Hi,
I really could do wit some help from clever people:)

I have left my initial PhD after 1 year because a lot of things went really wrong and I felt I had no other option than to leave. Many unfortunate circumstances, none of which were my fault led to this step. This really is a very long story and I'd rather not go into detail but I am now considering applying for another PhD (different institution, different country). Truth is that I like research and I am good at it. The question now is: should I be honest about my initial failed attempt or not?
I would like to be honest but feel it is very hard to explain everything that has happened even though it wasn't my fault that things went wrong (I received very positive feedback on the work I had done although it wasn't enough to transform it into a masters). Especially, saying that it wasn't my fault would raise suspicions that I might be ignorant but it's true and I have support from various people within the institution that could confirm that. On the other hand I really would like to forget all about it and move on and I don't want to bore anyone with all that crap. Of course I am also afraid that I might not get the funding if the faculty would know that I had started and given up a PhD previously.

I'd be interested in hearing from people who have quit a PhD and then started another one. Have you been honest about your previous attempt? What do other people think?

Thanks.

I left a full-time computer science PhD in 1996 after falling long-term ill with a progressive neurological disease.

I started a part-time history PhD in late 2003, and completed it within the 6 years allowed by my uni, including time out for a medical break in the middle.

I was totally honest about having left one PhD. Both positions were funded. On my second funding application I declared the first PhD, and expected to lose some funding as a result. But, perhaps because it was in such a radically different field, I got full funding the second time too.

Hi Colourful,
I also quit a PhD after 1 year, then later started another that I have now almost finished. I too was up front about the first "failed" PhD, and was easily accepted and got full funding the second time. I did have a good academic record from before that, so that might have helped. Usually the first year of a PhD is somewhat "probationary" anyway, it's expected that the drop out rate will be quite high, so there's unlikely to be penalties to you or the university if you leave early on. Just make sure you are certain about this new PhD, I don't know if you get endless chances to try again!

There's nothing wrong with getting out of a situation that's not right for you, and moving on to something else. Yours won't be the first application they've seen from someone who started then left a previous PhD. I don't think you need to explain everything that went wrong in detail, just tell them that it didn't work out for a variety of reasons, maybe give some general examples, but don't dwell on it. Rather emphasise why you want this new PhD, what you like about the topic, etc, and that you are committed to seeing it through. Your previous attempt has also taught you a bit about what you're getting in to with a PhD, and it hasn't put you off, so that's another positive you could mention. And if you can get a good reference from someone at your old institution, that will help you a lot.

Good luck!

Maybe I can offer some words of advice here. I have started, and then withdrawn from (I don't like the word "quit"!) a PhD not once, but twice, at different institutions, in successive years. Both withdrawals were on mental health grounds, but were not taken at all lightly. The first was in 2006, and the second in 2007. I started another PhD last September (2009), and all is going well now. When applying for this one, and also the second one, I was completely honest about the past.

My suggestion is first to be open. I think the fact that you're applying for another one shows that it's something you've thought about, and aren't entering into on a whim. It shows that, despite a setback, you still want to do the PhD, which is a very positive thing. As for explaining what happened, perhaps it's not a good idea to say explicitly "it wasn't my fault", but rather just explain what happened, perhaps concisely when you apply, and then more explicity, if prompted, at an interview. If it wasn't your fault, that should be apparent. I also think it helps, as Elsie says, if you have a good academic record, as this shows that you're unlikely to have left because it was beyond you.

If I was a supervisor looking for potential PhD students, I might even be slightly drawn towards one in your position, as it shows you know what you're getting into, and that you've not made a hasty decision.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on!

Matt

Definitely be honest! I'm coming to the end of the Masters year of a 1+3 PhD which I am leaving- the area of research isn't what I want to be in right now and if I'm honest with myself, I accepted the place because the university is so highly rated. I realised after a few months it wasn't for me and have been honest with the supervisors here and with the supervisors at the university where I will begin a new PhD in September. When I went for interview one of the things that did me a lot of favours was that I was completely honest and up front about my decision and why I had made it. In fact, one of the interviewers told me my willingness to be so honest with everyone involved showed great integrity, a great quality for a scientist. You will have to explain it at interview and if it's anything like mine, it'll take up probably half of the time but be brave, stick by your decisions and believe in yourself and it will work out.

Thank you so much for your replies they were very helpful!
It feels good to know that there are people out there who have had a similar experience. I kind of had decided to be honest about it but your posts made me confident that this is the right thing to do.
I know that I will not have endless chances of doing a PhD but that is not what I want. I just want a second chance. If for whatever reason it didn't work out again then I will accept that this is definitely not for me. I also agree that having had this first negative experience I am much more aware of what I sign up for which in the end makes me a stronger candidate.

Good luck to you all in your endeavours!