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Support for research students and emerging researchers is an important emphasis of this strategy. Formal training in research is mainly carried out through postgraduate research degrees.

The PBRF provides additional funding to participating TEIs for completions of doctoral degrees, with higher amounts for completions by Māori and Pasifika students. The effect of this of new funding arrangement can be seen in the following indicators.

Increased doctoral completions

From 2002 to 2004, the number of doctoral students completing degrees grew by 17 percent, while the number of enrolments grew by 9 percent. Enrolments continued to grow in 2005.

Index of doctoral degree completions and enrolments for domestic students 1997–2005 (2002=100)

The proportion of women enrolled in doctoral degrees has increased from 49 percent in 2002 to 53 percent in 2005. They have also increased as a proportion of completions from 48 percent in 2002 to 51 percent in 2004.

Māori students continue to represent 6.6 percent of domestic doctoral students, as their numbers grow at a similar rate to all enrolments. Māori students have increased as a proportion of completions in recent years from 4.9 percent in 2002 to 6.4 percent in 2004.

The proportion of Pasifika students in doctoral studies has increased from 1.7 percent in 2002 to 2.3 percent in 2004, as the total number of enrolments has increased from 62 to 95. In 2004, there were eight doctoral completions by Pasifika students, the highest number in one year in the period from 1997.

Dramatic drop in first-year attrition rates

From 2002/03 to 2003/04 there has been a dramatic drop in first-year attrition rates for doctoral students. In 2002, 18 percent of doctoral students did not continue study in the following year. This figure is reasonably consistent with figures from previous years. In 2003, only 8 percent of doctoral students did not continue study in the following year.

This change has been particularly strong for women, where the rate has dropped from 17 percent in 2002/03 to 6 percent in 2003/04. It has also brought the Māori first-year attrition rate much closer to that of all students, from 24 percent in 2002/03 to 11 percent in 2003/04.

Increase in Māori and Pasifika students progressing from masters to doctoral study

The other significant shift from 2002/03 to 2003/04 has been in the proportion of Māori and Pasifika students completing masters degrees and moving directly to doctoral studies in the following year.

In 2002, 7 percent of completing Māori students moved directly on to doctoral studies in the following year, a figure consistent with previous years. In 2003, this proportion increased to 10 percent.

For Pasifika students, the 2002/03 progression figure was also 7 percent, somewhat higher than in previous years. And it increased to 12 percent in 2003/04.

TEI support for new researchers

The analysis of profiles found that this is an area of focus for universities and wānanga. Surprisingly it is not seen as an areas of focus by ITPs, even though several offer postgraduate programmes and/or degree programmes leading to postgraduate qualifications.

In the universities and wānanga in 2005/07, there was a strong emphasis on support and supervision of research students. Some also had an emphasis on developing infrastructure to support new and emerging researchers. This may be in response to funding incentives for doctoral completions through the PBRF and the addition of a new category of ‘new and emerging researchers’ in the next PBRF quality evaluation round.

In 2006/08 profiles, universities had a much stronger focus on increasing the number of research degree completions. Wānanga had a focus on developing the research capability of their staff and development of postgraduate programmes and support.

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• Table of Contents

• The State of Play

• Cross Strategy Indicators

• Raise foundation skills

• Skills for our knowledge society

• Strengthen research and knowledge creation

• Te rautaki mātauranga Māori

• Pacific people’s development and success

• Capability and quality

• Technical and Data Definitions