In 2006 the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council issued a call for proposals to develop taught course centres for doctoral students in the mathematical sciences. This was and is part of a drive to deepen and broaden PhD study in the UK across mathematics. From this call NATCOR- a national taught course centre in Operational Research (OR) was born. While NATCOR’s provision is of most obvious and immediate benefit for doctoral students in OR it also gives students in other areas of mathematics an opportunity to develop a range of skills and knowledge of direct industrial relevance.In July 2009 NATCOR completed its first two-year cycle of provision. Cheryl Voake a doctoral student at Cardiff University has attended all five NATCOR residential courses and relates her experiences.
