A PhD is for life

UK research councils regard a PhD as a training for all research careers. Every year, 450 new students are funded by EPSRC and PPARC. Both councils require that universities ensure their students receive two week's training per year in personal and career skills, which also include time management and CV writing. The councils also run a scheme called Researchers in Residence, in which about 300 students commit themselves to spending 24 hours in a school over a period of a year. This scheme aims to inspire pupils' interest in science while broadening the experience of the PhD students themselves. With these initiatives, PhD students in UK are now getting a better deal from their studentships better preparing them for the world outside their labs.