Getting started

Once you’ve decided to pursue a research degree, it’s never too early to start thinking about possible research topics, supervisors and funding opportunities. Even if you’re still completing an undergraduate degree or honours program, start discussing ideas with academics in your department and anyone else you know in your field.

Most prospective students will go through the following four stages (not necessarily in the same order) to set themselves up for their research.

Choosing an institution

Finding a supervisor

Choosing a topic

Applying for funding

Choosing an institution

Many postgraduate research students remain at the university where they completed their undergraduate degree but there are plenty of reasons to make a change. When comparing research programs and institutions it may help to consider the following factors:

• reputation in your field
• general research focus, research investment and prestige
• quality of laboratories, equipment and other facilities
• availability of grants and industry projects for research students
• supervisors you would like to work with
• your chances of securing a scholarship
• convenient location (close to family, cost of living, etc.).

Some say prestige and academic reputation have little affect on the quality of your program, but the networks you make and the reputation your degree carries in your field could make a big difference after graduation.

Finding a supervisor (or two)

If you already know someone you would like to work with, get in contact with them and the institution they’re based at. Otherwise, your preferred institution and/or department can help put you in touch with possible supervisors. You may need to submit a brief research proposal and résumé at this stage. Some universities or programs will assign research students a team of two or three supervisors, which is handy if your main supervisor changes jobs or has to take time off.

While a supervisor’s reputation in the field, research output and other academic credentials will be a major factor in your decision, it is also worth considering whether your personalities and working styles will be a good match. Research degrees can be stressful and demanding even with the most supportive team behind you. If your prospective supervisor is already known for being difficult, unreliable or impossible to get in contact with, things are only going to get worse during crunch time.

Meet with potential supervisors several times, ask about their experience supervising other research students (and how many of those students completed their degree) and try to speak with students they have worked with. To get an idea of their professional reputation look at their publication record, how often they are cited, research groups they are part of, conferences they have presented at, and the funding and grants they have won for their current project. Ask others you know in the field for their opinion. Supervisors who are top researchers will bring benefits such as a large network of contacts, post-degree employment possibilities, and ample funding for equipment and conference expenses.

Choosing a topic

Supervisors say a good research topic is one that will sustain your interest over the next several years, in an area where you can identify gaps in the current knowledge. The scope of the project should be realistic for the time you have available — do not choose something that will be finished in six months or drag out over eight years.

Your topic should also be interesting for your supervisor and fall within their area of expertise. Discuss possible topics with several prospective supervisors to find the right match. You will generally need to submit a basic research proposal as part of the application procedure.

At most universities your research proposal is formally approved six months after commencing the program. After reviewing the literature and discussing your plans in detail with your supervisor and others in your department you may substantially alter your plans or even change direction entirely.

In some cases, instead of coming up with a topic by themselves, students will apply to work on a specific research project. This could be a large, ongoing research project in a university department or an industry-based research project where the host university collaborates with an outside organisation on a project with real-world applications for the organisation. For example, research students have worked with a hospital on ‘Developing a Model of ICU Transition Care’ and a fertilizer company on ‘Enhancing Ammonium Phosphate Slurry Output from the Pre-Neutraliser Reactor via Rheological Study and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Modelling’.

Universities may also offer scholarships for research students to undertake a PhD or masters in a particular area. This could be a specific topic, such as ‘Detection of Platypus Ulcerative Mycosis’, or one that offers students a range of possible topics such as ‘Global Vaccination’.

Research opportunities for specific projects may be advertised on university or industry websites, in newspapers and in specialist academic publications.

Applying for funding

Industry-based projects generally include a (comparatively) generous scholarship or stipend for the research student on successful application. Other students may need to apply for scholarships separately to their degree application. Read Funding your research degree and contact your preferred institution for more information about securing an RTS place and applying for scholarships.

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