Definite no from me. It's an abuse of an unequal power relationship regardless whether the student in question is undergrad or postgrad and tends to end very badly for one or other party (generally the member of staff in these litigious times).

In case this helps: were you working by any chance on a university account? If so my university backs up all files somewhere every night, and they can give you instructions on how to rescue earlier versions of a file. You might get a more developed version back that way. Computing services were actually nice enough to recover a deleted file on my laptop that wasn't saved onto my university account too once, so it might be worth at least asking if they can help. Hope walminskipeasucker's programme worked though.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/AdultLearning/FinancialHelpForAdultLearners/index.htm - this might help or try asking on the forum at www.moneysavingexpert.com - they're likely to know.

Ok this is probably going to be a bit unpopular but from a postdoc angle - I actually am beginning to think that some of the complaints aren't very fair on the supervisors and that 360 review might also actually be helpful in weeding out people who really shouldn't be doing a PhD before they've got too far in. While I was a PhD student I was very aware that several of my fellow PhD students were not very bright but very very deluded about their own abilities; now as a postdoc I'm hearing the real horror stories from the staff. One member of staff here for instance has just had to get a court order against an ex PhD student as she was stalking him and threatening his family after she failed her upgrade. The thing was despite the good qualifications she just couldn't manage PhD level work but just wouldn't accept that.
I'm beginning to think that it's next to impossible to tell at the application stage who will be a PhD suvccess story, as everyone has a 2:1 or better and good refs and that for fairness on all sides the review after a year's study, should really be used as a termination place for those that shouldn't be doing PhDs and to end problematic supervisory relationships for OK students that are already failing the student for one reason or another - it would be fairer on all concerned to do this early on, than letting it go further when the sunk costs make any dignified exit impossible on all sides.

George - I think you're confused here between UK research council funding and European Union funding - there are different rules. The studentships funded by UK research councils (NOT European Union money but UK) offer full funding (fees + stipend) for UK/EU students who have lived here for more than three years, and fees only for UK/EU citizens who do not meet that residence requirement. There is no loophole - it seems reasonable enough to concentrate limited funding on people who (regardless of nationality) have made some sort of commitment to the UK. There is also some funding available through EU-funded projects - it's often advertised as Marie Curie funding - but they are intended to encourage European mobility so you are normally not eligible if you have spent more that 12 months in the last four years in the host country or are a citizen of that state. Finally, there are as you say other scholarships that are open to all.

Thanks all for the suggestions. I was reading all the replies this morning and trying to decide what to do when Eska's prediction came true. The dastardly duo are now in trouble. One of the students made a formal complaint about the petition and their strong-arm tactics. So I'm off the hook and it's all out in the open. And you never know justice may even be done.

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Hi,

I'm in an awkward situation at work and don't really know what to do for the best. Helpful advice appreciated.

I'm on a postdoc scholarship but do a bit of teaching to keep my cv up to date. Last year there was a lectureship in my dept and I applied, as did a guy who did his PhD there and is hanging on with hourly paid teaching. Neither of us got it or were even shortlisted but looking at who they shortlisted, neither of us deserved to be on merit (my publication record is better than his but much worse than those they shortlisted). They appointed a really talented female lecturer, who I think is a great research addition to the dept. But this other guy never accepted it (he seems to think that he is somehow entitled to a lectureship in the dept and that if he hangs around long enough, he'll get it - I think he's deluded given how competitive my subject is is as a field). Since the new lecturer arrived, he's never missed an opportunity to ridicule everything from her dress sense to her teaching. I just thought he was bitter and unpleasant and stayed out of his way (as to be honest he was pissing off the other staff anyway). He has one supporter in a very sexist senior lecturer, who hates the new lecturer because she's a woman basically. But last week I found out by accident from one of my students, that the two of them are encouraging students to sign a petition complaining about her teaching in an attempt to get her sacked while she's still on probation.
My dilemma - I think I should tell someone what's going on but the big snag is that I'm on the job market and the senior lecturer is (while deeply unpleasant) quite powerful in my subfield, and I know from conference gossip that he's gone out of his way to ruin other people who've crossed him. And I doubt I could go to the Head of dept without it somehow leaking that it was me who told him.
Any thoughts on what is best to do? The new lecturer isn't my friend (although seems nice) so I don't really feel comfortable going directly to her.

Poi - I'd suggest a visit to whatever student advice centre you have so that you can get at the facts regarding your stipend in a neutral environment. Then the careers service, do those tests on potential occupations then read up on anything that sounds useful. If you know where you want to go, then you can make a good decision on whether a PhD would help or not. Don't decide anything in a rush, do your careers research, make a plan and then if the PhD is wrong for you, quit with a happy heart.

I really feel for you. But you NEED a break and it needn't make you feel bad if you spend it alone, even if it feels like the sky is falling in on all fronts right now. A week off where you predominantly sleep and just catch up on the sleep deficit can be enormously rewarding even if it sounds dull! It saved my sanity at a low PhD point.What do you enjoy doing on your own? How about booking into a youth hostel and have a couple of days walking somewhere pretty enjoying the beginning of spring? Or if you're like me and love reading: read nothing but trashy novels in your favourite genre for a week. Or obsessively haunt the cheap flights sites for a flight to a city you'd love to visit for a bit of a meander. Just spend a week indulging yourself.

Someone3 - many sympathies.. It's horrible at the moment. And there are just so many talented people trying to get academic jobs. A lot of institutions do say in the advert, the interviews are this date and if you don't hear from us assume rejection or words to that effect. Have you tried asking for feedback from the university offering the perfect job? THey may have a policy not to give it, or may just say something bland, but it might be worth asking in case you got something helpful.

I would prioritise your mid-point review right now over trying to rewrite, but please don't despair about never getting anything published. There isn't an academic on the planet who hasn't had things rejected from journals, and felt awful and an absolute fraud at that moment in time. Have you told your supervisor that you're feeling like this? Maybe you could get the paperwork for the review in and then take a week off to regroup. You never think sensibly when you're tired so please don't make a rash decision on quitting.
A few random thoughts that then might be worth thinking about: You are absolutely right to think that most PhDs don't get (or want) academic jobs, and the job market thanks to the cuts is appalling, but you know something, I have lots of friends with PhDs working in non-academic jobs and enjoying them. Would a PhD help get you into alternative careers that you might enjoy? You're also right that academia isn't exactly the cushy employment that many outsiders think it is: there are stupid hours and you need to be emotionally pretty resilient to cope with work being rejected, students being horrible to you and outsiders whinging on and on about ivory towers etc. So if you decide it's not for you, and thus took that pressure to be the perfect candidate off you, would that make the PhD process feel less awful? And then I guess, would you regret not finishing something you'd started if you did quit? Are there ways to negotiate with your supervisor to make the PhD less life-consuming?
Sorry just rambling now, but please eat chocolate, go for a drink, have a cry, go to the gym - whatever you find is best when you're upset, do that.

Basically it's entirely subject dependent. There are some AHRC and ESRC subject areas where not getting a distinction can really make a difference in terms of getting any of the rare funded PhD places. Others it matters less, as the subject is less competitive. And in the sciences where there are lots more funded PhDs, you probably don't have much to worry about.

I think you really need to ask your potential supervisors to be absolutely upfront about whether they think you've got any chances of funding either for the first year or ever. Ask what other people like you have done. My suspicion from watching friends is that unless you get a full studentship from the start, (as most of the full studentships are only available to people at the start of their PhD) then it's just little pots of money here and there that are available, and that chasing them can be dispiriting and timewasting. Just wondering as it's Mod Lang - any chance of getting one of those lektor (native speaker running conversation classes for students) jobs, and doing the PhD part-time? Always assuming you are a native speaker of a language taught at that university. I know a couple of French people who did PhDs this way.

It has to be said though that everyone that I've come across who got referred for major corrections, was pretty much on the sorts of grounds she says. I suspect whether it makes pleasant reading or not, it's fairly accurate.
I agree I can't think of many worse fates that to examine three PhDs quickly in succession, so you have to wonder across her frame of mind. I wonder actually how much of this overloading of examiners there is - most people want a known figure in their field of which there are a limited number, if you then subtract the ones known to be 'difficult' for one reason of another, I'd guess the potential pool does look limited. And I imagine there are certain times of year when you get a bunch of people finishing eg the autumn.

Breathe deeply and remind yourself that the academic job market in the UK is currently awful and that things are going to be hard for everyone not just you. New beginnings are always scary particularly if the road ahead isn't clear, so don't feel it's wrong to feel upset and angry, but try to think strategically too.
Have you been to your university careers service and read through their resources on getting research jobs? You could make an appointment with an advisor to get feedback on your cv and cover letter. Or looked at the materials on vitae.ac.uk? That might answer some of your questions.
All you can do is apply for any job in your field that's going regardless of location, and keep trying to get publications out from your PhD thesis. Honestly, this is probably less about you and more about the market right now - just read the Times Higher Education website - academics are losing their jobs all over the place, and research funding is so hard to get. Your supervisor really can't do much for you other than write a good reference when asked, because right now it's so hard for everyone. Might this be a good time to try your home country for jobs if they're not cutting university funding like they are here?
Or have you looked into the EU Marie Curie type funding? There are sometimes good jobs advertised on the EU CORDIS website if relocating elsewhere in Europe is a possibility.
And start thinking about a plan B in case things don't work out - remember most PhDs do not get academic jobs. This doesn't mean they're failures. Many earn much more and work fewer hours than academics.