I think it totally depends on the project and how the PI likes to run the projects. My PhD is in molecular biology and I have been working on all three data chapters simultaneously over the last 2.5 years and only in 1 is the data collection near completion. For the other two I may as well be back at square one...

Most people in my lab are set up with projects like this, but some have sequential projects whereby the success of one depends on the completion of another, and in that case I think one data chapter should aim to be completed each year, with emphasis on the word 'aim'.

You won't have to wait a year probably. PhD opportunities are available throughout the year and I find a lot are often posted in March and April, so keep looking.

Sorry about that :(

Are you able to ask for any feedback?

Thanks DrCorinne.

The application forms are all asking for details of income and expenditure, and names of other places that I have applied to for funding. I am asking for money for living expenses, so I can't say that it is for travel or any other reason, unless I make stuff up but I don't think I should really do that.

See this thread:

Any ideas?

I love success stories :) Thanks for updating us!

Sounds like you'll be fine. You're already published and your supervisor says your thesis is good, so stop worrying :)

probably not

I'd say not, because with an email they can respond on their time and with a phone call you are forcing them to respond on your time.

If you send a couple of emails and don't get a response then I think it's ok to call, but don't be surprised if you get a frosty reception if they are busy.

Don't think anyone here can comment on those unis.

I seriously doubt they are going to accept people without interview though, unless you come with your own funding and are an international student, in which case welcome aboard!

I don't think many people care about high school in a PhD application.

Stick to why you want the PhD, and the technical and personal attributes you can bring to the project.

Sometimes we forgot but supervisors are humans too. They often just push these ideas around and then forget about them and say something contradictory in the next meeting. Don't read too much into it. As SimonG says, just decide what you want to do for your PhD and then tell your supervisor what you have decided and he should support that.

I don't think you need to include anything if you feel the application has covered everything. I've been taking a class here in the US on applying for grants and that's what they told me. I think the professor said it's only if you want to include recent work from your lab that has been achieved from the previous grant.

Thinking about applying for funding again...

How does it when work when doing budgets in an application when it asks for explanations of other funding sources? For example, say I need $5000.00 and I have $1000.00 in savings, and I am requesting $2000.00 from company A and $2000.00 from company B.

Obviously, if I don't get funding from either company A or B I'm going to be $2000.00 short, but if I also apply to company C to ensure I get enough funding, and everyone gives me the money, I'm going to have $2000.00 extra? Can I state on the applications that I am applying for more than I will need?

Can anyone explain how I should overcome this paradox?