Authored by Shayma, PhD Genomic Medicine
Embarking on a PhD application can be quite a daunting and protracted endeavor. Nevertheless, with suitable direction, it can evolve into an efficient and even thrilling journey, allowing you to gain deeper insights into your aspirations and passions. Below is a general overview for locating a PhD that fits your needs, derived from my own experiences with identifying, selecting, and applying for a PhD at Imperial.
What motivates pursuing a PhD?
Prior to initiating your PhD search, it’s essential to clarify your reasons for wanting to obtain one. Committing to a PhD is significant, and ensuring it corresponds with your ambitions and interests is vital. A PhD equips you with the training to become an autonomous researcher, a skill that is imperative for the career path I aspire to follow.
In addition to technical training, I was drawn to the freedom and innovation that research in academia facilitates. My enthusiasm for science can only flourish if I engage in subjects that pique my interest and conduct experiments that I find meaningful, which is why I selected a PhD project that I was truly eager to investigate. The autonomy to steer my project in my desired direction is also a major advantage for me and represents one of my preferred elements of pursuing a PhD.
Therefore, as straightforward as it may appear, I’d recommend creating a list of advantages and disadvantages regarding a PhD before you embark on your search to confirm it’s something you genuinely wish to pursue – what do you envision a PhD will offer you?
The PhD application journey
The application procedure generally encompasses several phases:
- Searching for a PhD
- Submitting your initial application
- Shortlisting candidates
- Interviews
- Receiving conditional or formal offers
- Making funding decisions
Interviews commonly center around your reasons for applying, your comprehension of the project, your previous research experience, and your approach to overcoming challenges. While I prepared for my interviews, I reviewed my application, delved into pertinent literature, and contemplated my experiences to articulate them effectively and confidently in the interviews.
Locating a PhD
Finding a suitable project begins with recognizing what type of research excites you, which work environments you thrive in, and what skills you aim to acquire through the PhD journey. Here are some resources you can utilize to discover your PhD:
- University websites, like Imperial’s – lookup specific departmental pages where they enumerate all available PhD opportunities
- Centralized PhD platforms and job boards like FindAPhD
- Webpages of research groups and supervisors
- Academic circles and suggestions from professors or supervisors
- Websites of funding organizations and doctoral training centers
My application process may exhibit slight variations from yours. For my PhD, I secured funding from my home nation, so I merely needed to identify a research group engaged in a project that sparked my interest. To accomplish this, I navigated the Imperial website, reviewed lists of researchers and research groups at Imperial, perused their research descriptions, and investigated their research contributions.
Since I was already enrolled as a Master’s student at Imperial during my search for PhDs, I also consulted with my professors regarding which research groups they believed would suit me well. I discovered my current project supervisor from a list of research groups forwarded by my MSc course leader.
The essential aspect is to engage with EVERYONE and strive to gather as much advice as you can. I personally know a fellow PhD candidate who discovered their project through a conversation with a stranger in a bar who introduced them to their current principal investigator (PI) and PhD supervisor.