More information for your Postgraduate Research Application

This page supports UKPASS applications for Postgraduate Research at the University of Dundee.

Please ensure you provide enough information to help us pass your application onto the correct research team or academic member of staff.

If you are responding to an advertisement ...

Please give details of the advertisement, including the name of the project, and the website or printed publication where you saw the advertisement plus any reference code given.

Supervisor / Research Group

Please give details of potential supervisor(s) and/or the Research Group with which you wish to study. If none have been identified, please enter "NONE IDENTIFIED".

Outline of Research Topic / Prosposal

You will be asked provide an outline of your proposed research topic, the exceptions to this are:

• applications for a studentship attached to a specific project, such as an EPSRC funded studentship,
• Mathematics and some Engineering PhD posts, where the name of a research group, or indicative area only are required.

If you have not discussed your proposed study with a potential supervisor, ensure your proposal is sufficiently detailed for us to judge its merits and applicability to our research areas.

Unless the UKPASS form asks for something different, your outline proposal, should be 500-1500 words in length, and should include:

1. Project title: at this stage, you need only give some thought to a brief title that communicates an overview of the project you have in mind.
2. A brief statement of the aim and objectives of the research and how these relate to existing research, and/or policy and/or practice. Why do you think this issue needs to be investigated? What will we learn? What will we gain? Why is it important? What are the implications? It would be helpful if this section can mention previous research and other academic literature related to the topic area.
3. A statement of the research question(s) implied by the aim and objectives.: What is the project about? The problem should be focused enough that it is able to be researched in a single research proejct. It should not be over-ambitious. Remember that you will be working largely on your own with limited financial resources. Where will it be located? Who or what will you be investigating? Where possible, try and identify one or two research questions.
4. An outline of the proposed research design, including how the research questions will be investigated. You are not expected to be too prescriptive here as you would receive guidance from a supervisor once you embarked on the study.
5. An indicative bibliography: we would expect you to have done some initial reading around your topic area. Here you should list those sources to which you have referred and that have informed your thinking. In addition, list sources that you feel would be key texts in embarking on the study.

The above notes are only intended to assist planning of a research proposal. However, you will find that thought given to these points at the beginning of the research can save a considerable amount of confusion and wasted effort later.

CV

You must upload a copy of your current CV (Curriculum Vitae/resume) as part of the UKPASS application form - do not send it under separate cover.

Portfolio

If you are applying to Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, for practice-based research, you will also be asked to provide a sample portfolio of your recent work, in a suitably documented electronic format (viewable on both Mac & PC). You can attach one file up to 5MB, provide a web address, or you can send under separate cover.

Part Time

If you wish to study part time, you need to state this, however, overseas applicants should note that the UKBA will not issue a Tier 4 visa for part time study. Part time study may be possible under other UK visa types, particularly for staff.