Prof Sarah Dunlop NH

1
ASMR Development Day
How to finish your PhD
Prof Sarah DunlopNHMRC Senior Res FellowSchool
of Animal BiologyThe University of Western
Australia
2
Depends on how you started it

• You at the end of 2 years
• 2 papers accepted
• Thesis Introduction written
• Drafts of 2 remaining experimental chapters
• Endnote up to date
• General discussion planned drafted
• 2 conferences attended
• Committee/Service involvement
• Postdoc lined up in Nobel Laureates/world-leading
  lab

3
..Or,

• You at the end of 2 years
• 0 papers accepted or even drafted
• Thesis proposal is your Introduction
• Data for all your experimental chapters
  incomplete some not yet started
• Endnote not started
• General discussion not even on the horizon
• 2 conferences attended
• No Committee/Service experience or too much
• Postdoc? Havent even thought about it.

4
How to finish your PhD

• OR some combination of the above

Any situation, it doesnt really matter
What matters in what you do when you leave this
room
5
How to finish your PhD

• GOOD NEWS
• You can do it
• BAD NEWS
• Either way, a lot of hard work, but harder if you
  are behind

6
Paradigm funding shift

• In the old days.
• Candidature could last years or not finish
• Could be a sometimes meandering, long journey of
  enquiry
• Then
• Outcome driven
• Accountability, responsibility, business model

7
Society/Taxpayer/Government Expectation

• Completion within 3 years ( 6 months)
• 23 papers within 3 years ( 6 months)
• Funding for PhD comes from Federal Government
  ONLY upon completion
• High cost PhD in Medicine with 2-3 papers will
  attract 160,000 to Institution
• The clock is ticking..

8
Who do we do research for?

• Not for ourselves, except..
• For Society
• Not a right
• Rare privilege, freedom of the mind
• Highly educated
• Make most of it
• Give back

9
Dunlop MP3 model for finishing your PhD

• 3 Ms
• 3 Ps

10
Mentor

• Supervisor
• PhD panel member
• Fellow students
• Friends
• Family
• Its YOU

11
Motivation

• Self motivation, come from within
• Got to want it
• Investment
• Reward yourself
• Throw yourself down long dark tunnels
• Fearless
• Energy, mental physical
• Light that fire!
• WHITE HEAT

12
Model systems

• Model small version of the real thing
• Development courses
• Dont re-invent wheel look at other theses
  good ones and not so good
• Packaging go to seminars and talks
• Context Go to local and at least one national or
  international meeting

13
Planning

• Prepared mind is a favoured mind
• Plan in detail
• Organised lab books, data sets, documents
• Time lines
• Milestones
• Outcomes
• Plan rewards

14
Proactive

• Its your thesis
• End product is written thesis no-one can comment
  on blank piece of paper
• Write up as you go along
• Draft chapters/papers
• Forewarn readers
• Be on front foot

15
Persistence

• Persist at right thing
• Fast fail now and again
• Piece of work not done until someone else can
  go to the library and read about it
• a lot of hard work

16
School PhD Panels

• Use them
• They have to sign off on thesis. Need 3 weeks
  notice at least before submission date
• Supervisors sign off
• Head of School signs off

17
Graduate Research School Criteria

• The thesis as a whole is a substantial and
  original contribution to knowledge of the subject
  with which it deals
• The candidate shows familiarity with, and
  understanding of, the relevant literature
• The thesis provides a sufficiently comprehensive
  study of the topic
• The results are suitably set out, and accompanied
  by adequate exposition
• The quality of English and general presentation
  are of a standard for publication

1 Exceptional2 Excellent3 Very good
4 Good5 Fair6 Flawed
18
Submission

• Three examiner reports
• OptionsPass with no changesPass with minor
  revisionPass with substantive amendments
• Resubmit - Pass or Fail
• Award degree of Master

19
Board of Graduate Research School

• One specialist Board Member makes recommendation
  based on Examiners reports
• All other Board Members also assess reports and
  agree or disagree with recommendation
• Recommendation goes out to student and they act
  on it within certain time-frame

20
Aim

• Set the Aim
• Maintain the Aim