If you are able to manage with the work independently, just ignore the supervisor and when advice is needed, ask from the other one. You are already 3rd year, so soon to finish?

dontpanic, where in Europe are you moving back to? are you cancelling your phd? yeah, you are completely right, I (current student in QC) was previously in Denmark for my masters, being a foreign student there as well, and no tuition fees, and the income similar to PhD-s here. good old Europe :)

In science PhD-s, the student must have some income, either from prof's grants or student's scholarship or a combination. If a prof advertises a position, this means he has funds to pay the student. The salary minimum in cheaper provinces is set 18000CAD/year, which is sufficient to live, but problematic to pay tuition fees and especially tickets to Europe :( But students are allowed to work part-time on the campus (without working permit) or outside, with a working permit. Unlike some countries in Europe, no restrictions are set for students as to their working hours besides their studies. So you can work your ass off . if you want :D

Yeah, Delta, I am struggling with the similar question, randomly planned project, not sure whether it works. And the same, I have also 2 awards attached to this PhD study. I would think you can even change the project inside your lab if it is an University award, just have to tell them. I wouldn't think it would be pulled off like that, only if you quit PhD or maybe change the lab.

If the project is not yielding much, this is probably not a problem from the award point of view, you got it in the beginning to work on the project, but you did not have to guarantee them great results from the project. In a word, if you continue working on the same stuff or at least in the same lab with something else, don't worry about your award.
What about your sup and the advisory committee, they are not helpful in trying to improve the project? But can you yourself include changes you think is necessary even without consulting with them?

Thanks for replies, everyone. Supergenius, I indeed checked the sup's background before starting, and he has perfect publication list (first author Nature-s, etc.) To add, he is coming from a great famous lab. I was feeling confident he must know what he is doing. I visited the lab, and the student being there was giving a really nice overview of the lab - BUT only when I was about to start, I got him to talk more via email, that's when the others' quitting came out, since the student had been concerned about his own position and did not want to tell too much while I was visiting. OK, since I had arranged everything then to start, I thought I'd give it a try. Strangely, I noticed that the techniques the sup is supposed to be an expert in according to his Nature papers, do not work at the lab. Others from other labs using similar techniques said, that even the routine controls are not run to check whether the equipment is usable, thus no reliable results can be expected. He never guides students with that thoroughly, replies questions, but this does not seem to really be enough since I see the other student keeping struggling with the technique and not sure whether he gets the real data or not. And that's what the sup's supposed to be the expert in. The rest of the project he has simply no clue, not even familiar techniques to him. Some say, he got his Nature papers due to the lab and sup he used to have himself. :( :( :(

Hi Supergenius, I understand your point of view and I would think the same when hearing someone is changing labs one after another. But in fact it is a bit difficult to include controls and experiments which are right in my opinion (and discussed with other profs from the field) if the sup does not find them necessary and is straight against them. Actually I had a co-sup in the beginning, from the field of the project, whom I was really appreciating and trusting his opinion, since I found it every time argumented and logical. But this guy was not the one paying me, so he did not have as big a say as the main sup, and eventually the co-sup left the project, because he said he does not trust the way the project is led (by the main sup). Also I see worrysome things from the previous students' work - usually a lot of time spent, a lot of work done, a lot of resources spent, and the outcome close to zero. Actually only 1 of his students is finishing his msc project, since the rest have left due to conflicts with the sup!! (Well the sup is fairly new, I guess has had his PI position for 2,5 years). So seeing only 1 student graduating, another prof dropping out the project, my sup gathering conflicts with others working at similar topics (since they blame him for stealing their ideas and creating unnecessary competition in the faculty), him giving me vague arguments about my project making me think it is not thought trough, it just makes me unsecure about it all. I really want to learn and I like to work and am not fed up with phd life or academy, but...

Fun idea! :) Well the only way to arrange this is to set a few times and then see, which one gathers the most supporters. Don't let people start proposing their own dates each :))) i am in Canada though, and i know most of everyone else in UK, so just giving ideas here...

Hi guys :) I am still having considerations about my PhD. I don't miss social activity or anything , because work reasonable hours and arrange to do interesting stuff out of hours, and even the work hours, I am not depressed or procrastinating like seems to be the norm here. BUT I think my PhD project is really weak and my prof not smart enough, and trying to do stuff completely out of his area, thus not including necessary controls, plan B-s, not really knowing the details. I have a gut feeling this kind of project could not lead to any reasonable data (unless it is "made" significant, which some say my prof is good at!). If I ask questions from my prof, he usually says I have still not got the point of the project, and I feel braindamaged every time after talking to him, coz he does not know the area and bluntly talks rubbish ( I know the area better since had my previous studies at that). So hmm I really consider leaving it for some better science. But I have already quit one lab before, for similar reasons. Just looking for good quality reasonable project and a smart honest supervisor, is that too much to want????? Another phd student said, profs use phd students for risky projects like that, since phd-ers are stupid enough not to realize the risks and just spend their time on that, unlike postdocs, who would escape. I don't wanna waste my time...

Hello Pickles!! Here's another PhD student in Canada. First of all, huge respect for you, that you have managed a lot on your own, working in a different building independently, created your own working hypothesis and tried to follow it, sought help on your own. So are you now trying to get the advisory committee together to tell you, how much you've left to do before being ripe to graduate? But haven't you had any advisory committee meetings before?
The other thing - no regrets. You have been on your own, probably working hard - that you did not do everything right, is something your supervisor should be blamed for. I know, blaming him does not create more publications for you. But regret is a poison and useless - it is poisoning you right now for no good reason.
In conclusion - you have nothing to worry about. You have done a lot of work on your own, so just go to this meeting and it will probably turn out better than you'd expect, you get to discuss with other persons who probably have better communication skills than your sup and hopefully also give you constructive advice how to lead yourself to your final.

Hey Guitarman, I also wanted to add - get back to your guitar! I play piano and a bit of guitar myself, and you know as I know, that it really works as a meditation and clears your thoughts - and simply makes you feel better and more "multidimensional". PhD took away so much time sometimes that I did not have time to play. But looking back at my last year, I rather regret staying in the lab for long lonely evenings than finishing experimenting earlier and getting to the piano and playing (and I quit this last lab for a new, also questionable one)...Btw thanks for your comment on my "quitting" post :D one quitter advises other possible quitter, ha, ha.

Dear Hypothesis! Get a new cat from the abandoned animals' facility. There are so many cuties up there looking for you to find them. Long-distance relation is really hard,but from the other side, you still have someone!! you can call, send long thoughtful emails. i have noticed with my boyfriend, being away sometimes leads to interesting emails, different from the day-to-day talks... Many PhD students are single, this is even harder than your situation, isn't it? Like I said, even though far, you have that special person. So get a cat, do some sports, enjoy good old-fashioned romantic mailing relation...

Hello everyone! What kind of position could one get in biotech - Canada or elsewhere- without Phd (but having a MSc)?
I am also considering quitting PhD, dont see how this sup could ever lead me to graduation with his ideas. Also there is not enough freedom for me to then pursue the research the way I would find reasonable. In addition he has extremely bad people skills, i see profs dropping out the project or getting into "Cold War" with him one after another, due to his undiplomacy.To add, he is new, hasnt yet proved himself, hasn't had any phd to graduate yet. So seems to be no go.

I don't agree with all those academics here saying don't give up, push on. Life is short and if a PhD is too depressing, one should not spend the time for that. i see far too many disillusioned people around here, everybody automatically following the same "right" track and not being happy. The other issue is, if the PhD is at least most of the time interesting, fun and you feel you really want to work on that and see where you want to go with it. I was so enthusiastic in the beginning, but encountering these weird ignorant and sometimes dictator-sups really has brought me down. I mean, I am a hard-worker, and am not afraid of technical difficulties. But I can't stand nonsense and wasting resources, incl. animals for questionable "science", and not being able to improve it since supervisor governs the resources.
I got a scholarship for 4 year phd research which i can move to similar topic if i want. thinking now, what to do with it, try 1 more lab and sup? (since i already quitted one degenerative lab before the current one). I am not afraid of work, I like to work, but I want to work for something which makes sense and makes the world a better place, not just after wasting years, money, animals issues a PhD.

MeMaggie - so what is the reason you yourself decided to stay in the PhD when you were struggling with quitting thoughts?