======= Date Modified 10 11 2009 21:11:27 =======
======= Date Modified 10 09 2009 21:09:40 =======
Hi

I have recently finished a MSc in water and environmental management. I have started a job with a water company on the wastewater process team. However I am realizing that this is largely on the maintenance side and that long term prospects are management. Although I am interested in management ideally I would like to be on the forefront or the developing side of the industry. Which post privatization looks like it will not be within a water company but external. Hence I am considering doing a Phd. However, I know that from a current career development a Phd would not necessarily help, but if I want to do research it would be a requirement.

Has anyone been in this situation? I am not too sure on the pay scales for a researcher and whether it is a viable career option. It could be the grass is always greener, but it would allow other aspects of career development later e.g. lecturing etc. It could be I end up effectively wasting three years if that can be said, but what are the options post Phd, could I get a research post? I would appreciate some pearls of wisdom.:-)

======= Date Modified 30 Apr 2009 16:29:21 =======
============= Edited by a Moderator =============
Hi, I'm currently doing a PhD in the wastewater side of things.



As far as research is concerned, yes, doing a PhD will help as you won't be able to get Post-Doctoral Research Associate or Research Fellowship positions within academia without one. I think your question really is what path to take. A PhD won't necessarily help you get R&D positions in industry (well it may, but you have an MSc with, I presume, a research element to it so you can always big that up if you apply for positions) and as you probably know it takes between 3-4 years (sometimes more) to do a PhD so you could get a reasonable amount of experience in industry in that time.



If you REALLY want to do research though and like the idea of academia you could either:

a) try and get a Research Assistant position - they are few and far between but you will be eligible with an MSc and pay starts (or did when I started a few years ago) on around £19K



OR

b) apply for Research council funded PhD's (assuming you are a UK resident as that is usually the requirement - I think!) which will give you a yearly stipend for EPSRC of around £12K tax free (different for NERC). In some cases this can be partnered with an industrial sponsor called an INDUSTRIAL CASE Award which will increase your stipend further.



You could also be really cheeky and if you have some ideas for what research you'd like to do, ask the water company if they'd consider applying for a PhD research grant for yourself if you do all the groundwork (i.e. finding potential supervisors, preparing proposals etc).



If you get a PhD and then are lucky enough to get a Post Doc/Research Fellow position you can earn between £26-30k a year (roundabouts). They're not easy to get but sometimes its possible to work on proposals for researching funding at the university you're doing your PhD at - if you can get academics on board to help you out and be the Principle Investigators.



So basically there are plenty of options! maybe have a look on findaphd.com for universities that do Environmental research. Good luck!:-)