Foreign PhD graduates can stay on and work for 3 years

The United Kingdom government has unveiled a Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap setting out its vision to “attract global talent, cut unnecessary bureaucracy and cement the UK as a world-leading science superpower” – and has announced that PhD students can stay on in the UK for three years to live and work and completing their degree.

The roadmap is being backed with £300 million (US$372 million) investment to upgrade scientific infrastructure in research institutes and universities across the UK through the government’s World Class Labs funding scheme.

A new Office for Talent will be set up to make it easier for leading global scientists, researchers and innovators to come to the UK.

Also, if the UK does not associate with the European Union’s Horizon Europe research programme, the government will “commit to meeting any funding shortfalls and putting in place alternative schemes to support vital UK research”.

The plans were set out by Business Secretary Alok Sharma on 1 July. He said: “This is unquestionably a time of uncertainty and challenge for research and innovation in the UK, yet we are also faced with a great opportunity to build back better with R&D at the heart of the economy.

“The publication of the R&D Roadmap confirms the government’s ambition to make that a reality.”

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Chief Executive Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser said: “Research and innovationare national strengths, central to our well-being, our economy,andour prosperity. The government’s R&D Roadmap emphasises this importance, sets out a clear ambition and recognises the vital role UK Research and Innovation will play in unlocking its full potential.”

She said UKRI welcomes the continued commitmentto a record increase in public investment in R&D to £22 billion a year by 2024-25.

“This investment will allow us to build, with others, an inclusive knowledge economy across the UK, a system we are all part of and proud of, which we can all contribute to and benefit from.”

The roadmap will also support the government’s efforts to address global challenges, from eradicating the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050 and developing new medicines, to improving life at home by strengthening national security and improving public services.

To achieve this the government has committed to:

• Increasing investment in ground-breaking research, cutting unnecessary bureaucracy and setting ambitious new goals for research to keep the UK ahead in cutting-edge discoveries.

• Attracting, retaining and developing top talent to ensure the UK is the best place for researchers to work, offering careers at all stages that attract a diverse range of people.

• Setting up a new Innovation Expert Group to review and improve how the government supports research, from idea stage right through to product development.

• Supporting innovators and risk-takers by backing entrepreneurs and start-ups with the funding needed to scale up their innovations.

• Boosting international collaboration to ensure the UK benefits from global scientific partnerships.

In a press statement the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, UK Research and Innovation, said the new Office for Talent based at No 10 Downing Street, with delivery teams across government departments, will “ensure the UK’s talent offer is stronger than ever for students, those building their careers, and those who are already world leaders in their fields, and will make it easier for those with the most talent, potential, energy and creativity to come to the UK from around the world”.

The Office for Talent will start by reviewing the effectiveness of the current rules and ensure “excellent customer service” across the immigration system, “so that it is simple, easy and quick” – and will work to “break down barriers” faced by talented individuals coming to the UK.

New Graduate Route

The government announced on Wednesday, as part of the new Graduate Route, that international students who complete a PhD from summer 2021 can stay on in the UK for three years after study to live and work.

As previously announced, students who have successfully completed undergraduate and masters degrees will be able to stay on for two years after study.

In addition, when the student route opens this autumn as part of the UK’s new points-based immigration system, there will be a number of changes to “further streamline” the immigration process.

These will include extending the window in which prospective students can make visa applications, removing study time limits at postgraduate level and allowing all students to switch to another type of visa from within the UK.

Existing students and those who start their course this autumn will benefit from these changes once they have been introduced.

The Global Talent scheme, which is a fast-track visa scheme to attract the world’s top scientists, researchers and mathematicians, will also be opened up to EU citizens which will allow highly skilled scientists and researchers to come to the UK without needing a job offer.

The announcement comes on top of the £280 million provided to universities to continue cutting-edge work during the coronavirus pandemic, such as research into antibiotic resistance and the effects of coronavirus on society, by covering the costs of equipment and salaries.

A new research funding scheme will also open this autumn to cover up to 80% of a university’s income losses from a decline in international students.

Sharma said: “The UK has a strong history of turning new ideas into revolutionary technologies – from penicillin to graphene and the World Wide Web. Our vision builds on these incredible successes to cement Britain’s reputation as a global science superpower. The R&D Roadmap sets out our plan to attract global talent, cut unnecessary red tape and ensure our best minds get the support they need to solve the biggest challenges of our time.”

‘Bold policy move’

Universities UK said the roadmap presents a compelling vision for the future of research and innovation and the commitment to increase public expenditure represents a significant investment in the UK’s future.

Universities UK Chief Executive Alistair Jarvis said: “We welcome recognition of the role that university-based research and innovation activities will play in driving the UK’s social and economic recovery post-COVID-19 and the particular focus on tackling climate change, developing new medicines, attracting the best scientists and researchers from around the world and addressing longstanding challenges around the sustainability of research activity.”

He said the announcement of extending the Graduate Route to allow PhD students to remain in the UK for three years after study is a “bold policy move which will increase the UK’s competitive edge in the global competition for talented research students”.

“The announcement of the Graduate Route is already having a huge impact on the UK’s attractiveness as a destination. It will give a competitive offer to some of the brightest minds from across the world who bring huge benefits to university campuses and local communities and can help to build the economy.”

He also described the commitment to making the immigration system simple, easy and quick as a positive move that “recognises the benefits of attracting international talent and students to the UK”.

Dr Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group of 24 leading universities, said: “An ambitious R&D Roadmap will help ensure UK science and research remain globally competitive, delivering the innovation and productivity we need to drive the post-COVID-19 recovery and level up communities across the country.”

But he said key to this is a “more sustainable operating model for research backed up with wider measures to boost collaborative research at home and across the globe”.

He said the expansion of the Graduate Route and changes to streamline the immigration process will help make the UK more attractive to the global student population, but more clarity is needed on who will be eligible.

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, told University World News: “Any extension to the post-study work rules for highly-skilled people, like PhD students, is clearly very welcome and long overdue. It is more welcome evidence that post-Brexit Britain need not be anti-migrant – indeed, it is crucial that our universities and research base continues to be opened up if we are to thrive.”