POSTGRADUATE student Kieran Craig would have considered a job rather than further study after he graduated if it had not been for the financial support he receives.
The 25-year-old is currently nearing the end of a four-year physics research PhD at Glasgow University, which is fully funded by the UK-wide Science and Technology Facilities Council. The money means he can pursue his academic career, which is focused on improvements to a new type of telescope which looks at gravitational waves coming from space, and could aid the study of massive astrophysical bodies such as black holes.
"Everybody that I knew on my course who wanted to do a PhD found one and got their first choice, but it was very specialised and I know it can be much more competitive for others," he said. "The financial support from the Science and Technology Facilities Council was crucial because it meant I didn't have to worry financially, but I know that is not so common in other disciplines. Having to pay tuition fees means a lot of students prefer to go straight into a job when they graduate and then think about further study later on."
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