Does anyone know the rules on doing a second funded PhD? I know it isn't possible to do a second funded MSc but I've just finished my PhD and with such a shortage of post doc jobs etc and lots of other interesting funded PhD positions I wondered what the rules are on doing a second PhD?

Any advice greatly received!

I have some good advice........get a job!

Yes thankyou! That's a bit obvious! I already have a teaching job in a college but I enjoy Science and wondered what the rules are on doing a second PhD.

wow.......even if I finished my phd but didnt have a job, I would not do a second phd :-) :-) :-)

I honestly havent heard any rules about this; surely its up to you, am I right?
Imagine, when you finish, you become Dr. Dr. Cm30

love
satchi

oh wait a minute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just remembered someone who has TWO phds!!!!
I think his name is Dr Art Ong JumSai; this person is from Thailand, a physicist, he once worked with NASA as well.

And then he made another phd for Education because he was INTO education but he did not have an education qualification.
I think he made this Education PhD in just one year.

OK OK you can do it too
love
satchi

Hey Cm30. I have met people doing 2nd PhDs, but I find it a bit pointless. With a PhD, you prove to academia that you can carry out a serious academic research from start to finish. Once you do that, you don't need to prove it again. Why not just do postdoctoral research or fellowships to continue with your career if you'd like to remain in research field?

If you want to pursue a completely different subject, then that might be different matter.

Yes, Sorry, I forgot to say that in my original post. I do want to do something in a slightly different area.....I would love to eventually get a job involved in ecology or conservation and so I thought doing a PhD in this area would help as my PhD is in microbiology. I have been looking for post doc positions in research but there are literally hundreds of people going for each post at the moment due to lack of jobs and funding so I thought it might be an option to do another PhD.

Ha ha! Thanks Satchi! You never know....once you've finished your PhD you may well want to do a second! :) I think it's normal to feel like your PhD is never going to end whilst your in the midst of it but somehow it all comes together in the end!

If you want to switch to ecology or conservation I would have thought a better option might be to do a Masters degree in one of those subjects. You'd still have the PhD to back you up, and boost your future employment prospects, while gaining the skills in the new area you want to work in.

well, someone I know was funded by a UK university abroad and finished that PhD two years ago. He straight-away started doing a postdoc in Singapore so he moved there. Then he changed his mind and started a 2nd PhD at another UK university this time in the UK. Both PhDs were funded, but I'm not sure if by same bodies. Then I don't know how how he managed but he started doing another postdoc abroad, packed the 2nd PhD totally. It's bit irresponsible thing to do, but my point is I think you can get 2nd-time funding, unless new legislation was introduced recently.

(but I agree with BilboBaggins)

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Hi Cm30,

Firstly, congrats on finishing your PhD. I hope you stay on this forum and advise us how to follow suit :p

I suppose the fact that you're working already is a positive, as I reckon it'd be difficult to obtain a 2nd funded PhD if they thought you had a fear of jobs! I really can't say what the rules are, certainly like the others have said, it's been done before.
However, I'd question whether I'm ready to commit myself to another 3 years to a subject I may not enjoy. Maybe you could look into doing a short course in that subject before seeing if it'll be worth undertaking as a PhD.

All the best,
CB

Well I don't know what the rules are about doing another PhD but I don't think you are crazy for thinking about it! I am enjoying mine that much that I have often thought I could happily go on doing PhD projects until I retire (except for the crap pay and lack of progression, which would mean that I could never retire!). I know lots of people in Psychology are doing their PhD to get onto the practitioner doctorate and so will have two doctorates, but that's a slightly different sitation really. Well I agree that it would be much better to get a post-doc really, can you not devise your own project with someone at a suitable uni and apply for funding for it that way? I know the funding thing is really tough at the moment but that's what I'm gonna try to do! Good luck with it all! KB

Thanks for all the advice, all good stuff! :)

I Know a few people who went for regular Graduate jobs after PhD with about 8k salary bonuses. Why can't you?. Doing 2nd PhD just as a job is nice especially if you want to extend the knowledge already gained in 1st, may be just my thought!