Hi, I am currently doing a masters in Marine Biology and want to do a PhD next year. I have applied to a few places and am confident ( i have had experience in a research lab for a year, in my chosen area) i wll at least get interviews.

I am unsure, is it best going with a project which is exactly what you want at a university with a lesser reputation i.e Liverpool over one that is what you want but not exactly at a uni with a better reputation i.e St Andrews?

Thanks

Naturally, it is ALWAYS better to choose the better project rather than the reputation of the university. If you think about it, at the end of the day, you are likely to increase your chances of completion if the project fits your interest. And completion is what it's all about with these high quitting rates.

I'm not sure I'd class Liverpool as having a lesser reputation.....its a very good uni and one of the original red brick ones

INcidentally, Bangor is very good for Marine Biology

Indeed. I've just started my PhD at Liverpool after studying marine bio at Swansea, and doing a Masters at Bangor. Bangor is excellent for marine biological stuff, although very competitive - I think they only take about 3 new PhD students a year. Liverpool is also an excellent university in this field, striving for a 5* status in biological sciences.
But either way, it is certainly very important to go for projects that you think would be interesting and you would enjoy studying for 3 long, hard years! The place is very important too, but perhaps more in terms of how you think you will settle in. You don't want to go to a place you don't like and can't imagine living in for those 3 years. And you should probably aim for institutions with higher reputations, if for nothing other than the knowledge you'll be in good hands.

I think It's better to choose the best project, in particular if it is a multi partners project. My personal rank is Supervisor, Project, University. I'm a marine biologist too but I'm doing a Ph.D. in ecotoxicology. The important things during your Ph.D. are networking and publications. both important for your future.

I think the project is the most important due to the amount of time you have to spend on it, followed closely by your supervisor as you will need their support. When I was looking for a PhD I looked at the supervisors publication record. Good publication record probably means they have a good reputation and within your field I think that is more important an the uni.

project over reputation

I vote supervisor/project over uni too!

HI

I would like to contact Luigi as i am also aspiring to pursue a phd in marine ecotoxicology.Can anyone help me?

Go for the one which you ultimately feel the most comfortable with i.e., consider the project, the people you will work with, the university, the surroundings etc.

Ranking is important, but you're choosing between established universities here, so it shouldn't make much difference. It's not like we're talking Oxford v. Ex-Poly. Also note that Liverpool is a member of the Russell Group and this is being increasingly used to denote the top 20 uni's in the UK (aka the British Ivy League).

IMO, your choice of project, supervisor and university are the most important things (and in that order too).

On a separate note, I know Liverpool very well, and in all honesty it wouldn't particularly be somewhere I'd pick for PhD life. The location and environment of St Andrews would be a big persuasive factor for me.

Liverpool is a good uni, so I don't what the problem is. I advice you should always go for the uni with the project which interest you the most, unless you feel the uni is so bad you're worried it'll affect the integrity of the PhD and if that's the case you shouldn't apply.

it would be nice to think that project was more important than reputation but it just isn't so in reality. Liverpool is good uni anyway. I was told by a very eminent academic to always choose institution over every other consideration. In career enhancing terms, despite the injustice, this advice was spot on. It also depends on your own priorities, if you aren't aggressively ambitious go with project.

The project is very important, but so are facilities. Do they have the computer spec and software you need if you're doing hardcore modelling? In particular, do they have somebody in the Department you can turn to who has knowledge on the process if you get stuck? What is the online journal access like? What about field equipment? And don't take it for granted that the top Universities have all this, my experience is that it is inversely proportional!

I decided to go to St Andrews. After meeting both supervisors, i felt the St Andrews project was better. It is slightly away from my comfort zone, but that's always good right? I will be looking at plants instead of marine species, but he assured me the skills i learn will be completely transferable across both areas. (i am looking at methods of integrating phylogenetic diversity,GIS and trait diversity into allocation of conservation hot spots in the monocots) so i see that this will be a broad area leading to plenty of scope, something that was important to me. Furthermore, this is a CASE partnership with Kew gardens so will be a good experience.

i think its important to take a holistic approach (sorry am writing up my Mres dissertation at the moment) and view the package as a whole rather than as individual points, as after all its the total experience that matters. Like i said i am slightly out of my comfort zone, but met with my Mres supervisor yesterday and he told me i should submit my Mres to Fish Biology Journal, which although not a high impact journal is nice to know somebody who dosent have to may want to read what i have done!