PGR Recruitment Practice Department of Politics Dr. Garrett Wallace Brown – Graduate School and Director of Post Graduate Research

Recruitment Numbers Average number of PRGs stalled at 15 per year over last three years. 2012-13 -18 started 1 October (12 Home/EU & 6 Overseas) (1 submitted, 3 withdrew) 2 started 1 February (both overseas) 20 students in total. 2015-16 - 11 started 1 October (9 Home/EU & 2 Overseas). 2016 application numbers exactly the same as 2015. 23/02/2019 © The University of Sheffield

Background Conditions - Need In 2015, employed 25 GTAs - approximately 1,700 classroom hours (120 seminars) with an additional 1,700 hours included for prep time (equaling a total of 3,400 hours). marking 3,400 essays a year at 1,360 hours - 800 exam scripts at 200 hours mean spend on GTA teaching (atypical workers) over the last three years is approximately £68K pa. Funds annually channeled outside the system £22,661.11. 23/02/2019 © The University of Sheffield

Quality? 2015 submission cohort 50% extensions. 2015-16 Confirmation Review cohort 40% pass rate w/ two deregistered. 2015 Submission Review (3rd years) 40% monitoring and follow-up. 40% unable to teach due to poor skills and ability. 23/02/2019 © The University of Sheffield

Internal Recruitment UG workshop on Postgraduate Research at Sheffield w/ Q and A with PGRs. MA workshop on PhD at Sheffield w/ Q and A with PGRs. Supervisors encouraged to speak with high achieving students 23/02/2019 © The University of Sheffield

External Recruitment Staff encouraged to respond to promising supervision requests and channel to Deputy PGR Director Selected advertisements via grant PhDs Staff encouraged to read and comment of promising PhD proposals prior to submission. 23/02/2019 © The University of Sheffield

The Hunt for Funding Research Director steers grant process toward PGR provision. PGR Director maximizes and oversees PGR grants. In 2015-16: 3 WR collaborative grant applications 2 WR network grant applications 3 Grantham grant applications 1 Commonwealth grant application 2 embedded in external RC grant applications. 23/02/2019 © The University of Sheffield

Selection Process All candidates are interviewed by Deputy PGR Director and proposed supervisor when possible. Additional written sample will be required. Interview check-list created. Separate selection panel for funding. 23/02/2019 © The University of Sheffield

Places vs. Acceptance In 2014-15 none of our four top selected candidates for funding accepted. 50% accept. New efforts for post-selection one on one meetings: visits, skype, phone. Deputy active in making Sheffield 1st choice. 23/02/2019 © The University of Sheffield

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