Hello again, helpful friends.


I've seen a p/t RA job advertised that I'd really like to go for, but there is one niggle that is bothering me at the moment. The job is to organise and administrate for a large research project with 3 funded PhDs attached to it, all fab and that. However, the basic questions of one of the funded PhDs would be answered very effectively by my own PhD research, in fact it ulines and exact same path I very nearly took myself a while ago, and my research could easily slip into that framework. The PhDs start in September, as I would, and I'm a bit concerned that I could get my ideas ripped off, it's happened to me before, especially as this similar outline is still in the formulation stages. I'd hate to be stuck doing admin etc half the time while a funded PhD follows my research path, or similar. The angle I've taken is unique in my subject, so a similar project would defo be stealing the thunder I've sacrificed so much for.

Do you think I'm being paranoid? Or realistic?

I think you're being fairly realistic. I don't think it'd be a case of you getting ripped off but you'd be in a compromising position. Could you effectively assist if you're playing your cards close to your chest? Would they get the best of out of you and vice versa really.

That said, are you close to submitting? If you are and you're far enough head they might not build up enough speed to scoop you, and once your work is out there it'll be the original and the other work will become the derivative. Again though it's a balancing act, performing your job properly and helping but not getting so involved you sacrifce your work, and also not coming across a saboteur - which you might do if you join the project and then effectively pip them to post.

I think it depends on whether you've published your research already. This other PhD will realistically take at least 2 years to get something decent together, so it depends on whether you will have enough time to publish and potentially carry out more research in the mean time. Is there an option of supervising and therefore getting 'free' publications from the student?

There seems to be a lot of jobs around recently that are essentially departmental admin under the title 'research fellow' or similar. I'm looking at one, but I'm a bit worried that there will be no opportunity to advance my research, or contribute to anyone elses and starting out in my career, I really don't need a big hole (1 or 2 years) with no publications.

My advice - apply for it anyway, then you'll get to ask more about what the role is about and about these cross-over ideas with the PhD. Then if you get it, you can always turn it down - gives you more options.