If you cannot find a pre-defined project that matches your interests, you might want to consider proposing your own research (also called ‘self-directed research’). This involves identifying a knowledge gap after reviewing existing research. Most pre-defined research projects are in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) or medicine subject areas. If you want to do a research degree in the arts and humanities, it is likely you will need to propose your own research, but you should still check if there are any projects available first. PhD projects Timescales for proposing your own research We recommend you start planning your application at least one year before your programme start date. It can take several months to go from reviewing existing research to writing a research proposal. You also need to factor in time to: contact and wait to hear back from potential supervisorsapply for funding and potentially reapply for funding if you are unsuccessful at firstgather documents for your application Documents you need to apply How to propose your own research Find a topic Proposing your own research involves: working out what area interests you in your chosen field of studyreading literature in that areafinding a knowledge gap or unanswered question in that area Are scholars suggesting unexplored topics you could research? What are the boundaries of current research, and what could you explore beyond it? When you find a topic that interests you, you need to turn it into a research proposal. Write a research proposal A research proposal describes and outlines the scope of the research you are looking to do. You need a proposal to apply for a self-directed research degree. You may also need to write a research proposal before contacting academics to supervise your research. Other supervisors may accept seeing an initial idea instead of a drafted proposal. Writing a research proposalFind a supervisor You will need to find a supervisor to oversee your research degree. A supervisor is an academic in your field who will provide you with support and guidance during your research. Regardless of whether they can offer supervision, the academics you contact may be able to help you: refine and improve your proposalsuggest further readingrecommend other potential supervisors Finding a supervisorFind funding Proposing your own research means you will need to find funding for your degree. If you are not funding your research yourself, there are a variety of organisations that fund research degrees. Funding a research degree This article was published on 2025-10-07
