I really valued the experience of being part of a cohort of students in SAMBa, which guaranteed that we were not doing our PhDs in isolation, despite working intensively on independent projects
As a member of Cohort 2 of SAMBa, I got my PhD in 2020, and for the last two years I have been a Postdoc at the University of Vienna.
One of the great aspects of SAMBa is the format of the first year, before you start your PhD research. I could not have predicted precisely what my research topic would be when I joined SAMBa, and I was very grateful to have the chance to explore various different directions and opportunities during the first year. I also studied a variety of courses in the first year that I otherwise would not have considered, but which have later proven to be useful in surprising places!
Beyond this, I really valued the experience of being part of a cohort of students in SAMBa, which guaranteed that we were not doing our PhDs in isolation, despite working intensively on independent projects. Not only those that started with me, but also the other SAMBa cohorts, I found a lot of support and some great lasting friendships. During my time in SAMBa, I most enjoyed the many workshops and events that took place, from attending regular ITTs with industry partners, to organising the inaugural SAMBa conference.
The experience I had in SAMBa has definitely impacted my career since. Before moving to Vienna I worked for the Institute of Mathematical Innovation at Bath, which built on my experience of interdisciplinary and industrial collaborations at the ITTs. Statistical Applied Mathematics is a very diverse field, and I found it extremely interesting to be close to other researchers from quite different backgrounds. My own research focuses on stochastic analysis, but has shifted somewhat since my PhD. I think that the broad background that I gained in SAMBa has been very useful in adapting to my new research environment in Vienna. SAMBa should be highly recommended to anyone with interests intersecting with any part of its broad remit.
SAMBa provided a uniquely supportive yet challenging environment, in which one is encouraged to explore their interests and question their limits
I joined thinking I wanted to do one type of PhD but ended up doing a completely different one due to the flexibility that was provided in finding/forming a PhD during the masters year
I had the opportunity to get involved in some international training and capacity building activities with international partners and was able to travel to Brazil and Mongolia to share my knowledge of statistical methods and applications, which was really rewarding.
Being part of SAMBa is like being part of a little community: everyone is super supportive and there is always someone to talk to if you need it (usually with cake!).
I was able to use the SAMBa training in statistics, to support training workshops in Mexico and in fact took a break from my PhD to take on a statistics teaching assistant role.
You get a lot of freedom to choose your research area...and there is a wide range of research areas within the department from which to choose
The SAMBa team understands how to efficiently bridge the gap between the abstract world of mathematics and statistics to industrial research
SAMBa offers high level training in statistical and applied mathematical disciplines, as well as direct engagement with industrial partners
The experience and the skill set acquired during my years in SAMBa helped me develop my academic career in a growing inter and trans disciplinary world.
I can't imagine studying for my PhD anywhere other than SAMBa
