With a 1st in Chemistry you should have litle problem finding a place somewhere. But competition in any subject is fierce when it comes to working in established labs with the top people in the field. Getting funding is as much about the supervisor and the research project proposed as it is about the strength of the candidate.

Funding for PhD studentships can be a minefield. If your supervisor does not have a specific studentship from one of the research councils he/she may be looking for funding from alternative sources (such as from departmental funds, a research charity or from an industrial colaboration). You should find out from him/her when he is likely to know if money is available and the chances of getting it. There is no reason why they should not explain the situation to you fully and frankly if they are asking you not to apply anywhere else. You should let them know that you'd like to begin looking elsewhere as a safety-net (you can always turn other offers down).

I think your problem is very similar to the ones faced by students who get stuck with irresponsible supervisors.My advise to you would be to ask that supervisor (sternly)whether or not he/she is ready to provide you with funds.There are several of us stuck with such dillydallying supervisors who expect us to wait forever for their green signal.You can refer to the "supervisor's responsibility and E mail" topic on the PhD forum.

Me again! Just to add that i'm female, and want to do chemical physics/theoretical chemistry. surely they are crying out for people to work in this area? or is that a misconception on my part?

Am I just kidding myself that I might get funding, should i just give up? Is it worth trying to hurry them up a bit...Thanks guys

I graduated last June with a 1st, MSci in Chemistry. At the moment I'm having a year out for medical reasons. I have applied for a PhD last October. Prior to this I did a summer placement, with the same supervisor, the funding being provided on the basis that I ''seriously consider that department for a future PhD''....so far I'm still waiting to hear if I can get funding...I would like to hear yes or no, so that i can make other plans if need be. This is very frustrating.

We're desparate for overseas PhD students and there are some very nice scholarships available. Try http://www.ics.mq.edu.au/research/scholarship.html

I sent about 30 E-mails (Applications Phd ) and only 5 supervisors answer me ( two of them after 5 weeks ) :-)

I have just been offered a PhD and my Highers/A-Levels weren't the greatest..so go for it!!

NED: yeh i have mate thanks. I am just trying to get a conversation going here.

'A' level grades are really just qualifications to get you into University to do your first degree (i.e. your B.Sc). The grade you get here (2:1 or first) determines whether you get on to a postgraduate degree. although some institutions may look at both 'A' level grades and your degree grade it is not really important as your more recent qualifications are a better representation of your academic ability at the time of applying for further study.

I am a Portuguese student and I’m going to finish my degree with a grade of 15/20. To get a PhD here with "15" is very hard.

Realistically speaking, is it possible for me to apply for PhDs in foreign countries? I think I can be as good or even better in doing a PhD in bioinformatics as a student with a 16 or even 17.

I really want to pursue a career in bioinformatics (I finally found what I really like :) but I’d like some pointers to whether it is feasible to get a PhD.

THis happened to me almsot 3 years ago, when I found a place I wanted and they seemed to want me but wouldn't commit, but they didn't want me to look elsewhere either because 'it would look like I wasn't that keen'. However, it fell through and now I can't get one evnthough doing a PhD is all I want to do. This is simply because I have been away from the laboratory for too long because of comapnies not wanting me due to 'lack of experience or a PhD' (but that's another debate entirely!).

WHY NOT ASK THE UNI THAT YOUR INTERESTED IN? YOU'VE GOT NOTHING TO LOSE.

Lets lay it on the line here, how important are A-Levels? and is it fair to judge people by what they may have done 3/4 years previously?