DD on the reserve list for a funded PHD

[needastrongoneagain]

Hi there.

DD was received an email today following her panel interview for a funded PHD placement to say she's on the reserve list and there's a good chance she'll still receive funding.

She's devastated but I'm hopeful as that seems quite a positive thing to suggest.

She'll get another update in a month but I wondered if anyone had any experience? I appreciate its niche!

'Has

My aged eyesight is awful and I'm tired after a long week!

I know this is hard to hear and I am sorry for your DD, OP. But usually the first round of funded offers go to the candidates keenly sought everywhere. Unless DD’s programme is absolute tops in the UK, a good proportion of offer holders are likely to decline. (This happens in my School, and we are in the very competitive tier just below the absolute top). The email was being as realistic as possible and IMO it works out (in STEM at least) much more often than not. But no one can promise.

When I got my PhD I received two fine offers when the job cycle opened. My dream job was on a certain funding stream at a world top 5 uni for my specialism. About 10 days into the job cycle the Head of Department rang me to say that he was expecting the next rejection on this funding stream at any moment and I was next on the list: was I interested and able to stand by? That’s just how it works. (I stood by and got the job.)

This is the same thing. No reason to be devastated and later on no one will know or care. But keep other options open!

Thank you for your considered reply. Having never gotten to PHD level, this is not an area I'm familiar with or able to give realistic advice. So it's good to have some perspective from those more experienced.

In academia, anything that is not a flat NO is good news. You have to have a thick skin because there are a LOT of rejections in this game. But she is still on the waitlist so that is good.

Agree with poetryandwine. It is a case of sitting tight. Offers go initially to top applicants. They sit on them till they get a better offer. But this better offer may be initially made to an even more brilliant student. In DS’s subject there was a huge amount of movement on the last day.

DS had a good offer from a UK university and a less good one from a US University. (They were offering funding for the second and subsequent years but not the first.) He was holding out for full funding. Finally I think the UK University phoned the US one and asked them if they could make up their minds. DS was offered full funding, and able to release his UK place which was then offered to someone else. One friend was quite far down a waitlist, and assumed he was bound somewhere else, when much to his surprise on deadline day he got the offer he wanted.

A reserve place, and encouragement is good. Is there a deadline day? (US Universities seemed to have one in DS’ subject.) She might ask again closer to then.

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You could also ask where she is on the waiting list (it’ll be ranked) and how far down the list they usually go. The absolute top students will have usually applied to multiple places and will have received multiple offers so there will be movement, it’s just a case of whether she’s in a position to benefit from it.

Good luck!

What funder and discipline is it?

It depends on the funder and the funding stream. Some funders will not allow people to apply for the same funding stream at different universities or different university consortia, so the only way places can become available is if someone who has received funding declines it to accept funding from a different funder / funding stream or accepts a place abroad. Consequently, few people decline and few people can get in from the waitlist. Other funders do not have the same restrictions.

If eventually successful, make sure she knows exactly how long funding will cover for so she can figure out if she may need to self fund when it comes to writing up (as if a typical 3 or 3.5 years, this may not be long enough).

Thank you for the further replies and advice. Again, much appreciated.

The email doesn't specify where DD is placed on the reserve list, but she will ask on Monday.

The deadline date is 3 April, so a month potentially to wait.

It's a niche area (anthropology). 3 years.

This doesn't mean anything to me, but funding stream NERC ACCE DTP (I hope that is correct, as it means nothing to me, and may look like a predictive text meltdown!).

So, a waiting game it may be, and a chat with her tutor on Monday.

Dh was in that position 25 years ago. Especially amusing was that it was between him and another student, who only decided to go for their DPhil because they hadn't got in to do Primary PGCE that year, which was what they wanted to do!

He was first on the waiting list, so when a similar one came up, he was invited to apply for that. It wasn't exactly what he wanted, but pretty close, and had the added advantage that it was medical research so better funded (by about 1/3). He got that, and I think there was another that he could have gone for if that hadn't happened.

Tell her to hang in and keep her fingers crossed.

I got onto my funded PhD place after being on the reserve list too.
It isn't nice waiting, but it does work out!

A DTP is a multi-university arrangement where students from a range of disciplines receive research council funding for 3 years of the PhD (fourth year is generally unfunded as no fees are charged). In my experience of doing DTP rankings (in a different field altogether) if she is in the top ten of the waiting list I would think she would be in a good position. The person she probably needs to speak to is the director of graduate studies in anthropology, her tutor will probably not have that information yet.

It is right! NERC is the research council (funder of the phd) and DTP stands for doctoral training partnership.

Wasn't sure on ACCE till I googled - it's for phds focused on adapting to the challenge of a changing environment. Sounds very niche for anthropology but good to see some interdisciplinarity so hope it works out!

I have some knowledge of the NERC DTPs (there are several in various University partnerships in the UK) and there is a universal acceptance date (set by NERC themselves as the funder), which is 31st March and is designed so that candidates do not have to accept any PhD offer before this date. Potentially some candidates may have several offers to choose from at this time. Appreciate that doesn’t necessarily help those on the reserve list though. However, candidates do accept (and decline) offers before that date so it might be the case that your DD hears back again before April. Good luck!

Hello all.

A positive update!

DD has been offered her placement.

We've had a rough year, so I'm so pleased that we've (and most importantly she) has had such a swift and positive outcome.

Thank you all for your experience and time.

Congratulations to your DD! It’ll be really helpful to have the support of the DTP along with the guaranteed funding.

Great news.

Can I ask if your DD has gone straight from undergrad to PhD (or has she worked/done masters)? Asking for DD who studies a different social science and would be interested in a PhD when she graduates.

Not the OP obviously but if you can get funded for a 1 + 3 where you do the masters as part of your funded time, that's a great idea.
I found the MSc helped me to make the transition to researcher, and it was a bit gentler than if I had plunged straight into PhD but having said that, some institutions include a lot of training for PhD students and give written assignments etc, so it maybe depends on where she goes.

Thanks, both.

@SandyIrvin she's currently doing her Masters at present straight from her degree. She hasn't strayed from academia at all thus far but it's really all she has ever wanted to do.

@needastrongoneagain: Excellent that's her on the way to an academic career then. One of DDs flatmates studies social anthropology. It seems really interesting and wide reaching (flatmate is always enthusiastic when you ask her about her course).

@SuperLoudPoppingAction:1+3 funding would be ideal but DD thinks scarce (only going to the truly outstanding). Cost of masters have risen substantially recently so DD needs to think carefully. I suspect she will work for a bit and come back to do a PhD later.

Thank you.

I was incorrect, funding is for 3.5 years and the placement for 4, but she will be at home for the duration (or as long as we can both mutually tolerate!) and will commute, to keep costs down. Her placement is commutable, obviously!

Wonderful news. Congratulations to your DD!

Well done her!