Hi all,

I am very confused at the minute and could use some advice from people who have been through it.

I am trying to get a funded PhD in robotics, in particular I am interested in co-operative robotics and robotics as systems. I want to do a PhD because I want to be research cutting edge stuff and contributing to the field and think I would also like to teach one day. Problem is I am struggling to find suitable PhDs. I thought I found one but my funding was rejected. There seems to be very little research of this nature in the UK. I would consider moving abroad but I have a serious girlfriend here who will to some extent be following me so I need to find somewhere that she could work as well.

On the other side I could go back to the company where I was on placement. They are an excellent company to work for but the job isnt quite what I want to do (it is more customer support that R&D). The upside is that they are very supportive and may get time to work on some of my own stuff to try and keep in touch with the robotics world. It is also much more suitable for my personal life. Money, nice area, not far for my girlfriend to move.

So I guess my dilemma is, does a PhD offer you much more professionally for R&D jobs (and ideally lecturing but think I know the answer to that) that it is worth putting as a higher priority now. I would be very interested to hear some opinions.

Thanks,

James

mmm personally I'd say that if you want to do cutting-edge research along with lecturing, the phd is essential. Of course you acan always try going to the company you did placement for, but it's unlikely you'll get much time to work on your own stuff in 'work hours' so I'd imagine you would be putting an a lot of extra time. For teaching, you can try getting onto some classes in the tech, a formal teaching qualification isn't required there, but to teach in a uni, you'll almost always need a phd (in fact i think it's pretty essential, but I could be wrong...). I'd say go for the phd if it's what you really want to do, although it could take a while finding the right one. Don't take one that you aren't really interested in, although one that is very similar to what you want to do could be an option if it's your only hope. It's great if your girlfriend is able to move with you, you need to decide between you if a long distance relationship is something you'd consider, it is do-able, although very difficult at times, and it's a great motivator for getting the thing finished on time!
but ultimately, it's entirely your choice as only you know how you really feel about things. One important thing though, you can always do a phd, there is no rush to get one now, so take your time and think it over fully.

Hi James

I think it does depend on the field, in a lot of science it can be hard to progress beyond a certain point without a phd to your name, but there are industries where practical experience is more valued. Do you know anyone working in robotics R&D who could talk to you about this? Even looking up companies you're interested in and taking a look at their staff pages might help (How many staff have phd after their name? What do the company request in terms of qualifications when recruiting?).

If it's really academia you're interested in then I'd imagine a phd is fairly essential. If funding is really a nightmare it might be worth teaming up with an academic who'd supervise you and approaching companies to see if they want anything researched, they will sometimes fund students for a targeted project (although beware the IP and publishing restrictions).

I take it that your old company doesn't have an R&D department you could move into?

Hi,

Thanks for your responses, its really useful to get some other views on it!

I certainly like the idea of perhaps not doing it straight away but have a couple of years to mull it over and keep my eyes on the industry and see how much I will benefit from it. I guess it makes more sense then that I am not driven by time to find one and can afford to be choosy then!

James

I work in R&D in pharma and intend to do a PhD this year. After discussion with potential supervisors they have made it very clear that they consider industrial experience a big advantage in terms of having well developed skill in time and project management and in carrying out and documenting research in a systematic manner. My prospective supervisor sees me as less of a risk than a new grad as I have an established track record of industry R&D.

It has also helps that I can contribute my applied knowledge in terms of teaching.

So i don't think it is an either/or.... a couple of years in industry could make you a stronger candidate and give you a chance to save a few pennies.