Thursday, December 13, 2012

Ph.D. Funding for the Top-Ranked Religion Program in the UK - Le Donne

For those of you sending out PhD applications, this might interest you. My thanks to John Byron for alerting me to this.

NB: Durham’s Religion Department ranked first among all UK Universities by the Research Assessment Exercise for 2008. Durham was ranked at no. 1 among all departments of theology and religion in the UK in two categories: (a) the highest percentage of publications at 4 (world-leading research) and (b) the highest Grade Point Average for these publications.

Durham is sure to rank among the best (if not the best) in this years REF (formerly the RAE; assessed every three years).

-anthony

3 comments:

  1. Can I point out that the results of the RAE don't necessarily reflect an even playing field. Places, including Durham (but not, notably, including Edinburgh) chose to submit only a selection of the academic staff, whereas we chose to make a full 100% submission. So, all the previous RAE showed was a rating *of those submitted*, not a rating of each department/university on a comparable basis.
    Larry Hurtado

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    Replies
    1. Well, you would know a great deal more about this than someone like me. Also, I have read your comments on the problems with the system. No doubt, it needs to be improved.

      All I can say is that I wish the North American system had a similar exercise with similar stakes. Because of the REF, I get interviews at places like St. Andrews, Leeds, and Oxford. I credit this to two things: (1) Those in the UK know the value of a Durham degree. (2) I'm being judged by what my CV brings to the table in terms of academic productivity.

      I have no problem with those two criteria. Without a doubt those two criteria are buried under a host of other criteria. I will say no more about these for fear that it looks like sour grapes, but I imagine that you can guess what I'm talking about.

      What am I missing here?

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    2. That third paragraph should read:

      ...Without a doubt, in the NA system, those two criteria are buried under a host of other criteria. I will say no more about these for fear that it looks like sour grapes, but I imagine that you can guess what I'm talking about.

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