Thanks for those comments.

The funding is linked to me, the university and the department so I couldn't just take the funding and run away to another topic (if I got it).

I have decided that I am going to press on with my dissertation. If I find that I am not enjoying it I am just going to be up front with my supervisor and tell her if I am having second thoughts about the PhD. She is really nice and very understanding.

Depending, then, on the outcome of my dissertation (i.e. whether I enjoy it or not and what results I get out of it) and the outcome of the funding application, I will decide whether or not I want to carry on with the topic to PhD.

Thanks again.

Hi there,

I am having a dilemma.

I have created a proposal for a PhD topic with the help or a number of people within my department. This proposal has been submitted to the ESRCs Open Competition.

I have just started doing my MA dissertation on the same topic as my PhD proposal.

Now, however, I am seriously having cold feet about the topic.
It is something that I know very little about as I wasn't taught anything in this area at undergraduate level.
And it is something that I'm just not that excited about now- I don't know if I can spend the next 3 years doing this PhD. Moreoever, once I have finished the PhD, I will be looking for postdocs and I don't know if I want to work in this area for any of my longer term career.

I am worried about jumping ship.

Changing what I want to do would mean changing supervisors and I don't want my current supervisor (who is also my dissertation supervisor) to think that I am whimsical or have a bad impression of me- she keeps saying that she is really excited to be working with me etc. etc..

Also, changing projects would mean that I would still have to do the dissertation into the topic I am doing at the moment, so I won't have that 'foothold' going into my PhD.

This is, of course, assuming that I don't get the ESRC funding.

Any advice will be gratefully received.

Thank you.