Budget 2011

[dustbinflowers]

http://www.treasury.govt.nz/budget/2011/execsumm/b11-execsumm.pdf

have just skimmed it so far, and am filled with doom. I'm sure as I read further there will be many nasty nuggets. I'm glad I don't have kids, and it looks like I'm never going to get to do my phd

[Red_switch]

Are you set on doing a PhD here? If not, skip out and do it overseas, way more opportunities, way more money, sad reality but true. Haven't really looked in detail yet, what's the disincentive PhD wise?

One small positive I guess is more money for legal aid, and "fighting white collar crime" - whatever that means.

[dustbinflowers]

Like I said, only skimmed, so could be wrong.
I wanted to do Paleoecology with a plant emphasis, maybe at the Piko Piko site on the Mataura river. Kind of specific, I know...

[Red_switch]

Yea, that would be a pretty sensible thing to do at otago. Palynology? What in the budget makes you think it won't/can't happen?

[akaxo]

why the issue with doing a PhD? haven't seen anything about student loans in detail.

kiwisaver employer contributions to now be taxed is a sneaky one that isn't good for people doing kiwisaver.

[Red_switch]

Student loans won't be available for anyone over 55, but fuck taking out a loan to do a PhD.

[akaxo]

oi dustbinflowers you should be right for ya PhD i reckon unless you're planning on waiting a couple more years and the not being able to borrow living costs is an issue

[Red_switch]

studylink are cunts as it is when it comes to living costs, since when does one semester worth of thesis work end on the 13th of May? Dicks.

[bobbins]

Part time students who study for a full year can't borrow course related costs anymore either, which seems as though it's probably going to screw over beneficiaries or low income earners trying to re-skill.

[Red_switch]

Part time students who study for a full year can't borrow course related costs anymore either, which seems as though it's probably going to screw over beneficiaries or low income earners trying to re-skill.

That is fucking stupid. Especially considering how easy they've made it to claim course-related costs.

[JJ 2011]

Fuck National.

Might go on Campbell live, they doing people who National's run ACC department has fucked people over. In fact its 100% if I want to do it.

Gonna destroy these cunts on National television.

You mother fuckers sit here and be local, JJ is National and well known internationally. Its hard being a 3 Time GBH Lambo champ, but some mother fucker has to do it.

[Fiction & Falsehood]

please let this happen

[JJ 2011]

Watch Campbell Live on TV 3 in like 5 minutes, they are doing one other guy. We were talking about it today etc etc.

Just a bit hesitant to go on TV, perhaps family would not appreciate it. But might have to do the whole "Fuck the Left Wing, Fuck the Right Wing and fuck the central government" speech.

God/Satan/Police/Gangsters/Politicans/Blue-White Collar. All fucked cunts.

[Fiction & Falsehood]

can you just run on the set and do your speech? im watching now, freeview seems to be fucked and 3 is the only channel that we can tune in.

[Andrew_TA]

didn't you vote for national?

[Fiction & Falsehood]

lol, you did.

[Andrew_TA]

na u

[Fiction & Falsehood]

YOU

[Andrew_TA]

u

[Martli]

We got more funding. Hah.

[NezumiNora]

The way to do post grad study is get some other sucker to pay for it - scholarships all the way! I applied for about 8 of them and got 2, a total 20k. Meanwhile I'm raking in the "24 and older" student allowance so in total getting paid more to study than I was to work. It's the life.

[Kev Japan]

Like I said, only skimmed, so could be wrong.
I wanted to do Paleoecology with a plant emphasis, maybe at the Piko Piko site on the Mataura river. Kind of specific, I know...

You might want to look into European Union scholarships/programmes. I know they have quite a bit of interest in funding such research. It may be possible to be enrolled at a European university while conducting your research in NZ. Setting up a collaboration between people at Otago University and the folks at your European uni would ultimately ensure that you had the support you'd need throughout your Ph.D.

[Red_switch]

Like I said, only skimmed, so could be wrong.
I wanted to do Paleoecology with a plant emphasis, maybe at the Piko Piko site on the Mataura river. Kind of specific, I know...

You might want to look into European Union scholarships/programmes. I know they have quite a bit of interest in funding such research. It may be possible to be enrolled at a European university while conducting your research in NZ. Setting up a collaboration between people at Otago University and the folks at your European uni would ultimately ensure that you had the support you'd need throughout you Phd.

I think this could be quite do-able.

There are massive gaps in the palaeoclimate record in the southern hemisphere, a comprehensive plant focused palaeoecology study could go a long way to helping out with that. There are definitely people at Otago that would be keen as.

But yea, fuck doing a PhD unfunded

[Kev Japan]

Dustbin, look into the Marie Curie Fellowship:

http://cordis.europa.eu/improving/fellowships/home.htm

[Red_switch]

If you can swing an international collaboration, especially with a decent European institute, people will through money at you. Well, to an extent, and at the times when you don't really need, but still.

[NezumiNora]

They prob won't fund your phD if you don't know the difference between "through" and "throw" but you get the idea

[Red_switch]

Yea, same goes for getting PhD right I guess, and being in Palmerston North

[Fiction & Falsehood]

hey bru, pretty cool year old fad in your sig

[NezumiNora]

Chances are if you live in Palmerston North you either have a PhD or are on the way to getting one... bugger all else to do round here

[Kev Japan]

If you can swing an international collaboration, especially with a decent European institute, people will through money at you. Well, to an extent, and at the times when you don't really need, but still.

Many European programmes will give you a 2,000 euro per month stipend and pay for all of your academic expenses which is pretty fucking wicked.