Application Advice

Here is some information and advice for students who are preparing an application for a competitive PhD studentship.

What is a competitive PhD studentship? This means that my collaborators and I advertise the project and select the best candidate(s) from the applications we receive. The project/candidate then go into competition with other projects/candidates, and then the top students are selected and sent offers, usually in late Feb or early March. These offers will include a living stipend, tuition fees, and research funding for the duration of the studentship.

Who is eligible to apply? The funder for the studentships now allow anyone to apply, though for some schemes (e.g. those funded by IAPETUS2) the number of studentships offered to international students can't surpass a certain limit (e.g. 30%). The fellowship schemes will conduct blind assessment of applications by redacting any indication of protected characteristics like sex, race, etc, so citizenship won't matter during the assessment phase, but will be needed for making offers.

Do I need to provide evidence of English language proficiency? If you are a native English speaker (from a recognised English-speaking country, see the list at this link) or if you have studied a previous degree in English in the UK, then it's likely that you do not. If you DO need to provide evidence then I encourage you to take the required tests as soon as possible. This is the main reason that international student applications fail, as this evidence is required when you submit your application, and cannot arrive later. Please see these pages for the requirements: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/ and https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/direct-entry-band-e/ There are a few other types of English Language qualifications for specific countries: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/other-english-language-qualifications/

What does an application require?

For a PhD studentship funded by IAPETUS2:

You need to apply at the IAPETUS2 webpage: https://www.iapetus2.ac.uk/how-to-apply/

All the directions you need are there, There is a template form on the website that you can use to prepare your application in advance and then just paste it in. Don't forget to submit the EDI form as well.

For a PhD studentship funded by DDS (seals project):

Please send me an email (a.j.welch@durham.ac.uk) including a 2-page Cover Letter, CV, evidence of English Language ability (if required), transcripts (unofficial are ok), and two letters of reference. Subsequently, you may also be asked to apply for Postgraduate study at Durham University through the online form. I'll send you more details on that, if necessary.

What advice do you have for preparing my application?

Below is some general advice to help you prepare the strongest full possible. Ideally your application materials will be written to specifically address your fit to the project. In case you only saw the short description of the project on FindAPhD.com or elsewhere, there is a longer version available as a link to a downloadable PDF on my website:

https://sites.google.com/site/andreannajwelch/jointhelab/phd-studentship-opportunities

Cover letter, Supporting Information (Experience) statements, Project Fit statements: The overall goal of these are to explain to the reviewers why you are interested in the project, how your experiences fit, and how completing this PhD project would propel you towards your career goals. Emphasize aspects of your experience that fit the project well, and potentially 'spin' other, less related experiences to show how they gave you qualities useful for this project. In particular, describe any research experiences you have had. Perhaps give a short paragraph that summarises your undergraduate thesis, including your results and the outcomes. Also, think about how you can spin research that's less closely related - did you learn any relevant skills such as how to read scientific papers, plan a project, or think critically about research? If you have worked in a shop then list transferable experiences like organisation, time management, team working, etc, rather than very specific job requirements. You could also highlight anything that demonstrates your future potential as a researcher (e.g. popular science writing, publications, attendance or presentations at scientific meetings, grants for studying or research projects, leadership roles in relevant academic groups) or that would help you stand out from other applicants (e.g. awards you may have won). For the IAPETUS2 scheme you could mention any parts of the training package that you are interesting in or excited about (see here). If the Covid pandemic has influenced your experiences in a relevant way (e.g. if you weren't able to complete planned lab work/training) then feel free to mention that. You might consider mentioning that you are interested in acquiring those skills for the project, what you have done to try to address the missing skills (free online workshops/tutorials/reading papers?), and how they would be useful to your future career. You can also describe any other challenges you've faced. That's a lot to cover, so be sure to stay within the length restrictions noted.

CV: PhD studentships are research focused, so your CV should highlight your research experience, including information about publications (if you have them) or plans for publication (especially if you haven't published yet). For example, you could mention why your work is novel and how it would advance the field. You could also mention lab skills you have as well as computational/bioinformatics skills. Be sure to list any awards and things that you mentioned in your cover letter (people often go to the CV first, before reading the cover letter). Non-academic jobs are less important to list, and if you do list them then highlight what transferable skills you acquired through them (e.g. communication, team work, etc). You can describe any career breaks as well (e.g. maternity leave, caring duties, etc).

Transcripts: Transcripts should show your marks and ideally would provide information on how to interpret them (especially for international institutions which have different schemes than the UK). Informal transcripts are ok, especially if your degree is still in progress. If your transcripts are not in English then it would be best to get them translated, if possible.

Reference letters. Since this is a competitive research studentship, the strongest letters will focus on your strengths and potential as a researcher. They could also discuss the excellence of your grades or marks in relation to others in your cohort or other ways that you stood out (ability to learn new material/skills, inquisitive nature, etc). Letters from people who know you well and that are well respected researchers are best (if possible), such as research project advisors or close collaborators on projects, etc. As a note, it is traditional in some other countries to write letters that reflect applicants strengths, as well as areas where they need improvements. For the purpose of this competitive process, it's better if the letter writers only focus on your strengths.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.