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David Brill
THREE years at university may have left your finances firmly in the red. If you are considering furthering your education, the thought of accumulating yet more debt can be a frightening prospect. But before you surrender your soul to the devil, it's worth considering that in 2006, the UK had 545,370 registered postgraduate students who, more than likely, obtained funding through more traditional routes.
"I find there's a lot of pessimism where there's no need for pessimism," says Duncan Connors, general secretary of the National Postgraduate Committee (NPC), an independent charity that represents postgraduate students. "Science and technology in particular has a lot of money and as long as you have a good undergraduate degree, you're realistic and you play the game, you'll get funding."
Take on the competition
The British government invests £2.8 billion in research each year - enough to buy roughly 6 billion Petri dishes. This money is passed to seven councils that disseminate it to the nation's research institutions. "We allocate funding through a highly competitive process," explains Ian Lyne, head of postgraduate training at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). "If a department holds our funding it's a hallmark of quality."
To get your postgraduate paws on some of that money, students must approach a well-funded department directly - along with all the other hopefuls. In 2006/2007 the School of Mathematics at the University of Manchester enrolled 39 PhD students out of nearly 150 applicants. "If you want funding it's very competitive," says Professor Paul Glendinning, head of the department. He advises students not to blow hot and cold. "Keep us in the loop with what you're doing. If we're met by silence at some point we're going to assume the person isn't interested any longer."
Do it for charity
Many postgraduate research positions are sponsored by charities. The Wellcome Trust, the UK's largest medical charity, recently promised an extra £137 million in four-year PhD programmes over the next nine years, so there's plenty of money floating around.
Charity funding carries different responsibilities and experiences from public funding, particularly if the money comes from a small organisation. "It's very much a community," says Selina Wray, whose PhD is funded by the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Association. "You meet people who have a personal connection to the disease - this helps to maintain a focus on why you are doing the research. It makes you more determined to work hard." Wray says the biggest difference about being funded by a charity is the necessity for good communication. "People from the charity come along to conferences and are genuinely interested to hear about your work. It's important that the fund-raisers understand what is going on with their money," she explains.
Tick the right boxes
A bewildering array of grants and scholarships are available for further study in the UK. Often these have very specific requirements, and it's worth carrying out some research to see if you fit anyone's criteria. If you can demonstrate a special interest in weaving or woven textiles, for example, you could receive a £1500 donation from the Worshipful Company of Weavers; provide evidence that your course is relevant to the activities of the Milford Haven Port Authority and you could receive a £2000 scholarship from them. With a typical master's costing around £3000, these sums represent a significant potential contribution towards your studies.
Ask the boss
If you are already employed, consider taking the boss out for lunch and asking whether they'll fund your course. "Most businesses will want some assurances in return for their investment," says Simon Briault of the Federation of Small Businesses. "For example, a prospective student could have to agree terms which state that on successful completion they will stay in the business for a certain amount of time or pay back a certain percentage of the fee." Convince them you're worth investing in and you might find yourself a sponsor.
Hit the road
If the cost of studying in the UK is troubling you, then it might be time for a change of scenery. And where better to seek inspiration than the home of the Nobel prize? Higher education in Sweden is fully subsidised by the state, and even foreign students are entitled to study for free. What's more, with more than 450 master's courses taught entirely in English, you won't even have to learn a new language.
Be industrious
"I'd definitely encourage postgraduates to consider seeking industry sponsorship," says Claire McAleer, who is working towards an engineering doctorate at the University of Southampton. Funding for McAleer's studies comes largely from Rolls-Royce, where she spends much of her time working on ways to reduce the noise emitted by aircraft engines. "It's much more interactive than a typical PhD," she says. "You get to see how your research applies in an industrial context and how it's useful in the real world." Combining university education with industry placements can also give you valuable experience of the business world. "It opens a lot of doors for the future," says McAleer.
Get a loan
The prospect of more debt might bring you out in a sweat, but a career development loan (CDL) - offered by Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Co-operative Bank - is an option to consider. You can borrow between £300 and £8000, and the Learning and Skills Council will pay the interest on the loan until a month after you have finished studying.
"If you are up to standard and can realistically do the course then yes, I would advise taking out a CDL," says Duncan Connors of the NPC, but he urges prospective students to think carefully. "I would not use a loan if you don't have a defined career outcome, because all that's going to happen is you'll get into thousands of pounds' worth of debt."
Don't be parted from work
If you've been gainfully employed since leaving university, you could be reluctant to reinstate beans on toast as your main meal of the day. Part-time courses offer a compromise, allowing students to earn while they study.
"I wanted to carry on studying but didn't want to leave my job," explains Carol Boags, a teaching lab manager at the University of East Anglia. She continued to work full-time, devoting evenings and weekends towards studying for an MSc with the Open University. Boags estimates that her studies took up some 20 hours a week which, she warns, is a commitment not to be taken lightly. "You've got to be dedicated and a good time-manager to take up distance learning," she says, "but it's a good experience and I would certainly recommend it."
And if all else fails...
"Think outside the box," says Alex Tew, who earned a cool million during his studies. Dreading the thought of university debt, Tew invented the Million Dollar Homepage, selling individual pixels on his website to advertisers for $1 each. "Within three or four weeks of launching the site I'd covered the average student debt," he says. "Most postgraduate students will have knowledge of a very specific area and probably some interesting insights into their own subject." Tew recommends using this inside information to make some money. "Get thinking about ideas and if you think you've got a good [moneyspinning] one, go and do it," he advises. "Look at Sergey Brin and Larry Page - they were IT postgraduates, and Google was born out of their research."
Top Tips
"Applicants need to be able to communicate and explain science to a lay person. We want our researchers to be ambassadors."
Ayesha Kahn, scientific liaison officer, Alzheimer's Society
"Get advice from people in your university department. It's very important to demystify the funding process."
Ian Lyne, head of postgraduate training at the BBSRC
"Postgraduates have got the analytical ability, basic probability and maths skills - so why not try online poker?"
Jerome Bradpiece won over £30,000 as a University of Oxford philosophy student
Case study: Going the extra mile
Sabine Bahn is director of the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Research at the University of Cambridge. The department has around £4 million of funds including a recent £2.5 million grant awarded by the Stanley Medical Research Institute, a US-based charity.
Despite such generous funding, much of which is for postgraduate studies, Bahn says the battle for research positions in her laboratory is very competitive. "I get up to 10 applications a week even without advertising. If I advertise I get hundreds."
When she's faced with so many candidates, it's enthusiasm that makes one applicant stand out from the rest, says Bahn. "I'm not so interested in their CVs to be quite honest," she admits. "They have to have read about what we've been doing and thought about it carefully. And most importantly, they have to have common sense and a clear idea about where they want to go."
"I like those who want to prove themselves and be given a chance," she says. True to her word, Bahn currently funds Yishai Levin who, despite having "mediocre" grades and no research background, spent the time and money to fly over from Israel to convince her in person that he could bring new skills to her team. "In such a large group I haven't got time to do too much hand-holding so I need people who are self-motivated and can think independently."
David Brill is a science and medicine journalist based in London
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