Thank you guys for your help! I had no idea it might be like that. It becomes even more difficult...Obviously the supervisor will have the right to put forward more than one candidate and then it is up to the commitee to choose...He helped me greatly to restructure my proposal but then again I don't know...I am going to learn soon I guess.

Anyone knows how the process with scholarships work? I have applied for a fully funded phd project. The university awards several scholarships across disciplines through these projects and there are about 10 for my discipline . I had an interview and I am waiting for the results. However, I emailed the supervisor asking if he has any updates and I got the most peculiar reply saying he doesn't know yet, which is ok bu then said he understands if I am stressed but I should wait because he is stressed too whether his project will get the funding. It is clearly stated at the university site that these are fully funded phds...so I really can't understand what he means. I thought they would only peak the person for each project. If anyone has any idea how these things work I would greatly appreciate any insight on the matter since I am really confused now.

Thank you for your replies because Ι'm psychologically exausted by now...You gave me some hope. Does the supervisor has any impact on the decision or is it only the research committe that decides or as a friend of mine 'the one who has the budget decides'. He is the leading supervisor of a supervisory team of 3 and he helped me to restructure my proposal and everything and I wonder if he has any saying on that...

Hi guys,

How long was it until you heard back from centrally administered studentships? I mean studentships given out by the university and not the department. I have been shortlisted and interviewed last week but no news yet. They said we would know by mid April but I read certain stories here that succesful applicants were informed by their potential supervisors whether they had been picked for the position. What's your stories? I am very hesitant to contact the supervisor asking.

Has anyone heard back from LARS applications? Any succesful applicant from previous years to tell when they had heard back?

The project is funded itself and they are going to chose someone to get a studentship from the university covering fees+14.000 a year to do her/his phd on this project. If it's up to him I am confused because he helped me greatly and then said good luck...which doesn't make much sense...He is the leading supervisor of a supervisory team of 3.

Hi IntoTheSpiral and thank you for your response. I forgot to say this is a funded project and with my proposal I suggested a way to examine it. I have an upper second class and an Msc in Research. So, I guess is not just a matter of academic merit alone...

Hi all,
I would like to ask from succesful applicants or others that might know how things work with Phd funding. I have asked a friend who is a lecturer and he said that unfortuntely the decision is taken by the pople who have the budget. I was lucky enough to find a supervisor that my research interests aligns well with his and I approached him with my research proposal. He liked it a lot and he encouraged me to apply for a funded Phd at his department where he is the leading supervisor, a last minute thing as it was only 3 day until the deadline. He helped me with the restructure of the proposal and I finally applied for a scholarship. I asked after that if possible to tell me about the number of applications just to know my chances. He said he would be able to tell me when he would have all the applications and he replied after a week by a formal email saying I had been shortlisted and he invited me to a skype interview with the supervisory team. It was a really short interview why I want to do a Phd and similar things. I think it went really well. They said that they would send out the papers at the end of March and the university would give out the results in the mid of April. I decided to emal him asking about feedback for the interview he said he couldn't tell me at this point still the process continues and he sent me another mail after a few hours saying that he should have said not to worry, that they have read the paperwork and the university will decide based on the papers. I have read several stories here and I am wondering is the commitee of the university that decides? Does he have any word on that?

Hi, I was wondering whether anyone has come across this. I had applied for a phd post and they had called me for an interview, unfortunatelly I didn't succeed. However, I just saw that they have reposted it, I am pretty sure it is about the same phd, same supervisor but only different wording. I was very surprised and I was wondering whether I should apply again. Yet, I still cannot understand why they reposted the thing. Anyone with similar experience?

I had written the first half of the message but I deleted it by mistake. I don't have the time to write it again. Any questions pm me.

After 2 days I got to another interview and I got that studentship, which I prefered much more because the supervisor is much better. However, I have to say I am really pissed off with Reading and I think taht guy was really offensive. I mean I had written a proposal related to the project in 2 days, they call me for an interview and he asks me what was the dependent variable in my msc dissertation when I have already analysed that????Come on people, this was a set up. I don't doubt the fact that maybe someone much better than me got the thing and probably I was not the best in this case, which to be honest is hard to believe since it would be on my native language which is not English plus having a project which is very related to the one offered,meaning I know really well my stuff. And all this when the second supervisor looks at this watch all the time and he makes me a really silly question. I had seen their PhD students and the 90% of them have been their students before, so I was afraid that something like that would happen. But the degree that this became obvious was really ridiculous and offensive. I have ask for feedback, I am very curious what they will say and I intend to find a way to answer and imply that Dr... had already someone in his mind and I spoiled his plans. Anyway, every bad thing happens for a reason I would never be able to work and cooperate with that man and I am very happy for my new supervisor because she looks really supportive but I thought that this was bad and I didn't expect that to happen in academia. I also discussed that with a very close friend of mine, who is a researcher and a lecturer and she told me that it's obvious they already had someone in mind and that she hates when they do that. So, just for you to know equality is a very relevant term in these cases and it doesn't matter only how well prepared you are. Politics are everywhere. And this was Reading.

Hi Reenie, thank you very much, Yes I have been emailed about the process. They had asked from us to write a proposal on the project (it is a given PhD topic) so they said we are going to be asked about that plus any projects for our bachelor's or master. So, I have reminded myself for both of them and I know inside out what I have proposed to them:) I have read about the department and the supervisor, I am not sure what else I should do. I have seen that in their uni most phd students were their masters students. Well not all of them but many of them. I am wondering now whether it is a priori a lost case and they are going to select a student of theirs. On the other hand, I don't think that's rational and I know that it's mostly my stress speaking. I have posted elsewhere the question but no answer. Any experience /advice on that?

I wish you the best of luck. I did my MSc dissertation in 5 months(recruiting, testing participants and writing up) and I do have a 3 year - old. The last 3 months I had asked my mom for help, meaning coming in the morning and leaving at night. With these terms I made it and I gained a 2:1 for it. It is very hard when you are a parent but do not let panic freeze you. Act sooner than later. xx

I have a PhD interview next week in psychology. I would like to ask whether you think from your experience that in the case that the other candidates are graduates or have done a masters at the university I have applied have a certain advantage over the rest external candidates. I mean do you think that thy will prefer their own students ?