Good question, Ratty. My BSc is in Pharmacology, and I was about to start a PhD in spinal cord neurophysiology in September. Howev,erI was ill over summer (long term, but flared up) and so I'm now having to temp for a year with a well known telecommunications and entertainment company. It's dire, and am waiting for September to come around again, although I have no guarantee of getting a studentship this time around. I'm looking for something in the neuropharmacology or immunology area. Fingers crossed eh...

I was going to be looking at glutamate receptor trafficking and synaptic plasticity in the spinal cord in response to neural injury. But then I got ill over the summer and couldn't start.

Hey Katq, where are you, and what sort of pain work are you doing? Suonds similar to what I was meant to do.

Hey Whips. I'm in exactly the same situtation for the second year running. Last year I was offered a PhD in January, but turned it down. I then got worried about whether there'd be any more advertised. However, it seems that there is are even more PhDs advertised later on - I got one in April, although ended up not not doing that either.

So, two main points...

1. There are certainly a lot more PhDs to be advertised. I have a few friends doing PhDs, and none of them had got theirs sorted by this point in the year.

2. The above doesn't mean, however, that you'll find one you like more than what's currently on offer. That's the hard part - I guess it's a bit like playing blackjack - stick with an offer, or twist?

Meant to be Sheffield. As a result of being ill over summer, I'm temping. Ugh, dirty dirty.

I'd say that it's hard to know what you'll get before you start, even if you get the chance to talk to the supervisor's current students. Personally, I'd like one who gives a good amount of guidance at the start, but leaves off later on. Still, strikes me as pot luck somewhat.

Actually, I just remembered a group who does EM work. Not sure what type, ior if it's relevant, but they're in Sheffield, at the (proper) University's Molecular Biol and Biochem Dept. They're called Prof Neil Hunter and Prof Per Bullough. I had some lectures off Prof Hunter - their work, I think, is in membrane proteins involved in photosynthesis, but I have heard that they're very well known in their area, and he seemed like a really enthusiastic guy.

Probably not much help, but hey..

Ratty, is it that you want to do research which INVOLVES SEM, and if so, does the application matter as much as the techniques?

Or...

Is it the case that you want to do research on the application and uses of SEM, with the research focused on SEM rather than using it incidentally?

Oh, and Ratty, what kind of microscopy? Bit more detail please...

True to an extent, Apollo, but you there's giving up in the sense of capitulating, and giving up in the sense of stopping doing something you don't like, in order to do something which is better for everyone concerned. If Churchill has done something stupid in the war, would he have done it again, just to avoid "giving up"? I don't think so.

cont...

Of course, there exists an nice spectrum in between these two poles, but if you get the wrong one for what you want, it can be a big problem. I'm sure you wouldn't be the first person to quit a PhD because of something like this.

As for finding a new project - I can't see that you'd have much of a problem at all. I'm sure most supervisors realise that not all students get on with their supervisors, and as long as you're honest about it, you'd have a good chance I'm sure. Having said that, if you leave and then apply for a project with someone who collaborates with your current supervisor, you may have a problem...

Hey Ratty, sorry to hear things aren't working out as you'd like...

I've heard that there are two opposite types of supervisor. One type will let you get on with it, be quite hands-off, and give you freedom to do your own thing. Sometimes, this type of supervisor will be hard to get any help off, sometimes they'll be approachable and offer help if needed.

The other type is the one you appear to have. This one will treat you like a research assistant, delegate lots of work to you, tell you what to do, and give you little room for your own ideas. Of course, this one will probably leave you in less doubt as to the way to go, but unfortunately the way to go will usually be his idea, regardless of what you think.

Kinda...

I bloody hate bloody January.

Hmm. I have no experience of UCL, but I'd suggest that you see if you can get something from UCL's hardship fund. There will be such a fund, the only difficulty may be getting hold of someone over Christmas. What about asking your supervisor what you can do? I guess that depends no what kind of a relationship you have with him/her/them.

Alternatively, could you get in touch with the funding body? If you're in London, three's a good chance that they may have offices there. Could you visit them in person?