Quota Studentship 2012

This grant funds postgraduate training for scientists, not a specific research project. The Research Councils, including STFC, provide money to universities and research organisations to train doctoral students. These studentships support the next generation of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who will carry out fundamental and applied research across the UK. The funding can go to a single institution or a consortium of organisations. This is a training grant, not a research grant. Its impact is indirect but essential. The scientists trained through these studentships will go on to work in academia, industry, and the public sector. They might develop new materials, improve satellite communications, design better medical imaging equipment, or strengthen the computer models that underpin weather forecasting and climate projections. Others will work on fundamental science—asking questions about the nature of the universe, the behaviour of particles, or the origins of stars and galaxies—with no immediate practical application. That is fine. Past fundamental research has led to technologies such as the World Wide Web, MRI scanners, and GPS, all of which emerged from curiosity-driven science. This grant ensures the pipeline of skilled researchers remains open.