404, thanks for the crossed fingers. unfortunately it didn't work out - the application was not approved.

sorry to hear that shani. Are there any other places you can apply for funding?

404 - thanks for asking... i've turned into kind of a funding expert recently, telling everyone else where they can apply - but for me, it's looking quite bleak. feeling low today. that was my one last big hope.

seeing as all my savings are gone (more than gone, actually) i now need to seriously consider if doing a PhD is worth not just living on a minimum, away from my partner, but also going into deep debt. i soooo love my topic and have given lots for the chance to pursue it... everybody tells me that finding funding with that topic and my past academic record should be a piece of cake... but there's just nothing left that i could give.

well. now is not the time to make any kind of important decisions.

I hope you'll find something shani. As you are doing this full-time it must be really difficult for you to meet the ends. I'm sure you've tried everything discussed on the relevant threads, but there might still be other opportunities. I think it would be worth trying the access to learning fund at your Uni when they start accepting applications again.

Have you considered career development loan?

404, at the moment i think it is either a loan or quitting. i decided early on that i wouldn't do part-time, as i'm 31 already and am doing the PhD in order to try for an academic career, which would be kind of pointless if i get my PhD in 5, 6 years. i can't afford to do it JUST out of interest/as a hobby.
the problem with a loan is: well i have a deeply ingrained aversion against having debts (might be a Swiss thing). i might overcome that though. also - how can i do a PhD on a loan and try for a child at the same time? (see other thread) because i do want a family and i can't risk waiting until i'm finished with my PhD (and hopefully just started a short-term post-doc-sy thing). it just seems wrong... so i am getting the impression i have to chose between academia or family. oh well. i am going back to switzerland in a week for about a month and will talk it over with my partner then. maybe we'll adopt, as juno suggested

Perhaps you should do your PhD in switzerland or ??? As I think to remember that PhD-students there are older and you get paid for a PhD and you are not a real student anymore. This might be better finance wise? They do pay nicely in Switzerland - ach, good old times there

This may have been suggested already, but maybe not: are there any companies or faculties you could apply to, that would sponsor you to do your PhD? I know this would be part-time, and you don't want that, but al least you would be earning a decent wage at the same time. I have known people do it this way.

Of course, this still leaves the issue of finding a company or university willing to sponsor you, but it's not all that unusual. And as it's long term you should be able to fit your potential pregnancies around it (not wishing to reprise the other thread

hey thanks oz and juno, for getting back on this thread!
- well i TRIED to get a PhD position in switzerland. didn't work out though, as there are about two places in all switzerland that would perhaps have been interested in the kind of project i am doing, and they both didn't have any open positions. whereas where i am now, it is the perfect place for my topic, which is why i took the risk of starting without funding.
- hmm... companies... will give it a think. am a bit worried about independence since it is a social science project, where big pharma might be interested but i would kind of prefer coming from the "patients" side, if i'm going to take sides...
btw things are looking a bit brighter now since i just managed to secure a teaching job. now i just need the luck to keep going and i might just find a way! thanks all for your support!