Hi All,

I’m currently filling in an online engineering PhD application and am asked to write ~500 words on the proposed area of research. As I understand it this is not a research proposal but I’m having difficulty writing it. I do have a research idea so should I focus on this or should I try keeping broader with the idea that it may match the criteria required for other research projects. I’ve looked at some other universities that have some proposed areas of research and these seem to be quite well defined and focussed but a lot briefer.

Falling at the first hurdle ;-(

Any help or advice would be great.

Tinx.

Are you applying to a particular institution? If so, then they must have known areas of research and I would have thought you should be aiming to fit into one of those areas.

Read what PhD topics the department have available and call them up. For science related PhDs you don't usually specify much in that place in online forms. Sometimes nothing, sometimes something like "I would like to work with X in Y research area".

I assume "statement of research" is the same thing as a proposal? Or is it more similar to a covering letter?