Unsuccessful research application

There are specific reasons why we might reject postgraduate research applications.

Competition for places and funding is extremely high

Places for postgraduate research programmes with linked funding are very limited.  

We often cannot make offers to candidates who meet our entry requirements but are not as qualified as others for the funding element. Unless such candidates can find other ways of funding their studies, we will not be able to progress the application. 

Other sources of funding can include: 

  • other University funding opportunities
  • external grants
  • employer sponsorship
  • self-funding 

Other ways of funding postgraduate study 

Research interests outside our research expertise

Your research proposal should outline your research interests. If these are outside our research expertise, we will not be able to provide appropriate supervision. 

Find a supervisor for your research 

No supervisor available

It is often the case that our academics in your area of research do not have the capacity to supervise more students.  

To give all research students the time and attention they deserve, our academics can only supervise a small number of students at any one time. 

Find a supervisor for your research 

Required facilities not available

Your research proposal may be of interest, but we might not have adequate facilities for your proposed research or the capacity to host further researchers in our facilities.

Research proposal is not of the required quality

Your research proposal might not be of the standard we expect, for example, due to: 

  • failure to adequately specify the research topic (what you plan to research, why and how)
  • the topic not developing or extending new thinking
  • the proposal not demonstrating the analytical importance of the research
  • the proposed research not being considered as feasible, given the time and resources available 

You can contact the relevant admissions team for feedback on your research proposal. 

Contact futurestudents@ed.ac.uk for feedback 

Incomplete application

We cannot progress your application if you have not submitted all documents required for the degree programme and/or the funding, including if you did not provide a named supervisor for your research where required.

What to do if your application was unsuccessful

This article was published on