Hello all,
I a currently a Master's student, intent on doing a phd in september 2013. I would like to know if I am right in being so upset about not having secured esrc funding. It was my main goal and having failed to achieve it, I feel like I am not that 'smart' (since only the best students get it). Will getting funding from an institution make me less 'appealing' to potential interviewers? Basically, how bad is it to not get research council funding? It seems like most of the phd students I know have it, making me feel even more stupid. :(


Sorry for the rant. I can't stop feeling awful since receiving the dreadful email informing me that I did not secure it. :( I suddenly feel less competitive and talented.

Hi satc2013,
I don't think it is very important if your funding is a university scholarship or research council funding. What is most important is that you secured funding as any type of funding is hard to come by. So many congratulations!! Don't feel bad, as you are actually very lucky!

I must admit, I've not come across that many people with research council funding but it's certainly not a rarity. It seems to be just as many or even more PhDs are funded by other sources (e.g., your college/university/department, overseas governments, national charties etc.). I've also met a fair few people who pay to do PhDs (maybe with loans, family donations, inheritance etc.). There doesn't really seem to be any snobbery about who pays for your PhD, as far as I've experienced. What's more important is the work you do with your PhD! That is what gets you noticed.

Personally, I would recommend that you only do the PhD if you have been offered financial support. And you have! Otherwise, it's a huge financial gamble. Ultimately, it's a lot of hard work (and fun!) and the career prospects for many recent PhD graduates are often quite precarious - regardless of what scholarship scheme you were on.

Some of the best PhD thesis did not get funding. If memory serves, I read about Paul Willis who wrote Learning to Labour working at three different universities and a part-time job to fund his studies.

I guess this is also depends on which discipline you are in, funding in the arts is ultra, ultra competitive.

At the end of the day, if you finish your PhD and have 'excellent' publications, no one will care.