NERC GW4+ Doctoral Training Partnership

The NERC Great Western Four+ Doctoral Training Partnership (GW4+ DTP) takes its name from the Great Western Four formal alliance of research-intensive universities across the South West - Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter, each of which has significant research capability, notably in the NERC sciences. The alliance is designed to explore and identify opportunities around this combined research strength to more effectively address national and regional challenges.

There are six Research Organisation partners involved in the NERC GW4+ DTP. These partners encompass the full range of NERC science and include three of the six major NERC research centres - British Antarctic Survey, British Geological Survey, Centre of Ecology and Hydrology. All research organisation partners play a role in sustaining National Capability and have a long-standing commitment to PhD student training, including a history of joint PhD supervision with GW4 universities.

Twenty-four associate partners have been selected to represent the full range of employers of NERC science PhD graduates. All associate partners are stakeholders in enhancing training of PhD graduates and see the DTP as a vehicle to refine and strengthen that training in response to evolving demands. Associate partners are committed to providing workplace secondments, CASE support for relevant projects and student training opportunities.

There are already existing doctoral training collaborations between these Great Western Four universities. These are the BBSRC South West Doctoral Training Partnership and the ESRC South West Doctoral Training Centre. The NERC GW4+ DTP will also form part of a larger Wessex Doctoral Training Network (DTN) with DTPs led by the universities of Southampton and Oxford. The DTN will enable us to deliver coordinated training and other activities including an annual student congress, employer engagement, and cross-disciplinary summer schools.