I am considering doing a Phd in 2009 and I'm not sure how to apply. Do I need to have a full research proposal before I apply? I have some specific areas of interest but i don't yet have a research question. Should i try to form a proposal before applying?

I assume you are not in science and applying for advertised positions. In which case, I don't think you need a detailed proposal but one or more potential research topics/questions would be good. These should be a good fit with your potential dept/supervisor and you probably won't need to talk about this until the interview.

This isn't always easy to judge. I had a few topics to suggest, but the one my supervisor wanted was not one I had planned to talk to him about as I had no idea it was an area he was interested in getting into.

You will need a more detailed proposal to apply for funding, but you should have a potential supervisor by that time, so that can wait.

Hey Rahjeff,

I'm starting my PhD in October this year, so might be able to help by sharing my experience. I'm doing Neuroscience, so I don't know how similar my pathway will be to other fields, but maybe something might help. Apologies for the length of this post, but I hope that it is helpful.

The way I have done things has taken just over a year, but it seems to have paid off as I will be given funding, already have a detailed proposal and a rough timeline describing milestones for the next three years. It seems being eager and early does pay, so you thinking about it now may really pay off!

Hopefully you have a general area of research interest? If not, to start, perhaps look at the studentships advertised on the findaphd.com part of this site to get some ideas. Then you can start to seek out potential supervisors.

cont...

cont2...

About a year ago, I identified academics who were researching topics within my general field of interest. I read some of their papers to ensure that what they were researching matched my expectations. This was helpful as it minmised my interest from a broad area to a slightly more specific one. Also, many lecturers have a personal web-page, so make-sure you Google them!

cont...

cont 3...

In the end, there was only one person who really seemed to match up. I contacted him via email explaining that I had read some of his work and was interested in doing research in a similar area, but that I had a few (related) ideas of my own that I would like to explore. I also included some topical questions to demonstrate that I really had read and understood his work. He seemed impressed and we conversed via email for several months, discussing thesis ideas. He was also pleased that, whilst I had a topic area of interest, I wasn't too rigid by having already decided on a specific research question.

cont...

cont 4...

The next stage was that I went to the University Open Day and met my potential supervisor face-to-face. This further confirmed that he is the right supervisor and further encouraged me to formally apply. This meeting was also helpful as he gave me some guidance about the formal application process as, to this point, everything had been conducted on an informal(ish) basis.

cont...

cont 5...


I then submitted my application (around Jan 08). The University were expecting it; however, they didn't expect a research proposal at that stage - I was told to just leave that section of the form blank. Come interview time, even though I had a supervisor arranged, other academics within the department wanted to interview me. This flummoxed me a little, but apparently it is policy in some institutions to allow all lectures to interview applicants if they so wish. I was interviewed by the person I had earlier identified well as several other staff who had similar interests. I stayed with my original choice; nonetheless, the experience was worthwhile as I got to know more people within the department I'll be working in.

cont...

cont 6...

To date (although I haven't officially started) this approach to applying seems to have worked well as my research question has been forged from my own ideas combined with some learned expertise. Creating a research proposal has therefore been a collaborative exercise over the summer after exams. Needless to say, it's all done now and I'm just doing some preparatory reading based upon the proposal.

I hope that this helps. I really wanted to do my own thing rather than pick a ready-made project, so this was a good way to do it. This said, there are always some excellent opportunities advertised on this site for named PhDs if you're not so sure. Getting funding is maybe going to be harder if you're following the open application route that I did but, I've found, if you get in early, show willing and can demonstrate relevant experience and passion, you may be able to get that too.

Best of luck!

earlydays, which Uni are you going to?

The best preliminary step in applying for a doctoral program is to contact instructors who are teaching in your field of interest.
Cheers.

Thanks for your help everyone! I also feel insecure and unsure about my qualifications. I have a degree (2:1) and i am doing a masters which i will complete by july 09. Do I needs any extra qualifications in research methods before undertaking the course?

Hey phoenix6254
Sorry for the delay in reply. Just picked up your message. I'm going to Birmingham. Can't wait!
Where are you? Are you a fellow social neuro bod????

Some courses like for you to have a 'research methods' qualification -and it helps with funding in some cases - but it all depends on the course you are applying for.

Sorry if I missed it above but what is your interest? If possible it is useful to talk to tutors that you know already to help you with your application and may be experts in that field. I decided to stcik with the same uni so had my supervisor available to help me with teh proposal from the start, but i know this isn't always the case

Good luck though!