There's no harm in sending your CV through. Most universities use standard application forms for official applications, but if you're enquiring to the supervisor, then they'd probably prefer to see a CV.

The international students office at the University of Alberta should be able to give you some advice. Have a look on our Funding section for futher links and advice.

You will need to check with the international office of your local univerversity, who will be able to advise you.

Questions like this are not tricks, the interviewer simply wants to see if you have thought clearly about why you want to do a PhD in general and this one in particular. Your career aspirations may be to work in university research, become a lecturer, work in industrial research, etc. University research is a truly international career and you may say you'd like the opportunity to work overseas. A bad answer would be that you're not yet sure of your career options and thought doing a PhD might be something to do in the mean time.

When talking about the particular project, don't feel like you need to say something like "I've been interested in the haemoglobin oxygen binding sites since I was a child" - talk about the bigger picture - "I'm interested in the causes and control of anaemia" might be a better starting point.

Occasionally such short term 'work experience' type positions arise. What you'll need is inside knowledge. Talk to your current or former course tutors and ask them to put feelers out. When people appoint for such a short period of time they usually want somebody they know or who has been recommended.

Of course it is unlikely that people will tell you their lab is rubbish and you should run like the wind, but by asking them you will be able to form some impression from their reaction. If all other things are equal then your first impressions are probably worth following. Three years is a long time to spend in a miserable environment.

Start by reading our PhDs Explained and Funding sections for more information and links. If you can't find a relevant project on FindAPhD, run a general internet search to find the names of academics researching in your area of interest. University web sites list the PhD opportunities they have available.

Many people find it difficult to find their feet at first. Your department should have appointed one or more people as your advisors. Their job is to ensure that you are receiving adequate supervision and to listen to any problems you may have that you don't wish to discus with your supervisor. If you don't have an advisor, speak to the head of postgraduate research.

For information and links about scholarships visit our funding page.

An alternative to Permanent Head Damage is Doctor of Philosophy, but it depends who you ask.

For information and links about scholarships visit our funding page. If you are an EU citizen you will qualify for a 'fees only' grant from most UK research councils. This means you will need to find your own funding for living expenses (rent, food, etc).

Whilst poor performance during a first degree can have many perfectly valid causes, it will be the opinion of many of the people you apply to that this should have been taken into account when your degree was awarded and your mark adjusted accordingly. Therefore I would not suggest stressing the point too much. If you got a 2(i) in your first degree I wouldn't even bother mentioning that you faced extenuating circumstances.

It's a judgement call as to whether you should mention that you are a wheelchair user in your first contact to the supervisor. If you are asked, you should certainly volunteer the information. If not, it may be better to commit somebody to interviewing you before they start thinking about how long it'll take to have the lab refitted to accommodate a wheelchair properly.

You'll certainly need to mention that you're a wheelchair user if you need to arrange an interview - access to many university buildings (particularly older one) is not always what it should be. You are much less likely to encounter discrimination once you've got this far.

We didn't answer this one because it's probably a matter of opinion.
A rule of thumb would be don't do a project which you have little interest in just because you like the people. Equally don't work with a bunch of Nazis just because one day you might get a paper in Nature.

A 2(ii) plus an MSc is generally considered to be equivalent to a 2(i) for the purposes of admissions, but as you point out the EPSRC are particularly ambiguous about their ordinary Doctoral Studentships. However, look out for their DTA or Doctoral Training Account Studentships, which allow almost complete discretion to the university in determining whether a candidate is qualified.

Have a look in the PhDs Explained and Funding sections of this site for links and information.

Most universities used to keep records of their students for a number of years which enabled them give references on request (your old course or project tutor would supply the reference). Data protection laws may mean that they don't do this anymore, but it's worth getting in touch to find out. You should give a recent or current employer (academic or not) as a referee as well.