Hey guys,

Just wondering if anyone has any knowledge of websites or directories of PhD projects in Europe? I've considered staying in the UK (where I did my undergrad and Masters) but I think I'd prefer to spread my wings and have a go in Europe. I do speak French and German and I understand a lot of programmes have an English language requirement anyway - but I've already looked through Euraxess and not found much in my area (cancer studies).

Are there similar websites to Find a PhD for European countries, fo example? Googling usually just comes up with FindAPhD UK! :s

Many thanks! xxx (sprout)

If you're applying in the UK, do they even use the GPA? :s Just wondering - because as you have a Masters, surely that will count MORE towards your application than the GPA?

Wow - someone has a bee in their bonnet!

And you're a POST DOC?! Grow the hell up!

Of course its possible - but yeah as others have said it depends on the supervisor, afterall its their decision as to which candidate they want to pick. You don't get if you don't ask so it may be worth applying! ;) Then if it doesn't work out, try a masters.

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Try Euraxess (don't have the address but Google it) - its got a load of European Unis on there including the generously funded Marie Curie studentships.

It might be that they don't remember you - so I wouldn't worry about it. It's a different project so you'll either have a clean slate again or if they do recognise your name, they might see it as tenacity! Which surely is a good thing! There's no harm in trying if thats what you want to do.

If you want to do a PhD that badly, why would you want to quit looking after just one year? If you have a job thats relevant to what you want to do then I would stick with it while you apply this year. The milkround should be starting up again soon! Take a good look at your applications and try and pinpoint where your weaknesses are. Have you asked those supervisors who turned you down for feedback? Its also worth bearing in mind a lot of good candidates get turned down and the global recession will be making supervisors extra picky as more people apply. I've had some bad luck this year but I'm not thinking about quitting, I'm thinking about what I can do to improve my chances and maybe this year I'll be lucky. If a PhD is what you want to do, quitting easily is not the way to go about it. Chin up!(up)

I did an MRes and it had a six month research project. A friend of mine also did an MRes and instead she had two six months projects and had no other work to do such as essays, lectures and what not. It may be that an MRes will prepare you better for a PhD due to the intense research element.

Hello, as some people may have seen I made a few threads on getting a PhD in France, well after weeks of waiting and answering interview-esque questions by email, I have finally been told I made the shortlist but because I was "borderline" I wasn't considered for interview. First off, what does everyone think "borderline" means, borderline awful (I really shouldn't be, I have an MRes and a 2:1 undergrad degree and I have often been told that someone like me would be preferable to an undergrad! I also had relevant background knowledge but I am not 100% sure my references would have been exactly glowing, I wasn't the best student in my group at all.) or borderline good but not good enough?

Second, would anyone have any advice for me? Considering I am being told I am a good candidate but still struggling to get a PhD place (its been 2 years now), what is going wrong? Is it the fact that I am temping? I have bizarre circumstances in that since I finished my Masters I have been all over the place trying to find work in this damned recession. Another consideration is my age, I am 25 and will be 26 next January. I was told at an interview in Oxford that they considered me "old" and that I wouldn't be able to progress to postdoc because they are apparently ranked by age. (I'm sure this is against equal opportunities laws.) Has anyone else been told this and has anyone experienced such discrimination at interview?

Lastly, as I said I am temping. I got stuck doing admin work in between my degrees and its starting to feel like its all I will end up doing! I was considering doing a technician job instead but looking at the adverts it looks just as competitive and they demand more experience, whereas with a PhD they don't expect you to hit the ground running. Am I just wasting my time on a wild goose chase after this PhD that I have been envisaging? I don't see how I will get to do proper research without a PhD, I know technically its supposed to be possible but I doubt it will be to the same degree (pun not intended!)

Any advice would be appreciated!!

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I'm a little confused about my application situation. Last year, I was getting lots of interview offers but messed them up because of my nerves. Now I'm much better at preparing for them, I feel a lot better in interview situations, the person who conducted my last job interview (just a job to get me by!) said I didn't even seem nervous at all! Now I have a different problem, I have been applying for positions I am more than suitable for, I have even been told that my background and experience is "more than appropriate" for PhD study, however even if the supervisors seem interested, a few times now they have at the last minute said they don't want to interview me. Does this mean that on paper, I am a good candidate but one of my references is bad? I asked permission from all three (yes, three!) and they agreed, surely if someone agrees to write one it will be pretty good? Surely if they would give a bad reference, they would just refuse out right seeing as its their words on the line?

OR: I'm not sure if academia is reacting to the recession in the same way as the job market? As in, they are being really anal over who they choose seeing as funding is short and there are more applicants?

Similar question; I'm waiting for a reference to come through, its been a few weeks and I've sent instructions from the University I've applied to and last week I sent a polite reminder (also thanking them for agreeing to supply a reference!) but I'm a bit concerned. Can a referee change their minds after agreeing to send a reference, without telling me?

Congratulations! :D Now you can relax a little before the hard work begins! Muahahaa! :P

Seriously though, good job!

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Pubmed Central, as suggested below will give you access to the full pdf file of the papers it finds, however it has a smaller selection of papers. If you have found a supervisor of particular interest to you, and you find the reading list they give you are not available on PMC then ask them if they would supply a copy, explaining that you currently do not have FULL access to all journals. This does not mean asking for them ANYWAY; at least do something yourself!! :D

Supergenius; AFAIK not all Unis let you keep your login details. Birmingham Uni have deleted all of my login details, I no longer have access to their e-library. :( I find PMC is good enough to get some background reading but if there is a particular paper that you need and can't get, it can be very annoying. :(

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OK, I don't mean to be rude but you said you were unprepared. I wouldn't mind betting that's why you messed up! Its not that your "a loser" and so on, so don't beat yourself up about it. ;-)

I think if you haven't been interviewed in 5 years, I would say have a practice run in front of someone. I know how you must feel, though. I've messed up no end of interviews yet somehow I still managed to get on a Masters course and now I am going for a PhD!! And I've learned to prepare well so my interview technique has improved a lot over the past year. I reckon some time spent on deciding on what you would say for the obvious questions, a little prep on what you want on say on your motivation and a practice interview should help.(up)

Thankyou for your advice, it makes sense really. I guess I was concerned that what I think is enthusiasm is seen as pestering by the supervisors! :D

Anyways I've sent a query off; but have this awful feeling in my gut that I'll get the familiar reply of "there were many high calibre candidiates but you have not been selected for interview, many applicants matched our criteria more specifically!". Luckily as someone who thinks rationally about things, I'll attribute this feeling to the spicy enchilada I had for tea last night! Haha! 8-) :-)