Ghostwritten by David Mitchell is great, most stuff my Allan de Botton, CS Lewis' adult writings, oh and anything by Kipling :)

If you've had eight interviews there's no doubt you must be good enough :) I guess everywhere has different criteria, it's quite possible places you got an interview were amongst those who ignored me!

They vary but if you're not doing a presentation then 15 minutes isn't unusual. If you don't have a direct background they won't try and get technical, it's really just a chance to see if you're serious and whether they want to spend 4 years with you!

I did my honours degree and have been working in a diagnostics lab abroad for nine months since. The last interview I went to was at Dundee, there were ten applicants and I think everyone had some work experience and/or further study. It's not essential but it certainly helps to have done a bit more, whether it's summer work or a year in industry. Friends who went direct to PhD from Uni had all done an industrial year as part of their course.

I think it's a pretty normal response to feeling pressure, neccessity can be the mother of invention, and the mother-of-all confidence crisis. It might help to consider the following:

*It's down on paper but it can always be revised if you're not happy.
*This seems like the biggest deal in the world...it isn't, you'll still be breathing tomorow if it's not perfect.
*Break it up. Don't sit with ten million notes and a vast expanse of blank sheets, that would scare the crap out of anyone. Start by dividing your tasks and only think about the one your doing at that time.

Thanks to everyone :) It looks like I'll have limited time at the next interview (my constraints not theirs), so I guess some direct questions are a good way to go if I don't catch the students.

You have to laugh when the pigeons get the best slogan :)

Ah I see. Hmmm, Food research sounds rather appealing although I can imagine its far less fun than my Homer Simpson fantasy hehe

They certainly do, I still remember watching the blue peter competition to design the first jumper made from Dolly's wool.....which probably makes me both very old and deeply sad, but such is life. Which institute are you based at?

Sorry, just joshing. Its a project on SOCS2, chronic inflammation and growth inhibition.

Don't tell me, you're actually a mole working undercover for Roslin?

I've got an interview there soon. Just weighing up options as I've had an offer elsewhere and still have another interview to go at another place. Rather hope I get this one but I know it'll be competitive.....we shall see! Thanks for the frank input, they didn't specify and I didn't like to push it but it's good to know the score.

This made me think. I work in a lab in Norway with two people who were political refugees from Iran many years back. They're great scientists and are grateful to have a safe home for themselves and their families. I understand that there's a need to be more cautious (ie - stop applying our expertise to directly train the terrorists of tomorow, that was clever), but it's sad to think of what how many worthwhile people we'll exclude in the process.

So true, childhood ability so often levels out later. I swear I got dumber with age instead of the other way round. Far better if we'd all started at the bottom and spent life being pleasantly surprised. As it is I think I peaked at about 11 :S

Thanks for that, it's really helpful :)
Given your insight could I breach all british codes and ask whether the funding is ok for those? Just wondering how practical it is to relocate to Edinburgh on what some schemes offer.