In this month’s episode, Heidi (who has just finished the first year of her PhD) has recorded a solo podcast for us which focuses exclusively on studying for a PhD at The Open University. If you’ve always wanted to gain your doctorate but have felt excluded because of finances, caring responsibilities or a lack of confidence, this episode will help move you towards your goal. Although the OU welcomes anyone looking to self-fund their PhD, we know for many, this isn’t possible. As such, Heidi outlines the route she took which landed her a fully-funded scholarship. As a single mum, Heidi thought she’d have to wait until retirement to study for her PhD, but she found a way to make it work. The Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership, led by the University of Oxford in collaboration with The Open University and Brunel University, offers an array of incredible opportunities for aspiring doctoral students. Heidi shares advice for building connections and highlights the importance of finding the right supervisors for you.   Concerned about feeling alone? What many people don’t realise is that the OU has a beautiful, huge campus just outside Milton Keynes (along with offices in Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh). Here, you will find a friendly community of 900 PhD students, so you definitely won’t feel isolated. Taking a leap of faith and following your passion takes courage, but the OU is on standby to help you achieve your goals. Find out more about the various options available to you by looking at the OU’s Research Degrees website and the OU job vacancies page which includes details of available scholarships (be sure to bookmark the URL and keep checking it regularly, you will be amazed at what you will find!)   If you have any questions, email studenthub@open.ac.uk and Heidi will come back to you as soon as possible. Thanks for listening.