Hello.
I am a UK citizen looking for a phD but a bit confused about the funding process. some of the phD's on here say that funding is provided by whatever board. when i apply for the phD do i have to apply for funding to that place or does the university sort it out? my friends seem to think that the university organises but but i want to do a phD at a different university to the one i am currently at so i dont know what happens. I want to do a medicinal chemistry one at nottingham.

thanks
michelle

If it's a funded PhD then the funding will already be in place. Hence, as long as you are eligible for that funding, then you won't have to do anything (other than be the best student applying for that studentship, of course!). Good luck.

as ann says if its there then you dont have to worry about it they sort it out once you have applied- you only have to worry where there may be more projects than funding in which case they may offer if you self fund- but they would tell you that. good luck in applying!

Some projects come specifically with funding attached to them. Others are not immediately-funded but you apply for it through the university. On the application form you are asked how you will fund the PhD. You are then offered options to be considered for departmental funding, university funding, research funding (and other sources including self-funding). At my uni you can apply for dept, uni and RC funding as a series of stages in the hope that you get one of them.

"research-funding" should have been "research council funding"!

Adding to what everyone has already said: If it is not a funded PhD position, you should get in contact with the department you are aiming at immediately. At the same time as you apply for a place as PhD student you should get in touch by phone or mail and ask what you need to do to secure funding. They might ask you to submit something (in addition to what you submit to get the place) and then they will decide on the two independent issues of a) admitting you as a PhD student and b) providing you with funding. Hope that helps.

thanks thats really put my mind at ease :)