§ Lord Stone of Blackheathasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have for a new post-doctoral research fellowship scheme. [HL309]
§ Lord GilbertI am pleased to announce the launch of the MoD's new post-doctoral research fellowships. The aims of this scheme are to encourage new talent in the defence field; to maintain interest in defence studies in the academic community; and to encourage informed debate on defence issues. Each fellowship is awarded for a three-year period and is funded jointly by the MoD and the academic institution at which the fellow is based. The cost to the MoD is £15,000 per annum for each fellow.
From a strong field we have been able to select three outstanding fellows. A dedicated Defence Diplomacy Fellowship has been awarded to Dr. Irene Isakova, a Russian national. Dr. Isakova will undertake her research with the Centre for Defence Studies at King's College London, where she will focus on the impact and effectiveness of our defence diplomacy initiative in and with Russia. Fellowships have also been awarded to 131WA Dr. Asifa Hussain from the Scottish Centre for War Studies at Glasgow University and Dr Tanya Ogilvie-White from the Mountbatten Centre at Southampton University. Dr. Hussain's research will focus on the recruitment of ethnic minorities, race relations and equal opportunities in the Armed Forces, and Dr. Olgilvie-White will undertake research into nuclear proliferation issues. Each of these candidates is ideally placed to provide the MoD with a broader, alternative perspective on these key issues.
It is our intention that additional fellowships will be awarded on an annual basis.