I've been put through to open competition at the uni where I am just finishing my undergrad degree. However, I want to move to a different uni and apply for just +3 funding once I'm doing a masters. I want, however, to send off the forms from the current uni as I have put a lot of people out and I don't want to annoy them by pulling out at this late stage (bearing in mind these are the people that will mark my assessed work!!). Once I have my undergrad marks back, can I then contact ESRC directly and pull out my application? Or does my uni need to do this? Will it tarnish my name with the ESRC? Will it affect my later +3 application? I'd appreciate any advice

Hi, I'm in the pot for the 1+3 open competition at my dept so I have been given all the guidance notes to read in case they pick me to go forward. As far as I know, if you are offered and you accept a 1+3 place from the ESRC you are committed to spending the next 4 years at that institution...I don't think you could accept a 1+3, do the masters then apply for +3 somewhere else...I don't think it works like that.

Hope that helps somewhat.

hey piggles,
it would tarnish your name more if you'd "pretend" to go ahead with the competition and pull out later. your current institution will then not be able to nominate anybody else and will thus lose a chance of getting a funded student. if you tell them now, they will be fine with that, as there is still time to let someone else (a runner up for example) have a go. if you "pretend" to go ahead, you are also cheating that runner up of their chance. that seems quite egoistic and unfair to me. also, your exams will be graded anonymously and the department's likes/dislikes of you should not affect your grades.

on the other hand, i think you should try every chance to get funding. ESRC open competition is very competitive, it is not very likely that you will win funding. next year neither. so if you pull out now and then next year don't get it, your unfunded. that's quite a risk.