I am considering applying to a PhD studentship I have found, but he advert doesn't contain much information, so I would like to contact them to get a better overview of the project before I apply. However, in reading through the supervisor's publications list and bio, I've noticed that only some of the most recent publications relate to the project area. They research primarily in environmental microbiology and the project is related to health microbiology. I know that supervisor's work doesn't always cover that of their PhD students, but I wonder how much expertise they would have for supervising the project.

I just wondered if it might be considered rude to ask them why they have started working in this area, or how I would even broach the question.

Thanks.

So I’m applying for a studentship at Oxford and I need academic references. As I graduated in 2013 and didn’t do a master’s, one has to be my current manager, who is happy to act as a referee.

I’ve named my project supervisor and my tutor. The problem is that my tutor for most of my degree left during my final year and I was assigned another tutor who I didn’t get to know much. I never got the impression he liked me much, but that wasn’t surprising, since I was a hot mess during most of my degree, and he didn’t really help. Nevertheless, unless I have my sandwich year supervisor as another professional reference, I don’t have any more options. I tried to find my old tutor through the university, but he just seems to have disappeared into the ether and I can’t even find his details through a Google search.

I spoke to him today to confirm that he can provide a reference and he asked about my other references and whether I’d done anything of significance since I left university, which of course I haven’t. Is it really important to have “big names” as references, as he put it? The application FAQ advises applicants to name three people who can vouch for their academic qualities and research potential. Surely it’s better to ask someone who knows/knew you rather than chasing after someone with a big name, or am I wrong in this?

This made me really doubt my chances of getting onto a PhD programme like this, or any at all really. I guess I’m looking for advice about “quality” of references but mainly reassurance. I know I don’t have a hope in hell of getting into Oxford, but I don’t know unless I try right?

I'm currently thinking about applying for PhD scholarships, although I'm not really interesting in starting this September, so I'm mostly thinking about the future. I've found two academics whose research interests fit mine, both at the university closest to my home growing up (I know this shouldn't be an important consideration, but I would like to be close to my family while doing my PhD). Neither have current students listed on their staff pages, but neither do they say anything about potentially supervising students. Their areas of expertise overlap somewhat, as well.

Is it advisable to email them both asking about potential supervision? Would this make me appear less focused or interested in their research? Or would a general email to the head of postgraduate studies or whoever fills a similar position be a better idea?