Developing your research proposal


If your Expression of Interest is successful you will be invited by the School/Institute to further develop your research proposal.

The research proposal is "the recipe" for a successful candidature, detailing all the necessary ingredients. You need a combination of:

  • The right academic experts,
  • The right facilities,
  • Enough funding to meet research expenses, and
  • A research project where
    • the significance of the research question is appropriate to the degree,
    • the research methodology is academically rigorous and the expected outcomes are described, and
    • the reseach work to be done can be completed within the program/scholarship duration.

It is essential to contact your proposed advisors and your proposed school before developing your detailed research proposal.

  • Advisors can provide information on feasibility of project, including meeting the costs of the proposed research.
  • School can provide information on existing research facilities, staff research interests and staff expertise.

You can develop a preliminary research thesis proposal before you collaborate with your potential advisors and school. However, completing your research proposal in collaboration with your proposed advisors and your proposed school means:

  • you get expert advice about the project before you spend hours working out the details, and
  • everyone has a record of the collective decision-making about what you plan to do in your project that addresses all these concerns.

Once you commence your candidature, you and your advisors will continue to revise, refine, and rework the details of your research project throughout your candidature. 


feedback