ucl phd research proposal

UCL School of Management

University college london, phd in management.

Start date:  September 2024 Duration: 5 years (1 year MRes + 4 years PhD) Fees:  We offer fully funded scholarships to all admitted students Application deadline: 01 February 2024 (17:00 UK time). A late submission window closes on 05 April 2024 (17:00 UK time), although we encourage you to apply early as places are limited and applications are subject to close sooner if places are filled. Entry:  Minimum of a first class bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline. International students, please note that UCL’s English language requirement for this programme is a ‘ Level 1 ’ (IELTS and TOEFL are the preferred test, however others on the UCL recognised test list will be accepted if required) - further details regarding this can be found on the  UCL English Language Requirements  page.

PhD students pursue their studies in one of the Operations & Technology, Strategy & Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Analytics, and Organisations & Innovation groups. All four groups offer a unique education and research experience to a small number of highly motivated students, with the intent of preparing them for scholarly careers at the highest level.

PhD studies in Operations and Technology

Across the different research themes , there is a shared interest in management science, operations management and business technologies. Topics of interest include R&D management, innovation and new product development, service systems, supply chain management and healthcare operations. For candidates in this area, a degree in engineering (e.g. industrial, electrical, computer, mechanical etc), economics, mathematics, statistics or operational research is preferred. 

PhD studies in Strategy and Entrepreneurship

S&E faculty research  focuses on understanding what makes firms successful, how they cope with a complex and dynamic environment, and what leads to new business formation and growth. Doctoral training involves close collaboration between the doctoral student and faculty members on shared research interests, coursework at UCL and other institutions, and independent research. Doctoral students also benefit from the S&E group’s collaborative research community, a lively program of research speakers from other institutions, and links with researchers worldwide. Topics of interest include digitization, big data analytics, machine learning, information environment, platform ecosystems, new organisational forms, learning, innovation, competition, interorganisational relationships, corporate strategy, entrepreneurial strategy, entrepreneurship for development, social innovation. 

PhD studies in Marketing and Analytics

Topics of interest in this group include branding, retailing, advertising, pricing, product development, marketing channels, business marketing, marketing strategy and e-commerce. The researchers in this group use diverse quantitative methodologies that include big data analytics, regression analysis, choice models, field experiments and Bayesian econometrics.

PhD studies in Organisations and Innovation

O&I faculty research focuses on understanding individual and team outcomes within organisations. Group members engage with a variety of perspectives and approaches including network research, experiments and ethnographies. There is a shared interest in the topics of creativity, innovation, social networks and diversity. For applicants to the PhD programme, prior training in social science (e.g. social psychology, sociology or economics) is highly relevant. 

PhD studies in Financial Economics

Our MRes and PhD Programme in Financial Economics with UCL’s Department of Economics now has more information about how to apply and what you can expect from the programme on a brand new programme page, please see the specific entry requirements and programme structure here . 

PhD Structure

• The programme typically consists of five years of full-time study, starting with one year of modules registered as MRes. These modules are typically advanced postgraduate modules to provide rigorous methodological training to prepare students for their PhD research. Along with the School’s modules, students typically take some of these from other UCL departments (e.g., Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology), the London Business School, Bayes Business School, and Imperial College Business School.
• In addition to methods modules, students also undertake a first-year research project under the tutoring and supervision of a faculty member later in the MRes year (Term 3 + Summer period).
• Progression from MRes to PhD is not automatic . Superior performance in taught modules and independent, original research is required for progression from MRes to PhD.
• Our highly selective and small-sized PhD programme ensures that each student receives personal attention and guidance from our faculty members throughout their doctoral study. The close mentorship process forms the foundations of a successful academic career. 
• We expect our PhD graduates to have as their goal an academic career as a faculty member in a top business school or engineering department of a world-class university
• PhD applications are reviewed once a completed application form has been submitted online . 

Students take a total of 180 credits in the MRes year. This is made up of the MRes Research Project:

• MSIN0135 - MRes Research Project: 8,000-10,000 words . 105 credits.

Students take 75 credits of taught modules, of which the following three are compulsory modules:

• MSIN0131 - Research Presentation and Critical Writing Skills . 15 credits
• MSIN0132 - Seminar in Organisation Theory . 15 credits
• MSIN0240 - Designing Management Research Projects.  15 credits

Finally, students choose elective modules (15 credits each) among those offered by the School of Management, other UCL Departments (e.g., Economics, Psychology), and partner universities in London.

Students can take additional (non-credit) modules at UCL and our partners schools in the remaining years to complement their learning, but there is no requirement to take modules after the MRes year.

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, and class discussion based on case studies and other activities. Student performance is assessed through simulations, presentations, coursework, group projects, class participation, and examinations. 

Students typically study 3 compulsory modules over Terms 1 and 2. Students will also typically study 2 optional modules which may take place in Terms 1, 2 or 3. Students will also undertake a substantial research project, which would usually be undertaken over Terms 2 and 3. 

Each taught module is delivered over 10 weeks, with 3 contact hours per week comprising lecture content and interactive components. 

In addition, students typically spend approximately 6-8 hours a week for each module on assessment and independent study to further develop the skills and knowledge covered in lectures and seminars. The total number of weekly hours will vary according to the weekly activities being undertaken.

Why choose us

What our students say:.

‘The UCL School of Management PhD programme is designed to provide students with skills that lead to academic excellence. Candidates are part of a dynamic and vibrant group and benefit from the programme’s flexibility, as they can choose from a wide range of disciplines. The frequent cooperation with world-leading faculty members enhances our knowledge and skills and ultimately leads to high-quality research output, laying the foundations for a subsequent successful academic career.’ 

UCL School of Management has forged a reputation for world-leading research in management studies with 95% of the School’s research deemed to be world-leading or internationally excellent, the second highest percentage of any business school in the UK, according to the 2021 REF. 

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Applications

Applying for our mres/phd programme.

Entry requirements and admissions criteria:

We seek to recruit highly motivated, ambitious students with strong educational backgrounds. The ideal candidate will have a first-class Bachelor’s degree from the UK or an overseas qualification of equivalent standard from a leading university. We encourage students from a wide variety of backgrounds (e.g, engineering, economics, business, mathematics/statistics, psychology, sociology, and anthropology, among others) to apply to our programme. Also, notice that a Master’s or graduate level degree is not required for admission, you can apply with only an undergraduate (e.g. bachelors) degree. 

In your personal statement you are expected to suggest one or more faculty members as potential supervisors. On the application form you may see that it states that it is preferred that you contact potential supervisors beforehand – you do not need to do so. In fact, applicants are discouraged from randomly contacting individual faculty members or potential supervisors when applying to our programme. All applications are first evaluated by a joint admissions committee, so contacting potential supervisors separately will not increase your chances.

All MRes/PhD applicants are normally expected to take either a GMAT test or GRE test (UCL’s institution code is 3344, but also make sure you include a scanned copy of your test result on your online application), although the School has no minimum score requirements.  

We also require you to submit IELTS or TOEFL scores if English is not your first language. Our School requires a “Level 1” English qualification which corresponds to:

• IELTS: Overall grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.
• TOEFL: Score of 92, plus 24/30 in the reading and writing subtests and 20/30 in the listening and speaking subtests.  

Application Deadline

The application window closes 01 February 2024 (17:00 UK time) and a late submission window closes on 05 April 2024 (17:00 UK time). We advise those interested in the programme to apply before 01 February 2024, as those applying in the late submission window will only be considered if there are still places remaining.

Application Procedure

Apply via UCL Postgraduate Admissions System here . When starting the application, you must select the MRes option. In addition to filling out the online application form, please upload a copy of the following documents:

• Official Transcripts of Grades / Course marks
• A 2-3 page personal statement or research proposal* that clearly indicates: (i) which research group you are interested in (i.e., Organisations & Innovation, Strategy & Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Analytics or Operations & Technology, (ii) your research interests and preliminary research ideas, (iii) potential faculty member(s) you may want to work with (this is a suggested list, you don’t need to contact potential supervisors beforehand), and (iv) your motivation to do a PhD.
• Your  GRE / GMAT  score report**
• Your IELTS/TOEFL score report, if English is not your first language.

* While submission of a full research proposal is not required, you can send us one if you have already written it up.

** You can submit your application even if you don’t have a GRE/GMAT score —simply indicate when you plan to take the test. Funding/Scholarships

We offer fully funded five year MRes/PhD scholarships in the UCL School of Management to all admitted students. The scholarship is open to all nationalities. It covers all tuition fees, and includes an annual stipend of £25,000, which is tax-free.

Additional costs 

This programme does not have any compulsory additional costs outside of purchasing books or stationery, printing, thesis binding or photocopying.  

Students may have the opportunity to participate in conferences in the UK and internationally. The UCL School of Management provides MRes/PhD students with an annual budget for conferences, which students will use to cover the travel, accommodation, food and other costs whilst at conferences, in line with UCL’s expenses policy. 

Apply today

For queries about the MRes/PhD Programme that are not addressed on our web pages, please contact [email protected] .

Frequently Asked Questions about the UCL School of Management MRes/PhD Programme

Programme Information

Application process, admissions requirements, further information.

If you have any other questions regarding the programme that are not addressed on our web pages please email the programme team ( [email protected] )

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PhD Application Instructions

How to apply.

• UCL CDT of Foundational AI: here
• UCL CDT of Cybersecurity: here
• UCL Computer Science: here (Department: Computer Science; Programme: Postgraduate Research; Full-time; Research Degree: Computer Science (4 Year Programme))

Research Proposal

• Transcript of records
• Research proposal (approximately 4-8 pages)
• Description of what excites you
• A lay summary (which can be read by someone, who is not from the field) of your research proposal (up to 200 words)
• Literature overview (what do other people currently do in the area you are interested in?)
• How would you fill in existing gaps?
• A concrete 6-months project you wish to start your PhD with (including timeline)
• Why you would like to join RPL, UCL-CS, and CDT of Foundational AI in particular
• Download template for research proposal: here

Made by Dimitrios Kanoulas

Centre for Doctoral Education

Information for prospective students

• Applying for a doctorate at the IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society

Scholarships

Visiting doctoral students, transferring registration to the ioe, ucl’s faculty of education and society, applying for a doctorate at the ioe, ucl’s  faculty of education and society.

Potential applicants for doctoral programmes at the IOE need first to pick one of the programmes that our departments offer . Before submitting an application, all applicants should develop a research proposal and identify a potential supervisor .

If you have difficulties during this process – for example, if you have tried to contact a supervisor but had no response for over a week – you can contact the relevant Departmental Graduate Tutor for support. Their contact details are given at the bottom of identify a potential supervisor.

After selecting the programme, the application process is laid out on UCL’s website . Students for whom English is not their first language should be aware that our doctoral programmes require advanced proficiency .

Please be aware that, although it is possible to start at any point during the year, we recommend that people start at the beginning of the Autumn term if they can. This is because events such as UCL’s induction are mostly offered early in this first term. Students who are not able to start then should start at the beginning of the spring or summer term if possible, so that they can take part in departmental inductions.

Students at the Institute of Education have access to a range of bursaries and scholarships to support their studies. General information about scholarships is here . This resource allows users to filter available opportunities by their status and department.

These opportunities include

• UCL’s own Research Excellence Scholarship . This is awarded annually, and information about how to apply is provided on the linked page. These schemes require nomination of students by departments; applicants are advised to contact their Departmental Graduate Tutor to find out more.
• The UCL, Bloomsbury and East London Doctoral Training Partnership’s studentships competition , which is run annually.
• The London Arts & Humanities Doctoral Training Partnership’s studentships competition , which is run annually.
• The IOE’s Centenary Doctoral Scholarships for international (non-UK and non-EU) students; information about this scheme is given on the IOE website .
• Awards from the China Scholarships Council; this is made annually, and is run at faculty level. Information on this scheme is also given on the IOE website .
• Financial support available to IOE and UCL staff .

Applicants for this year’s Graduate Research Scholarship scheme should be sent to the Centre for Doctoral Education .

UCL offers a scheme whereby students registered at other institutions can visit for 3-12 months. Information on how to apply for this, requirements and tuition fees is provided on the UCL website . All potential visiting doctoral students should identify potential supervisors before submitting an application.

It is possible, although exceptional, for students who have begun a doctorate at another institution to transfer their registration to the IOE. For the MPhil/PhD programmes, applications should be made in the normal way, but noting the request to transfer prior learning within the application. Applicants may then be exempted from the required elements of the research training programme, some of the required period of study, or upgrading if a comparable process has been completed elsewhere. For the EdD, it is only possible to exempt applicants from up to two of the taught modules, if comparable modules have been successfully completed on another programme.

Note that all such requests are considered on a case by case basis by the chair of UCL’s research degrees committee.

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UCL dissertations and theses

The Library holds a copy of most research degree theses completed by students registered at UCL. Print copies of research theses are catalogued by author in  Explore ; electronic versions are in many cases available on open access in  UCL Discovery .

The Library does not normally have copies of UCL:

• MA, MSc, MRes, LLM theses
• Diploma theses
• Undergraduate dissertations

However the following libraries have small local theses collections covering their own subject areas, please contact the relevant library directly for more information:

• Bartlett Library : select exemplars of Masters dissertations are available through UCL's Open Educational Repository .
• Ophthalmology Library  has a very small collection of PhD, MD and MSc dissertations.
• Institute of Orthopaedics Library  has BSc and MSc theses.
• School of Pharmacy Library  has a small collection of MRes theses which date from 2011 – 2014  for reference use in the library. 
• UCL Institute of Education Library  has selected masters dissertations, which are findable in  Explore . Those published after 2000 are openly accessible in the library. All others must be requested in advance. 
• Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Library has examples of past MSc and MRes dissertations.
• The UCL Institute of Archaeology make some available on the dissertation module page in their Moodle.

Some departments may also maintain their own collections. For further details, please contact your departmental administrators. 

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How to write a successful research proposal

As the competition for PhD places is incredibly fierce, your research proposal can have a strong bearing on the success of your application - so discover how to make the best impression

What is a research proposal?

Research proposals are used to persuade potential supervisors and funders that your work is worthy of their support. These documents set out your proposed research that will result in a Doctoral thesis. They are typically between 1,500 and 3,000 words.

Your PhD research proposal must passionately articulate what you want to research and why, convey your understanding of existing literature, and clearly define at least one research question that could lead to new or original knowledge and how you propose to answer it.

Professor Leigh Wilson, head of the graduate school at the University of Westminster , explains that while the research proposal is about work that hasn't been done yet, what prospective supervisors and funders are focusing on just as strongly is evidence of what you've done.

This includes how well you know existing literature in the area, including very recent publications and debates, and how clearly you've seen what's missing from this and so what your research can do that's new. Giving a strong sense of this background or frame for the proposed work is crucial.

'Although it's tempting to make large claims and propose research that sweeps across time and space, narrower, more focused research is much more convincing,' she adds. 'To be thorough and rigorous in the way that academic work needs to be, even something as long as a PhD thesis can only cover a fairly narrow topic. Depth not breadth is called for.'

The structure of your research proposal is therefore important to achieving this goal, yet it should still retain sufficient flexibility to comfortably accommodate any changes you need to make as your PhD progresses.

Layout and formats vary, so it's advisable to consult your potential PhD supervisor before you begin. Here's what to bear in mind when writing a research proposal.

Your provisional title should be around ten words in length, and clearly and accurately indicate your area of study and/or proposed approach. It should be catchy, informative and interesting.

The title page should also include personal information, such as:

• academic title
• date of birth
• nationality
• contact details.

Aims and objectives

This is a summary of your project. Your aims should be two or three broad statements that emphasise what you want to achieve, complemented by several focused, feasible and measurable objectives - the steps that you'll take to answer each of your research questions.

You'll need to clearly and briefly outline:

• how your research addresses a gap in, or builds upon, existing knowledge
• how your research links to the department that you're applying to
• the academic, cultural, political and/or social significance of your research questions.

Literature review

This section of your PhD proposal discusses the most important theories, models and texts that surround and influence your research questions, conveying your understanding and awareness of the key issues and debates.

It should focus on the theoretical and practical knowledge gaps that your work aims to address, as this ultimately justifies and provides the motivation for your project.

Methodology

Here, you're expected to outline how you'll answer each of your research questions. A strong, well-written methodology is crucial, but especially so if your project involves extensive collection and significant analysis of primary data.

In disciplines such as humanities, the research proposal methodology identifies the data collection and analytical techniques available to you, before justifying the ones you'll use in greater detail. You'll also define the population that you're intending to examine.

You should also show that you're aware of the limitations of your research, qualifying the parameters you plan to introduce. Remember, it's more impressive to do a fantastic job of exploring a narrower topic than a decent job of exploring a wider one.

Concluding or following on from your methodology, your timetable should identify how long you'll need to complete each step - perhaps using bi-weekly or monthly timeslots. This helps the reader to evaluate the feasibility of your project and shows that you've considered how you'll go about putting the PhD proposal into practice.

Bibliography

Finally, you'll provide a list of the most significant texts, plus any attachments such as your academic CV .

Demonstrate your skills in critical reflection by selecting only those resources that are most appropriate.

Final checks

Before submitting this document along with your PhD application, you'll need to ensure that you've adhered to the research proposal format. This means that:

• every page is numbered
• it's professional, interesting and informative
• the research proposal has been proofread by both an experienced academic (to confirm that it conforms to academic standards) and a layperson (to correct any grammatical or spelling errors)
• it has a contents page
• you've used a clear and easy-to-read structure, with appropriate headings.

Research proposal examples

To get a better idea of how your PhD proposal may look, some universities have provided examples of research proposals for specific subjects, including:

• The Open University - Social Policy and Criminology
• Queen's University Belfast - Nursing and Midwifery
• University of Sheffield - Sociological Studies
• University of Sussex
• University of York - Politics
• York St John University

Find out more

• Explore PhD studentships .
• For tips on writing a thesis, see 7 steps to writing a dissertation .
• Consider your PhD, what next?

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We have 65 ucl PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

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ucl PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

Phd studentship in quantitative magnetic resonance imaging mri of the spine, phd research project.

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

This research project has funding attached. It is only available to UK citizens or those who have been resident in the UK for a period of 3 years or more. Some projects, which are funded by charities or by the universities themselves may have more stringent restrictions.

Cancer Experimental and computational PhD Understanding human glioblastoma initiation and its microenvironments

Modelling brain function using hip-ct synchrotron imaging (fully funded phd), funded phd project (students worldwide).

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Cognitive Neuroscience PhD at UCL

Funded phd scholarship in internet of things, edge devices, security & privacy, fully funded phd scholarship in agrifood electronics, nanoengineering in pharmaceutical formulation, optimisation of additive manufacturing process using data-driven machine-learning approach (fully funded phd), fully funded phd scholarship in memristive technologies, phd in “integrated bioprocess economics and sustainability analysis for intensified processes for cell and gene therapies”, the politics and efficacy of network interference, ai for science and engineering advice, masters & phd in connected electronic and photonic systems at ucl and cambridge, funded phd programme (european/uk students only).

Some or all of the PhD opportunities in this programme have funding attached. It is available to citizens of a number of European countries (including the UK). In most cases this will include all EU nationals. However full funding may not be available to all applicants and you should read the full programme details for further information.

EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training

EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training conduct research and training in priority areas funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Potential PhD topics are usually defined in advance. Students may receive additional training and development opportunities as part of their programme.

BBSRC PhD Studentship Organic, medicinal Chemistry and chemical biology: improving gene therapy in T cells

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PHD Proposal UCL (3).docx

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Jonas Wolff

Critics of liberal peacebuilding have started to move beyond mere criticism and think about what hybrid or post-liberal peacebuilding might mean. This article aims at contributing to this debate by bringing contemporary experiences in that are usually not reflected in the peace-building literature. Since the turn of the century, political changes in a series of South Ameri-can countries, including most notably in the case of Bolivia, have led scholars to identify trends towards post-liberal ways of organizing and exercising political rule. The context in which these processes occur is, of course, very different from the so-called post-conflict so-cieties usually studied by peacebuilding scholars. Yet, precisely because of these differences, conditions for a locally driven search for post-liberal democracy are much better in Latin America. In this sense, while the attempt to move beyond liberal peacebuilding does certainly not need yet another template to be implemented worldwide, these experiences might well serve as important inspirations in the ongoing search for locally grown, hybrid variants of a post-liberal peace.

The research is focused on the adjudicatory nature of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and its model of deliberation. In principle, identifying a large amount of individual opinions and their argumentative use could intuitively support the conclusion that the Inter-American Court‘s decision-making process is institutionally outlined by aggregating the content of separate opinions. In order to confirm or refute this perception, the importance of individual opinions is analyzed through the quantitative performance of each category of judge (ad hoc and regular), as well as each type of adjudicative activity (judgments and advisory opinions). The quantitative data is also useful to better understand the explicit assimilation of separate opinions to the core reasoning of future cases. As a result, it has been possible to identify relevant aspects applicable to the main problem of whether individual opinions really matter to the Inter-American Court‘s decision-making process.

Albert H.Y. Chen

The ideas and practices of written constitutions and constitutionalism that originated in the West in the 18th century were first imported into China in the late 19th century. There were three eras of constitution-making in modern Chinese history: the last decade of Qing imperial rule (1901-11), the republican era (1911-1949), and the communist era (1949-). The establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the Mainland in 1949 inaugurated a new era of constitution-making under the Soviet Union’s influence. However, even today, the discussion of “constitutionalism” (xianzheng) is still discouraged by the PRC regime, although the concepts of the (socialist) Rule of Law and human rights have been affirmed by constitutional amendments in 1999 and 2004 respectively. Part I of this paper will first review the historical evolution of constitutions in the modern world, and then consider the concepts and theories of constitutions and constitutionalism in the contemporary world. Part II introduces the historical and ideological contexts of constitutional developments in modern China, and describes the operation of the Chinese constitutional system. Part III considers the present state and future prospects of constitutionalism in China. Finally, part IV concludes the chapter.

Alexandru-Ionuț Drăgulin

Max Planck Encyclopedia of Comparative Constitutional Law (Oxford University Press)

Gábor Attila Tóth

For a later analysis, see also my Constitutional Markers of Authoritarianism, https://www.academia.edu/37557701/Constitutional_Markers_of_Authoritarianism

Claudio G Couto

Alberto Coddou

El presente trabajo es una primera version de un capítulo que forma parte de mi tesis de doctorado. Se pide a los lectores no difundir ni citar el texto sin mi permiso. Cualquier comentario adicional pueden enviarlo al correo electrónico [email protected] The present work is a first draft of chapter that will be included in my PhD thesis. Please do not circulate or cite without permission. Any comments are welcome ([email protected])

Daniel Antonio Garcia Huerta

The aim of this Working Paper is to assess the relevance of the hegemonic constitutional perspective on human rights. It argues that, detached from other social and political considerations, it is not effective in securing its own standards for humanity. A constitution alone cannot transform society by means of legal commands and discourses. It demands a more thorough involvement and transformation of social and political structures for effect. While most of the literature on the field has been focused on the constitutionalisation of rights, particularly after the boom of international human rights law, this paper aims to explore what follows the constitutional incorporation and social implementation of rights. To do that, this analysis will look critically to the process of constitutional inclusion and assess whether it has had a positive or negative impact on rights implementation and social transformation. For a better understanding of the relationship between rights and constitution, three different theories will be drawn on: social, political, and legal schools of thought. One of the goals of this work is to reject a hierarchical approach to rights and constitutions, on the one hand, and the democratic polity on the other, and to refocus the question more holistically how human rights are, or ought to be, about social transformation.

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Supervision and Research Proposals

All applicants must identify and contact potential supervisors before making their application. Applications are welcome all year. Start dates are in late September and early January.

How to Search for a Supervisor

If you are interested in applying for a research degree in our department, please consult our  People page  and the UCL Staff Profiles to identify and approach a suitable project supervisor. If you are unsure who might supervise your project, please contact the relevant programme director  to discuss the proposed project and the practicalities of studying for a research degree at our department. The Programme Director, will put you in touch with a possible supervisor. Guidance as to how to write a proposal can be found here:  Writing a Research Proposal  

For those candidates planning to apply for funding, initial contact with a subject area director  or prospective supervisor should be made in  October or November  where the deadline for funding is usually December or January. Applicants intending to apply for scholarships will need to complete the application process before applying for scholarships. For information consult our  Funding pages.We recommend that candidates begin their degrees in September, where possible, as various funds (such as the AHRC) work to an academic calendar.

IMPORTANT: Enquiries to potential supervisors should be accompanied by a CV and initial research proposal. Proposals should be 1,000-1,500 words long, with a title, an overview of existing scholarship related to the research aims and objectives, specific research questions and a indication of the methodology to be employed. 

We recommend that you apply in the autumn to start the programme the following September.

We prefer candidates to have a distinction or indication of distinction-level work (e.g., a distinction mark for the dissertation) at Master’s level or equivalent.

How To Write a Research Proposal

Formal applications for Graduate Research Programmes are made via the central UCL Admissions pages but you are strongly advised to contact us with project proposals before making an application . A proposal should convince scholars that your project is conceptually innovative, methodically rigorous and offers substantive content. 

Your proposal should address your research aims and questions, some account of existing scholarship on the subject, a clear statement about your methodological approach, and a provisional chapter outline. Your PhD proposal will enable us to determine whether we are able to offer you supervision in your chosen area of research.  Please do not submit more than one proposal at a time.

MPhil / PhD Translation Studies only:  As a first step, please complete this online enquiry form for MPhil / PhD Translation Studies , which will be considered at our next regular PhD supervisors meeting.

The admission process may require an interview with your prospective supervisor(s) and another academic member of staff. The interview can be conducted in person or online. 

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MPhil/PhD Degree Outline Research Proposal Template – University College London

Prospective PhD students are required to complete a research proposal and submit it with the application form and other relevant documents. The proposal should be max 3,000 words in length excluding bibliography/references. The numbers in parentheses indicate the maximum page length that should be devoted to each section. This does not suggest that all sections should be this length, but it should provide guidance as to the relative priorities of the proposal. The proposal should contain the following elements.

1. Working Title

2. Introduction (1.5)

The introduction should speak to the question(s) you are addressing.  Why is the question important? How will answering it advance knowledge in political science/political theory? What is the broader social/political/geopolitical context that frames your question? What’s the puzzle you’re trying to explain? Your research question(s) must be clearly stated.

3. Literature review (3.5)

The literature review should demonstrate that your research question is anchored in and contributes to a body of literature(s). You should demonstrate awareness of key research and provide an analytical summary of current knowledge. This section should also set out the general theoretical approach/framework to be applied.

4. Data/methodology (3)

This section should indicate the data sources needed to answer the research question and the general methodological approach taken. Items to address include: key propositions or hypotheses; concepts; independent and dependent variable(s); indicators; cross-section or longitudinal approach; unit of analysis; sampling; validity and reliability; etc. (Please note: not all of these topics apply for all projects so please address what is relevant to your work.) For students doing theory based projects please indicate what data sources you will utilise and your general method. Note that this is a key section of any proposal, and supervisors pay particular attention to the degree of development of this section when assessing the application.

5. Proposed analyses (2)

This section should set out how you intend to analyse the data brought to bear on your research question(s). Is the project qualitative, quantitative or a mixed methods approach? Please identify the techniques you will use to analyse the data.

6. Proposed timeframe for the study (1)

Outline a timetable for completion of the project (3-4 years for full-time study).

7. Bibliography/references

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Thandi Loewenson Awarded 2024 Wheelwright Prize

Thandi Loewenson, still from Whisper Network Intelsat 502, 2022.

Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD) is pleased to name  Thandi Loewenson  the winner of the  2024 Wheelwright Prize . The $100,000 grant supports investigative approaches to contemporary architecture, with an emphasis on globally minded research.

Loewenson’s project,  Black Papers: Beyond the Politics of Land, Towards African Policies of Earth & Air , engages a dynamic terrain of social and spatial relations in contemporary Africa. Whereas the importance of land in the context of African liberation movements and subsequent postcolonial governments has been analyzed mainly in terms of private property, dispossession and redistribution, and agriculture and mining, Loewenson pushes our understanding in radically new directions with the introduction of an analytic framework she calls “the entanglement of Earth and Air.” Through this framework, Loewenson expands these interpretations of land to include many overlapping terrains above and below ground, spanning rare metals buried far below the Earth’s crust and reaching up to the digital cloud and Earth’s ionosphere, and ranging in scale from a solitary breath of air to entire weather systems.

Ultimately, Loewenson’s project will examine how colonial capitalist systems of racialization, dispossession, and exploitation are co-constituted and endure across multiple, entangled Earthly and airborne terrains. The Wheelwright Prize will support her study, which will include aerial techniques for surveying and prospecting, as well as the mining of “technology metal,” minerals employed in networked devices that also underwrite a global system of digital dispossession. Among the forms her findings will take are the Black Papers, studies that aim to shape both policy discourse and public perception. Incorporating drawings, moving image, and performances as well as critical creative writing, the Black Papers are designed to reach broad audiences through popular media including video, radio, and social platforms like WhatsApp.

“The question of land, and its indelible link to African liberation and being, echoes across the continent as a central theme of liberation movements and the postcolonial governments that followed. Instead of solely engaging land as a site of struggle, this work situates land within a network of interconnected spaces, from layers deep within the Earth to its outermost atmospheric reaches,” says Loewenson. “This research presents a radical shift: developing a new epistemic framework and a series of open-access, creatively reimagined policy proposals—the Black Papers—in which earth and air are not distinct, but rather concomitant terrains through which racialization and exploitation are forged on the continent, and through which they will be fought. The Wheelwright Prize is uniquely placed to support such ambitious inquiry, enabling me to bring together seemingly disparate yet closely bound parts of our planet, and agitate for a more just and flourishing world.”

The Wheelwright Prize will fund two years of Loewenson’s research and travel. She plans to focus her work in seven African nations: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

“Expanding what constitutes architectural research, Thandi defines a sectional slice of inquiry that spans from the subterranean to the celestial. Her project is nothing short of a full reconceptualization of land and sky as material realities, sources of value, and sites of political struggle,” says  Sarah M. Whiting , Dean and Josep Lluís Sert Professor of Architecture at the GSD. “Such vision exemplifies the kind of ambition the Wheelwright Prize is meant to support. Along with the rest of the jury, I could not be more thrilled that she is this year’s winner.”

In addition to Whiting, jurors for the 2024 prize include:  Chris Cornelius , professor and chair of the Department of Architecture at the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning ;  K. Michael Hays , Eliot Noyes Professor of Architectural Theory and co-director of the Master in Design Studies program at the GSD;  Jennifer Newsom , co-founder of Dream the Combine and assistant professor at Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning;  John Peterson , curator of the Loeb Fellowship at the GSD; and Noura Al Sayeh , head of Architectural Affairs for the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities.

“Loewenson’s research examines our planetary section, reaching from the probative violence of mining and extractive terrains to the fog of particles in the air we breathe and the digital fragments ricocheting in our outer atmosphere. Building from a necessary set of scholarly research about the entanglements of earth, air, bodies, and dispossession (on multiple timescales), her work extends these arguments into a material practice rich with layers—the matter that matters to our time,” says Newsom. “Loewenson promises to think with the materiality of place, collapsing the spaces of poetics and the landscapes of policy with the literal terrain of the context these projections shape. Her proposal was clear-headed about its purpose, research methods, and outputs, yet remained nimbly open to the propulsive capacity for her work to fractal outward in ‘activist academic practice’—to new audiences, interlocutors, policymakers, students, and neighbors. Loewenson constructs a relational field of inquiry essential for our discipline.”

The Wheelwright Prize supports innovative design research, crossing both cultural and architectural boundaries. Winning research proposal topics in recent years have included the environmental and social impacts of  sand mining ; the potential of seaweed, shellfish, and the  intertidal zone  to advance architectural knowledge; and  new paradigms for digital infrastructure.

Loewenson was among four distinguished finalists selected from a highly competitive and international pool of applicants. The  2024 Wheelwright Prize jury commends finalists   Meriem Chabani ,  Nathan Friedman , and  Ryan Roark  for their promising research proposals and presentations.

Born in Harare, Loewenson is an architectural designer/researcher who mobilizes design, fiction, and performance to stoke embers of emancipatory political thought and fires of collective action, and to feel for the contours of other, possible worlds. Using fiction as a design tool and tactic, and operating in the overlapping realms of the weird, the tender, the earthly, and the airborne, Loewenson engages in projects which provoke questioning of the status-quo, whilst working with communities, policy makers, unions, artists, and architects to act on those provocations. A senior tutor at the Royal College of Art, she holds a PhD in Architectural Design from The Bartlett, UCL. Loewenson is a co-founder of the architectural collective BREAK//LINE —an “act of creative solidarity” that “resists definition with intent”—formed at The Bartlett in 2018 to oppose the trespass of capital, the indifference towards inequality, and the myriad frontiers of oppression present in architectural education and practice today. She is also a contributor to  EQUINET , the Regional Network on Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa, a co-founder of the  Fiction, Feeling, Frame  research collective at the Royal College of Art, and a co-curator, with Huda Tayob and Suzi Hall, of the open-access curriculum project Race, Space & Architecture.