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Aspiring PhDs: the (un)surprising relation between doctoral students and research productivity

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• Published: 22 January 2023
• Volume 3 , article number  32 , ( 2023 )

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• Cristóbal Rodríguez-Montoya   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8988-0248 1 ,
• Carlos Zerpa-García   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7150-384X 2 &
• Mirnalin Cherubin   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4296-4046 3  

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Knowledge is a significant driver of economic growth. For higher education institutions (HEIs)-prime knowledge generators- as well as for nations, research productivity is a priority. The contribution of PhD students to research productivity is not entirely visible. This lack of visibility may have implications for policy making at the institutional and national level. This research employed a bi-level, mixed-method approach: qualitative at the microlevel (institutionally and individually) for inductive insights about the connection of PhD programs and students to research productivity; and quantitative at the macro-level, analyzing data from 78 countries, from 2014 to 2019. We found a statistically significant correlation between the number of PhD students and the quantity of papers published: over 90% ( R 2  = 0.904, F (1.365) = 3431.9, p  < 0.01). Participant observation provided theoretical insights about the “how” and “why” of the student´s connection to research productivity.

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Rodríguez-Montoya, C., Zerpa-García, C. & Cherubin, M. Aspiring PhDs: the (un)surprising relation between doctoral students and research productivity. SN Soc Sci 3 , 32 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-023-00616-8

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Regulations and practices of structured doctoral education in the life sciences in Germany

Daniel lachmann.

1 Vice-Rectorate for Studies and Teaching, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

Thilo Martius

Julia eberle.

2 Educational Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany

Mareike Landmann

3 University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

Lena von Kotzebue

4 Didaktik der Bio- und Geowissenschaften, School of Education, Universität Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

Birgit Neuhaus

5 Institute for Biology Education, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany

Stefan Herzig

6 TH Köln (University of Applied Sciences) of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

Associated Data

The panel study data for Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 are uploaded to the GESIS repository and accessible using the following accession numbers: Cohort 1: ZA6762 Cohort 2: ZA6763 The Cohort 3 and document analysis data are uploaded to the Figshare repository and accessible via the following URLs: Cohort 3: https://figshare.com/articles/Kohorte3_Welle1_practices_sav/12562223 (DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.12562223 ) Document analysis: https://figshare.com/articles/Studie_3_K1-3_practices_sav/12562220 (DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.12562220 )

Structured doctoral education is increasingly preferred compared to the individual model. Several science policy organisations give recommendations on how to structure doctoral education. However, there is little research on to what extent these recommendations find their way into practice. In our study, we first compared European and German recommendations on doctoral education with, second, the institutional regulations of structured doctoral programmes ( N = 98) in the life sciences at twelve different German universities. Additionally, we third asked doctoral graduates ( N = 1796) of these structured doctoral programmes and graduates of individual doctoral studies about their experience in doctoral education. Fourth, we contrasted the regulations of structured doctoral programmes with the reported experiences of their graduates. We found significant deviations of the reported practices of graduates from the regulations of their organisations, regarding the student admission, supervision and curricular activities of doctoral candidates. The efficacy of structured versus traditional doctoral education should be examined based on reported practice rather than on the respective written regulations.

1 Introduction and background

Professionalisation of doctoral education, its massification and implementation of quality assurance measures are global trends in doctoral education [ 1 , 2 ]. In Europe, the Bologna process was a major driver of change in several countries, aiming to focus doctoral training on developing research skills and preparing graduates for the labour market outside academia [ 3 ]. In Germany as well as in other European countries, this change is expected to happen by reforming the traditional forms of doctoral training in terms of structuring and restructuring doctoral education [ 4 – 6 ]. Recommendations for such structuring of doctoral education are being implemented by several European countries [ 7 ]. However, many European countries still maintain a combination of different approaches to doctoral education [ 8 ]. There are two apparently dichotomous approaches to doctoral education—individual and structured. However, upon closer examination, as will be demonstrated in this paper, the distinction between the two approaches appears to be vaguer than the dichotomy suggests. The traditional or individual model is often referred to as the “master-apprentice-model”, characterized by an individual agreement between a doctoral student and a supervisor in which the supervisor guides the individual, curiosity-driven research process of their ‘apprentice’ [ 4 ]. In this form of doctoral education, responsibility is shared by the doctoral students and their supervisor, whereas in the structured form, much of the responsibility is transferred to the academic organisation [ 9 ]. Structured forms of doctoral education are part of institutional strategies and need to be scalable to an increasing number of doctoral candidates who engage in knowledge production [ 9 ], requiring a common structuring frame for doctoral studies including certain steps within the process.

Structured doctoral education is expected to solve problems such as observed inequality in who pursues a doctorate due to non-transparent admission processes and long phases of career insecurity starting with often unnecessarily lengthy duration of doctoral studies [ 4 , 9 , 10 ]. In addition, doctoral education is progressively expected to prepare doctoral students for the labour market outside academia, as most doctoral graduates do not pursue an academic career in the long run [ 11 ]. Consequently, various stakeholders have recommended or discussed the implementation of structured doctoral education [ 12 , 13 ].

To deal with the challenges of doctoral education today, organisations are supposed to implement various political recommendations. These include the implementation of additional supervisors or a supervision committee, the establishment of a mandatory curriculum, creating work groups, improving funding opportunities via scholarships, setting a time frame for the completion of the thesis and clarifying the formal status of the candidates within the respective organisations ([ 6 ], for an overview of typical criticisms and recommendations see, e.g., pages [ 14 – 17 ]).

However, there is currently little to no research that investigates if and how organisations implement these recommendations. Therefore, the core question of this paper is whether and to what extent these recommendations have found their way into the practices of doctoral education, using the German doctoral education system as an example.

Since Germany has a comparatively high share of doctoral graduates in general and life scientists are particularly likely to pursue a doctorate, both, the country and this specific discipline may function as excellent cases to elaborate the issue of regulations (of which some are inherently specific for any given nation) and practices of doctoral education. In addition to the high share of doctoral graduates in the life sciences, many authors recommend discipline specific analyses due to often quite different cultures concerning general and doctoral training [ 18 – 20 ]. This puts the life sciences in a predestined position to serve as a case study. Furthermore, many of the recommendations found in the literature come from international institutions and are relevant for several European countries beyond Germany [ 7 , 8 ]. The results presented in this paper can, therefore, serve for comparison between different European countries or build the base for future discipline specific research regarding the current state of implementation of recommendations into doctoral education.

In our investigation, we first elaborated on how policy suggests remedying the problems of doctoral education. In the next step, we searched for these suggestions in the regulations of the German organisations (e.g., universities and graduate schools) in a qualitative approach. We, furthermore, surveyed the graduates of these organisations to find out about the practiced doctoral education in those organisations and put this into perspective with their respective regulations.

1.1 Doctoral education in Germany

Traditional doctoral education in Germany is based on the individual model and takes the form of a mixture of training and professional work, as most doctoral candidates are employed as junior staff members at universities and the doctoral education itself is organised rather informally [ 14 , 21 ], leaving all decisions about training and guidance to supervisors and doctoral students. However, since the 1980s, there has been a debate about quality assurance in doctoral education [ 22 , 23 ]. As a consequence of this debate, certain quality standards of doctoral education are being recommended, such as having a formal supervision agreement between supervisor and candidate, objective and transparent admission criteria, imparting key skills for young researchers through formal doctoral training and setting a time frame for the completion of the thesis [ 24 ].

In Germany, the first structured approaches were introduced in the 1980s by the Volkswagen Foundation (in German: Volkswagenstiftung) [ 24 ] and in the 1990s by the German Research Foundation (in German: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)) [ 25 ]. Such initiatives initiated the ongoing trend to formalize supervision, shift from a one-supervisor-cantered approach to supervisory committees, send doctoral candidates to mandatory courses that often include also interdisciplinary aspects, make admission processes more transparent, and put efforts into integrating individual doctoral studies into overarching research plans [ 24 ]. In the last two decades, many new structured approaches have emerged from the Excellence Initiative [ 26 ]. Nevertheless, after three decades, the individual model is still the dominant model of doctoral education in Germany [ 21 ]. In consequence, individual and structured approaches to doctoral education coexist in Germany.

Nevertheless, in the last few years, the percentage of structured doctoral studies has increased. The reports of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research of 2013 and 2017 show an average increase on structured doctoral education from 8% to 23%, with a substantial difference among the academic disciplines [ 21 ]. In the natural sciences, about 33% of the doctoral candidates are enrolled in a structured programme whereas in medicine, the percentage amounts to only 14% [ 27 ]. Although Germany has the highest entry rates into advanced or post-graduate research programmes with one in twenty students being expected to enter an advanced research programme [ 28 ], structured doctoral education is still considered to be in an experimental phase [ 17 ]. Accordingly, there are various approaches to structure doctoral education in Germany with varying degrees of structure including the amount of supervision, admission criteria, formal learning opportunities as well as obligations of the candidates and their social integration into the organisation [ 29 ].

1.2 Aim of this paper

As described above, there are numerous recommendations from political stakeholders about the design of the structured doctoral education (e.g., from the DFG and the German Council of Science and Humanities (in German: Wissenschaftsrat (WR)), but there are no nationwide regulations in Germany. Each organisation is free to design its own doctoral education system and is responsible for conducting its doctoral training. In this paper, we aim to investigate the current state of doctoral education in Germany on three levels: the public policy level, the organisational level, and the level of individual experiences of doctoral graduates in the life sciences.

We compare the recommendations of European and German public policy stakeholders with regulations for doctoral education in individual organisations (i.e., at the faculty or programme level). Afterwards, we checked the latter against the reported experience of their graduates. With this comparison, we aim to shed light on the practices using different approaches towards doctoral education, providing the basis to assess whether and how the new and structured approaches have affected the process of doctoral education. We focus on faculties and graduates in the life sciences (medicine and bio-sciences) because the bio-sciences have the highest rates of doctoral candidates in structured programmes in Germany, whereas they are very low in medicine [ 21 , 27 ]. Even though students, supervisors and researchers from these disciplines often work together in larger multidisciplinary contexts, we should be able to extract potential discipline-related differences according to the underlying undergraduate qualification, which are reflected in the doctoral degree (e.g., Doctor of Medicine or PhD or equivalent).

Different methods were used to address the three levels of interest: the political recommendations regarding doctoral education (cf. 2.1), the organisational arrangements and regulations of doctoral education (cf. 2.2) and how the practice was experienced by the graduates (cf. 2.3), as well as their comparison (cf. 2.4).

The Study is approved by the Ethics Committee of the Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich.

2.1 Literature review–Political recommendations

An internet search was performed on recommendations for doctoral education released by European and German scientific and/or political stakeholder institutions. We searched on the websites of relevant institutions: European Commission, General Faculties Day (in German: Allgemeiner Fakultätentag), German University Union (in German: Deutscher Hochschulverband), DFG, German Rectors´ Conference (in German: Hochschulrektorenkonferenz), Presidents of the European Rectors´ Conference, European Science Foundation, European University Association, THESIS e.V. and WR. We used the search terms ‘doctoral training’, ‘doctoral education’, ‘doctoral studies’ (including their German equivalents). From the sources retrieved, we identified aspects that were proposed as reforms or good practices of doctoral education. Then, we solely focused on those aspects that we were able to further examine at the organisational level and at the student experience level.

2.2 Document analyses and structured interviews–Regulations at the organisational level

To identify regulations at the organisational level that our survey respondents were subjected to during their doctoral studies, we analysed the structured doctoral programmes or graduate schools in which they were enrolled (94 different doctoral programmes and graduate schools in total) and the doctoral regulations of their respective faculties or departments (15 in total). All of the documents describing these regulations were obtained from the official websites of the doctoral programmes, graduate schools, faculties, and departments. All documents and website texts were included that were titled as “programme description”, “doctoral regulations”, or in a similar way. The analysis of the collected documents was based on a theory-driven approach applying qualitative content analysis [ 30 ] and using qualitative data analysis. For this purpose, a category system was developed, and two coders were trained to code the data. Of the total data material, 20% was coded by both coders with 95.25% consensus (Holsti Index 0.95) and a Cohens-Kappa or K α [ 31 ] of 0.95.

To confirm whether we extracted and interpreted the information gathered in the document analysis properly, we contacted representatives of the doctoral programmes. We sent them a short summary of the results of our analysis on their programme and they could either confirm or contradict the collected information on their programme in an individualised questionnaire so that we could adjust the gathered information. In order to increase participation in the study, representatives of the doctoral programmes were asked if they preferred to answer the questionnaire in writing, or in a telephone interview together with a member of the research team. 54 of the 94 questionnaires were answered by program coordinators in a written form, 15 were answered in a structured telephone interview that followed the questionnaire. As some doctoral programmes were offered for a limited amount of time and no longer existed at the time of our research, we consequently were not able to receive an answer to our questionnaire from those programmes. Some representatives did not respond to our questionnaires, even though we approached them several times. The information from the 54 completed questionnaires was integrated in the data for document analysis. Again, two coders worked on this step and an intercoder reliability test on 20% of the material was conducted, resulting in a Holsti-Index of 0.97 and a K α of 0.94.

2.3 Multi-cohort survey–Reported doctoral education of doctoral graduates

From 2014 to 2016 –each up to one year after their respective doctoral graduation—three cohorts of doctoral graduates in the life sciences were contacted via their former examination offices to participate in an online survey, using a standardised questionnaire. The respondents were graduates (between April 2013 and March 2016) from 15 different German universities of the three federal states of Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony, and their respective medical or bio-science faculties or departments. We selected three structurally representative German states (Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony) and asked all universities in these states that had both a medical school and a bio-science department or faculty for participation in our study. Of a total of 30 departments in 15 universities, 19 departments/faculties followed our call and took part in our study. The following universities participated in our study: RWTH Aachen, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Technische Universität Dresden, Universität Duisburg/Essen, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universität zu Köln. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universität Regensburg, TU München, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg.

Within the framework of this ‘project’, we developed a standardised questionnaire that was sent out to doctoral graduates of the participating universities that captured relevant aspects of doctoral training. These included doctoral graduates’ studies prior to the doctoral training, the general framework of the doctoral training (discipline, pursued doctoral degree, specialisation, etc.), the structure of the doctoral training (e.g., membership in a doctoral programme, admission, supervision, formal learning activities, integration into a work group and the scientific community), the results of the doctoral training (grades, duration, number of publications, satisfaction with the outcome, etc.) and the first employment after graduation. The single items and scales used in the questionnaire were based on existing literature and adapted for our specific purpose and study population. Items and scales relevant to this paper are described below.

Before starting the fieldwork, we conducted a pre-test. 52 persons from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich completed the pre-test questionnaire. In general, the pre-test yielded good results particularly concerning the multi-item scales. After minor adjustments (e.g., in the wording and order of questions), the actual questionnaire was sent to the respondents via the medical or bio-science faculties of their alma mater.

Of the respondents, 42.5% (n = 764) had a previous degree (master’s or equivalent) in natural science, 44.3% (n = 796) were graduates of medicine, and 8.3% (n = 149) had graduated in dentistry. 3.1% (n = 56) and 1.7% (n = 31), respectively, held a social sciences/humanities or health sciences degree. Medical graduates and dentists were merged into one category medicine ( n = 945). The group defined here as bio-science mostly has a background in biology or a biology-related field. The response rate is about 27% resulting in a sample of 1,796 valid cases. However, there are several reasons why we decided to exclude respondents with a social sciences/humanities and health sciences background beyond medicine. First, we did not collect data on these disciplines systematically. The cases in our sample are those students who for some reason or another achieved their doctorate in a medical or bio-science department. They, therefore, might not be suitable cases to represent those disciplines. Second, their sample size is quite small, 3.1% and 1.7% for social sciences and health sciences, respectively. When taking into account that only some of those respondents took part in a structured programme, the number of cases is too small for statistical analysis, in particular for multiple correspondence analysis.

The sample size, thus, is 1,712. In the surveyed sample, 349 respondents stated that they had been enrolled in structured doctoral studies across 94 doctoral programmes or graduate schools. Furthermore, 1306 respondents reported to have been involved in a traditional form of individual doctoral education. Lastly, 54 respondents did not state whether they pursued their doctorate in a structured programme or individually.

The following variables are central for the present paper:

We asked whether the respondents were enrolled in a structured doctoral programme or not.

To capture the admission criteria that the respondents experienced, we asked: “How were you accepted into your PhD program? If you pursued the individual doctorate path: how did you get your position as a PhD candidate?” (Please check all options applicable to you). The possible options were: ‘Application to a public tender’, ‘interview with an academic supervisor’, ‘interview with a panel of several professors’, ‘assessment centre’, ‘motivational letter’, ‘abstract of thesis (Master’s, Diploma, Exam)’, ‘exposé (of doctoral thesis)’, ‘contacted the employer/professor independently’, ‘with the help of colleagues or superiors’, ‘with the help of other personal contacts’, ‘I didn’t have to go through a selection procedure’.

Formal admission to doctoral education is defined here as a process where the candidates have to undergo a (competitive) selection procedure, where they must conform to certain standards. The first seven options (including exposé) are classified as formal criteria. In case our respondents stated to have obtained their doctoral position or their enrolment with help from superiors, colleagues or peers, an independent contact with a supervisor or with no selection procedures at all, they were categorised as “informal admission”. Since the respondents could select several of the options provided in the questionnaire, we created a variable with four categories from their answers: ‘formal admission’ when the respondents stated at least one of the formal procedures, ‘informal admission’ when they checked any of the informal procedures, ‘no formal criteria’ when they did not check any of the formal procedures and finally ‘no informal admission’ when the respondents did not go through any of the informal categories.

The duration of the doctoral training was calculated from the point when the respondents started to work on their doctorate (including orientation and preparation stage) until formal completion of their doctoral training (the date they received their doctoral certificate).

Concerning the supervision during the doctoral training, respondents were asked if they had signed a supervisory agreement. If they had signed one, we asked in addition, which of the following aspects were part of the agreement: ‘topic of doctoral thesis’, ‘number of supervisors’, ‘supervisors’ rights and obligations‘, ‘frequency of consultations with supervisors’, ‘your rights and obligations as a PhD candidate’, ‘time frame of the PhD program’, ‘work plan / milestones’, ‘frequent preliminary reports’, ‘number of publications’, ‘lectures at internal colloquia and symposia’, ‘visits abroad’, ‘use of resources at the institute (labs, etc.)’.

To measure formal training, 15 items were available in total. The first seven capture those types of formal learning that are commonly part of such programmes, offered on a more or less regular basis. The respondents could state whether they attended them 1 = never, 2 = once per year, 3 = rarer, 4 = at least semi-annually, 5 = at least quarterly, 6 = at least monthly, 7 = at least weakly. The respondents were asked to rate their participation with respect to these types of formal training:

• Departmental or workgroup internal colloquia of doctoral candidates, progress reports, or similar events
• Cross-institutional colloquia of doctoral candidates, progress reports, or similar events
• Lectures/seminars on topics related to your dissertation or workgroup
• Lectures/seminars on topics unrelated to your dissertation or workgroup
• Literature clubs, journal clubs, literature seminars
• Trips with your faculty, doctoral students’ day, excursions, or retreats
• How often did you present your own findings?

Additionally, respondents were asked about their attendance on eight representative forms of formal training that are usually only attended once. Respondents were asked if they had attended such a format or not. The items were:

• Scientific writing and publishing (composing professional articles and writing the dissertation)
• Methods for presenting the results (e.g., use of media, poster design, giving lectures)
• Writing grants
• Statistics (data assessment and evaluation)
• Your subject’s research methods
• Legal basis for research (e.g., radiation protection, animal welfare, drug law, genetic engineering)
• Language course (German or English)
• Career development (e.g., career planning, management skills, project management)

2.4 Statistical methods–Comparison of theory and practice

To compare the regulations found in the document analysis with the responses to the multi-cohort survey we present bivariate statistics. Since most of these characteristics are measured nominally and are dichotomous, we calculate coefficient Phi.

For metric data we used T-Tests to compare respondents form a structured programme to those who pursued their doctorate individually. For ordered categorical data we applied Mann-Whitney-U-Tests.

To illustrate the relationship of various structuring characteristics of the doctoral education we carried out a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) on our data. This exploratory, multivariate method is used to display columns and rows of a so-called indicator matrix that are comprised of several categorical variables [ 32 , 33 ]. Based on this matrix, MCA is useful to structure categorical (nominal as well as ordinal) data [ 34 ]. It is a method to “describe, explore, summarize, and visualize information contained within a data table of N individuals described by Q categorical variables” [ 35 ]. In an indicator matrix, there is one row for each unit of analysis (i.e., respondents in our case) and one column for each category of each variable. A cell contains the value ‘0’ if the category was not chosen by the respondent and ‘1’ if it was chosen. Besides describing the relationship between variables as in related methods such as principal component analysis (PCA), the major advantage of using MCA is to investigate the relationship between single categories of variables numerically and visually [ 35 ]. To describe how far the characteristics of doctoral education corresponded to one another, we depicted the categories of the variables in a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. Each category of each variable is represented by a symbol in the system. The closer two categories are located to each other, the more often they were selected by the same respondents, controlling for other variables in the model. Since the MCA is a multivariate technique, all variables are integrated in the calculation of the respective positions in the two-dimensional space. By the location of the variables’ categories, we can describe the relationships between them much more clearly than by the investigation of bi-variate cross-tables. For example, cross-tabulating five categorical variables would result in ten cross-tables, which is much more confusing than a single graph depicting the same variables and their categories.

Since an MCA can be seen as a PCA for categorical variables [ 35 ], the visualisation in the coordinate system is based on centred and standardised data and the units on the axis can be compared to standard deviations. Furthermore, we present the eigenvalue (λ) of each dimension. λ can be interpreted as the mean of squared correlation ratios of the respective dimension and the variables and is, thus, comparable to the concept of explained variance in a PCA.

When the data submitted to an MCA are ordered categorical variables, such as a multi-item Likert-type-scale, the categories are usually ordered as u-shaped or inverted u-shaped trajectory along the y-axis. This so-called horse-shoe effect is a methodological artefact [ 33 ] that is created by the ‘ordinality’ of the data. Along the first dimension, the categories of the variables are ordered in ascending or descending order and the second dimension separates the more common middle categories (i.e., usually the categories ‘2’, ‘3’ and ‘4’ on a 5-point-scale) from the less common extreme categories (e.g., ‘1’ and ‘5’). This second dimension is usually not interpreted, and focus is put on the first dimension that captures the substantial variation in the data.

There are several reasons for the application of the MCA. First, this paper is of exploratory nature and so is the MCA. It allows to display a vast array of categorical data in a condensed way. Tying in with this argument the graphical display of several contingency tables in one graph facilitates the presentation of complex categorical data including several variables and produces a more convenient illustration than comparing several contingency tables ‘manually’. Finally, we chose the MCA because it has no requirements concerning the distribution of the data. In a complex dataset including variables with varying categories that may be in a multiple relation to one another a flexible tool like the MCA is the appropriate choice.

In each chapter of the result section, the three levels of interest, i.e., first, stakeholder recommendations, second, organisational regulations and third, the reported practices are described and compared to the organisations’ regulations.

3.1 General recommendations and admission to doctoral education

Derived from our introductory background, Table 1 depicts the general recommendation of structured doctoral education along with two areas of structure described above: Transparent and accountable admission to doctoral education and limiting the duration of doctoral studies.

EC = European Commission; ERC = Presidents of the European Rectors´ Conferences; ESF = European Science Foundation; EUA = European University Association; WR: Wissenschaftsrat (German Council of Science and Humanities).

3.1.1 Structure of doctoral education

Structured doctoral education and the corresponding organisational structures are recommended, e.g., by the European University Association [ 7 ] and the German Council of Sciences and Humanities [ 5 , 34 ].

In all of the 15 examined locations, so-called doctoral programmes or graduate schools have been established. Six of the 15 locations have entrenched central organisational structures for doctoral education as umbrella organisations for doctoral education. Umbrella organisations are primarily formal administrative units that include all available graduate programmes, irrespective of their subfield and offer optional courses for PhD candidates [ 40 ]. Umbrella organisations typically offer optional courses, mostly for developing transferable skills, and arrange events where doctoral candidates can meet and network each other [ 41 ]. They appear to have less impact on the daily research training for doctoral candidates than doctoral programmes [ 40 , 42 ]. Such doctoral programmes are typically organised along a thematic line and classically offer courses that are more specific for their respective discipline or research topic than those of their umbrella organisations [ 40 – 42 ].

We asked our respondents in which discipline they received their degree that qualified them for doctoral studies and whether their doctoral education was individually organised or part of a structured doctoral programme. In total, 22.8% reported a structured doctoral education and 77.2% pursued their doctorate in the individual model, with a significant difference at the disciplinary level: structured doctoral education is much more prevalent in the bio-sciences (38.3%) than in medicine (7.9%). Medical doctoral students in Germany mostly conduct their doctoral studies parallel to their regular studies, i.e., before completing their final medical exam. In medicine, a structured doctorate is perceived to cost more time and effort than individual doctoral studies. This issue is described by Pfeiffer , Dimitriadis , Holzer , Reincke , & Fischer [ 43 ] who found that medical candidates in a structured programme have a higher intrinsic motivation for research and, therefore, are willing to accept the additional time and effort required by structured programmes. Furthermore, most medical students want to pursue a career as practitioner and they rather have an extrinsic motivation for the doctorate. Hence, there is a lack of young medical researchers in Germany [ 44 ]. The high extrinsic and low intrinsic motivation may explain why only 7.9% of our medical graduates were enrolled in structured doctoral studies, whereas 38.3% of the bio-science respondents graduated from a structured programme.

3.1.2 Admission to doctoral education

For the development of a transparent admission process to doctoral education, the European Commission [ 39 ] proposed an internationally accepted admission system. While in Germany most structured doctoral programmes and graduate schools have defined admission criteria, the admission process to individual doctoral education is often not transparent. Table 2 depicts to what extent graduates from structured an individual models were subjected to formal and informal admission procedures. Having gone through any formal admission procedure is more common in structured programmes while informal means were more frequently used by respondents from the individual model.

Column percentages; Formal admission: Φ = 0.149; P < 0.001; Informal admission: Φ = -0.191; p < 0.001.

We found a variety of formal admission criteria in the document analysis. A formalised written application to a structured programme or graduate school was found in 54.2% of the cases, a committee interview in 34.9% and a required motivational letter in 21.7%.

Generally, formal admission criteria were reported slightly more often by graduates of structured doctoral education. Informal admission criteria, such as independently contacting supervisor, help from peer, or no selection procedures at all, were more frequently reported by graduates of individual doctoral education.

Using the common procedures ‘admission committee’ and ‘formal application’ as examples, we compared the respondents´ statements on organisational regulations of their respective structured programme. The analyses revealed some interesting discrepancies: When doctoral regulations of structured doctoral programmes or schools included an admission committee interview, 42.9% of their graduates did not report if they participated in this procedure (see Table 3 ). In contrast, of those programmes that did not include an admission committee interview in their regulations, 16.7% of the respondents reported to have undergone such an interview nonetheless. Similarly, a formal application to a doctoral programme was not reported by 50.0% ( Table 4 ), even if the regulations of their doctoral programme contained that admission procedure. A formal application is almost as likely in individual doctoral education as it is in structured programmes as indicated by the low value of Phi, which would be only significant at the 10% level.

Number of programmes = 94; Φ = .279; p = 0.007.

Number of programmes = 94; Φ = .191; p = 0.064.

As a caveat, we cannot firmly exclude that respondents did not remember the admission process correctly after about four or five years. Also, we tried to find more admission criteria in the doctoral regulations, like assessment centres. However, other formal admission procedures were rarely reported by the respondents.

If research is financed by third party funding, most German sponsors (such as the DFG) expect to fill doctoral positions in a competitive process. Unfortunately, whereas most graduate programmes or schools have stated that they have formal and competitive admission, many of their graduates reported otherwise. This may indicate that recruitment strategies of doctoral candidates often have not changed to the extent expected on the basis of their official regulations.

3.1.3 Duration of doctoral studies

The suggestions resulting from our qualitative document analysis concur with the recommendations from several institutions: the duration of the doctoral studies should be reduced. Nearly all organisations propose a duration of exactly three years, or less common, three to four years for completing a PhD or equivalent degree. Structured medical doctoral education usually has no recommended time period.

We asked our respondents when they started to work on their doctorate and when they were awarded their doctoral degree. The mean and standard deviation of the resulting period is shown in Fig 1 . As it would be presumed, structured doctoral education—compared to individual doctoral education—goes along with a shorter period from starting to work on the dissertation to receiving the degree. However, if the numbers are considered by discipline, there is only a slight advantage in the bio-sciences concerning the duration of the doctoral education in structured programmes. This difference in the bio-sciences accounts for the overall difference between the structured and individual models. However, in absolute terms, the periods of time exceed the three to four years that were predefined by the organisations and institutions in any case.

a T = 3.69, p < 0.001; b T = 1.13, p = 0.263; c T = 7.14, p < 0.001; N = 1522.

It may come as a surprise that the duration of medical doctoral education is longer than that of science graduates, since in the German context, the latter usually need to put much more work in their thesis [ 45 ]. In Germany, however, most candidates from medicine start to work on their doctorate during regular studies, yet they can only finish their doctoral education afterwards, e.g., during the residency or later. Thus, the way the duration of doctoral education was operationalised in our survey cannot be taken as a valid parameter for the time or effort spent in this population.

3.2 Supervision of doctoral candidates

Supervision is a central topic when considering professionalisation of doctoral education and young researchers’ development. The traditional master-apprenticeship model is prone to creating one-sided dependencies between supervisor and doctoral student, possibly resulting in a disadvantage for the ‘apprentice’ [ 46 ]. More structure in the context of supervision means that the responsibility for the education of the doctoral candidates shifts from the shoulders of one person–usually a professor–to the shoulders of the organisation, as described by Kehm [ 9 ]. Similarly, a formal supervision agreement is expected by the funding schemes for doctoral training programmes, such as research training groups that are funded by the DFG. Other structuring activities related to supervisors (see Table 5 ) are associated with a more directive style of supervision [ 47 ].

AFT/DHV = Allgemeiner Fakultätentag / Deutscher Hochschulverband (General Faculties Day / German University Union); DFG = Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation); EC = European Commission; EUA = European University Association; HRK = Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (German Rectors´ Conference); THE/DHV = THESIS e.V. / Deutscher Hochschulverband (German University Union): WR: Wissenschaftsrat (German Council of Science and Humanities).

Our respondents were asked if they had signed a written agreement with their organisation on their supervision and related aspects that structured their doctoral studies ( Table 6 ).

Each cell depicts the percentage of ‘yes, applicable to me’ responses; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001.

In general, a supervision agreement was more frequently reported by respondents from structured programmes than from the individual model. Concerning the particular contents of the agreement, the picture is more versatile. While the ‘topic of the thesis’ or the ‘rights and duties of supervisors’ are equally widespread in both models, issues such as ‘work schedule, milestones’ or the ‘number of publications’ were stated substantially more often by respondents from structured programmes.

Fig 2 mirrors the relationship between the form of the doctoral education and the regulations on supervision during the doctoral studies as reported by our respondents. Dimension 1 contrasts supervision regulations reported by our graduates of structured and individual doctoral education: In the positive part of the 1 st dimension all ‘no’ categories are located while the ‘yes’ categories are in the negative part. Graduates of individual doctoral education are much less likely to have any of the various regulations in their supervision agreement. While the 1 st dimension separates whether specific regulations were part of the agreement, the 2 nd dimension along the ordinate distinguishes the general content of the agreement aspects. In the positive part of the ordinate (2 nd dimension), we find regulations concerning temporal arrangements. In the negative part of the ordinate, the rights and duties are located. Even though the various agreements are slightly more common in structured programmes, the distance of the structured programmes to the ‘yes’ categories indicates that there is large bandwidth as to which and to what extent the regulations are implemented.

There were remarkable differences in the comparison of what our respondents reported and what their respective regulation contained (see Fig 3A ). About one third of the graduates of structured doctoral education reported that they did not have a supervision agreement, whereas their regulations actually contained that aspect. As mentioned above, a supervision agreement is required by most funding schemes. This discrepancy is even more pronounced with respect to the three exemplary aspects as seen in in Fig 3B and 3C . About two third of the respondents did not report the experience of practice although the respective regulation was found in the programme documents. In neither case is there a significant difference between programmes that contained these regulations and those that did not. This raises the question as to why many structured programmes still deviate from this formal requirement.

a Φ = 0.03, p = 0.778; b Φ = 0.045, p = 0.661; c Φ = 0.078, p = 0.452; d Φ = 0.152, p = 0.140.

3.3 Formal training in doctoral education

Another structuring element of doctoral education is the establishment of a formal curriculum for doctoral students (see Table 7 ). This is a central aspect of the career development of doctoral students as formal training should prepare them for certain tasks inside and outside academia. In particular, preparing doctoral students for non-academic careers is a very prominent and current ambition of doctoral education [ 2 , 4 , 7 ]. To achieve this objective, students should receive not only subject- or research-related instruction but also transferable skill training—skills that can be used in a variety of work situations [ 11 ].

ERC = Presidents of the European Rectors´ Conferences; ESF = European Science Foundation; EUA = European University Association; WR: Wissenschaftsrat (German Council of Science and Humanities).

Many countries, such as Canada, France, the United States, and the United Kingdom, do not have specific strategies for implementing transferable skills in doctoral education [ 11 ]. The same can be stated for Germany, where the respective academic organisations are responsible for the formal training of their doctoral students. Andres et al . [ 1 ] described that there is a tendency toward a growth of graduate schools within organisations, which is linked to an increase in formal training. However, formal training is generally designed for improving doctoral students’ employability inside academia and not for developing transferable skills [ 11 ].

Table 8 provides an overview over the responses to the question asking for attendance of formal learning formats where respondents could answer with ‘yes’ or ‘no’, showing that all learning formats are more often attended in structured programmes than in the individual model.

Each cell depicts the percentage of ‘yes’ responses. *** p < 0.001.

Table 9 illustrates the attendance of learning formats offered on a regular basis such as lectures. On average, respondents from structured programmes visited all types of formats more frequently.

N = 1599; Response categories: 7 'once per week'; 6 'once per month'; 5 ' every three months'; 4 ' every six months'; 3 'once a year'; 2 'less than once a year'; 1 'never'; Mann-Whitney-U-Tests: a Z = -13.71 p < 0.001; b Z = -13.78 p < 0.001; c Z = -13.38 p < 0.001; d Z = -7.12 p < 0.001; e = -13.81 p < 0.001; f Z = -12.91 p < 0.001; g Z = -7.80 p < 0.001.

As depicted in Fig 4 , most of the analysed programme documents included a mandatory curriculum. This curriculum comprises a vast array of courses, lectures, and other formal learning formats, e.g., retreats or summer schools. Using five such learning formats as examples, we demonstrate that lectures and seminars with subject related contents are quite widespread whereas transferable skill training (e.g., conflict management or building networks) or career relevant learning opportunities are much scarcer.

Our respondents were asked which types of learning formats they had experienced during their doctoral studies. Fig 5 displays the results of the MCA including all 15 items capturing formal learning and the structured and individual model. This representation of the structuring characteristics of doctoral education offers a quite clear picture. The major contrasts are found along the first, horizontal dimension, which clearly separates structured from individual doctoral education: Higher values indicate more structure while lower values indicate less structure in terms of formal learning. The second dimension is the aforementioned methodological artefact, the so-called horse-shoe effect (see method section) and in this case separates the extreme from the moderate responses [ 33 ] of the seven-point scales used for seven of the items. Since the second dimension captures methodologically induced variation, caused by the fact that extreme responses (e.g., the categories 1 and 7) are much less common than more moderate answers, we only interpret the first dimension. The picture is quite clear, though. Formal learning formats that can be attended on a regular basis are more strongly frequented by respondents from structured programmes. Respondents with the highest frequencies of visiting these formal learning formats (i.e., selecting categories 5 to 7) are mostly those that also participated in a structured programme. The contrast between structured and individual doctoral education becomes even more pronounced when looking at the formal learning opportunities that are (usually) only visited once. All the ‘no, not attended’ answers are located close to the individual model. The ‘yes, attended’ answers are much closer to the structured model but with much more dispersion, i.e., not all programmes integrate these formats into their curriculum to the same extent.

Fig 6 cross-references the results from the document analysis and the answers our respondents provided on four exemplary formal learning opportunities. This example of four types of formal learning formats depicts that there is barely any difference in the responses to our survey irrespective of whether the specific course types were included in the programme documents or not. Career development courses, scientific community training as well as language courses tend to have been attended more often when the programme actually included them in its statutes, but these potential differences did not reach statistical significance. However, the data clearly demonstrates that even in cases where the respective formal learning format was specifically mentioned in the programme documents, far from all the programmes’ graduates report having participated in them.

a Φ = 0.147, p = 0.160; b Φ = 0.116, p = 0.271; c Φ = 0.057, p = 0.591; d Φ = 0.141, p = 0.185.

In Fig 7 , we illustrate the relationship between the results from the document analysis with the answers to our survey for the types of learning formats that are usually visited more often than only once or twice during doctoral education. In the boxplots, we compare the median frequencies of attending these courses of programmes that included them in their curriculum and those that did not. Again, there is barely any difference between programmes that included these courses in their curriculum and those that did not concerning the responses of their graduates. Only literature clubs, journal clubs, etc. were visited more often when the programme included them (U-Test: Z = -2.65; p = 0.008). However, formats such as colloquia, progress reports, the aforementioned literature or journal clubs as well as lectures are quite common and were attended on a weekly (a value of ‘7’) or monthly (a value of ‘6’) basis by many respondents. Since retreats (and similar formats) are generally much less frequent, the majority attended them annually (a value of ‘2’) to semi-annually (a value of ‘4’) if the regulations included them or to a maximum of ‘3’, ‘less than semi-annually’.

4 Discussion

This paper features insights into the practices of structured doctoral education in the life sciences (medicine and bio-sciences) in Germany. By comparing graduates of individual doctoral education with those of structured doctoral education models, we find that the actual differences in doctoral training are much less pronounced than expected. Our second endeavour was the comparison of organisational regulations concerning the structure of the doctoral training to the actual experiences of doctoral graduates from these programmes. Our results show that there is still a lack between aspiration of the programmes and the experienced reality.

To improve the transparency of the access to doctoral education, formal admission regulations—such as a formal application—are expected to be put into practice by funding schemes, e.g., of the DFG. A formal admission procedure to doctoral studies was observed more often in structured doctoral education than in the individual model, whereas informal criteria were more frequent in the individual model. In traditional German doctoral education, professors prefer to recruit their doctoral students from among their own students, i.e., informally. This still seems to be a dominant practice of recruitment. Surprisingly, in our analyses we found that various formal and informal admission procedures are equally implemented by the programmes whether their statutes included them or not. Our findings indicate that various forms of formal and informal admission coexist within the same programme. For example, some candidates might have applied formally while others were recommended by their professor.

Concerning the duration of the doctoral training, there is a small advantage for the structured model in the life-sciences. However, this advantage is not very pronounced and less than half a year. Furthermore, even though nearly all programme documents restricted the duration to three, in some cases up to four years, on average, the respondents needed more than four years to achieve their doctorate. An important research question for future research would be, why graduates from structured programmes almost worked as long on their doctorate as those from the individual model. Is it due to the–often only–moderate differences between the structured and the individual model? Or is it the other way around, does the higher amount of structure (e.g., more formal learning, more duties in work groups, etc.) consume time the candidates might need to work on their thesis? As an example, Brechelmacher et al . [ 50 ] reported that most PhD candidates feel pressurised to finish their work in three to four years, as required by most structured programmes. This might be caused by the overburden of their duties, e.g., teaching, supervising students, supporting their professor, administrative tasks, publishing and writing their own dissertation [ 50 , 51 ]. In addition, doctoral students in structured programmes often have to visit additional courses as further required activities [ 29 , 50 ].

Generally, we found that a supervision agreement is slightly more common in structured programmes than in the individual model. While the implementation of the rights and duties of the candidate are more often included in structured programmes, there is no difference between the individual model and structured programmes concerning the rights and duties of the supervisor. As consequence, at least concerning the candidates’ responsibilities, structured programmes offer higher transparency. In contrast, regular meetings with the supervisor are rarely part of an agreement as experienced by the respondents in the individual model whereas about thirty percent had regular meetings with their supervisor in the structured approach. Since insufficient supervision is a point of major criticism of the individual model, in that regard, structured programmes seem to be in favour. Likewise, while a work schedule and milestones can be important structuring elements. However, in the individual model only about 10 percent reported that their agreement included them while among the graduates from structured models, about 30 percent stated that a work schedule and milestones were part of their agreement.

As depicted by the MCA, all of the typical topics of the agreement are more commonly associated with structured programmes; however, there is a large dispersion of the categories. Concerning the supervision agreement and its concrete explication, the structured programmes seem to be lacking behind the recommendations of political stakeholders concerning this issue.

Contrasting the organisational regulations with the experienced practice of our respondents shows that a supervision agreement is not encountered more often even when it was included in the regulations. The same was true for the three exemplary topics of such regulations. As with admission to doctoral education, there is still a discrepancy between aspiration of the programmes, the experienced reality of their graduates as well as the recommendations of the science stakeholders. As a result, this insufficient supervision may have severe consequences. As Berning and Falk [ 52 ] reported a higher drop-out rate for doctoral students who lacked supervision during their dissertation phase. Accordingly, structured programmes might be able to reduce this drop-out rate of doctoral students by improved supervision [ 40 ]. Consistently, Scaffidi and Berman [ 53 ] have shown that mentor support is critical for the success of young academics’ doctoral studies.

Doctoral training mostly prepares students for competencies required inside academia. This agenda setting, as reported by the OECD [ 11 ] and as pointed out by Andres et al . [ 1 ], was confirmed by our findings: The formal learning formats most visited are relevant for an academic career. Furthermore, we found that training for skills that are important after receiving the doctoral degree were more likely attended by graduates of structured doctoral studies than by those of the individual model. Consequently, research should focus on labour market transitions and career trajectories after receiving the doctorate with the focus on the structuring elements of the doctoral training and their effect on this transition.

Transferable skill training courses and courses that intend to prepare for the next, more independent phase of an academic career are found more often in structured doctoral studies as shown by the associations in the MCA. However, when it comes to comparing the regulations of structured doctoral education with the reality as reported by their graduates, compliance with structuring features is again—at best—moderate.

As our results indicate, even in non-structured forms of doctoral education, there is often some “structure”. This can be due to general regulations of the university or the respective departments, in such that they require these measures irrespective of the candidates’ participation in a structured programme or not.

Although diversity in ways how a doctoral degree can be obtained is to some extent desirable as it allows supervisors and doctoral candidates to find a way that fits for them individually, the identified intransparency even within the limited context of doctoral education in German life-sciences shows a big problem for all stakeholders to take advantage of this diversity [ 58 ]. Lack of understanding of the doctoral education system has been identified as a major problem on the European level previously [ 58 ] and the discrepancy between formal regulations and actual practice we identified in this paper may be a major cause for this.

Of note, our results are biased in several ways since only successful graduates were examined: This systematically excludes the experiences of non-successful candidates. Furthermore, the survey data may be compromised by imperfect memory, in particular with respect to items addressing the early phase of doctoral studies.

As Hauss et al . [ 24 ] pointed out, it needs to be discussed whether the dichotomous distinction between structured and traditional forms of doctoral education is appropriate when analysing the conditions and consequences of doctoral studies. Our results add to this discussion by showing that the difference in the practices of structured and traditional forms of doctoral education is much smaller than would be expected from the underlying organisational regulations and institutional recommendations. Also, our analyses suggest that a ‘continuous approach’ towards structured doctoral education with the purely structured and the purely individual model only as the ends of this continuum would be more appropriate. Therefore, research on quality in doctoral education should focus more on actual practices—and hence the degree of implementation of structuring measures—rather than on written regulations.

Furthermore, more research is needed that investigates to what extent the structuring characteristics–be they implemented as part of a structured programme or as an integral part of doctoral education–actually exert positive effects on the outcome of the education and the graduates’ first career steps afterwards [e.g., 54 , 55 ]. Descriptive results of the present paper not only inform about the situation in Germany but may also help to guide investigations about structuring characteristics as success factors for doctoral education in general.

Finally, in the present study, we did not address the level of individual work groups or laboratories where a particular structure might exist [ 56 , 57 ]–e.g., an apprenticeship model based on the constructivist assumption that the doctoral candidates learn via interaction, by observing, imitating or following role models–again, irrespective of structured programmes, that might create a form of structured doctoral education. A deeper investigation of work groups or laboratories could add important additional information to the findings concerning practices and regulations in doctoral education presented in this paper.

5 Conclusion

Our results indicate that the step has been taken successfully from policy recommendations to formalization in structured programs and institutional regulations for doctoral education. However, actual implementation into practice is still an issue to be addressed. It seems unlikely that this phenomenon is specific to the life-sciences in Germany. Therefore, we recommend focussing in the next step on the professorial level that is responsible for supervision of individual doctoral candidates and work with them to reduce existing resentments and resistance. More evidence on the implementation and the actual effects of structuring elements, and practice-based examples on how this form of doctoral education is adjusted individually could be helpful. Besides the known impact of training and mentoring on supervision [ 58 ], it will take such knowledge to foster the necessary academic culture and convince professors to change their supervision strategies.

Funding Statement

This research was supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF, https://www.bmbf.de/ ) within the FoWiN programme (Forschung zum Wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchs) in the form of a grant awarded to DL, TM, and SH (16FWN019) and a grant awarded to JE, LVK, and BN (16FWN022). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Title: toward improving the quality of doctoral education: a focus on statistics, research methods, and dissertation supervision.

Abstract: Doctoral education (PhD) in the USA has long been characterized as being in a crisis, yet empirical research to identify possible determinants is limited, in particular, faculty competence has received only scant research attention. This study ascertained from students, faculty and consultants, their concerns about the teaching of statistics and research (including dissertation supervision). The responses encompass the curriculum, pedagogy, content knowledge, support, and accountability. The current U.S. doctoral education model needs to be systematically reviewed toward assessing its relevance to the changing needs of the disciplines and the job market. In this regard, the almost universal emphasis on evidence-based practice, especially in the disciplines of health and behavioral sciences must be given major consideration. Reform initiatives must also address the roles and qualifications of dissertation committee members (including consultants), the composition of the dissertation committee, and training geared toward preparing and certifying faculty to serve as dissertation committee members.

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• The effects of mindfulness practices in the classroom
• The use of technology in the classroom
• The role of critical thinking in education
• The use of formative and summative assessments in the classroom
• The use of differentiated instruction in the classroom
• The use of gamification in education
• The effects of teacher burnout on student learning
• The impact of school leadership on student achievement
• The effects of teacher diversity on student outcomes
• The role of teacher collaboration in improving student outcomes
• The implementation of blended and online learning
• The effects of teacher accountability on student achievement
• The effects of standardized testing on student learning
• The effects of classroom management on student behaviour
• The effects of school culture on student achievement
• The use of student-centred learning in the classroom
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on student outcomes
• The achievement gap in minority and low-income students
• The use of culturally responsive teaching in the classroom
• The impact of teacher professional development on student learning
• The use of project-based learning in the classroom
• The effects of teacher expectations on student achievement
• The use of adaptive learning technology in the classroom
• The impact of teacher turnover on student learning
• The effects of teacher recruitment and retention on student learning
• The impact of early childhood education on later academic success
• The impact of parental involvement on student engagement
• The use of positive reinforcement in education
• The impact of school climate on student engagement
• The role of STEM education in preparing students for the workforce
• The effects of school choice on student achievement
• The use of technology in the form of online tutoring

Level-Specific Research Topics

Looking for research topics for a specific level of education? We’ve got you covered. Below you can find research topic ideas for primary, secondary and tertiary-level education contexts. Click the relevant level to view the respective list.

Research Topics: Pick An Education Level

Primary education.

• Investigating the effects of peer tutoring on academic achievement in primary school
• Exploring the benefits of mindfulness practices in primary school classrooms
• Examining the effects of different teaching strategies on primary school students’ problem-solving skills
• The use of storytelling as a teaching strategy in primary school literacy instruction
• The role of cultural diversity in promoting tolerance and understanding in primary schools
• The impact of character education programs on moral development in primary school students
• Investigating the use of technology in enhancing primary school mathematics education
• The impact of inclusive curriculum on promoting equity and diversity in primary schools
• The impact of outdoor education programs on environmental awareness in primary school students
• The influence of school climate on student motivation and engagement in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of early literacy interventions on reading comprehension in primary school students
• The impact of parental involvement in school decision-making processes on student achievement in primary schools
• Exploring the benefits of inclusive education for students with special needs in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of teacher-student feedback on academic motivation in primary schools
• The role of technology in developing digital literacy skills in primary school students
• Effective strategies for fostering a growth mindset in primary school students
• Investigating the role of parental support in reducing academic stress in primary school children
• The role of arts education in fostering creativity and self-expression in primary school students
• Examining the effects of early childhood education programs on primary school readiness
• Examining the effects of homework on primary school students’ academic performance
• The role of formative assessment in improving learning outcomes in primary school classrooms
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on academic outcomes in primary school
• Investigating the effects of classroom environment on student behavior and learning outcomes in primary schools
• Investigating the role of creativity and imagination in primary school curriculum
• The impact of nutrition and healthy eating programs on academic performance in primary schools
• The impact of social-emotional learning programs on primary school students’ well-being and academic performance
• The role of parental involvement in academic achievement of primary school children
• Examining the effects of classroom management strategies on student behavior in primary school
• The role of school leadership in creating a positive school climate Exploring the benefits of bilingual education in primary schools
• The effectiveness of project-based learning in developing critical thinking skills in primary school students
• The role of inquiry-based learning in fostering curiosity and critical thinking in primary school students
• The effects of class size on student engagement and achievement in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of recess and physical activity breaks on attention and learning in primary school
• Exploring the benefits of outdoor play in developing gross motor skills in primary school children
• The effects of educational field trips on knowledge retention in primary school students
• Examining the effects of inclusive classroom practices on students’ attitudes towards diversity in primary schools
• The impact of parental involvement in homework on primary school students’ academic achievement
• Investigating the effectiveness of different assessment methods in primary school classrooms
• The influence of physical activity and exercise on cognitive development in primary school children
• Exploring the benefits of cooperative learning in promoting social skills in primary school students

Secondary Education

• Investigating the effects of school discipline policies on student behavior and academic success in secondary education
• The role of social media in enhancing communication and collaboration among secondary school students
• The impact of school leadership on teacher effectiveness and student outcomes in secondary schools
• Investigating the effects of technology integration on teaching and learning in secondary education
• Exploring the benefits of interdisciplinary instruction in promoting critical thinking skills in secondary schools
• The impact of arts education on creativity and self-expression in secondary school students
• The effectiveness of flipped classrooms in promoting student learning in secondary education
• The role of career guidance programs in preparing secondary school students for future employment
• Investigating the effects of student-centered learning approaches on student autonomy and academic success in secondary schools
• The impact of socio-economic factors on educational attainment in secondary education
• Investigating the impact of project-based learning on student engagement and academic achievement in secondary schools
• Investigating the effects of multicultural education on cultural understanding and tolerance in secondary schools
• The influence of standardized testing on teaching practices and student learning in secondary education
• Investigating the effects of classroom management strategies on student behavior and academic engagement in secondary education
• The influence of teacher professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes in secondary schools
• The role of extracurricular activities in promoting holistic development and well-roundedness in secondary school students
• Investigating the effects of blended learning models on student engagement and achievement in secondary education
• The role of physical education in promoting physical health and well-being among secondary school students
• Investigating the effects of gender on academic achievement and career aspirations in secondary education
• Exploring the benefits of multicultural literature in promoting cultural awareness and empathy among secondary school students
• The impact of school counseling services on student mental health and well-being in secondary schools
• Exploring the benefits of vocational education and training in preparing secondary school students for the workforce
• The role of digital literacy in preparing secondary school students for the digital age
• The influence of parental involvement on academic success and well-being of secondary school students
• The impact of social-emotional learning programs on secondary school students’ well-being and academic success
• The role of character education in fostering ethical and responsible behavior in secondary school students
• Examining the effects of digital citizenship education on responsible and ethical technology use among secondary school students
• The impact of parental involvement in school decision-making processes on student outcomes in secondary schools
• The role of educational technology in promoting personalized learning experiences in secondary schools
• The impact of inclusive education on the social and academic outcomes of students with disabilities in secondary schools
• The influence of parental support on academic motivation and achievement in secondary education
• The role of school climate in promoting positive behavior and well-being among secondary school students
• Examining the effects of peer mentoring programs on academic achievement and social-emotional development in secondary schools
• Examining the effects of teacher-student relationships on student motivation and achievement in secondary schools
• Exploring the benefits of service-learning programs in promoting civic engagement among secondary school students
• The impact of educational policies on educational equity and access in secondary education
• Examining the effects of homework on academic achievement and student well-being in secondary education
• Investigating the effects of different assessment methods on student performance in secondary schools
• Examining the effects of single-sex education on academic performance and gender stereotypes in secondary schools
• The role of mentoring programs in supporting the transition from secondary to post-secondary education

Tertiary Education

• The role of student support services in promoting academic success and well-being in higher education
• The impact of internationalization initiatives on students’ intercultural competence and global perspectives in tertiary education
• Investigating the effects of active learning classrooms and learning spaces on student engagement and learning outcomes in tertiary education
• Exploring the benefits of service-learning experiences in fostering civic engagement and social responsibility in higher education
• The influence of learning communities and collaborative learning environments on student academic and social integration in higher education
• Exploring the benefits of undergraduate research experiences in fostering critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills
• Investigating the effects of academic advising and mentoring on student retention and degree completion in higher education
• The role of student engagement and involvement in co-curricular activities on holistic student development in higher education
• The impact of multicultural education on fostering cultural competence and diversity appreciation in higher education
• The role of internships and work-integrated learning experiences in enhancing students’ employability and career outcomes
• Examining the effects of assessment and feedback practices on student learning and academic achievement in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty-student relationships on student success and well-being in tertiary education
• The impact of college transition programs on students’ academic and social adjustment to higher education
• The impact of online learning platforms on student learning outcomes in higher education
• The impact of financial aid and scholarships on access and persistence in higher education
• The influence of student leadership and involvement in extracurricular activities on personal development and campus engagement
• Exploring the benefits of competency-based education in developing job-specific skills in tertiary students
• Examining the effects of flipped classroom models on student learning and retention in higher education
• Exploring the benefits of online collaboration and virtual team projects in developing teamwork skills in tertiary students
• Investigating the effects of diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus climate and student experiences in tertiary education
• The influence of study abroad programs on intercultural competence and global perspectives of college students
• Investigating the effects of peer mentoring and tutoring programs on student retention and academic performance in tertiary education
• Investigating the effectiveness of active learning strategies in promoting student engagement and achievement in tertiary education
• Investigating the effects of blended learning models and hybrid courses on student learning and satisfaction in higher education
• The role of digital literacy and information literacy skills in supporting student success in the digital age
• Investigating the effects of experiential learning opportunities on career readiness and employability of college students
• The impact of e-portfolios on student reflection, self-assessment, and showcasing of learning in higher education
• The role of technology in enhancing collaborative learning experiences in tertiary classrooms
• The impact of research opportunities on undergraduate student engagement and pursuit of advanced degrees
• Examining the effects of competency-based assessment on measuring student learning and achievement in tertiary education
• Examining the effects of interdisciplinary programs and courses on critical thinking and problem-solving skills in college students
• The role of inclusive education and accessibility in promoting equitable learning experiences for diverse student populations
• The role of career counseling and guidance in supporting students’ career decision-making in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty diversity and representation on student success and inclusive learning environments in higher education

Education-Related Dissertations & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic in education, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses in the education space to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of education-related research projects to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• From Rural to Urban: Education Conditions of Migrant Children in China (Wang, 2019)
• Energy Renovation While Learning English: A Guidebook for Elementary ESL Teachers (Yang, 2019)
• A Reanalyses of Intercorrelational Matrices of Visual and Verbal Learners’ Abilities, Cognitive Styles, and Learning Preferences (Fox, 2020)
• A study of the elementary math program utilized by a mid-Missouri school district (Barabas, 2020)
• Instructor formative assessment practices in virtual learning environments : a posthumanist sociomaterial perspective (Burcks, 2019)
• Higher education students services: a qualitative study of two mid-size universities’ direct exchange programs (Kinde, 2020)
• Exploring editorial leadership : a qualitative study of scholastic journalism advisers teaching leadership in Missouri secondary schools (Lewis, 2020)
• Selling the virtual university: a multimodal discourse analysis of marketing for online learning (Ludwig, 2020)
• Advocacy and accountability in school counselling: assessing the use of data as related to professional self-efficacy (Matthews, 2020)
• The use of an application screening assessment as a predictor of teaching retention at a midwestern, K-12, public school district (Scarbrough, 2020)
• Core values driving sustained elite performance cultures (Beiner, 2020)
• Educative features of upper elementary Eureka math curriculum (Dwiggins, 2020)
• How female principals nurture adult learning opportunities in successful high schools with challenging student demographics (Woodward, 2020)
• The disproportionality of Black Males in Special Education: A Case Study Analysis of Educator Perceptions in a Southeastern Urban High School (McCrae, 2021)

As you can see, these research topics are a lot more focused than the generic topic ideas we presented earlier. So, in order for you to develop a high-quality research topic, you’ll need to get specific and laser-focused on a specific context with specific variables of interest.  In the video below, we explore some other important things you’ll need to consider when crafting your research topic.

Get 1-On-1 Help

If you’re still unsure about how to find a quality research topic within education, check out our Research Topic Kickstarter service, which is the perfect starting point for developing a unique, well-justified research topic.

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64 Comments

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Special education

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Research title related to school of students

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Research title related to students

My field is research measurement and evaluation. Need dissertation topics in the field

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parental involvement and students academic performance

Science education topics?

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Kindly help me with the research questions on the topic” Effects of workplace conflict on the employees’ job performance”. The effects can be applicable in every institution,enterprise or organisation.

Greetings, I am a student majoring in Sociology and minoring in Public Administration. I’m considering any recommended research topic in the field of Sociology.

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Research Defense for students in senior high

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Look at British Library as they keep a copy of all PhDs in the UK Core.ac.uk to access Open University and 6 other university e-archives, pdf downloads mostly available, all free.

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Masters student in the field of curriculum, any ideas of a research topic on low achiever students

In the field of curriculum any ideas of a research topic on deconalization in contextualization of digital teaching and learning through in higher education

Amazing guidelines

I am a graduate with two masters. 1) Master of arts in religious studies and 2) Master in education in foundations of education. I intend to do a Ph.D. on my second master’s, however, I need to bring both masters together through my Ph.D. research. can I do something like, ” The contribution of Philosophy of education for a quality religion education in Kenya”? kindly, assist and be free to suggest a similar topic that will bring together the two masters. thanks in advance

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Experiential education in action: economics students (and faculty) present at prestigious research industry conference.

In March 2024, five Economics Department faculty and 10 undergraduate and graduate students, all Dyson economics and business economics majors, presented their research papers at the annual Eastern Economic Association (EEA) conference in Boston, one of the major conferences for professional economists on the East Coast of the United States.

The student presentations, organized by Assistant Professors Mary Kaltenberg, PhD and Eric Osborne Christenson, PhD , focused on timely topics such as labor economics, sports economics, applied microeconomics, and the savings and financial markets. Both faculty and students fielded many questions and comments from professional economists as well as other engaged attendees who took part in the well-attended sessions.

The participation in the EEA conference by students is a prime example of the many innovative, experiential education opportunities provided by the Economics Department (another being the College Federal Reserve Challenge , through which Pace’s team won the National College Federal Reserve Challenge five times in the last nine years, besting Harvard and Princeton). As part of their research leading up to the EEA conference, students had the opportunity to develop analytical and quantitative skills, while also building their portfolio and resume in a way that will stand out to employees, thus enhancing their competitive edge in today’s job market.

Professor and Chair of Economics Anna Shostya said, “Through original research and guidance from faculty mentors, our students gained the capacity to convert theoretical knowledge into practical use, bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world problem-solving.” 

Training in the (economic) trenches

McKenna Moore ’24, who is in the combined BA in Economics/MS in Applied Quantitative Economic Analysis and Policy program, and also a sports enthusiast, wanted to choose a topic that both interested her and was technically challenging, requiring the use and enhancement of the web scraping skills learned in R and Python classes taken at Pace.

“Through weekly meetings with Professor Kaltenberg, I was able to learn about different types of modeling that I never would have been exposed to in the classroom while pursuing my dual degree." —McKenna Moore ’24

On her experience researching the topic, An Examination of the “Loser Effect” in the NFL , she said, “Through weekly meetings with Professor Kaltenberg, I was able to learn about different types of modeling that I never would have been exposed to in the classroom while pursuing my dual degree. I was also able to lean on my peers who were simultaneously doing research to get their feedback as I progressed through this research, which was very helpful."

The comradery among students and their support of each other, in fact, did not go unnoticed by Kaltenberg, who was particularly impressed by the long hours they spent digging into each other’s research papers and their dedication to providing quality feedback. When asked about feedback provided by other attendees at the conference, she shares that many were surprised that students were at the undergraduate or even graduate level, and presenting original work.

“Many attendees assumed our students were doctoral students. I was proud of the level of their work–many used advanced econometric techniques, had clever topics and ideas, and presented professionally,” she said.

Liam Chentoufi ’25 is a BA in Economics major who, for the past two years, has also been a member of the College Federal Reserve Challenge team, which, just prior to the EEA conference, had met with the Board of Governors in Washington, DC (as well as Chairman Powell) to ask competition-specific questions to a panel of judges as a finale to the 2023 competitive season. Given this, Chentoufi was drawn to questions surrounding the Fed and the macroeconomy, and his EEA presentation topic was Understanding the Federal Reserve .

His main takeaway from the experience was learning more about how economics conferences are conducted and, relatedly, how he can further develop his research skills. He said, “In addition to presenting our own work, attendees are often asked to be a ‘discussant’ for other papers in which one presents their interpretation/questions for the peer paper assigned to them. After receiving audience feedback, I now have more organized ideas as to what can be improved upon in my personal project.”

“Many attendees assumed our students were doctoral students. I was proud of the level of their work–many used advanced econometric techniques, had clever topics and ideas, and presented professionally." —Assistant Professor of Economics Mary Kaltenberg, PhD

Macey Cooper ’24, who is also in the combined BA in Economics/MS in Applied Quantitative Economic Analysis and Policy program, had always been interested in the healthcare sector, and, when she was younger, thought she might even want to be a doctor. Her presentation topic, Medicaid and Maternal Mortality Rates , was therefore the perfect opportunity to combine her interest in both the medical field and in economics, as she chose to look at Medicaid expansion under Obamacare, and how it might affect pregnant women.

She shares how attending the EEA conference brought her out of my comfort zone as she was tasked with presenting in front of individuals outside of the Pace community. To use an economics term, her experience was very “macro:” “I was able to gain insight into how my research resonated with a broader community, and how it fits into the overall ecosystem of the economic impact on healthcare,” she said.

The importance of funding

Kaltenberg, who also presented research at the conference with colleague, Eric Osborne Christenson, PhD, on the effect of a lack of childcare access due to Covid-19 on female labor force participation, shared that many students had been motivated to continue a career in research or consider a graduate degree in economics due to their experiences.

It was all made possible by the Dyson Initiative Fund, which allows students to participate annually, versus every two to three years, as is the case with the New York City conference.

“This funding is crucial to allow every generation of economics majors the opportunity to present their work in a professional environment. We hope to send our best students who do original research to this conference every year,” said Kaltenberg.

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She Just Earned Her Doctorate at 17. Now, She’ll Go to the Prom.

Dorothy Jean Tillman II of Chicago made history as the youngest person to earn a doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health at Arizona State University.

By Alexandra E. Petri

When Dorothy Jean Tillman II successfully defended her dissertation in November 2023 to earn her doctoral degree from Arizona State University, she couldn’t wait to share the news with her best friend.

“It was a surreal moment,” Dr. Tillman said, “because it was crazy I was doing it in the first place.”

Dr. Tillman, at only 17, became the youngest person to earn a doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health from Arizona State’s College of Health Solutions, all before she was eligible to vote. Earlier this month, Dr. Tillman, now 18, took part in Arizona State’s commencement ceremony and delivered remarks as the outstanding 2024 graduate at the College of Health Solution’s convocation.

Lesley Manson, program director for the doctorate of behavioral health at Arizona State and Dr. Tillman’s doctoral chair, said Dr. Tillman displayed extraordinary perseverance, hard work and dedication for her young age, tackling every challenge head-on.

“She can serve as a real role model,” Ms. Manson said.

Dr. Tillman, called D.J. by her family and friends, was an early bloomer. She grew up in Chicago and was home-schooled from a young age, first in a group setting through online classes, and then by her mother, Jimalita Tillman, a single parent with a background in community theater.

Dr. Tillman was part of a gifted program before transitioning to home-schooling. Jimalita Tillman continued her daughter on an accelerated track: By the time she was 8, she was taking high school classes. While most 9-year-olds were learning math and reading, Dr. Tillman was starting college online.

At the time, they lived with Jimalita Tillman’s mother, Dorothy Wright Tillman, a civil rights activist who worked alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was a Chicago alderman. Dr. Tillman is her grandmother’s namesake (hence the II at the end of Dr. Tillman’s name).

During her early college days, Dr. Tillman’s classroom was often a Starbucks in Chicago, and her days began as soon it opened, she said. Her go-to order was an iced peach green tea with lemonade.

“Around the time when kids went to lunch, we’d be closing the computer,” said Dr. Tillman, who said her discipline and focus come from her grandmother.

Because of her age, Dr. Tillman lived at home while pursuing her higher education, and most of her coursework was online — a challenge for a self-described social butterfly. “I do love meeting new people and talking to people and understanding them and how their brains work,” she said. She found other ways to stay connected with friends through after-school activities.

At 10, she earned her associate degree in psychology at the College of Lake County in Illinois. At 12, she received her Bachelor of Science in humanities at Excelsior College in New York, and at 14, she earned a Master of Science from Unity College in Maine. She chose those fields because they can help scientists “understand why people treat the environment the way they do,” she told Time for Kids in a July 2020 interview.

Ellen Winner, a professor of psychology at Boston College and the author of “Gifted Children: Myths and Realities,” said that children like Dr. Tillman have a motivational intensity she calls a “rage to master.”

“One of the reasons they push themselves is they have a high, innate ability of some kind, and so learning, in whatever they are gifted in, comes easily to them and it’s very pleasurable,” she said. Schools are often not equipped for such gifted children, she added, which may lead parents to home-school their children. The trade-off, she and some experts say, is missing out on socialization and learning with children their age.

“There’s no perfect solution to kids like this,” Ms. Winner said.

Jimalita Tillman said she was sure her daughter was finished with higher education after earning her master’s degree. Dr. Tillman had just launched an organization to support Black youth in Chicago interested in STEM and the arts called the Dorothy Jeanius STEAM Leadership Institute. It was 2020, just after the beginning of the pandemic.

She was surprised when her daughter said she wanted to pursue her doctorate, and even tried to dissuade Dr. Tillman. But Dr. Tillman wanted to help young people with their mental health. She told her mother to trust her.

“I had to follow her lead,” Jimalita Tillman, 42, said.

Dr. Tillman was accepted into the management concentration at Arizona State’s College of Health Solutions, an online doctorate program. Her thesis on developing programs to reduce the stigma for college students seeking mental health services was based on a study she conducted for an in-person internship at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Dr. Tillman hopes her story resonates with girls who are talkative, outgoing “out-there kind of girls who are trying to figure themselves out but are very smart.”

“I want them to see someone who has taken that energy, sparkle and excitement and packaged it in a way that is classy and beautiful,” she said.

Dr. Tillman may now have her doctorate, but she’s also excited about teenage things — like attending a prom. On Saturday, she going as her best friend’s date to his senior dance. They’re taking an Escalade outfitted with stars on the ceiling, she said, a feature she requested and that her mother made happen.

Dr. Tillman has been focused on school and her professional pursuits, and she plans to host her institute’s summer camp again. Then, she said, she plans to take a beat and have a “fun teenage summer,” doing things she loves, discovering new hobbies and figuring herself out in the process.

“I want to focus on who I am,” she said.

• Philanthropy News Digest

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation invites LOIs for Creating Equitable Pathways to STEM Graduate Education initiative

The Higher Education Program at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has issued a call for letters of inquiry for the Creating Equitable Pathways to STEM Graduate Education initiative. 

Through the initiative, the foundation aims to continue its investment in minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and in the establishment of partnerships between MSIs and graduate programs nationwide. Grantees awarded via this initiative will engage the expertise of MSIs—and the unique experiences of their faculty and students—to model effective systems and practices that remove barriers and create opportunities for equitable learning environments in STEM graduate education so all students can thrive. Grant awards will support sharing MSIs’ institutional knowledge on equitable undergraduate and graduate education, as well as modeling that know-how to create systemic changes that enhance pathways from MSIs to master’s and doctoral degree programs in astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, data science, Earth sciences, economics, engineering, marine science, mathematics, physics, and statistics at partner institutions.

Three types of grants will be funded:

Planning grants: Grants of up to $75,000 over up to one year will be awarded to enable two or more institutions to conduct internal reviews of existing barriers to student success and for analysis and planning for a future partnership(s).

Seed grants: Grants of up to $250,000 over one to two years will be awarded to two or more institutions working to formalize an existing partnership(s) and launch one or more pilot initiatives.

Implementation grants : Grants of up to $500,000 over two to three years will be awarded to two or more institutions, allowing for the augmentation or scaling of existing partnerships/collaborations.

In addition to establishing seamless pathways, successful projects will address policies, processes, and practices that reinforce existing systems that are barriers to student access and success in graduate education. These projects could include efforts to examine or redesign graduate recruitment, admission policies and processes, mentoring practices, departmental climate, or other gatekeeping (or gateway) structures to and through STEM graduate education.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit two- and four-year colleges and universities, college and university systems or consortia, professional societies and associations (along with two or more partnering colleges/universities), and university-affiliated research centers or laboratories. All projects must have at least one MSI partner. Lead investigators from submitting and partner institutions should be at the full, associate, or assistant professor level, a department chair, or in an administrative role with high connectivity to academic positions.

Letters of inquiry are due July 1, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation website.

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Methodist pastor in Gainesville to use doctorate degree to help others

The Rev. Dr. Mary Mitchell celebrated earning her Doctor of Ministry degree from Emory Candler School of Theology with family and friends on Saturday.

Her passion to help others was the reason she pursued her doctorate degree, said Mitchell, who has been senior pastor at Bartley Temple United Methodist Church in northeast Gainesville since 2011.

Her dissertation was titled "Equipping and Motivating Local and Rural Pastors for Ministry."

"I want to make a difference," said Mitchell, who is part of the North Central District Rural Church Network created in 2021. The network includes 18 Black churches in the district that are underserved and its members strive to bring churches together and equip them with resources to prepare them for their roles in the communities they serve.

Growing up in Louisiana, Mitchell dedicated herself to the Lord at age 11, and her thirst for education was fueled when she heard a message on the radio one day from singer Lou Rawls that stuck with her.

"Without an education, you might as well be dead," was the message delivered by Rawls said Mitchell.

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After graduating from Lake Providence Senior High School in Lake Providence, Louisiana, Mitchell’s path to higher education began when she earned an associate’s degree from Los Angeles City College, a degree from the Los Angeles Medical Nursing Program before graduating from the Florida Community College Jacksonville Police Academy, Edward Waters College with an undergraduate degree, Jacksonville Theological Seminary with a bachelor's degree and master's degree, Asbury Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree, which led to her earning her doctorate from Emory Candler School of Theology.

"The ultimate goal is to empower pastors and impact the congregation positively and spread the kingdom of God," Mitchell said. "If we're not doing that, we're just showing up on Sundays."

Mitchell is also a member of Impact Duval - a group of pastors in the Duval community in northeast Gainesville that helps residents become self-aware and self-sufficient.

"That's why we created Impact Duval to meet the needs of the community because one church and one pastor can't do it by themselves," Mitchell said.

Mitchell plans on creating a platform to help local and rural pastors access the proper training to becoming a pastor.

The platform will help trainees be accountable to complete their work because other pastors will see their progress and check if they have completed their work or not, she said

"I fight for those who can't fight for themselves," Mitchell said. "I work to find out what skills they need.”

She also plans on creating a book that covers what she shared in her dissertation, Mitchell said, as well as creating a set pay salary for local pastors.

"I heard that some pastors are receiving $250 a month and that's wrong on so many levels," Mitchell said.

Some pastors suffer from burnout and lack the skills and confidence they need to be successful pastors, Mitchell said.

Through interviews and focus groups, Mitchell researched problems and solutions to create effective training methods.

"There's no such thing as a part-time pastor," Mitchell said. "Most are working full-time jobs. As a pastor you are on-call 24/7. I strive to find training methods to tailor to them so they don't spread themselves thin."

The theme for Mitchell's ceremony was, "More Was Required."

It featured singing by Elder Dr. D.E. Richardson II, founder and pastor of TOPROC in Gainesville, Sharon McClendon and Minister Sebrenah Phillips of DaySpring Baptist Church.

There was a video presentation describing Mitchell's journey and a performance by the Bartley Temple praise dancers.

Family, friends and church members showered her with gifts and flowers and shared how much Mitchell meant to them.

The keynote speaker was the Rev. Dr. Marie Herring, pastor of DaySpring, which is located directly across the street from Bartley Temple on Northeast Eighth Avenue in Gainesville.

Herring's speech referred to the tagline in Ford automobile commercials which states, "Built for the road ahead."

Mitchell and those attending the ceremony are built for the journey ahead, Herring said.

"When you go through trouble, God will be there," she said. "There's a reason why your rearview mirror is smaller than your front window."

Cars go through rigorous road tests and adverse conditions to test their strength, Herring said. "Whenever you are going to do something, see it as a road test you are going through in life," Herring said

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Large Police Response at Harvard Graduate School of Education After 2 People Fall Off Balcony

Two people fell approximately 20 feet after leaning on a railing that gave way outside the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Larsen Hall, according to Cambridge Police Department spokesperson Robert Goulston.

A crowd of more than 300 was gathered on Appian Way, in the center of the Ed School’s campus, for a block party that followed HGSE’s Class Day ceremonies in Radcliffe Yard. The incident prompted an ambulance, four Cambridge fire trucks, and several Harvard University Police Department and Cambridge Police Department cars to respond to the scene.

HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano wrote in a statement that first responders were “dealing with a medical situation resulting from injuries.”

The extent of the injuries were not immediately clear, but Goulston wrote in an email that both individuals were conscious when they were taken from the scene.

Goulston wrote that CPD “helped with a medical assist report” but that HUPD was handling the situation, which took place on Harvard property.

Following the incident, Securitas and HGSE staff directed the crowds toward Gutman Hall, away from the DJ booth and food stations initially set up outside Larsen Hall.

Two people at the HGSE celebrations said they heard screams and a commotion, though there was no formal announcement about the incident and the festivities continued largely undisturbed after the crowd shifted away from Larsen Hall.

The railing that gave way was lying on the ground level of the building along with shards of glass from a broken window panel on the side of the building.

—Staff writer Asher J. Montgomery contributed reporting.

—Staff writer Azusa M. Lippit can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on X @azusalippit or on Threads @azusalippit .

—Staff writer Cam N. Srivastava can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him on X @camsrivastava .

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