I'm just about to sort out my application too. This two pages thing - is it two pages (4 sides)or two sides? How much detail about the area you wish to pursue have you put in? Reading the books on the subject they seem to suggest you need quite a bit of detail, which is never going to fit on 2 sides. Have you put refs etc? Spoke to someone where I work, but he isn't much help as he applied for an advertised post, mine is of my own making!

the head of the research prog is after some sort of title and although I know the kind of things I want to cover, I don't want to put a limit on it to start with. I've got to get something sorted though, because I told one of my referees that I'd get him something soon and since he is the professor in the dept its gotta be good!!!

I have just made a tenative enquiry at the uni where I did my MA about the possibility of doing my PhD with them. I have received very encouraging replies from the two people there that I have asked to be my references, but now I need to get the title right. This is the bit I'm struggling on and why it had taken me a year to get to this stage. the area that I want to research concerns support staff in education, but not TAs, its about technical support. There is very little research in the area but it is something that could have a great impact in the future. I need to cover not only what they do, but the possible effects of government planning for support staff in general on their very existence. I don't want to make it too narrow, but it can't be too broad either. I want to include some Marxist type theory on employment and some psychology. My MA title was 'Technicians, an endangered species' but I want something that will make a bigger impact on the education world. How has anyone else had this kind of problem?

I asked my other ref not the institute if I should continue with the application as he organises meetings there, didn't say anything to the institute (!) He said he has the same problems when booking meetings there, and not to let it put me off. Person who supervised my MA diss implied he would do it but only if he had to, when we met up we got on OK but it just wasn't the same level of supervision that I knew other students had.I know he thought the dissertation was out of his area of expertise as he told me so. Another departmental member said they would be pleased to do my ref so have the two people,but don't unis like one to be the person who supervised the MA diss? Think I will apply to the institute, but am just worried that it will be hard for them to find someone who will take it on, if my contact can't do it.

chocolate teapot springs to mind! Didn't know anything about my area, or the way MA should be written up, and probably wouldn't care. Also I think supervisor may have gone abroad (retired now)have home address,but that was last year. Doubt very much if person could help, as was not connected with education faculty so probably other possible ref has suggested I should stick with institute, but that was because when I phoned them up about a query the person I spoke to was rude and unhelpful, so I asked him if it was worth continuing with them.

I know he is interested - correspondence started because they were offering funding for teacher research, but not for others and I wrote to ask why not, and person said well apply then. I suppose it could be because those who decide may not think of him/thinkhe has too much other stuff to do/ or whatever. This was a while ago now, other things intervened, but not too worried about funding, will apply of course but will pay if need be because I think it is a very important area. I just don't want to get stuck again with someone who is not interested or doesn't care. That makes life hard.

I have a similar prob. The person who taught most of my MA modules is willing and eager to do my ref, the person who did the diss part is not so eager, probably because I saw him twice and e-mailed him 3 times - perhpas he feels embarassed? (he didn't want to do it, was 'persuaded' but took no interest whatsoever, was never available and when I asked him when it had to be in - I was the only one submitting at that time in the faculty- he said he had no idea)What is more he has now retired and could well be off to foreign climes soon. someone else has said they will do it, but haven't seen the final diss, and they never sent me a copy back. Things are never easy are they?

I want to look at the role and future of the science technician in schools. So it is education, but not as they know it! There has been some research on classroom support, but not on any other support staff in schools, and I think it is an area that needs looking in to.

I'm really stuck here. I have been in contact via e-mail with someone for over a year concerning my proposal, it seemed to be going OK he seemed to like me, and the way I write etc. and we appeared to be getting on really well, but- in the last e-mail he suggested my supervisor might him, - couldn't guarantee it obviously -but suggested that it might also fit into another area that I think has absolutely nothing to do with my subject. I had this trouble when I was doing the diss part of my MA, no-one had any expertise in my area and I ended up with someone who had to be pressured into doing it, had no idea about what I was doing, and no interest either The area I want to study has appeared in no literature at PhD or MA level (except for mine)that I can find so it was good to find anyone who was interested in the area. I'm wondering what to do. Do I submit and hope he becomes my supervisor, or try somewhere else?