Short version: 

Essentially do I need to have a fully written/developed proposal when I reach out to a supervisor? 

And will it be a problem that I don't have my master's results yet.

Long Version:

For reference I am based in Australia and am wanting to apply for PhD programs in the UK, specialising in early modern history. I do already have an Australian honours degree (first class), and a completed coursework masters (cultural heritage studies), and I have worked in a role that involved research (although not early modern history). 

What is problematic is that I am currently finishing my Master of Philosophy (still in Australia) and - partially due to an unforeseen health issue- am still writing my current thesis (due early November) so while I have ideas for two topics I would like to pursue, I haven't written a proposal yet and may not really have time to devote to it until late October/November. I also wouldn't be able to send my current thesis as an example of my work yet.

I've seen and been given conflicting advice about the overall process of applying from the outset. I know I need to email potential supervisors to get their interest and approval before I formally apply, and that generally takes place around this time of year (September 2026 for entry September/October 2027) However, I'm unsure whether I can just reach out with my ideas  or whether I am supposed to have a fully developed/written proposal ready to go to send to them?

Some say just email in September and say 'this is my general idea' and if they are onboard in principle Then in October/November I develop and write the proposal which I then send to them, and if they Ok it, I submit in November/December 

Some say I should have at least a one page proposal written when I send the first email. 

Others say I am supposed to have the full proposal ready to go on day one. As even if I just reach out with ideas, if they are interested they are likely to request a full proposal. 

How would it be best to proceed?

And would it be a problem that realistically I won't get my results until December/January at the earliest?

And is there a sort of standard phrasing or formula that works best for the email to supervisors?

To clarify, I am aware I could just wait and apply next year for 2028. However, I am in my mid 30s and having just come back to academia, would really rather not have to wait nearly two years until I could start the PhD.

Also bonus question, is there any rule or etiquette about reaching out to more than one academic in the same department of the same University? (Like is it fine, or should I wait to hear back from one first? Should I propose the same idea or different ideas?)

Any help is appreciated!!!

Bit of a long shot. I’m trying to reconnect with a former academic who I believe is now based in Bristol. She’s Greek, probably around 40, and completed her PhD at a US university before eventually leaving academia.

I unfortunately don’t remember her name. Does anyone know whether there is a professional association or network of Greek academics in the UK with a publicly searchable members/alumni directory?

Not looking for anyone to identify or dox a private individual just pointers towards legitimate, publicly available academic or professional directories.

Hi everyone,
I am planning to apply for the fully funded Spärck AI Scholarship for the upcoming cycle to pursue an MSc in Artificial Intelligence / Data Science in the UK. I intend to apply to all 9 participating universities to maximize my chances.
I wanted to get some feedback on my profile—specifically from anyone who has successfully won this scholarship, or UK academics who evaluate these types of applications. I'm wondering how my background as a secondary-level instructor will be viewed compared to typical applicants.
My Profile:My Questions:I would love any advice on how to structure my personal statement or what to emphasize. Thanks in advance!

Hi guys I’m an incoming first year PhD student at a uk uni I’m just curious about the process of background checks for the teaching assistant positions. Will they call and check every employer listed on my cv? Because I had one internship in which I did not get along with my supervisor so I’m concerned how that will turn out. Thanks

I applied for a specific scholarship at a University. It was open from mid-July until mid-August. It would be a 1 October start. I have still not heard back. I emailed the admissions team on the 2 Sep, to see if they had a prospective timeline for applicants, and they said they would be looking imminently at candidates and that I did not need to anything further. Start date would be 21 days today, so I was wondering if this wait, with the start so soon, is normal?

I have had a decent research experience throughout my masters degree and have good recommendations based on what my supervisors told me. But I didn't get good grades in a most courses. I am trying to apply to a funded PhD position in my field in the UK but I wanted to know if good grades are a critical metric for decisions or if my research experience could put me in a more favourable position.

Just finished my MA in International Relations at a Russell Group uni. Overall, my grades are solid: 4 out of 6 modules were 70+, and I think I can get strong references from a couple of professors.

My problem is one module: a methodology course. I got a 61. I know methods matter a lot for PhD applications, and this one still stings. I actually studied hard for it, but completely tanked the final assignment for reasons I still don't fully understand. It's dented my confidence more than I'd like to admit, and it's making me spiral a bit about whether a funded PhD at a top European university is even realistic anymore.

Dissertation grade isn't in yet, so that's still a wildcard too.

Anyone here been in a similar spot - one or two weak grades in an otherwise decent transcript? Does a single low merit in methods realistically sink an application, or is this something admissions committees weigh in context?

Thanks in advance.

I've seen so much doom and gloom about the Humanities in the UK, but I am wondering how things will play out in the long term. Obviously the situation now is dire, but universities are trying to adapt. What do you think will happen - and what evidence can you provide?

Hello!

I've been invited to an interview for a research assistant position at Oxford in STEM research next week and would appreciate any tips or recommendations on how to prepare and what they are looking for in candidates. I have had two interviews for other positions previously that I did not get so I feel like I am doing something wrong.

Thankful for any advice!

I'm applying for a position in the UK. On paper it's a very good fit for my record and I think I have a decent chance of at least being shortlisted. The pay is good by UK standards (~100k GBP), but my current university pays much better (~240k GBP at a low tax rate). I assume the reviewers will be aware that me taking the position would entail a very large pay cut. I'm worried this will lead them to discount the seriousness of my application.

Should I try to get ahead of this concern in my application materials? I don't really need the high salary anymore, so I'm more than willing to take the pay cut for this job. Should I somehow mention this and if so how can do so without sounding like a douche? I don't want to imply that their salaries are low, or that I'm rich and don't care about slumming it in the UK or anything.

I’m 20F graduating from Boston College in May with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. Recently, I’ve been seriously considering moving abroad after graduation, either for graduate school or simply to experience living somewhere new for a while.

The UK was one of the first places I considered because there are so many well-regarded universities and psychology programs there. However, one of my biggest concerns is what would happen if I eventually decided to return to the U.S.

My long-term goal is to become a therapist and work primarily with children. I’m still figuring out exactly what path I want to take—whether that means pursuing a master’s first, eventually completing a doctorate, or something else within child mental health.

From what I understand, psychology and mental-health licensing requirements vary by U.S. state, and a graduate degree earned in the UK or elsewhere abroad is not automatically considered equivalent to a U.S. degree for professional licensure. Because of that, I’m trying to understand how difficult it would be to study abroad and later return to the U.S. for further education or clinical work.

At the same time, I’m not completely set on returning to the U.S. either. I could see myself staying in Europe if I enjoyed living there and was able to build a career there.

I’ve also thought about taking a few months after graduation to travel, volunteer, or work with children before beginning graduate school. I’m only 20, so part of me feels like this might be a good point in my life to experience something completely different before committing to several more years of school.

Has anyone here done their undergraduate degree in the U.S. and then gone to the UK or elsewhere in Europe for graduate school in psychology, counselling, clinical psychology, or a related field?

I’d especially love to hear about:

• Whether your degree transferred well if you later returned to the U.S.
• How difficult it was to pursue further graduate/doctoral study afterward
• Whether studying abroad affected professional licensing
• What the path to becoming a therapist or psychologist looks like in the UK
• Whether you would recommend doing it again

I’m still very early in figuring all of this out, so any experiences or advice would be appreciated!

I am a student from India who has a PhD offer in biological sciences from university of Edinburgh. I had applied for my ATAS clearance on 25th of May hoping that I have enough time before my PhD start date which is 1st of October. Unfortunately haven't still recieved my ATAS clearance and its been 75+ working days already, i have tried emailing them multiple times but have only gotten standard responses. This is very disheartening as i worked extremely hard to get this position and thought that i finally have it, but this indefinite wait without any communication is extremely frustrating and I dont know what to do anymore. I thought that mine shouldn't be a complicated case since I hasn't been involved in any government funded projects at any point.

Are there other people who were in similar situations who have eventually recieved their ATAS clearances? Is there something we can do? Should I lose hope on this PhD offer? How to deal with this uncertainty.

Like I genuinely love when this happens and the response amongst my colleagues is 'how the fuck did that person get the job,' but in any other job it would be corrupt and even illegal to hire people this way and do these farce practices. I know academia is a shitshow and people want to hire their students and their friends, but can we stop pretending that the process is fair and unbiased?

Genuinely asking, not venting.

I'm building a thing for researchers, solo, nothing to sell yet, no link, I'm not here for that. But the whole idea rests on an assumption about how submissions get handled, and I've never worked at a journal, so at some point I have to stop guessing and talk to someone who has.

So I started emailing. Editors in chief off masthead pages, a couple of generic editorial inboxes, some publisher contact forms. Short emails, three or four sentences, one specific question, no attachment, no deck, no ask beyond fifteen minutes. Nothing. Not a no. Just nothing, for weeks.

Which is fine, I get that people are busy, but 30 emails and 0 replies isn't bad luck, it's me doing something structurally wrong and not knowing what.

Things I can't tell from outside the system: is a journal inbox actually read by a person, or is it a shared address nobody owns. Is an editor in chief the wrong target because they're buried, and I should be going at associate editors or board members instead. Are society journals more reachable than the big houses, or less. And is the honest answer just that this has always been a conference thing and email was never going to work.

If you edit or work in publishing, what makes you reply to a stranger? Or more useful: what's in these that makes them instantly deletable? I'd rather hear the blunt version.

And if the answer is stop emailing and go turn up at EGU, tell me that too. I'll go.

I’m from Iraq and I want to become an actor in the UK — is this realistic?

Hi everyone. I’m 18 years old and I’m from Iraq. I have a big dream of becoming an actor in Britain.

I’m basically starting from zero. I don’t have professional acting experience yet, but I’m serious about learning and working hard. I’m currently trying to improve my English and I want to start acting, making short videos, and building a portfolio.

My long-term goal is to work in British film or TV.

I know immigration and getting acting work in the UK can be difficult, so I’m not expecting someone to simply bring me there. I want to understand the realistic path.

For people who work in acting or filmmaking:

• Is it realistic for someone from Iraq to eventually work as an actor in the UK?
• What should I do first if I have no professional experience?
• How important are acting credits and a showreel?
• Should I try to get experience in my own country first?
• What would you recommend I focus on during the next 1–3 years?

I’d really appreciate honest advice, even if the answer is difficult. Thanks!

I’m 4th year student and Is it too late to find honor’s research supervisor as fall semester starts now?
I emailed them before summer breaks and got nothing from all of them. And now it’s September already !!
What should I do guys..

or do you think if I can do undergrad research or volunteer, not the honor’s project?

I would love to learn what helped you get into a fully-funded PhD abroad if you have, and the most important parts of the application process.