In relation to your last question: I have three supervisors. I see my first informally on a daily basis, and offically once a week for a progress meeting. It was in meetings with my first supervisor that I planned my work.

My second supervisor I only see now and then; I picked her cos she's a chemist (my weak area, she's good for advice). My third supervisor is from our industrial partners: I see him at industrial meetings once a month and he reminds me of my legal obligations to the company (in a nice way, though).

That's true. The academic world is a small one.

Mind you I have experienced this type of thing in industry, but my industry (pharmaceutics) is also a small world. But in industry the real b*stards lose out pretty quickly, cos no-one will do business with them. I agree that it is harder to get rid of bad apples in academia: so many levels of admin to go through when a complaint is made.

Do you think it is more endemic in academia than other work environments though? My experience says not. I think that anti-bullying legislation is already in place, it just needs to be enforced better. I just wonder if we really need an academic-specific anti-bullying law.

I agree with everyone, although in my case I did once join in some moaning about a staff member. But felt guilty ever since, so trying to avoid such scenarios in future. It's very tempting to moan when someone has annoyed you but I suppose there are better ways of dealing with it. Maybe using this forum

Perhaps universities with Biomedical Science departments will be able to help. I would try a search for UK universities and biomedical sciences.

And welcome to the UK

Sylvester, I think you make a good point. It is obviously an awful situation that QT and others find themselves in, but it is not the norm. I wish you all the best of luck, but I do hope you won't give the impression that all academic institutions are this bad. PhD students have a phenomenal amount of support and protection at my institution.

I hope QT and others can make a new start at a friendlier place - they do exist

Is this specific to certain (perhaps the "traditional") institutions? I probably sound naive, but I have really never experienced or even heard about any of this stuff. I have had one horrible colleague, but that's always a risk in any profession.

I would say from my experience at my institution that academics are generous, supportive types.

Industry: now that's a different story. Ugh.

I am very sympathetic: you must be p*ssed off, and quite rightly. But I think all this is covered under EU legislation already. You are unlikely to win sympathy from outsiders by comparing your situation to that of Sarah Payne's parents.

I feel like that in any company - that's why I like using this forum. Much easier.

"Perhaps because there is a perception of a high workload, some PhD students perpetuate it as a badge of honour .. daft people!"

Yes, some do...but equally, some of us genuinely have to work long hours. It's not always down to personal choice. A lab-based PhD usually involves the requirement to produce a certain amount of data within a given time scale, or the funding for next year will not be paid, and to fulfil that obligation, long (more than 1 week) holidays are an impossibility. Sadly.

If it's medical-related, try the Wellcome Trust:

http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/funding/medicalhumanities/hom/index.html

Have you tried going to Format - "Bullets and Numbering", and choosing "Outline Numbered"?

Mine will read the forum over my shoulder and offer his two'penneth. He has so far resisted my exortions to sign up because he thinks it will eat into his time.

I've got those too...must be more common than I thought. So it really works then?

"the scribbles I've been trying to put down are total rubbish and that I'll never get it together in time"

Everything I write starts like that. Somehow it always comes together though. You'll soon learn that you can do more than you think.