I'll join you there HJScotland, I think I'd have had the text of doom (ToD) by now ;) Stressed - that's so cool about your husband! I often fantasise about what I will say/do if I do get the funding. I can imagine myself NOT receiving it much more easily!

well it arrived, and I didn't get it... but at least the agony of waiting is over. Back to the world of archive learning after all. Not sure how I feel about it yet...sure it will kick in later though. This is going to make finishing my dissertation harder, but must press on...

I was panel 3 PhD app and got a grade 3. Letter said 3300 apps and about 30% successful this year. Good luck to everyone else. Still smiling

sorry to hear that, sounds like you've taken it well though!
like you said the at least the nerve-wracking wait is over.

really sorry dervish I'm gutted for you. At least the wait is over, but so disappointing to hear that it ended this way. Panel 3.... it was panel 2 I think yesterday - might this mean panel 4 tomorrow??????? who knows, but damn this is hell

absolutely - i think the waiting is the worst bit. I guess academia is just not for me - or to be more precise, I'm not for it. It does take the pressure off having to produce a brilliant MA dissertation at least. I think a big consolatory cake is in order later today.

Thanks everyone!

dervish-so sorry to hear about the bad news but please don't take it as an indication of your academic abilities

FYI, declined awards do go back into the pot (as it says on the decline form), so I think that's why some people don't hear back until late August/early September I think, so if you're a grade 2, they might just keep you on a waiting list. I know it's really cruel to make you wait so long without any certainty...

Oh, with regards to cutting down costs, they should have an automated system online where you can find out/accept/decline etc. Cuz now I'm stressed about my acceptance form being lost in the post...lol

Special Delivery is a must mskoncept!

Yes Dervish, this is NOTHING to do with your academic ability or your suitability for academia in general. It is a simply a reflection of the extreme rate of competition for these awards. We are all, to have got this far, and through the first round, of similar academic ability - we have to be or we would not be considered in the first place! It comes down to whether your proposed topic was something that the AHRC was particularly interested in funding over the 3K other applications, and other matters such as the dept you would be studying in and the resources available.
Don't see this as a rejection of you, simply that there are not enough funds to go around and the AHRC have to decide which particular proposals they wish to fund the study of this year - and that changes every single year!

MsKoncept, last year my dept sent back my acceptance by special delivery! I trust them lol - and when I went in to wave the letter around a bit the secretary grabbed it and send she would send it for me thus cutting down on the anxiety levels I also rang a few days later to make sure that they had received it!

And Dervish don't you DARE hold back - churn out a fantastic dissertation, then reapply next year when the system will be different! You've worked to damned hard the last year to let something like this lower your grade!

the university you're going to has to fill in a bit of the form as well (is this something new for this year?), so I'll have to send it to them, and trust that they'll send it on in time...I'll be making a lot of calls next week!

Thanks mskoncept. I know I'm not daft or owt, but this was my only route in and after the struggle of working fulltime while completing my MA fulltime, I know I can't do that for another 3 years. Will be raising a glass or two to us all later... cheers

Am slow typist - thanks for the support too, Stressed.

yes, I agree with stressed, you must apply again next year, because I think the system will be a bit better as well, especially if you're going to the same department/uni as your MA study or half way through your PhD, because the people making the decisions will more than likely know more about you than a 500 word proposal

Really sorry to hear that Dervish. The only consolation is knowing that perhaps, the process is particularly brutal this year. :/