Wellcome’s 2019 funding for PhD programme training: An experiment in enhancing research culture

Abstract

In September 2019, the results of Wellcome’s call for proposals for PhD training programmes were announced. This funding call was notable for making contributions to positive research culture as important a selection criterion as scientific excellence in PhD training. Aware that it’s intervention on enhancing research culture was experimental, Wellcome also commissioned work to reflect on its processes. I undertook two studies of the early phases of the funding call, of the Wellcome’s internal processes in shaping and implementing the call, and of the experiences and reflections of all applicants to the call. This Open Letter is a summary of the cross cutting themes of these two studies: the difficulties of defining positive research culture and of balancing it with scientific excellence; the expectation that supervision of PhD students is a key way to effect research culture change; the need for coherence between funding calls; issues around evaluating the track records of programmes on research culture, which further feed into defining the criteria of evaluation and selection relating to research culture.