Advertising PhD opportunity - help

[purplepandas]

Hi,

We are encouraged to advertise PhD areas on jobs.ac.uk / find a PhD to look for good students who can then apply for uni or ukri funding. How do people manage this as I have a few emails already, some of whom I know won't work.

I have tried asking for CVs and a sampled of academic work. Whilst I could ask people to start writing a proposal, that seems a bit unfair if I know they won't be strong enough to put forward ( tough competition) or academic focus is incongruent with my area.

I would also like to meet them too.

Tricky balance between being strategic ( putting forward strongest students only) and being a decent human being. Any clever thoughts?

Thanks

I think you need to be straightforward about:
competitiveness
fit

we always ask for a short (no more than 1500 words) research proposal. It gives you an idea about how they think professionally and analytically. Ie not just “I am passionate about the social history of underwater basket weaving because my auntie was an underwater basket weaver” if you see what I mean.

If it’s a Doctoral Training Partnership/ UKRI funded studentships they need to know how competitive these are. In my field, applicants need a First plus at the very least a Merit in their Masters.

But (sorry am on phone) if it’s a PhD for a funded research project then IME in the Humanities at any rate, applicants can be thin on the ground. Humanities students tend to have slightly ego-driven, I must do MY project not part of someone else’s. When actually doing a PhD as part of a bigger research project brings huge advantages!

Advertise it like a job - person spec, cv, cover letter. Then do a zoom call with any plausible applicants. For implausible ones, I try to redirect them to other colleagues who might support their topic.

I do exactly as parietal does

I wouldn’t ask them to 1500 words any more as it’ll be 100% chatgpt. This is guaranteed

ask likely candidates to read a paper you send them and in the zoom call ask them about thr techniques used and to interpret graphs. This is HUGELY revealing (if STEM)

Thank you. I def need to do more as more emails coming in. I will send a halt for now email and then figure out more of an interview type situation. Good call. I know how to do it officially but this bit I struggle with as unofficial! Cheers.

Good call re paper.

I agree about competitiveness too. I have said this explicitly but am not sure this has been heard.

Every year I try to warn our masters students wrt how very competitive funding PhD is. And every year they just don't seem to really grasp the 'very' part.

Great idea @bge OK if I plagiarise it?

I’ve found when I’m recruiting Postdocs or PhD students it’s worth the time to do an informal Zoom chat (20 minutes at most) with likely candidates because you’ve got to work closely with them for 4 years. it can help you select.

Of course, I phrase my email responses to the ones who don’t fit or won’t be competitive to preclude the offer of a Zoom chat! It would be a waste of time for you.

Thanks all. I think you are right re a multi stage approach. I find this way of finding a student way trickier, I would much prefer an official procedure. Going to take stock and be more strategic. Really appreciate the wisdom and yes to 20 min meetings!