Hi, I am beginning to write my research proposal, I was wondering if there is any way of finding out if someone somewhere is doing the same topic, I don't want mine to be the same because I know it has to be something new and novel. Or will the research council I apply to tell me?
Thanks!

you should research your area well before you write your proposal. There will be loads of people researching the same topic, but its the approach you use and your focus on it that will be new. You have to show how your work will add to the debate.

get a lot of recent articles on the research area you want to research on. most will have a literature review. that should give you an idea on whether what you are writing on has been done before and probably an idea of what hasn't been done. most articles conclude by mentioning areas for future development. as reena has said, usually, the originality is in the approach taken rather than in the novelity of the overall proposal.

You need the support of an academic and their university before you can apply for a research council grant. Hopefully they will spot whether or not the proposal is novel before the research council do. See our article on PhDs in the Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences for more information. If you're area is in science or engineering then you won't be in a position to apply direct to a research council anyway. See our Funding and PhDs Explained sections for further links and information.