University project to strengthen research

25th September 2015

Sheffield Hallam University is taking part in a new project which aims to design and deliver a new kind of postgraduate doctoral training programme for the 21st Century.

The Doctoral Training Alliance (DTA) is a major new initiative which launches today at the Royal Society of Biology in London. The project is a collaboration between 13 Alliance universities, including Sheffield Hallam, in response to the changing needs of industry. For the UK to compete as a knowledge economy in the 21st Century there needs to be a strong research and innovation ecosystem. The DTA aims to produce independent, highly-employable researchers with expertise and skills in strategically important research areas. The DTA is the largest multi-partner and only nationwide doctoral training initiative of its kind. The DTA builds on the research strengths and industry-focused ethos of the UK's universities. It will offer PhD students a fully-funded postgraduate experience, an expert support network and improved employment opportunities. The first DTA programme in Applied Biosciences for Health will welcome its first PhD students next month. Professor Paul Harrison, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Sheffield Hallam University and DTA National Director, said: "Alliance universities have always risen to the challenge of meeting industry needs. We've built this into the core of the DTA, by designing a training programme that responds to the demands of modern industry. "DTA training combines vital research skills such as critical reasoning and epistemology with practical innovation and entrepreneurial expertise. It aims to produce postgraduate researchers who are job-ready and can apply the results of their excellent research to deliver real world impact."