Durham Postgraduate Applicants/Offer Holders 2015 entry

Yes, it's possible, but it's not a safe bet.


http://www.northernbridge.ac.uk/studentships/eligibility/

I don't think we'll get it. Each department nominates its candidates:



If you haven't heard anything about the DDS from your department, it probably means you haven't been nominated. I was shortlisted for the AHRC and they told it to me, but nothing about the DDS.

Originally I had offers from Kent, Exeter, Sheffield, East Anglia, York, Leeds, and of course Durham. It was a slow and excruciating decision. Initially Kent had been my top choice for its location, but I ended up ruling it out because the program really wasn't as good as at many of the other unis.

Eventually I chose Durham because it's ranked so highly in my field (Medieval and Early Modern History), the campus is so gorgeous, and it's not in a big city like Sheffield, Leeds, or York, I really wanted more open space, and a more active student community which Durham definitely has!

So for me it's official, I've already turned down my other offers.

I contacted my supervisor at Durham and asked his advice about funding - he said he had self funded his own PhD and that it was the sad reality that in the arts most people would go part time and work to put themselves through one. It was a depressing conversation but one that put things into perspective for me.

Hello everyone! I'm starting a PhD in English Literature in October I also haven't heard from the DDS, so I guess it's bad news (though I will keep an eye out just in case they are delayed). I wasn't nominated for AHRC funding either, so my funding prospects look quite bad. I had a look at the external guide for postgraduate funding and it seems pointless really - they are very picky in their criteria and I don't think I qualify for any of their grants. Do any of you know of any other sources of funding?



I thought of contacting my supervisors about this but I really don't want the first contact I have with them to be about funding. Have you all contacted your supervisors already? Do we need to do it before arriving in October?

Hey! What's your research about? I'm pretty certain DDS nominees would have been told at least that they were up for consideration by now - I rang the department the other day and asked them to clarify if all funding decisions had been made and whether there was anything I could possibly be waiting on, and the graduate secretary said no, everything had been finalised now. Sorry if that's bad news for anyone

I decided I might as well contact my supervisor about funding- it's essential to doing the PhD after all. Unfortunately the links he sent me were fairly generic and the deadlines have almost all come and gone. I think appeals to charities aligned loosely with your research are the best bet. With regards to contacting supervisors, I think it's a good idea to introduce yourself I just said thank you for accepting my application and that I was looking forward to working with them, but I think I'll email again and ask if there are any areas in my proposal he thinks need tightening up before starting in October.

I Think you're right. I Can't do it without funding so it's a bit sad but what can you do?

Got the 'unsuccessful' email - was identified by the department as 'worthy of consideration at faculty level'. Cold comfort. Oh well. Do they redistribute if anyone turns them down does anyone know?

Their loss.
The faculty of Arts sent you an email? Strange, they said they wouldn't contact unsuccessful applicants.

Hi! I'm doing Romanticism and First World War poetry. How about you?
I've also heard from colleges on Monday; I was accepted by St Chad's, which was my first choice, so I am pretty excited about that! Which college are you in?

Yeah, most of the grants advertised in the postgrad funding guide were from charities and organisations of that sort - and I don't know of any that is aligned with my research area! I phoned a couple of charities which I thought could be willing to fund me but their numbers had been disconnected I guess I'll keep looking around to see if I can find something, though I not confident I'll be successful.

I'm doing Victorian aesthetic philosophy, so slap bang in the middle of your areas by the sound of it Oh well done for getting Chad's! I also put Chad's as my first, and Hatfield as my second, and got the offer from Hatfield yesterday so i'm pretty happy with that. Lack of funding means that college accommodation is kind of off the table now though. Can't justify paying out 5 grand when it would probably only cost 2 or 3 elsewhere. Have you got enough to self-fund then, or will you be turning the place down if you can't find anything?

Hi! I'm doing Romanticism and First World War poetry. How about you?
I've also heard from colleges on Monday; I was accepted by St Chad's, which was my first choice, so I am pretty excited about that! Which college are you in?

Yeah, most of the grants advertised in the postgrad funding guide were from charities and organisations of that sort - and I don't know of any that is aligned with my research area! I phoned a couple of charities which I thought could be willing to fund me but their numbers had been disconnected I guess I'll keep looking around to see if I can find something, though I not confident I'll be successful.

that is weird. Maybe it was because I was shortlisted or something. Who knows? It's all the same outcome in the end. Still waiting for a couple of other possibilities - hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

Hmmm better than nothing I suppose. I contacted my supervisor at Durham and asked his advice about funding - he said he had self funded his own PhD and that it was the sad reality that in the arts most people would go part time and work to put themselves through one. It was a depressing conversation but one that put things into perspective for me.

That's pretty much insensible from him to advise you to go unfunded. Firstly, he probably did not pay any fee, whilst you would have to pay £12,000 for your PhD. Secondly, housing was cheaper before. Thirdly, job prospects with a PhD in the arts were better so it was worth it.

I totally agree that's it's near impossible and really pretty unreasonable to be expected to do a PhD without any funding. But what can you do? Delay starting for another year in the hope that you might be funded next time? Personally I think paying fees at PhD level is a joke, all your other expenses could be covered by a part time job but £4k a year is almost impossible to accumulate unless you work full time and save up before you go. But yeah in the end I guess you're either willing to spend your own money/take out a loan or you're not.

I'm doing Victorian aesthetic philosophy, so slap bang in the middle of your areas by the sound of it Oh well done for getting Chad's! I also put Chad's as my first, and Hatfield as my second, and got the offer from Hatfield yesterday so i'm pretty happy with that. Lack of funding means that college accommodation is kind of off the table now though. Can't justify paying out 5 grand when it would probably only cost 2 or 3 elsewhere. Have you got enough to self-fund then, or will you be turning the place down if you can't find anything?

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