Help with application for a PhD Bursary - Humanities

melancholly

If they haven't mentioned ESRC then it probably isn't that type of funding. Lots of departments have their own bursaries that are separate from the research councils.

In a lot of universities regardless of funding/self-funding issues you have to register for an MPhil and then after a year get 'upgraded' to a PhD if your progress is going ok. So that's pretty normal!

If you don't know exactly what you'll be doing, maybe you could have a paragraph in your research proposal saying that you will pilot a variety of methods and then pick the most successful one? shows that you're aware of the issue but also leaves it open.

janine22

Thanks very much for the advice, I think I understand it now!

I do have the full support of my supervisor & director of studies but the bursary has only just been advertised and the deadline is pretty tight. The initial application is only 300 words, so there must be a further opportunity to explain research ideas after this stage.

I don't know why I didn't understand before, you wouldn't think I was capable of doing a PhD from these posts would you?!

Thanks again for the advice, I feel a bit better about the application now!

melancholly

let us know how you get on! 300 words seems very short (in my department it's 3000 i think!) good luck

janine22

Thanks I'm submitting the application on Friday (deadline is 27/2). The limit does worry me as it's tiny!

That is only the initial application though (it looks like a standard job application besides the proposal bit). I've got a copy of the RF1 form to prepare with a more in-depth proposal (think thats 2000-3000 words) but I'm assuming there will be another (if not more than one) stage in the application process between these two.

On the plus side if I don't get the bursary I'll still have completed my course application!

Thanks again for the help, I'll keep you posted!

janine22

Duplicate post sorry!

janine22

In triplicate!

hostie

Don´t worry about not really understanding the process and what you are meant to write on the form. I think it starts for all of us like that. Eventually you get to understand the forms an what they are looking for.
My advice would be read the guidance notes. Often they tell you things that they would like you to include. They might ask for information on other training that you have done in the form of going to seminars, conferences etc. Don´t worry if you haven´t done any of this. If you have though it is worth allocating a line to it. My advice is don´t try to stick to the 300 words straight away. Write about double that and then try to cut and shorten it. I guess you will be emailing it to your supervisor for them to check and for them to give you suggestions. It sounds obvious but do take their suggestions as they have years of experience with these things. Don´t forget that you can change your methodology or even subject later. The first step is to get the funding.
One last thing. If this is just the bursary scheme at your uni, I presume that you are also applying to one of the research councils? i.e. arts and humanities research council, economic research council, medical research council... If you are applying to the uni for funding for a Phd and you haven´t applied to one of these it will seem odd, unless there is a good reason for it.
Good luck and don´t forget that PhD students in your department will also be a good source of help. One of the girls in my department talked me through the proposal that had helped her get funding and it really helped me.