Authored by Shayma, PhD Genomic Medicine
Pursuing a PhD can be an arduous and protracted endeavor. Nevertheless, with appropriate support, it can evolve into a seamless and even thrilling experience, aiding you in gaining clarity about your aspirations and passions. Here’s a general outline for discovering a PhD that fits you, drawing from my own experiences with locating, selecting, and applying for a PhD at Imperial.
What motivates you to pursue a PhD?
Before embarking on your PhD search, it’s essential to grasp the reasons driving your interest in one. A PhD entails a significant commitment, and it’s vital that it resonates with your goals and aspirations. It provides the training necessary to become an autonomous researcher, a skill I deem vital for my intended professional path.
In addition to foundational training, I was drawn to the creative freedom and innovative opportunities that academia presents. My enthusiasm for science has its limits if I am engaged in subjects that don’t captivate me and performing experiments that fail to inspire, so I opted for a PhD project that truly piqued my interest. The ability to steer my project is also a considerable advantage for me and stands out as one of my preferred elements of pursuing a PhD.
Though it may seem straightforward, I recommend compiling a list of advantages and disadvantages regarding undertaking a PhD before launching your search to confirm it’s a path you genuinely wish to follow – what do you anticipate a PhD will offer you?
The PhD application journey
The application journey generally encompasses a series of steps:
- Discovering a PhD
- Submitting your initial application
- Being shortlisted
- Participating in interviews
- Receiving conditional or formal offers
- Finalizing funding decisions
Interviews often center on your reasons for applying, your comprehension of the project, your previous research background, and your strategies for tackling challenges. In preparing for interviews, I revisited my application, delved into pertinent literature, and contemplated my experiences to articulate them effectively and confidently during interviews.
Locating a PhD
Identifying a project initially necessitates an understanding of what type of research excites you, which environments foster your productivity, and the skills you wish to acquire from the PhD. Some resources you can utilize for locating your PhD include:
- University websites, like those of Imperial – look for dedicated department pages that list all available PhD positions
- Centralized PhD directories and job boards such as FindAPhD
- Webpages of research groups and supervisors
- Academic networks and referrals from faculty or supervisors
- Websites of funding organizations and doctoral training centers
My application path may vary from yours. For my PhD, I secured funding from my home country, so I primarily needed to find a research group engaged in a project that interested me. To achieve this, I scoured the Imperial website, identified researchers and research groups, examined their research descriptions, and reviewed their publications.
As I was already enrolled as a Master’s student at Imperial during my PhD search, I also consulted my lecturers about which research groups they believed would suit me best. I discovered my current project supervisor from a list of research groups provided by my MSc course leader.
The critical point is to converse with as many people as possible and seek a broad range of insights. I personally know another PhD candidate who found their project by chatting with an unfamiliar person in a pub who introduced them to their current principal investigator (PI) and PhD supervisor.
Financing your PhD
If you aren’t self-funding, there are