ABSTRACT

This chapter provides an overview of contemporary policy discourse around the doctorate, specifically looking at the question of impact in terms of the impact of education at a doctoral level on the knowledge economy. It also provides an insight into policy drivers which have and continue to influence doctoral training programmes, models of doctorate, funder priorities and funding opportunities. The chapter considers the question of the value of doctoral education as presented in UK and European policy discourse and in the academic literature, alongside the case for impact from investment in doctoral training that is articulated by UK funders. Alongside the potential for individual supervisors to address the impact gap with their own practice, there have also been a variety of measures introduced in the UK at programme and funder level which have aimed to enhance and provide evidence for impact.