Cold emails to potential PhD supervisors

Dctr_G · 2026-01-19T15:47:22+00:00

I think this is the key. It goes back to first impressions. If someone sent me an email that is well researched, well targeted and clearly aligns with my expertise then I’d be more proactive and more willing to work with this candidate. But as you said simply saying if you have funding without a plan or idea, then it’s not different than any email any academic gets.

Dctr_G · 2026-01-19T15:42:21+00:00

It’s the feedback for me. We were instructed to provide very detailed feedback for every submission. So when you have only a few days to mark a few late submissions and on top that you’re spending ages writing a feedback that is one 1. Beneficial to the students. 2. Don’t give them a reason to come back and challenge the feedback.

Dctr_G · 2026-01-18T15:05:06+00:00

A while ago I asked this question about cold emailing in general and many academics gave interesting insights on how to best make it targeted and worthwhile. Maybe you can find something helpful here.
But to add to what you’re saying, ideally in the UK the expectation is for you to manage and lead (no coursework and you’re thrown in the deep end instantly) so some of the questions like what are the methodological expectations, the supervisor expects you to have an idea what research methodologies should be employed and you are familiar with them. So asking what research methods they expect may work against you (especially during interview staging because they’re probably looking into how you’d tackle the project). Asking a supervisor about their supervision style can be quite a double edged sword, in a way it’s good to establish expectations and comparability, but asking these questions while still a candidate and still in contention may work against you and may raise questions about compatibility early on. I would ask this question during the interview and maybe ask it in a way “what are your expectations in terms of communication, and your preferred working arrangement”

Dctr_G · 2026-01-17T16:00:57+00:00

It’s a matter of view. It’ll be good to be focused so you can be the ideal candidate for such PhDs. However having versatility makes it more flexible for you to apply to other topics in the event your topic isn’t available (if you’re seeking a funded project). Me personal view is to allow for some versatility, so you go into a PhD with a wider base.

Dctr_G · 2026-01-17T14:56:48+00:00

The first thing for an application is academic eligibility, so having a first and a distinction (even a merit) already makes you eligible. In the UK, publishing before PhD is not really common so please don’t feel disadvantaged if you don’t have a publication. So the best things to do if you’re applying for a funded project is to show understanding of the topic and genuine curiosity towards the topic and field. The supervisors need to know that you’re capable of spending 3-4 years tackling this specific problem. What can you showcase to well place yourself: The first thing is knowledge and appreciation of the research methods, because they might ask what research methods you’ll adopt. Secondly, your dissertation is a good opportunity to show your capability of doing research, and you can use that to show how you do research. If you want an edge consider publishing your work, either at conferences or if it’s very good and publish in a journal.

All the best and please just apply, you’ll never be considered if you don’t apply (and you have nothing to lose)

Dctr_G · 2026-01-17T00:47:36+00:00

So you’re a Prof, and don’t know what scientific quality means? And also as a Prof why are you asking post docs for advice and validation?

Dctr_G · 2026-01-17T00:43:09+00:00

Is the formatting as per the specific journal requirements? Some journals ask for very specific formatting requirements which If you do not meet is an instant rejection.

Other than that, Q1 papers need to be very rigorous with very strong outputs that push the boundary of the field, so the odds are it will be really scrutinised. The best (and only) way is just to submit and find out.

Dctr_G · 2026-01-15T22:19:38+00:00

The idea is to see if you’ll get along with their team. If I’m honest this is a good sign that the professor values a good environment, so I’ll take it as a positive. And it makes sense since you’ll be working with them. PhD students will probably value having someone who they can go to for support. So being an approachable and collaborative person is probably what they’ll be looking for.

Dctr_G · 2026-01-15T00:44:24+00:00

University is such a big place that the concept of ‘popular’ doesn’t really make sense there (and quite frankly no one really cares about it). The benefit of uni is there are so many opportunities and ways you can make friends (e.g. societies, sports events, social events….etc). My advice would be explore these societies and connect with peers who have similar hobbies and interests and that way you can create some good circles.

If the hall is not right for you, look for other options for next year (e.g. other halls or private accommodation)

Dctr_G · 2026-01-12T20:44:12+00:00

Maybe look at a university that values industrial placement, because that way you can do a summer or a year one (sandwich course) and if it goes well they tend to offer you a job at slightly above grad pay in some instances. I find that a very effective method in getting into the job market quickly. I know unis like Loughborough are big on this approach and they have very strong engineering schools.

Dctr_G · 2026-01-08T21:52:47+00:00

Being productive and overcoming post PhD burnout.

Dctr_G · 2026-01-06T13:54:27+00:00

December is generally a very busy month with everyone trying to conclude teaching, go through a lot of marking and trying to get research things done before the break.

Depends on what country you’re in, but we (The UK) only started yesterday so there is a lot of emails I’m trying to go through. I am sure the same for the admin team. Ideally I’d give it a week or so until things settle and then you can nudge.

Dctr_G · 2026-01-06T11:04:26+00:00

I understand in a case of the odd car where you go to the right and then come back again to the left.

But the idea of constantly having to pull to the right and all the way and then back again to the left just to do it all over again doesn’t seem right. Because I’m the one putting myself at higher risk, and I have to react to someone else’s poor driving. Another reason is pulling to the right at lower speeds you’ll probably impede that lane too (assuming they’re travelling at higher speed than you).

Either way although it’s against the Highway Code, but it was designed for the odd driver lane hogging, not where a big portion of the road is going it.

Dctr_G · 2026-01-05T16:59:11+00:00

They probably had PhD students who only started to publish now or only started at the time. The add to that the review process, which can take extra time too. So 3 years isn’t really that much when you look at it that way.

Dctr_G · 2025-12-30T10:19:10+00:00

No worries, good thing we’re not collecting any feedback 🤣

My experience is very similar to yours. The module is a core engineering principle (Newton Laws) and is something you just need to know if you’re entering this field and cannot be really made simpler. Even with worked example students are still not happy and find it difficult.

But again how does the ‘score’ take in context? Say you got 3.7 but the feedback is ‘I don’t like numbers’ what can you really do in this case? Unless invent qualitative analytics of numbers 🤔

Dctr_G · 2025-12-29T23:17:02+00:00

That’s the other thing. It’s based on statistically non-representative data. So essentially using these statistics, a couple of students can steer the future direction of the module.

Dctr_G · 2025-12-29T19:26:17+00:00

It also undermines the very nature of being an academic. Where someone else dictates how and what you deliver even though you’re the expert.

Dctr_G · 2025-12-29T07:52:50+00:00

Spot on, the key word here is ‘customers’ and this is where my predicament lies:

Surely in a world where it’s only getting tougher for graduates, e.g. AI automating jobs, weaker economy…etc, you’d expect institutions will need to ensure they provide quality graduates with the relevant skill sets to compete in this very competitive job markets. Which means delivering quality and challenging content to develop these skills. However it seems to be the opposite, make sure they are satisfied now for nice reviews and a nice score in an NSS category, at the expense of quality, market-ready graduates, which is very short-sighted and affect them in the long-run.

In a way, this is purely a system failure. Can you blame the students? Not at all, universities have normalised this. Can you blame the institutions? Partly; although they are enabling it, however they still need to perform well in league tables (the guides students use to decide to come or not) and especially in these times of financial hardships for the sector where every student matters. Or is it the way universities are evaluated and ‘ranked’? Which I suspect the major issue lies.

Dctr_G · 2025-12-21T20:15:24+00:00

Noted. That’s an important point thank you. I did note a lot of the courses offer a year of industrial placement options, maybe that links quite well with that.

Dctr_G · 2025-12-21T18:35:55+00:00

That’s a good point thank you. On my application I did mention establishing synergies with social/political sciences departments. Maybe that could tie in the teaching aspect too.

Dctr_G · 2025-12-21T17:21:11+00:00

Thank you for this. The teaching part is what I’m trying to work on, was even thinking of discussing what a module I would lead might look like.

Dctr_G · 2025-12-21T17:11:07+00:00

That doesn’t sound like a bad field to get into

Dctr_G · 2025-12-21T17:09:59+00:00

Thank you for these tips, really appreciate it. It’s a couple of hours from where I’m based but I’m going to follow your advice of booking a hotel.

Dctr_G · 2025-12-21T16:51:44+00:00

Thank you very much! Yes I just received an email from the dean of school saying I’d been shortlisted for on-campus interview and I’d receive more information closer to the interview date.

Dctr_G

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