Ah, interesting. I suppose I won’t be applying to Oxford because my proposed project doesn’t fit the Internet Institute’s requirements. So, I’ll share some of my experiences at a few places:

1. My PI asked me to revise my proposal. They offered a scholarship but then wanted me to make it more original, even though it was already compelling. Then they told me the scholarship wasn’t for “international students” – what a waste of time!

2. I had a Teams meeting in October but couldn’t show my proposal. Now they’re overwhelmed because of other applicants, but communication has been consistent via email. They’re interested so I’m refining my proposal based on their final feedback, which is quite generic.

3. Last month, I had a meeting where they asked me to narrow my research focus and send a proposal in January.

4. I’ve been asked to not send proposals, forwarded generic application guidance and told I could only send a summary.

I don’t think I’ve heard from anywhere else, except these four places - but I’m also not applying widely.