My path to the PhD project I wanted

My search for a PhD place was rather more organised than my, admittedly flukey, admission onto my undergraduate placement (documented here). Spending my placement year surrounded by people who had either completed or were in the midst of a PhD themselves somehow didn't put me off the idea, so in September 2017, I started my search for the perfect PhD opportunity. I wanted to find a project which utilised electrophysiology, a technique I got a taste for during my placement, to measure brain cell activity, and in particular to investigate what goes wrong in neurodegenerative diseases.

My search began on findaphd.com, where I regularly used the search feature to find new adverts for PhDs involving electrophysiology. I also set up email alerts for new PhD opportunities in Biological & Medical Sciences, so that I wouldn't miss any opportunities of interest that didn't explicitly mention electrophysiology.

Through these email alerts, I found a project investigating the role of an ion channel in Alzheimer's disease. I used the contact form on findaphd.com to message the supervisor, and we arranged to speak more about the project over the phone. This ended up being a mini-interview, in which I summarised my research experience and its relevance to the project, and was then able to ask my own questions. I discovered that there would be no electrophysiology in the project itself, which was disappointing, but at least it meant I hadn't wasted time applying for a project which wasn't right for me.

Several of my former labmates' PhDs were part of a Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) with three other universities, which was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC). This structure enabled the students to be part of collaborative research between two or more institutions, and have access to a broad range of specialist equipment, not to mention funding for additional training opportunities, which could involve going abroad! I found several interesting projects on this scheme being advertised for my year, and used findaphd.com to contact a potential supervisor, who was impressed with my qualifications and experience to date. When it came to the application, I added second and third choices in the hope of maximising my chances of success, but I eventually found out that I hadn't been shortlisted for an interview (on my birthday, of all days!).

Undeterred, I put in another couple of applications over the Christmas holidays, this time for projects funded internally within the respective universities,  rather than by an external Research Council. The first project (Project #1) proposed to investigate a neurodevelopmental disorder using in vivo electrophysiology, and I was delighted to be chosen by the project supervisor as the preferred candidate! The second project (Project #2) also used in vivo electrophysiology, but this time to investigate the effects of a drug which was found to slow down neurodegeneration in a mouse model. Project #2 was also an industrial collaboration, which would provide an opportunity to work at a pharmaceutical company for a year. Five days after submitting my application for Project #2, I was invited for a Skype interview with the three project supervisors, with just 19 hours' notice! I was uncharacteristically calm the night before, then despite the interview starting half an hour late, I managed to stay calm and give well-thought-out responses, which led to me being selected as the candidate!

However, being selected by the supervisors was only half the story. For Project #1, I had to have a face-to-face panel interview in early February alongside five other candidates for different projects, and only the top candidate would receive the scholarship. The process for Project #2 was very different; once I'd been selected as the candidate, the lead supervisor and I modified my original application, and the new version was one of 24 applications from across the university sent to the Selection Committee, of which only 10 received funding. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to secure the funding for either of these opportunities, but the experiences did prove useful.

There was no time to be sad, however, as I had another interview the following week! Project #3 was similar to Project #2, but used in vitro electrophysiology rather than in vivo. The project was within an MRC DTP similar to the one I applied for originally, but this time I chose to apply only for one project. I left the interview thinking I could've done more, but I had actually done well enough to get on the DTP – the problem was, another student higher up the rankings had already accepted the project I wanted. I visited another lab offering a project loosely related to my interests, but while the lab members were very welcoming, I ultimately chose to continue searching for an opportunity better aligned with my interests.

In the time between my interview for Project #3 and my decision not to take the alternative project, two more projects had taken my interest. Project #4 proposed to use in vitro electrophysiology to investigate a gene which is a risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease, while Project #5 wasn't related to neurodegenerative diseases, but would still provide training in electrophysiology, as well as behavioural experiments. Both projects had funding secured, so the only hurdle was to be chosen by the supervisors. I was shortlisted for both projects and got on well at the interviews, but in mid-March I had an unexpected phone call from the lead  supervisor of Project #2, notifying me of a new funding opportunity which had arisen for the same project.

The new funding for Project #2 was also part of an MRC DTP, but the selection process was more similar to the arrangement for Project #1, in that one candidate for each of the six projects would be interviewed, but this time the top two students received funding. Later in March I arranged to meet the lab members, and I was thoroughly impressed with their enthusiasm about their research and the contribution of Project #2 to their overall research aims. I was also fortunate to meet a senior researcher/manager from the industrial collaborator and find out how she progressed to that stage. By the end of the day, I was completely sold on the idea of joining their lab, and in the following weeks I did my best to prepare for the interview. Seven weeks later, I was back in the lab for a practice interview, and the following day I was the top-performing student in the panel interview, therefore I had finally secured a project I really wanted!

Now, 7 months after I was initially denied funding for it, I'm preparing to starting my ideal PhD! I'm so thankful that my supervisors kept me in mind and persevered to find another funding source, and I hope to keep you updated during my PhD journey.