In 2009 EPSRC initiated a two-year pilot programme called PhD Plus which provided a new £10 million funding stream within Doctoral Training Partnerships. PhD Plus intended to help universities retain and recruit the best PhD students receiving EPSRC support to increase the impact of their PhD, and to improve retention of the very best students in research careers.
A trial group of universities were asked to selectively target the most able students completing their PhD in 2009 and 2010 and to use the funding to develop them beyond the end of their PhD providing up to one years additional support to help launch a successful career in research.