Speaking as a daily lurker on this site, its been about 5 months since the last new conservation biology PhD came along... and the grape vine informs me that that was already ear marked for someone before being advertised.
Is there anyone on here doing a PhD in a similar field and how did they find out about it? From this site? Word of mouth?

I suppose I should return to the shadows... ceaseless vigilance.

Uh oh! I can't tell you how much reading this post has depressed me! You sound like you have very similar goals to me Zara. So would you say that a PhD is little use for a job in conservation? Im just at the looking for a PhD stage and am hoping it will be the answer to my prayers, but then on the other hand... i could spend three years in some boggy field at the back end of no where.. hating it! Who'd be a biologist?

So I apply to the funding councils directly? I thought they only worked with departments. Argh! I'm reading so much contradictory information I think I'm going to go into meltdown!

I would have agreed with you Mia re Arts and Humanities. Hmmmm...

..Ohhh, I've just read some of the information on this site. I was under the impression that you could easily come up with your own project, but this site seems to imply its impossible to get funding unless your in Arts and Humanities etc. Has anyone here come up with their own proposal that has got funding, or indeed know anyone that has?

Hello there,
I'm starting an MRes in September but am really convinced I want to do a PhD after it. I have a supervisor in mind (I did my Undergraduate dissertation with him and we got on really well), and a possible topic. I'm just not sure how to proceed from here. Would they expect me to wait until after I've completed my MRes before I start applying for a PhD? (Will they think i'm being a tad overkeen?) Also, how detailed does my application need to be at this early stage. I know I want it to be in Conservation Biology, and have identified a species in a relevant area, I'm just not sure how to pluck a detailed project out of the air because surely it will require permission from all sorts of different organisations etc...

Many thanks!