Purpose

Following feedback from our staff survey that highlighted “personal growth and development” as an area of underperformance, a concerted effort has been made over the last 2 years months to create development opportunities for officers working in the team. This has taken many forms, including a commitment from the Director to all members of staff having protected time for their own personal and professional development, in line with GMCA policy With this in mind, discussions and negotiations have taken place with the Doctoral Centre for Applied Policing and Policy Research at the University of Huddersfield to secure two places for GMCA on a three year doctorate & MRes scheme. It is the first centre of its kind in the country and plugs a gap in academia by being the only opportunity in UK Policing to study beyond MSc level. This repeats a similar scheme that x2 GMCA officers entered into with the University of Huddersfield in 2024 who are progressing well in their doctoral research.

The lead academic at the University has access to £2.5 million of matched strategic partnership funding held within the University to grow and extend the scope of this programme. The Director of this centre has grown this beyond UK Policing partners, to integrate those who work within the policy side.

As the programme is heavily subsidised by the University the cost to GMCA would be £35,000 for three places on this programme. Four members of staff within the team have already secured successful approvals of research proposals to enrol on the programme.

As an organisation we continue to need to ensure that the research is relevant to us, is of national significance in this policy area and is a direct contribution to knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.

The expectations of candidates are that they are able to evidence their ability to complete Doctoral/Masters level study, which would be ascertained through our line management arrangements, their previous educational attainment and a suitability interview with the University. Once selected, the candidate would be required to attend monthly meetings with their supervisor and over the course of their three year study publish at least one paper in an academic journal, present their work at one national conference and one international conference.

Important to note that the costs of all of this is included in the overall funding package, so there is no additional cost to GMCA for this beyond the £35,000 outlay. The candidates will be required to meet deadlines for pieces of work across the three years of the doctorate, but the University’s Programme Director has given clear assurances that this should not be particularly burdensome and will not detract from their existing work commitments.

As an employer, GMCA is being asked to provide / allow the following:

- 2/3 weeks of study leave for the candidate in year 3 of the doctorate.
- subject to approvals from IG, agree that the candidate can use GMCA
data for their doctorate (GMP has already agreed this with their existing
candidate so a precedent has been established)
- for the candidate to attend at least one national and one international
conference to present their work (with at least 3 months’ notice)
- for the candidate to attend one 48-hour writing retreat at the end of year 1
and year 2.

In return for GMCA’s commitment to this work the University will provide access to a number of resources, including research databases and research services, which includes support with things like bid writing, business development and careers guidance. There is also the potential for the University to provide accreditation towards any in-house training that GMCA develops and delivers.

This proposal has the support of GMCA’s Director of People Services.

Decision

An investment of £35,000 from the team’s core budget is made into funding a subsidised PhD programme for two of its current members of staff, and a subsidised Masters (MRes) programme for two further current members of staff, as part of our commitment to personal growth and development. The period of the contract is 01/09/2026 to 31/08/2029.