Self-funded PhD students deserve support, not stigma and secrecy

By Luca Marazzi. Thousands pursue PhDs without research funding every year, says Luca Marazzi – it's a challenging but rewarding path. At the peak of the recession in September 2008, I moved to the UK looking for a possible career as an ecologist. I started my PhD in geography at University College London and, hoping to obtain funding, I enrolled full-time. Unfortunately my applications failed, and after less than a year, I chose to shift to part-time status and get a job. There was roughly one college-wide full studentship for every 100 students and research council funding was insufficient. Read more...