User talk:GDUFFY95

Doctor of philosophy (PhD)
GDUFFY95 (talk) 14:25, 19 October 2016 (UTC)

What is a PhD?

A PhD is a ‘Doctor of philosophy’ and is the highest level of education an individual can achieve. To secure a PhD, a student typically must have a Honours bachelor degree although some PhD projects require a master’s degree. A PhD can take up to three/four years for completion and conferring of doctoral title. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.203.5.187 (talk) 18:16, 23 October 2016 (UTC) 84.203.5.187 (talk) 18:19, 23 October 2016 (UTC)Gavin

Finding a PhD project and Potential Supervisor
Finding a PhD suited for you is a difficult pursuit. One must critically analyse an area for which she/he have a particular interest and passion for. Once this has been established, then research into the current work in that area can begin. It may be a good idea to identify universities or professors who have current projects running in the field you wish to study. Additionally, many PhD projects are now advertised on websites such as www.findaphd.com. In certain cases, a lot of advertised PhD projects may not be of interested. If this is the case, you may need to pin point principal investigators in this area and propose a project. A project proposal should outline what question you want to answer, what techniques you suggest to use, outline if your proposal is based on previous work and should portray your passion in this field to the potential supervisor. It is important to note that this research proposal is not set in stone.

84.203.5.187 (talk) 18:21, 23 October 2016 (UTC)Gavin

The Interview Process
A PhD Interview Most PhD applications require an interview. The interviews are an opportunity for the supervisor to get to know you and to discuss the project in more detail. These interviews can be formal or informal, but in each case the purpose is to understand you, your experience, your achievements and most importantly if you have the determination to complete a PhD.

Most formal interviews will involve a panel consisting of the principal investigator and co-investigator, a representative of the university and a member of the funding body. It is hard to predict the length of the interview but one must be prepared. It is key to: •	Read about the investigators work – The investigators detail will undoubtedly be brought up for discussion and as the applicant you should be able to reference the work. This will highlight that you have researched and are serious about the project. •	Know about the university – As a representative of the university will be present it would be relevant to familiarise yourself with the institute and why you want to join it. •	Be familiar with the funding organisation – The organisation need to say that the money they would be investing into this project and into you will not be wasted. •	Portray passion and determination – A PhD can be a bumpy road thus the panel need to know you have the drive and passion that will push you through some tough times during the course of the project.

The panel may like to see previous research experience such as an undergraduate thesis or a master’s thesis. However, Dr. Jeremy Simpson of University College Dublin suggests that if an applicant is to bring a thesis they should only reference it when appropriate and relevant. 84.203.5.187 (talk) 18:23, 23 October 2016 (UTC)Gavin

Doctor of philosophy (PhD)
GDUFFY95 (talk) 14:25, 19 October 2016 (UTC)

Funding a PhD In the UK, a PhD can cost as much as £3,000-£6,000 for national students and as much as £18,000 for international students. In the US, it can be even higher ranging between $28,000 to $40,000 (€25,000 to €37,000) annually. At the other end of the spectrum, Germany have no tuition fees for their PhD students other than semester contributions of about €150 - €200. In Ireland, University College Dublin charges approximately €8,000 for EU students and approximately €13,000 for International students. Trinity College Dublin has a similar fee structure Fees. It’s obvious that these prices are not the most pocket friendly and therefore relatively few PhD students are self-funded.

Funding is available in several forms through several research councils across the globe. For e.g., The European Research Council (ERC) facilitates research originating from countries within the EU, giving an additional option of funding to the pre-existing national-level funding. The ERC provides three core funding schemes for PhD researchers, the amounts of which are based on the experience of the researcher and cover funding for 5 years (€1.5 million for researchers with 2-7 years of experience, €2 million for researchers with 7-12 years of experience and €2.5 million for researchers with >12 years of experience and an exemplary track record). In the UK funding is available through seven designated research councils, subsets of the Research Councils UK, each of which is focussed on a specific academic interest, They are the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC), the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Science and technology Facilities Council (STFC). Funding is also available from several organizations and charities such as Cancer Research UK, the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) etc.

The Irish Research Council is the designated research council in Ireland, it provides three varieties of funding for individuals looking to conduct higher level research, namely the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme, the Employment Based Postgraduate Programme and The Enterprise Partnership Scheme. The Government of Ireland Scholarship provides a maximum of €24,000 for an approved year. The Irish Cancer Society (IRS) regularly provides funding for a variety of research aspects related to cancer, a good example is the recently initiated BREAST-PREDICT program. Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is another organization that allocates funding for research activities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Other funding bodies include Teagasc (the Agriculture and Food Development Authority), Enterprise Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Health Research Board (HRB) etc. The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) website details eligibilities and opportunities for applying for student grant to pursue higher level degrees including postgraduate research.

Many universities provide extensive scholarships for PhD positions but because they are great opportunities, they are often highly competitive. Another way of gaining a funded PhD position is by applying for PhD studentships. These positions have a predefined research topic and Principle Investigator and require the PhD student to carry minor jobs like demonstrations and/or teaching assistance. This serves as an additional means of making a living and helps with living expenses. Because a PhD is a huge investment in terms of time and effort, it is generally not advisable to take on a full-time job in conjunction with a PhD. Statistics show that part-time PhDs have a drop-out rate of approximately 66%.

When asked, “What would be your tip, to prospective PhD students, looking to reduce the chances of being turned down”, Dr Jeremy Simpson said “The landscape has changed; it’s more competitive now, there’s more graduates now, more master’s students now. My tip is simple; Do your research on the people you are applying to. I think we, as PI’s, get too many PhD enquires from potentially very good students but who are sending so many emails that the emails are becoming very bland and generic....so when you’re writing to somebody, write in a very focussed way that it’s clear that you understand who the person is that you’re writing to”. 137.43.23.92 (talk) 12:38, 23 October 2016 (UTC)Thomas

Writing Publications
Scientific research must begin with a defined research question, which results in a well-designed research protocol that plans the overall approach. This foundation should lead to a set of data from which the manuscript can be constructed. It should be noted that manuscripts that are successfully submitted to a journal for publication have three main components: (1) the overall idea, (2) the execution of the work, and (3) the presentation of the work. Manuscripts submitted to journals for consideration for publication typically have the following components: •	Title page •	Abstract •	Introduction •	Methods •	Results •	Tables and Table Captions •	Figure and Captions •	Discussion •	Conclusion •	Acknowledgement •	Reference

Need of Publication: In general, the purpose of a scientific manuscript is to construct a clearly written document that describes a question and then logically presents an answer to this question that is based upon theoretical or experimental results. One point of view that supports this concept is that the scientific aspect of the manuscript may be challenging enough for the reader to comprehend, therefore the text itself should support the endeavor to convey the scientific information, rather than acting to further obscure the concepts and results.

Teaching Experience While Doing phD : Giving lectures is in many ways an easier task than running a seminar, although PhD students are usually expected to have a background in running seminars before they are given lectures to present. A seminar requires a lot of effort and planning in order to keep a discussion going in a productive fashion. Although a lecturer needs to engage the audience, the activity does not require too much action from the audience. Lectures have been criticized for being a passive learning technique, yet they remain a major form of delivering material as a large number of students can access the same information. Teaching as a PhD student is a very rewarding experience. It can be incredibly enjoyable to spend time talking about the subjects that you are passionate about – and be paid for it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 178.167.254.61 (talk) 19:52, 23 October 2016 (UTC)

The PhD Experience
A lot of us aren’t quite sure how the PhD itself works. We fear that we might not have the required set of skills, that we would be left on our own having no idea what to do or stuck with an unhelpful PI.Current PhD students admit that lab can be a very isolating environment, with people focused on their own projects with very little interest in communication with their lab mates. However, they agree that you should try and make an effort to get to know the people you work with, as their help and opinion can be very precious. You shouldn’t be afraid to talk to them or ask them for advice. In the end, they know exactly what you’re going through and how frustrating it can get sometimes. PhD can be an emotional rollercoaster but it is way easier to get through it if you can share your worries with other students who are in a similar situation.

In the course of your PhD, you will most likely make a lot of mistakes, fail a number of experiments and feel like you’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown at least once. What you need to know is that his is completely normal. PhDs don’t usually go smoothly and students don’t usually get the results they want, not straight away anyway. You have to be prepared for that because if you’re hoping you’re just going to go into the lab, do a set of experiments, obtain beautiful images, analyze the data and leave the lab satisfied with your results, you are going to be disappointed. You have to remember that PhD is a learning process and you’re only developing your skills. You will surely get better and better with time, but beginnings can be very tough. Do your best but when at the end of the day you haven’t achieved what you’ve set out to do, don’t let it discourage you. Looking back on doing his own PhD, Professor Jeremy Simpson remembers that what he found much unexpected was how many different things could fail so easily in the lab. He says that in the end, he was very lucky because in his PhD almost everything worked which doesn’t occur frequently. However, he does admit that at the start he was surprised by how experiments didn’t work the way he thought they would and by how many repetitions were sometimes necessary to get the results he needed. It is crucial that you find your own ways to stay motivated.

While doing your PhD, relationship with your PI is very important. You have to work with this person for four years, so make sure you make the right choice and make a full use of the opportunities it gives you. During your first meeting, you’re going to discuss your aims and talk about how you’re going to carry out your project. Your PI’s expertise and suggestions are invaluable at this stage, but you should also mention your own expectations. During the course of your PhD, don’t be afraid to ask questions, after all your PI is experienced in your research area and he’s there to help you. You’re going to meet and discuss your progress regularly; you’re not going to be left alone. As you’re working on your project, your research will evolve. Consequently, you might find that you want to change your initial topic and slightly modify your objectives. Your PI will help you adjust the protocol and stay on track. If you have any concerns about where your research is going, it is your PI that you should share them with. Any doubts you’re having are only a sign that you want to succeed and not your weakness!

When thinking about PhD life, we usually envision students practically living in the lab. Past PhD students agree that it is extremely important but sometimes very difficult to balance work and fun while carrying out your project. They admit they would often catch themselves feeling guilty for not studying while back home. It is neither good for your mental health nor for your project itself. You need to let your mind relax after work and charge your battery so that you can show up in the lab the next day feeling refreshed and ready to tackle new challenges.

To sum it up, PhD can be a great experience but it is up to you to make it enjoyable. Take the initiative, make friends, do your work but don’t get easily discouraged and remember to take some time out to unwind!

Skills acquired, Post doctoral work and Opportunities
Skills acquired with PhD education

During PhD education Students develop so many skills through their research, additional taught modules and some available trainings. The following are number of skills developed through PhD education. 	Research skills: A PhD graduate has an understanding of current research based knowledge in the field, its methodologies for producing new knowledge. He is able to critically analyse and synthesise new and complex information from different sources and find solutions to research problems. 	Communication skills: During PhD education, a graduate develops communication skills, which enables him to communicate effectively as researcher in a discipline or professional area. He can also help or get involved in teaching and demonstrating undergraduate students in University. He establish effective writing and publishing skills. 	Ethics and social understanding: A PhD graduate has a very good understanding and ability to use the principles and ethical conduct of research such as avoidance of plagiarism, and also to apply the appropriate guidelines for research involving people, human tissue and animals. 	Personal development and effectiveness: A PhD graduate is able to work in an independent and self-directed way, showing initiative to complete clearly defined goals, he able to manage the difficulties in an appropriate manner and also appreciate the value of introducing new projects, proactively responding to newly identified needs or aiming to resolve persistent problems. 	Team working and leaderships: A PhD graduate understand the value of developing and maintaining good relationships with colleagues .He is aware of his working style, able to acknowledge others view and how to interact with them. He knows leadership in team environments, the strengths of team members and work effectively to achieve the same objectives. 	Career management: A PhD graduate can work alone or collaboratively as a researcher within a specific discipline or wider but related areas. He can able to use his transferable skills to both academic and non-academic positions. Use developed networks and relationships to increase opportunities for employment. He an also be able to develop his own career or form credible career plans.

Post doctoral work and Opportunities There are many opportunities for PhD graduate, even though they may be challenging but they are there. Students could choose to work in any discipline. They could choose to stay in Academia, work in industry or any area using their transferable skills. Most graduate student think about finding a post doc jobs but nowadays, it may be hard for PhD students get a job as a post-doc or junior research associate and secure a lifelong academic career. There are many reason to why PhD graduates have a chance to secure any job. They have developed knowledge and specialist techniques that are valued by a particular industry, they can also translate their skills to other jobs. They can use their PhDs to pursue research and development positions within pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms. They can work as regulatory affairs specialist, manage lab research, medical science liaison, and field application scientist — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A02:8084:51C2:D380:5452:E8A5:5722:D477 (talk) 20:43, 23 October 2016 (UTC)