Hi
I have been told by the Open University that my MSc Psychology is not ESRC recognised but the MSc Psychological Research Methods is. I have also been told by another study colleague that if I complete the PG Dip. in Psychological Research Methods, it will look good for ESRC recognition, together with my MSc. I already have the one research module, I have to add an advanced statistics and another research module. Is it worth doing this? Has anyone actually achieved ESRC funding without the extra research modules or a recognised ESRC MSc? My Prof. wants to apply for a CASE studentship for next year but I need to know if I ought to help the application along. I don't want to do them but am willing to if it will help me find funding. I am self-funded this year. Thanks.

I don't have a recognised Masters or equivalent training and was basically told I didn't have a hope of getting funding. I got a very high distinction in my Masters (taught, not research), but it wasn't enough to be considered - I'm now self-funded.

It's annoying because the research methods covered at my institution are very statistical, which doesn't apply to the types of research I cover so I wouldn't have used them anyway.

Yes, I know, it is annoying. Part of my MSc, 60 credits in fact was research methods. I also have 20 credits from another PG Dip I did at masters level. I don't mind doing the advanced stats. as I know I need it as my project has heavy statistics involved. In fact, I already have the stats book to study myself. But, it is another £500 I can't afford and then another £500 in May and then, it might not even get me funding. I only have today left to decide, they are already keep a place open especially for me. I actually feel like staying self-funded, even if it means working night shift somewhere, at least there are no strings attached

for ESRC you have to have a recognised MSc in research methods and you cannot get it without. But other funding bodies are not so strict. Could you apply to another funding body for a studentship? what do your supervisors think your chances of getting the studentship are? it might be worth doing the research methods to get the money so you don't have to work later in your PhD.

My supervisor thinks the chances of me getting the funding are very good. If I just did the two RM modules and had them together with my MSc, in other words, had a PG Dip. in Res Methods plus my MSc, do you think they would look favourably on that?

hm, it's always a gamble with those funding applications! a lot of work, and often no results. if you are going to invest money, too, that would be really scary for me.
is there not any possibility to take those modules at your current university? that would count, no? then it would be free. moneywise, anyway. you'd still have to study and take the exams, but you'd learn something, too.
on the side, my supervisor is always telling me she thinks i have good chances. but it usually didn't work out anyway. she ended up "confessing" that applying for funding is like throwing a ball of paper over your head into a bin behind you. you do get better at it, but it is till to a large extent pure luck.

The problem with the ESRC is they have cut their funding so much recently - think there are around half the opportunities there used to be (although I heard the other day they've increasef the stipend from 12k to 15k annually). I know so many good people with the research Masters who weren't accepted. I did think about doing extra units, or even trying to do another Masters, but - like you were saying about not wanting strings attached - I decided to self fund and concentrate on the PhD. There was no guarantee of funding that I decided to self-fund (have a PT job on the side to pay the mortgage)