I'm starting an EPSRC funded programme this September and was wondering if I'll stay on the same pay (currently £14777 pa) throughout or will that change every year to reflect the minimum stipend?

Hi,

I'm due to graduate with an MChem this year and have been offered a place on a CDT course. I also might have an opportunity to do a PhD with my MChem supervisor. I have mixed feelings which one to go for if I get an offer for both. I know the CDT has the MRes year before the actual PhD starts which I like because I don't feel prepared enough to just jump into it and would definitely like to have the extra experience. But, on the other hand, people I've spoken to tell me that you gain enough experience through the 3 years of a normal PhD project and, in the end, the extra MRes year doesn't really matter. I quite like the project that my supervisor has and is in the same area that I did my MChem in, as well as two summer research projects that I've done. The CDT, however, offers the opportunity to choose from a wide range of topics and it's quite possible that I might find something more interesting. Then there's industry links that the CDT has which might potentially lead to a job offer. But, my MChem supervisor is quite driven and aims to publish quite a lot, so I will probably get more papers out of that PhD project than I will with the CDT.

Just wondering what are your thoughts on this.

Thanks!