How the 2019 symposium led to my PhD place

My name is Joseph Perkins and I am a student FSBI member finishing my masters by research degree at the University of Salford.

In the summer of 2018, I was fortunate enough to get accepted to deliver a speed talk at the FSBI symposium in Hull.

The symposium was focused on advances in eDNA-based approaches to fish ecology and management. The conference was fantastically orchestrated, the talks were incredibly delivered, and the social events provided the chance to meet wonderful scientists, in which their work I have been reading and admiring throughout my studies.

“If I did not join the FSBI or apply for this conference, this opportunity may not have presented itself.”

After I nervously delivered by presentation, I approached a PhD student from James Cook University whose presentation was incredibly inspiring. Here we spoke about the amazing research she had done, along with other research at JCU, this then led to the projects they had on offer. That very evening, I got onto my laptop and found an exciting PhD opportunity at JCU.

Now a few months down the line, I have been offered and now accepted the PhD position. I have obtained a scholarship and I am now in the final stages of completing my visa, before starting the PhD in July at JCU in Townsville, Australia.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”Push yourself and your research, no matter how nervous you are!’- @Perks91’s advice for all early career researchers from the latest FSBI member blog.” quote=”Push yourself and your research, no matter how nervous you are!” theme=”style4]

As a master’s student, my advice would be to push yourself and your research, no matter how nervous you are.

With this, you need amazing organisations such as FSBI to give students, as well as established scientists the opportunity to showcase what they have achieved, so they too, can progress and get such wonderful opportunities like I have.

 

 

 

 

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