Authored by Shayma, PhD Genomic Medicine
The application process for a PhD can often feel taxing and prolonged. Nonetheless, with the right support, it can transform into a seamless and even thrilling journey, enabling you to gain clearer insight into your aspirations and interests. Here’s a general framework for locating a PhD that aligns with your aspirations, drawn from my own experiences with discovering, selecting, and applying for a PhD at Imperial.
What drives the pursuit of a PhD?
Before you embark on searching for a PhD, it’s vital to comprehend the reasons behind your desire to pursue one. A PhD demands a significant investment, so ensuring it corresponds with your ambitions and interests is essential. It equips you with the foundation to become a self-sufficient researcher, an essential skill for the career I intend to follow.
In addition to the technical instruction, I was drawn to the autonomy and inventive spirit that the academic world provides. My passion for science only flourishes when I engage with topics that genuinely interest me and conduct experiments that resonate with me, which is why I selected a PhD project that I was truly eager to delve into. The ability to shape my project according to my vision is another major advantage for me and is one of the aspects I cherish about pursuing a PhD.
As straightforward as it may appear, I recommend creating a pros and cons list for pursuing a PhD before commencing your search to confirm it is unequivocally something you wish to undertake – what do you believe a PhD will offer you?
The process of applying for a PhD
The application procedure generally encompasses multiple stages:
- Look for a PhD
- Initial submission of application
- Shortlisting candidates
- Interview(s)
- Conditional or formal offers
- Decisions on funding
Interviews generally center on your reasons for applying, your comprehension of the project, your previous research experience, and your approach to challenges. When preparing for interviews, I revisited my application documents, perused relevant literature, and contemplated my experiences to ensure I could articulate them clearly and confidently during discussions.
Locating a PhD
Finding a project requires you to first identify what type of research excites you, what type of environment facilitates your success, and what skills you wish to acquire through the PhD. Here are some resources you can use to locate your PhD:
- University websites, like Imperial’s – explore specific department pages where they list all available PhD opportunities
- Centralized PhD portals and job boards such as FindAPhD
- Web pages of research groups and supervisors
- Academic networks and recommendations from professors or supervisors
- Websites of funding bodies and doctoral training centers
My application journey may vary from yours. For my PhD, I secured funding from my home country, so I merely needed to locate a research group focused on a project I found interesting. I navigated through the Imperial website, discovered lists of researchers and research groups at Imperial, read about their research descriptions, and examined their research outputs.
While I was already enrolled as a Master’s student at Imperial during my search for PhDs, I also engaged with my lecturers to gather insights on which research groups they believed would suit me well. I discovered my current project supervisor from a compilation of research groups that my MSc course leader had provided.
The key is to engage with EVERYONE and seek as much advice as possible. I know a fellow PhD student who discovered their project by talking to a stranger in a pub who introduced them to their current principal investigator (PI) and PhD supervisor.