Bettina Lier (she/her) is a PhD student in Computational (Bio)Chemistry at the Institute of Molecular Modeling and Simulation, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. She is enrolled at the international doctoral school for biomolecular technology of proteins. She is passionate about biomolecular simulations to study the behaviour of biomolecules and investigate their physicochemical properties. Her PhD project deals with the development and application of a neural network based hybrid simulation technique to study metalloproteins at the quantum level of theory. With her project, she is recipient of the DOC fellowship of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Follow her on Twitter: @BettinaLier

PhD Scholarship Proposal: Why I Would Write It Again!

In this article, Bettina Lier shares her experience of applying for a PhD scholarship and how she initially found the application process overwhelming. With the support of her supervisor she overcame her doubts, and successfully completed the proposal. Her story is a great example of how with the right mindset and support, we can overcome any challenge.

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 Why Being a Distinctly Average PhD Student is Extraordinarily Fine

PhD survivor Hannah Broadbent shares her personal account of persevering through her PhD, detailing her struggle with imposter syndrome and mental health. Upon self-reflection, she shifted from academia to an industry job that best matched her preferences. Her story emphasises the importance of personal satisfaction over conforming to the perfect PhD student stereotype.

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The Week Before My Viva

Sue Lynn Mah shares her experience preparing for and passing her PhD viva in her article. In the week leading up to the big day, she re-read her thesis, had a mock viva with her supervisor, practiced explaining her work to people outside of her field, and printed out a physical copy of her thesis. Her tips for viva success include picking out your outfit in advance and practicing your elevator pitch.

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