Guarantee ‘fair’ maternity leave for PhD students, funders told

Science secretary Liz Kendall has called on UK universities and research funders to guarantee minimum paid levels of maternity pay for PhD students.

Speaking at the Royal Society on 11 March, Kendall urged research institutions to do more to support female researchers by backing a new voluntary charter which would require all PhD funders – including universities, businesses, charities and government bodies – to match or exceed parental leave offered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

This would require 52 weeks of maternity leave, at full stipend for 26 weeks and a further 13 weeks of support at the same level of statutory maternity pay.  

At present most UK universities offer parental leave on similar terms to UKRI, though some charity-funded PhDs and those on external scholarships do not. In some cases, universities will provide top-up funding for charities and other funders who do not offer UKRI-equivalent levels of support.

“The charter will set clear expectations on funders of research – they must act quickly and decisively to give more women the backing they need to resume their studies, whether through greater maternity support or flexible working,” said Kendall, speaking ahead of the learned society’s Women and the Future of Science conference.

Highlighting female scientists and researchers who have been “responsible for driving some of the most important breakthroughs that are improving lives for people right across the country,” Kendall said many women today “see their career ambitions delayed or even halted by vital responsibilities like raising a family or caring for a loved one – trade-offs that should never have to be made”.

“These changes are rooted in fairness, and give future generations of women the confidence and backing they need to join the ranks of the pioneers who make up our expert research community" she said.

In addition, Kendall pledged to more than double the support for the Daphne Jackson Trust which helps researchers to return academia after a career break. State support for the scheme will increase from £1.7 million a year to £4 million per year, helping to fund a further 10 new fellowships annually on top of the 15 fully funded fellowships awarded each year.

The trust, which was founded by a University of Surrey nuclear physicist, will also launch up to 15 new Research Technical Professional Fellowships a year, which will focus on retraining and reskilling research technicians.

jack.grove@timeshighereducation.com