hello everyone
I am in my first year as a phd student
my project focus in oncology
I faced some problems at the beginning because I didn't know some protocols and techniques. so I spent much time reading about my topic and I starting doing my experiments. After I finished my 6 months of my phd, I got 3 new results in my project. one of my supervisor's master students started her phd with us and my supervisor gave her the same project of mine without taking my permission and one day he asked me to gave her my cell lysate that I used in my last experiment. I really didn't know I thought he just wanted her to start in different pathway. After that I did my early stage assessment and they didn't allow me to pass, they didn't ask me about my experiments they just said you have to write your report in scientific english and you have to improve your skill in presentation. my supervisor was there even while the examiners were taking the decision. I shocked because I felt that I did well. one of them said to my supervisor if she was one of my student, I will not let her stay. why? you are not my supervisor. then, the girl who has my project practiced her early stage assessment presentation in front of us, I saw all my experiments presented in front of my eyes. what is that means? my supervisor was always say yes good job your results are great while he let other student to do the same experiments. I thought he may want to use me as a source of fund because I am the only student of my group who has 18000 pounds bench fees. what should i do in this situation?
thanks

Hi, Moon1,

A second student being given your project and you were not allowed to pass? I am sorry to say, but it sounds like you are getting kicked out of your own project. Your project has been handed over to the other student. Oncology is a competitive field. Unfortunately, these things happen, even though they are completely unethical.

You must act quickly. First, you need to have a heart to heart talk with your supervisor. Clarify the project scope of you and the second student. Secondly, if your project has already been given away, you could either talk to the PhD project coordinator or department head to seek advice. However, I suspect that you probably would not win the case, if your supervisor is dead set on letting you go.If so, you could start looking for a new supervisor, one that would treat you better. You are only in your first year. There is nothing wrong with changing your project. Importantly, you still have time.

Also, what do you mean that you are the only student with 18000 pounds bench fees? Are you a self-funded international student? If so, think carefully if you want to pay to be treated like that?

A word of advice. I do think that you need to improve your English proficiency significantly. I think there might be some truth when they asked you to improve your writing and presentation skills. Please don't take it the wrong way, but have you thought of taking up more English classes and perhaps use grammar checking software like Grammarly? I think that your English may potentially be one of the main reason why your supervisor is deciding to hand over your project to the other student, even if you have the better technical skills. Communication is important in research, and the other student might have an upper hand at that.

Hi tru thanks for your reply
I am good in English I hold a master degree from USA . I have been there 3 years. My supervisor put in my 6 months assessment that I am very good in English. I asked for help from my uni tutoring center to help me improving my writing . I gave them my examiners comments, one of them said why he said you have to write your report in scientific English? You wrote your report in a good english . I did my corrections and I did my second chance of ESA . they also didn't allow me to pass and their comment was you improved but that wasn't enough for the PhD. By the way, my supervisor read my report before submitted it to the examiners in my first ESA and he said great! Good!

I think that tru's final comment may have been based on your writing here. Even though you've had good feedback and encouragement about your English writing skills, there is often still room for improvement. Academic writing in English can be challenging even for native English speakers. It may show that you are extremely proactive and eager about continuing to do your PhD if you show that you are trying to improve in all areas.

I think you've received terrible treatment regardless. It seems incredibly unfair. Some people in academia behave ruthlessly because there is no accountability. I think that now you have to decide what you want - to continue or not. And if you decide to continue, then you must act quickly and proactively. I'd suggest the same course of action as tru has suggested.

Good luck.

Hello,
I know its avery difficult situation but as tru said that you should address that to your director of postgraduate study or the deputy.They will guide you to the right direction and may be they can give you an answer about why your supervisors gave your topic to other student or they will ask your supervisors about that. Dont panic you will be fine.

All the best.

Your writing here just shows that you have to improve your English. Spending time in the US does not necessarily mean that your English is good afterwards ;) Don't be offended by that because it is actually something that can be done relatively fast. A lack of techniques or knowledge in Biology would be a much bigger problem. I see it every day at work with some Chinese PhD students. Great Scientists but there English is just bad and that makes it significantly harder for them to do a good job in the lab. If I have a question regarding a protocol I just ask and get an explanation from someone who knows it very well. That does not work if you struggle to find the right words or understand only 50% of what the other person says. Also, they often misunderstand what their supervisors say and then make mistakes.
Keep in mind that most people do not correct you if you say something wrong. They are too polite and it would be incredibly annoying to be corrected all the time. That does however not mean that you don't make mistakes. Again, no offense, depending on what your mother tongue is, it is easier or harder to reach a sufficient English level. It's much easier for a French or Dutch than it is for Chinese or Korean (just examples)

Moon1 your English isn't perfect but it's good enough. I don't think anyone expects a non-native speaker to write or speak like a native speaker.

It happens quite frequently that people in the same lab are given the same project - supervisors just want results and they don't care who gets them. And yes, I'm sure you were taken on in part because you came with a lot of funding - this enables British students to then be employed at a lower cost to the lab. It's not right but that's the way it is sometimes.

Without seeing your report it is impossible for anyone on this forum to cast judgement on your quality of English, either positively or negatively. If you are hearing negative comments from people who have seen your report you would do very well not to ignore it.
As for your treatment, this is simply appalling and absolutely typical of academics who believe they are untouchable. Other than trying to talk to your supervisor and the support staff at your university it is hard to advise you here. Have you essentially failed your first year viva?

:)

haha. In my defense, I'm also not a native speaker and my English is far away from perfect.

Dear Moon1, I am a Phd student too, but I don't feel qualified to give advice. To be honest, I'm not sure how you should handle this situation... can you think of someone who is in academia who is not directly related to your project who you could ask for impartial advise or maybe help you with a strategy as to how to proceed?

I really just wanted to post a reply to say I think what has happened is awful and I wanted to offer my sympathies or empathies.

I personally think that if (and as pm123 said we can't judge) but if your English is not quite up to the standard required that you should be given the opportunity and resources to improve in this area. You are only in year 1 and would have time to work on it, if required. From your posts, while your English is not perfect , it is at a reasonable level, such that it would only take a little bit of work (writing classess/grammar classes) to bring it up to par.

this seems especially warranted given your work was good enough to give to someone else, who passed the viva. (really shocking that it was given without your permission, and that this other student gets to profit from your work, while you are told to leave).

Its a tricky one to manage, because we all know how powerful supervisors are and how insular academia is.

If it were me, I would first go my supervisor and give him the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to do the right thing. I would show him how the areas they identified as weak, (maybe language or whatever else) and show how you have a plan to bring it up to standard. And tell him you want to continue to work on projects you have developed.

If that doesn't work out and he cant be reasoned with , I'm not sure how you should proceed.

..ill have to continue in second post due to word count

continued

If your supervisor can't be reasoned with and insists you leave, it seems to me that you have two options.

Make a complaint to head of department/dean of research/research coordinator on the grounds that you work and research are good enough, clearly , if someone else can else can pass with your work.

I don't even know if this is your best option. On the one hand it seems like you have nothing to lose... but on the other hand, you may gain very little from it... even they if they allow you to stay, your supervisor and department might resent that you forced their hand and you could have miserable stressful PHD time... and doing a phd is hard enough without being caught up in that sort of politics .

Another option is to go away and get a job as research assistant for a year and improve both skills and language while you apply for another PHD position and take what you have learned and have a better experience. I think, while its unjust in some ways, this to me seems like it might be best option.

But before you go down this (or either road) ask your self if your sure getting a PHD is necessary for your future happiness and well-being (both psychological and financial)

I think all of us get dead set on doing Phd and just can't be talked out of it no matter what the sacrifice. for me I loved my subject area and also I think on some level I had something to prove to myself. I'm nearly finished now, its been a mixture of good and bad, and hopefully I will get to end and pass the viva.
However , while I don't really regret doing a PHD, I sometimes wonder if it was worth it (the sacrifices ect) I am fully sure if I hadn't done a phd I would have found another fulfilling career, maybe with better employment prospects and less stress and maybe even a better quality of life.

Thanks all
I raised an offical complaint to the head of my department
We had a meeting with my supervisor, I told him that I didn't want you to be my supervisor anymore and I will start looking for a new supervisor. They gave me a Mphil degree on my work over the past year.