Academic MNetters please help, approached a potential PhD supervisor but messed it up

[WellIdidthatwrong]

Ugh I am so annoyed with myself! I emailed someone in department X, after seeing that they have an award for a sort of niche area for PhD. The bit I am interested in is that, this award makes it possible to do doctoral study in this area coming from a different first degree background.

My first degree is not in the area (but my second one is...) but this uni are generally quite tough about your first degree matching the field.

Anyway, the person I emailed seemed to think I was asking about the award funding and said it's not available. It has of course already been allocated, I knew this.

How do I reply and make it clear it was less the award itself I am asking about, and more the potential to apply for the PhD programme despite my first degree?

I don't want to be annoying, they were briskly apologetic for the delay to my email saying they are very busy and things are hectic.

How would you word it? Or should I take it as a brush off?

I struggle with confidence, please help me not make an annoying tit of myself.

There may be funding available, but it's 2 years until I get my MSc as i'm doing it part time. Surely it's not going to cost me £70k?
Not necessarily, but it's costly nonetheless. I'm ESRC funded which covers around £15000 maintenance (37hr study a week), £4500 tuition fees and £750 yearly research costs. So for a 3 year PhD (often ends up being 4) that adds up to just over £60 000 for the duration of the study.

Social sciences are less competitive than some STEMs though, so I wouldn't write off the chance of getting funding yet!

@Pukkatea From my hiring experiences in science-oriented business, "further research experience" really means "we don't want someone fresh from a PhD because they're often highly specialised, extremely poorly adapted to how commercial research works and they need to be re-socialised (preferably by someone else) first". Of course we would take on new PhDs for many positions, but more managery roles would need that extra time and experience.

@pukkatea yeah on the extra experience. I had two years working in industry before my PhD which definitely helped. My job has ended more specialised than my PhD and I had 6-12 months as a trainee.

To the question about costs, a typical grant for a science PhD is ~£80k a big bulk of that is the stipend which are now in the region of £14-15k a year. When I was applying for my PhD I had to prove to the department that I was in a position to support myself during the PhD to be allowed on the program. I was funded so I just needed to give them that. In science phds there are often opportunities to earn money through demonstrating/teaching undergraduate practical sessions. In science subjects they are cautious about people solely funding their PhD by working alongside because of the toll that can take. On a typical week I worked on my PhD at least 40 hours, in the run up to report deadlines and in my final year it was more like 60 sometimes 70h a week. To have a job alongside that would have been crippling. I don't know how the hours compare in humanities or social sciences but be prepared to show you have an income source not reliant on you working/savings should you need to drop the number of hours you can work etc.