Identifying and Contacting a Prospective Supervisor
One of the documents you are required to submit as part of your application is a Research Proposal. You will also be asked if you have already made contact with an academic member of staff at QMUL to discuss your research interests. So how can you identify a potential supervisor? And once you have found someone whom you think you'd like to work with, how can you make contact with them?
The first question to ask yourself is: are you applying to our Enterprise Doctoral Scholar (EDS) or to our Professional Doctoral Scholar (PDS) route? Once you have answered this question, read the relevant guidance in the table below:
| Route | How to identify a potential supervisor |
|---|---|
| PDS |
Start by asking yourself these questions: 1) What is your current R&D activity at work, as part of your daily job? 2) In which areas of this R&D activity do you foresee the need for academic input? In order to identify a potential QMUL supervisor with relevant expertise, visit the links to our Schools to find a QMUL supervisor with relevant expertise. If in doubt, contact the Team at dce-cdt@qmul.ac.uk |
| EDS |
Are you interested in one of the projects proposed by a QMUL supervisor? If so, contact the supervisor of the project you are interested in to discuss your proposal as part of your application. OR Do you have your own research idea, and do you need support in developing your research proposal? Explore the links to our 5 Schools to find a supervisor who works in a research area that you are interested in, and get in touch with them to discuss your idea and interests. |
Once you have identified a potential supervisor, it is time to get in touch! When emailing them:
- include a short, relevant introduction about yourself and your background.
- state that you are interested in this project as part of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Data-Centric Engineering
- explain why you are interested in a particular research idea or topic, and what skills/experience you would bring to the project
- if you prefer to discuss this via a call, then ask when it would be a convenient time to discuss the project
Remember: Discussing the project with the supervisor will help you develop the research proposal that you will submit as part of your application, and therefore is a key step of the application process. You will be working with your supervisory team for 4 years, so finding a good match is in everyone's interest.
Additional Resources:
Contacting a Potential Supervisor
What should you ask or look for in a potential Supervisor