainstay of cities and regions, and a national export industry where 300,000 non-EU students generated over 7 billion in export-related earnings for the UK in 2012-13. In 2012, 60 per cent of UK school leavers were expected to graduate from tertiary education over the lifetime, 45 per cent at bachelor degree level, compared to OECD means of 53/39 per cent. Higher education and the scientific research associated with universities have never been more important to UK society and government. HE is large and inclusive with a key role in mediating the future. Yet it is poorly understood. Practice has moved ahead of social science. There has been no integrated research centre dedicated to this important part of the UK. The Centre for Engaged Global Higher Education (CEGHE),...