I heard that panels 3 and 4 were the most conpetitive. I am panel 3

I got the white small enevelope one year = rejection. And the huge envelope the last year = offer. Yay!

Good luck everyone. I'm waiting to hear about my boyfriend's AHRC results...

Apparently someone on another forum I read has just got a rejection this morning.
Some are on their way :s
xx

Ah well, maybe better to know than wait... Good luck all!

I'm waiting to hear for my masters course too - I really don't expect to get it, even though I got a 1st for my BA. Does anyone else think it's a bit unfair that technically you should be eligible to apply to the AHRC if you have a 2:1 (according to the AHRC), but my university specified only people with Firsts could apply, I guess cos of the quota? Seems unfair to me...

Yes it is fair.... decisions have to be made on some basis, and what better than academic qualifications?

What I meant was, it seems that the AHRC is setting one lot of requirements, ie. if you have a 2.1 you should be allowed to apply, but Universities are ignoring that and only going for people with firsts. I know if I had a 2.1 instead of a first, I'd feel that I ought at least to be allowed to apply, if that's what the AHRC rules stipulate.

Why waste peoples time collating materials if they're going to be rejected?
I suspect many other unis do the 1st/2i thing behind closed doors. If you look at the stats v few people with 2is get funding, there's so much competition, so it's not in a Univ interest to put forward candidates with 2is.
Life isn't always 'fair' just as the NHS only has limited money to spread around.

I trust my university (who has years of experience in applying for AHRC funding) to know what is likely to get a good hearing with the panels. I would hope they wouldn't just dismiss 2.1's because of the new quota system, as I would assume that just because you have a first doesn't mean you necessarily have a better research proposal. Having said that, I would guess that most unis discourage people from applying if they don't have a first, and that does seem fair given the likelyhood that anything below a first wont get funding anyway. My uni let me apply with my 2.1, but told me not to hold my breath as the competition is so fierce...doesn't stop me being delusional and hoping I may still get it though

I had a 2.1 and got AHRC funding, but then I also had a Masters with distinction by the time I applied (I self-funded the PhD for the first year and applied during that time) which made up for things a lot.

pamplemousse:

you said, "If you look at the stats v few people with 2is get funding, there's so much competition, so it's not in a Univ interest to put forward candidates with 2is."

i got a 1:1, but could you tell me where you saw those stats? it silly really, although its all beyond me doing anything now, i'm trying to find any information on the process i can! nervous times!

An internal e-mail stipulated that only people with a first in their BA or/and a dist. in their MA could apply. I have a 2:i at BA (0.25% from a 1:1, how annoying), and an MA dist. However, I know two others who have a dist. two points higher than mine, but I have the better BA degree, so I really have no idea how this will pan out.

I'm panel 8. If I'm rejected, I think I'll be relieved that the application stress is over, if a little downhearted.

Also, whilst a 2:i is the minimum, there is obviously a difference between a low-mid-high 2.i, just as there are in other classes. That said, somebody on my MA course received funding when she had a low 2:i. Proposal? References? There is no reason to it. It is worrying that some otherwise good academics are pushed into doing other things as we're all held to ransom by the AHRC.

It's true that the AHRC don't give much funding to those with a 2:1. The only problem with this is that getting a First in 1 university is equivalent to getting a 2.1 even sometimes a high 2.2 in other universities. I have actually heard academics talking about how they might increase numer of Firsts in order to make more successful applications to AHRC. Also giving away more 2.1s/1sts helps in some newspaper league tables (it seems a bit unfair that universities can get discriminated against in league tables for trying to uphold academic standards!! i.e. giving a 2.2 to someone who ought to get a 2.2).

Wanwan,

http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/about/ke/evaluation/vital_statistics.asp

You can view all the "vital stats" for previous years there.

Hope it helps.