anyone know anything about PhDs and being an academic?

[hatstand]

just wondered if anyone knew how feasible it is to lecture/go into academia without one? I would quite like to do one - but not as a student iyswim. I'd like to be paid to do it! or to kind of by-pass that stage. I have an MPhil - which took two years and includes a substantial research element techincally - though not actucally tbh - equivalent to a year of a PhD. having said that it was 10 years ago and not in teh area I am now interested in, but I guess it kind of establishes some research credentials. I am currently taking a masters in teh area I am interested in - and have worked in that area for 6 odd years, but not at all sure I want to go back to my job. am enjoying studying too much.

I've come to this very late, but I'll just wade in anyway. I agree with Rose, where I work, and have worked, there is no way that "just" having a PhD would be enough for a career appointment, it's published work that counts. Having said that there is some talk of having RAE-invisible staff who would spend their time teaching and organising courses, so I guess that might be a possibility. I'm in a different field from you, but certainly the MRC and BBSRC won't countenance applications for funding from students; studentships are invariably awarded to supervisors or departments to be advertised in open competition. You could look, but I wouldn't have thought that other research councils would be different.

As far as writing grants to research councils goes, I have never seen any mention of a requirement to have a PhD, but you usually have to have a tenured post in a university, which you wouldn't have got without a PhD, and round and round we go

I would agree with Ellbell, that it is best to think about what you might be interested in, approach some potential supervisors, and ask them about sources of funding. Most of my students are on about £15K, which although not fabulous riches is not as bad as undergrad.