A PhD needs to 'demonstrate an original and significant contribution to knowledge'. Even if some PhDs end up bearly filling this criteria they all start out with it as an aim.

SoP in this case is meaning Statement of Purpose. An SoP is required by most European universities when international students apply for a postgraduate course (Masters or PhD). It should detail the applicants career/educational history, why they want to do the course and what career path they wish to pursue afterwords. It is a more detailed equivalent of an application letter. As Alex says the research proposal is a separate document.

Plenty of UK PhDs go over to do postdocs in the USA - a PhD is a PhD is a PhD - unless you bought it off the internet.

Unfortunately, presentation skills are important for many PhD's. If you have no means to communicate your research at conferences and within your own department or research team, then you will find it difficult to progress in academia. Fortunately, most PhD students aren't that good at it when they set out, so nobody's expecting a Royal Society lecture.

If you don't get a reply to your email, phone them. You should not be kept waiting like this and they will not think badly of you for calling.

Yes.

See our Funding and PhDs Explained sections for links and information.

In the UK most international students are required to have a Masters degree (MSc, MRes or MA) before they can register for an MPhil or a PhD. Although most PhD students will register initially for an MPhil, if they are considered good enough they will be transferred to a PhD after 12-18 months, without ever submitting an MPhil thesis.

A PhD is a higher qualification than a masters degree, which in turn is a higher qualification than a Bachelors. However this does not mean that somebody with a poor Bachelors result and a Masters degree will always be in a better position than somebody with a good Bachelors degree. Employers will look at all your academic results before making their decision.

In general in the UK, research council funding will be stated exclusive of fees. ie they pay the fees and the ammount stated is what you get as a tax free maintenance grant.

See our Funding and PhDs Explained sections for links and information. A PhD is short for 'Doctor of Philosophy' and is a research degree.

It depends what you are applying for. Most employers outside of research and academia wouldn't know what the difference was.

All is revealed at www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/

See our Funding and PhDs Explained sections for links and information.

Write to the supervisor named first and cc your message to the second supervisor.