artemis.okeeffe

Hey all! I got CGS this year (first time applicant). I was truly surprised by my score (11.13/12). I have an unusual profile so I thought I'd share my thoughts on what might have helped my application. After years spent outside of academia, I thought I was now immune to the unique taste of academic rejection... nope. While this application was successful, I still have an ever-growing collection of rejection letters. The fact that we are being made to compete with one another over an ever-shrinking pool of funding just sucks. To my fellows PhDs who were unsuccessful this year and who are living precarious lives in unaffordable cities, my heart is with you. Really. The fact that you are passionate enough about understanding our world to undertake a PhD speaks volume about the person that you are and I hope you get the support you deserve. Ok. So here's a couple of thoughts: - If there are resources available within your Faculty to assist you in your application process, use them. I cannot stress this enough. The amazing research officer at my Faculty did four careful re-reading of my application. - Make sure all the parts of the application work together to tell a story about who you are, what you accomplished, what you learned and how it prepared you for your doctoral adventure. My working theory is : all humans, including SSHRC reviewers, love a good story. Give them one. (My quite unofficial goal here was that I wanted the reviewer, upon finishing reading my application, to tell themselves: I wish to continue this conversation over a drink). - I only have one peer-reviewed publication (in a completely different field) but I have a ton of non-refereed publications. In my statement, I highlighted my commitment to make complex problems intelligible for a broad audience. I would say, don't underestimate the weight of non-refereed publications. Bonus point: in the "normal" (non academic) publishing world, you get to work with professional editors who will help you write in an accessible and engaging manner. - I'm doing my PhD in a completely different discipline than my master's. My PhD research intervenes in a whole different field. And I was outside of academia for seven years before choosing to come back. I think reviewers are looking for coherence over continuity. Identifying a common thread to all of your experiences and naming the skills you learned along the way and how they will help you carry your research forward might be a good way to look at this. I see the personal statement as a good place to "breath life" into your C.V and list of publications. Whatever you got, make it shine!