I’ve already spent the last 6 months in discussions with several people and sorting out all the details with respect to fieldwork, other employment, supervisors and so on. I’m in the final stages of preparing and sending off an application. But given the reception I got down in Melbourne from several people, the application looks increasingly like a mere formality.

Of course, finding a suitable supervisor is the first thing to sort out. But if you’re still in the shopping-around phase, you should also consider things like the institution’s attitude to fieldwork, access to equipment, admin efficiency etc. These seem minor but become much more important once you start.

I’m happy to share what I’ve learnt about different unis off-blog (piers dot kelly at anu etc).

Thanks, though I should re-iterate that this is all still unconfirmed.

Best of luck with the application process! It sounds like a great plan. (And I have every confidence that you will beat me to the PhD finish line. Sigh.)