Hi all,

I have a friend who is doing her MSc research degree at a university. She likes her project and she really wants to do a PhD afterwards.

However, she doesn't know if she wants to carry on this research project for PhD after MSc this year, as what she is doing now is following the protocol (the techniques are well-established). She worries this won't be a proper PhD training if she carry on this project for PhD.

Do you guys think she should stay or leave to start a new project elsewhere?

It depends on personality I think. I am the risky kind, so I would leave. I am always escaping the well-established to try out the new and uncommon things. If your friend is sure about herself she should leave and if she feels unsecure a bit she should stay but have in mind that there are other ways of working.

I think it dependent on the scope of the project and if there is enough scope in the project to continue up to PhD level. At PhD level you need to make some original contribution to research, be that by creating something new, or applying something exisiting in a different way (there are loads of ways to make an original contriution). This is something that your friend should really discuss with her current/potential supervisors, as they may have some ideas on where to take the project. The other thing to consider is how challenging the project is and whether staying at the same institute is just an easy option? A PhD is three years hard work and has to be at the right uni and it needs to be the right project. Sometimes staying at your current uni is easy, but your friend may benefit from changing uni's in the long run. Hope this is of some help!

My undergraduate supervisor said he would love to give me a project, but he wouldn't because he thought it was very important to work with different people in different working environments to gain the most experience. So, unless the place is really good then I'd say moving is the best option at this stage.

Thanks guys !!

Sometimes it's hard for her to make a decision as changing to a new work environment could be worse than what she gets now. Do you guys think it's better for her to carry on the project to a PhD level as she doesn't have to set up anything again in a new lab OR

Start it all over again with a new project?