How to Write a
Good Postgraduate
RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Student Recruitment & Admissions

www.ed.ac.uk/student-recruitment

Introduc on
This



guide provides prac cal informa on to those who have been

asked to submit a research proposal as part of their applica on for

admissions to a research degree as well as those who are applying to

external bodies for postgraduate research funding.

A research degree (e.g. Masters by Research, PhD, EdD, DMus) can be

one of the best experiences of your life. What you gain along the way

will serve you for the rest of life, if only to make you a more confident

and knowledgeable person. In addi on to making friends, mee ng

eminent researchers and being part of the research community,

it will allow you to develop research skills as well as invaluable

transferable skills which you can apply to academic life, your current

employment or a variety of professions outside of academia.

Student Recruitment & Admissions

www.ed.ac.uk/student-recruitment

Research Funding

In choosing where to do your research degree, a long list of factors will come into play: academic

reputa on, research experts, loca on, quality of training and availability of funding. There are

several types of funding for postgraduate research: your own funds; external funding bodies

such as chari es and Trusts; na onal/ governmental agencies; employers and the private sector

and; University scholarships, funded studentships and projects adver sed by supervisors. It is a

compe ve process and will depend on your qualifica ons, experience and research aspira ons.

If you already have an idea for your research project or if you are interested in developing your

experience in an area of interest within the exper se of a prospec ve supervisor, you should

consider contac ng prospec ve supervisors early on to discuss the possibility of doing a research

project under their supervision.

How to iden fy funding sources

It takes me to inves gate poten al funding avenues and to prepare postgraduate