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Writing a statement of academic research interest

Your ‘statement of research interests’ contains a proposal for future academic research and shows how that builds on your current expertise and achievements. It forms the basis for discussions and your presentation if you are invited for interview.

Tailor it for each academic position you apply for. Your research interests are likely to be broad enough to be tailored to the local interests and expertise. Make sure that there is palpable synergy between the research you are proposing and what the employing department carries out. This is worth the substantial time investment.

In preparing your statement, read your colleagues' statements. ask for feedback from your supervisor/principal investigator or colleagues.

Previous research experience

Consider structuring your research experience by project, tailored as far as possible to your proposed research, as follows:

• achievements
• relevant techniques
• your responsibilities.

Research proposal

If at all possible, talk with people in the department you are applying to. This will raise your profile with potential future colleagues as well as inform your thinking. They are likely enjoy the opportunity to explore exciting new research avenues and will appreciate being asked.  Getting to know them will also make the application process seem less daunting to you.

If you are asked for a research proposal, a word limit is normally specified: this can vary enormously.

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Research proposal and personal statement

Last updated: 24 April 2023

When you apply for a Professional Doctorate with us, you are required to submit a research proposal & personal statement that outlines – among many other things – the nature of your research, and why it’s important. To help make yours as compelling as possible, read our helpful hints for creating a clear, concise and engaging research proposal.

What should I put in my research proposal?

Most application proposals are approx.1,000 – 1,500 words. A good research proposal will clearly identify the nature and scope of your research, and provides a meaningful context for its significance. It will also highlight your general and specific aims for the work and outline how you plan to meet them.

Here’s a checklist of what to include, when you write your proposal:

Define your research

• What is the professional/research problem you want to study?
• What’s the nature of the problem and why is it problematic?
• Why is your research significant, who is it significant to, and why is it relevant now?
• How will your research make an original contribution or stimulate debate within your chosen profession/field?
• What academic research has been done in your chosen area, what ideas and findings has it developed, and how will your research build on the existing knowledge?
• Which authors and which models have been most influential in this area, and why?
• Are there any possible ethical issues arising from your research – and if so, how will you address them?

Define your research aims and methods

• What are the general and specific aims of your research?
• What research methods have you considered?
• What authors have influenced your consideration of research methods, and how?
• What would be the most useful methodology for your research and what kinds of data will it yield?
• How will you gain access to any data relevant to your study?

What should I put in my personal statement?

Your personal statement is an opportunity to tell us about yourself, and to outline why you’re a compelling candidate for a professional doctorate with us. In your statement, you should demonstrate your enthusiasm for your professional/research topic and highlight the skills you’ve gained from your academic studies and your work or life experience. Here’s a checklist of what you should include:

• Your reasons for choosing your topic of research
• The aspects of your topic of research that interest you most
• How your choice of research fits in with your future career plans
• Why you would like to study in the UK (for EU/International students)
• Please provide details of your current or previous employment

Final thoughts

• If accepted, your proposal will set the topic and direction of your research for the duration of the programme (for a part-time DSE this could be 6 years!), so it must be something that you are personally interested in. You will need self-motivation and commitment and, above all, you should be able to enjoy exploring your chosen topic.
• Aim to leave the reader of your proposal excited, interested and wanting to know more. The reader should be left with a clear sense of purpose of the research, and should be able to understand what you hope to achieve without having to re-read the proposal.
• You are not expected to know everything at this stage! But you are expected to spend time and thought on your proposal in order to clearly present your ideas for a research topic. The proposal is about you demonstrating that you are capable of the chosen level of study and have the potential to carry it through to a successful conclusion.

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Postgraduate Research Proposal Guide

Your PhD journey

Follow our step by step guide

What is a research proposal?

• Why do you need a research proposal?

How do you plan for your research proposal?

• How to write a research proposal
• Important do's and don'ts

Write your personal statement

Follow our checklist.

• Watch our videos

Step 1 - Learn more about research proposals 

• If you are considering undertaking a research degree, many universities will ask you to submit a research proposal as part of your application. 
• A research proposal is a concise summary of your proposed research project.
• It should set out the central issues or questions that you intend to address and demonstrate the originality of your proposed research.

Why do you need to write a research proposal?

• A research proposal allows a prospective supervisor to judge the quality of your proposed project.
• It helps provide insight into your existing knowledge and writing skills, and that there is sufficient justification for your idea to be undertaken as a research degree.
• A research proposal also enables you to consider, in detail, what research you would like to complete as part of your studies.

Before you start writing your research proposal, make sure you:

• Explore our  research areas . Do we undertake research in the area you’re interested in?
• Identify a supervisor. You can browse our  Find a PhD supervisor  search.
• See if we have any pre-approved PhD projects  you might consider.

Quick links

• Book an open event
• Explore the Library
• How to apply
• Get in touch

Step 2 - How to write a research proposal that stands out

Explore our dedicated information

• What your research proposal should contain
• How long it should be

Discover more

At Portsmouth, I’ve learnt that opportunities are there if you want to take them. I’ve gained confidence in my abilities. And how to focus my ideas into an area of research.

Maddie Wallace, PhD Creative Writing and Literary Theory

Step 3 - What to do next

Your personal statement is an opportunity to tell us about yourself, and to outline why you're a compelling candidate for a research degree with us.

In your statement, you should demonstrate your enthusiasm for your research topic and highlight the skills you've gained from your academic studies and your work or life experience.

• Your reasons for choosing your topic of research
• The aspects of your topic of research that interest you most
• Any skills and abilities gained from work experience, placement or voluntary work, particularly if it's relevant to your subject
• How your choice of research fits in with your future career plans
• Why you would like to study in the UK (for EU/International students)
• If you aren't currently in full-time education, please provide details of your current or previous employment
• Collate all the required documentation
• Check you've stuck to the appropriate word length 
• Ask your peers and academic colleagues to read through it
• Submit your proposal to a potential supervisor before making your final application
• Write your personal statement 
• Come to a Postgraduate Open Event and join our Webinars to find out more about Portsmouth
• Get in touch if you have any questions along the way 

Watch our helpful videos

• Find out about flexible PhD study
• Making a successful PhD application

Contact Postgraduate Admissions

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• Knowledge Base
• Research process
• How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on 30 October 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on 13 June 2023.

A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research.

The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements:

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organised and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.

Table of contents

Research proposal purpose, research proposal examples, research design and methods, contribution to knowledge, research schedule, frequently asked questions.

Academics often have to write research proposals to get funding for their projects. As a student, you might have to write a research proposal as part of a grad school application , or prior to starting your thesis or dissertation .

In addition to helping you figure out what your research can look like, a proposal can also serve to demonstrate why your project is worth pursuing to a funder, educational institution, or supervisor.

Research proposal length

The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.

One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.

Download our research proposal template

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.

• Example research proposal #1: ‘A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management’
• Example research proposal #2: ‘ Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use’

Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:

• The proposed title of your project
• Your supervisor’s name
• Your institution and department

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.

Your introduction should:

• Introduce your topic
• Give necessary background and context
• Outline your  problem statement  and research questions

To guide your introduction , include information about:

• Who could have an interest in the topic (e.g., scientists, policymakers)
• How much is already known about the topic
• What is missing from this current knowledge
• What new insights your research will contribute
• Why you believe this research is worth doing

As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review  shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.

In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:

• Comparing and contrasting the main theories, methods, and debates
• Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Explaining how will you build on, challenge, or synthesise prior scholarship

Following the literature review, restate your main  objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.

To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasise again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.

For example, your results might have implications for:

• Improving best practices
• Informing policymaking decisions
• Strengthening a theory or model
• Challenging popular or scientific beliefs
• Creating a basis for future research

Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .

Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.

Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.

Download our research schedule template

If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.

Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:

• Cost : exactly how much money do you need?
• Justification : why is this cost necessary to complete the research?
• Source : how did you calculate the amount?

To determine your budget, think about:

• Travel costs : do you need to go somewhere to collect your data? How will you get there, and how much time will you need? What will you do there (e.g., interviews, archival research)?
• Materials : do you need access to any tools or technologies?
• Help : do you need to hire any research assistants for the project? What will they do, and how much will you pay them?

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement.

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, June 13). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved 30 July 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/the-research-process/research-proposal-explained/

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How to write a personal statement

How to approach writing your personal statement for graduate applications.

If you’re applying for a grad course that requires a personal statement (sometimes also called a ‘statement of purpose’), it can be difficult to know where to start and what to include. Read on for tips from some of our masters’ students about their process and what they found helpful.

1. Before you start

The academic work is the most important reason why we’re here, but that also translates into work experiences, internships, volunteering. I think a big part of the personal statement is crafting that narrative of academic self that fits alongside your professional experiences, to give that greater picture of who you are as an academic. Lauren (MSc Modern Middle Eastern Studies)

Start by thinking about the skills, knowledge and interests you’ve acquired over time and how the course at Oxford will take them forward.

Your statement is the story you want to tell about yourself and your academic work to the department you are applying to.

Most of your application and its supporting documents communicate plain facts about your academic career so far. Your personal statement is your best opportunity to put these facts into context and show assessors how you’ve progressed and excelled.

Make sure you highlight evidence of your achievements (a high grade in a relevant area, an award or scholarship, a research internship).

Presenting yourself

When I was writing my personal statement, I went onto my course website. I looked at what they emphasised and what kind of students they were looking for, and I wrote about my experiences based on that. Kayla (MSc in Clinical Embryology)

Make it easy for an assessor to see how you meet the entry requirements for the course (you can find these on each course page ).

Don’t make any assumptions about what Oxford is looking for!

Get to know your department

You want to study this particular subject and you want to study at Oxford (you’re applying here, so we know that!) but why is Oxford the right place for you to study this subject? What interests or qualities of the academic department and its staff make it attractive to you?

Use your academic department’s website for an overview of their research, academic staff and course information (you'll find a link to the department's own website on each course page ).

I said, ‘why do I actually want to be here? What is it about being at Oxford that’s going to get me to what I want to do? Sarah (Bachelor of Civil Law)

Talk it out

Talking to others about your statement can be a great way to gather your ideas and decide how you’d like to approach it. Sarah even managed to get benefit out of this approach by herself:

“I spent a lot of time talking out loud. My written process was actually very vocal, so I did a lot of talking about myself in my room.”

2. The writing process

Know your format.

Make sure you’ve read all the guidance on the How to Apply section of your course page , so you know what’s needed in terms of the word count of the final statement, what it should cover and what it will be assessed for. This should help you to visualise roughly what you want to end up with at the end of the process.

Make a start

When it comes to writing your personal statement, just getting started can be the hardest part.

One good way to get around writer’s block is to just put it all down on the page, like Mayur.

First - write down anything and everything. In the first round, I was just dumping everything - whatever I’ve done, anything close to computer science, that was on my personal statement. Mayur (MSc Computer Science)

You’ll be editing later anyway so don’t let the blank page intimidate you - try writing a little under each of the following headings to get started:

• areas of the course at Oxford that are the most interesting to you
• which areas you’ve already studied or had some experience in
• what you hope to use your Oxford course experience for afterwards.

3. Finishing up

Get some feedback.

Once you’ve got a draft of about the right length, ask for feedback on what you’ve written. It might take several drafts to get it right.

This could involve getting in touch with some of your undergraduate professors to ask them to read your draft and find any areas which needed strengthening.

You could also show it to people who know you well, like family or friends.

Because they’re the first people to say, ‘Who is that person?’ You want the people around you to recognise that it really sounds like you. It can be scary telling family and friends you’re applying for Oxford, because it makes it real, but be brave enough to share it and get feedback on it. Sarah (Bachelor of Law)

Be yourself

Finally - be genuine and be yourself. Make sure your personal statement represents you, not your idea about what Oxford might be looking for.

We have thousands of students arriving every year from a huge range of subjects, backgrounds, institutions and countries (you can hear from a few more of them in our My Oxford interviews).

Get moving on your application today

To find out more about supporting documents and everything else you need to apply, read your course page and visit our Application Guide .

Applicant advice hub

This content was previously available through our  Applicant advice hub . The hub contained links to articles hosted on our  Graduate Study at Oxford Medium channel . We've moved the articles that support the application process into this new section of our website.

• Application Guide: Statement of purpose

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• Postgraduate doctoral
• Application process

Writing a research proposal

If your supervisor asks you to formalise your idea as a research proposal (this is not always a requirement) this needs to define a clear research question.

You should also be prepared to explain how this contributes to and develops (or challenges) any existing theories in the field.

It’s important to tailor your proposal to the department you’re applying to.

Different departments may also have different format requirements (e.g. word limit, content) so it’s important to discuss these with your potential supervisor in advance.

For more general advice on how to write a good proposal, see  FindaPhd.com .

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Create your own research proposal

A research proposal is a short document that summarises the research you want to undertake. If you cannot find a suitable advertised project, this is a route to create your own.

When creating a research proposal, you’ll need to consider the question or issue you want to address with your project. Think about the background of the subject and how your research will be an original contribution to the field. You’ll also need to think about the methods you'll use to conduct this research. Your proposal helps us assess your suitability for a research degree and decide if we can offer you the right supervision.

Preparation

You may want to make contact with 1 or more potential supervisors to discuss project ideas. They may also be able to help with funding your degree .

You can search our academics to find a supervisor whose research interests align to yours. When you find a match, contact them to discuss your proposals. Allow time for responses and to consider their feedback.

Learn how to make a supervisor enquiry

Writing your research proposal

You should keep it clear, objective and realistic. Include:

• an outline of your research interests
• your initial thoughts about your topic
• clear objectives of what you aim to achieve or the question you want to address
• references to previous work
• why the research is relevant and original
• your proposed method and general approach
• why you believe the research should be funded
• how your skills will help to conduct the research
• any training you may need to undertake the project

How to structure your proposal

Your research proposal should include:

• a working title for your project
• up to 1,500 words (excluding a bibliography)

It’s best to write with short paragraphs and sentences. You can use images and diagrams if it’s appropriate.

Example structure:

• introduction statement (200 words)
• your background reading and the area you want to contribute to (400 words)
• your research question or issue to investigate (200 words)
• data sources, research methods and critical approaches to use (500 words)
• conclusion on how your project will contribute to the field (200 words)
• bibliography

Submit your proposal

Your potential supervisor will inform you of when to start the application process and how to include the details of your agreed project.  

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Writing your research proposal

Your proposal is your chance to tell us why you want to study your PhD at Sussex. Follow our guide to making your research proposal as strong as possible.

Your research proposal

If you are considering studying a PhD, there are two options available to you.

• apply for a funded PhD where you research a set project
• design your own research project, which you can either fund yourself, or apply for external funding.

If you decide to design your own research project, you need to write a research proposal which will form a central part of your PhD application.

Follow our step-by-step guide below to help you through the process of writing your research proposal.

Plan your research proposal

You should contact the relevant academic department before applying to Sussex and check if there are any additional requirements for your research proposal.

Even at this early stage, you may be asked questions regarding your research, and so you should start thinking about:

• the questions driving your research
• how your research makes 'an original contribution' to your field and how will you achieve this
• if your research provides new knowledge, or reinterprets existing ideas in an original way
• how you intend to do the research i.e. the methodology you'll use and how you'll structure your work
• how Sussex can aid you in your research and what you want to study here.

Ask for advice

If you need further advice you can contact our academic staff working in your field.

You can also ask research students and academic staff at your current university for help. It is good practice to discuss your ideas with others in your research area and use their suggestions to further your understanding and strengthen your proposal.

During this process you should start making detailed notes. You might also want to start planning your research proposal. If so, breaking it down into the traditional sections below may help you organise and manage your thoughts:

• introduction
• research background
• research methods
• bibliography.

Find a supervisor

Choosing the right supervisor is one of the most important steps towards a successful and rewarding PhD.

Before approaching a supervisor, you'll need to have a clear idea of the research you hope to undertake.

Once you have established a relationship with a potential supervisor, you can ask them to read the first draft of your research proposal. They can give you valuable feedback and help you refine your ideas before you submit your application.

Discover how to find a supervisor

Write your proposal

You may now be in a position to start writing your proposal. This is central to your final application.

A strong research proposal:

• formulates a precise, interesting research question
• establishes the relevance and value of the proposed research question in the context of current academic thinking
• describes the data or source material your research requires
• outlines a clear and practical methodology, which enables you to answer the research question
• states clearly what you hope to discover at the end of your research and what new areas it might open up.

The exact content and structure of your research proposal will depend on your subject area.

Below you can see information from each academic school which shows what they expect a research proposal to contain:

Length: 8-10 pages

Your research proposal should include the following sections:

Introduction

You should:

• include a short summary of the central question behind your research
• explain the background of your proposed project
• describe the expected outcome of your project.

Thesis statement

Write a summary of your overarching research question and include:

• why your research area is of academic and practical interest
• how your research builds on existing work
• what has inspired you to pursue your area of research
• your knowledge of the research area.

Literature review

You must show you have the ability to review current research (literature and papers) within your field of study. Your literature review should demonstrate that your research question is relevant, you are aware of the work of others in your field, and how your research will contribute new findings to the subject area.

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework provides the rationale behind your research proposal. You must provide a critical review of existing theories, which are closely related to your research topic. Show how these theories frame your research questions and the overall structure of your research proposal.

Methodology

You must show how you will carry out the research and analyse your findings. Include potential sources, how data will be collected, and any difficulties there may be in conducting your research.

Ethical considerations

Outline any ethical concerns which arise from your research topic or your proposed methods. Read the existing codes of conduct in the social sciences before writing this part of your research proposal.

Bibliography

List the sources you have used in your literature review and any potential sources you may use for your research.

For more information visit the Business School .

Length: 2,000 - 3,000 words excluding references

Your research proposal should describe what you want to research, why it is important to do this research, and how you plan to conduct your study. Here is a suggested structure:

Provide a clear working title for your research.

The introduction will indicate the focus of your research and your main research question. It should also address:

• why this topic is an important area of research
• why the subject is important to you
• how your research will contribute to our knowledge and understanding.

Research context

Provide a concise overview of the context in which you plan to conduct your research.

This section provides a concise review of related research within your field of study. It demonstrates that you are aware of the work of others and how your research will contribute new knowledge. It should also demonstrate critical engagement with relevant conceptual and theoretical frameworks and make clear your theoretical position about the issues you are researching, how this frames your research questions and your methodological approach.

Methodology and methods

Indicate your methodological approach, followed by details of how you plan to answer your research questions. This should include information about:

• how you plan to collect data (through which research methods)
• how you plan to select participants
• how you plan to analyse the data
• how you will address ethical considerations.

Provide a timeline, including time to conduct the research, process and analyse your data and write your final thesis.

Provide a bibliography of all citations used in your proposal.

For more information visit the School of Education and Social Work .

Length: 2,000 words

You should identify which research group you want to work with and check that we can support your area of research before writing your research proposal.

Your research proposal should include:

• your interest in the particular research area and the topic you want to study
• the specific research questions you want to investigate
• a description of your knowledge of the subject
• the relevant research literature you have read
• the methods and techniques you will use for your research
• an explanation of your motivations for applying for a PhD degree and an outline of your career aspirations
• a timetable for your project (monthly for the first year, and quarterly for subsequent years).

For more information visit the School of Engineering and Informatics

Length: about 2,000 words

You must provide a working title for your research. This is likely to change over time, but provides a good starting point.

You should introduce the questions and issues central to your research and explain how your research will benefit the field.

Research background

Expand on the information you have given in your introduction and try to answer the following questions:

• what are the key texts already existing in your field?
• how does your proposal differ from existing research?
• what will your project contribute to existing work in the field?
• how does your project expand our understanding and knowledge of the subject?

You must set out your research questions as clearly as possible and explain the problems you want to explore.

Research methods

Show how you plan to carry out your research:

• does your project involve archives, databases or specialist libraries?
• is your study interdisciplinary?
• what are the theoretical resources you intend to use and why?
• is your research based on a single author or a group of writers and texts?

Set out your timescale for completing your study. You need to think about dividing your research into sections and indicate how you plan to write up each section.

Include a bibliography, which lists the books and articles, you have referred to in the proposal.

Extra information

Some of these sections will be easier to write than others at this preliminary stage. The selectors who read your proposal know that it is a provisional statement and that your ideas, questions, and approaches will change during the course of your research.

You should treat the proposal as an opportunity to show that you have begun to explore an important area of study and that you have a question, or questions, that challenge and develop that area. It is also necessary to demonstrate that you can express your ideas in clear and precise English, accessible to a non-specialist.

For more information visit the Department of English

Length: 1,000-2,000 words

Include a short summary of your central question. You should tell us what you are attempting to research and why it is significant.

Thesis statement and literature review

Explain the subject matter of your project, and why you think the issues raised are important. You should also show us you are familiar with texts in the field, and can show how your research area is relevant, and in context to current academic thinking.

You must explain how your proposed project is original and will increase our understanding of the subject matter.

You must state clearly what you hope to discover at the end of your research.

Theoretical framework

Show how you plan to carry out your research and how you will analyse the findings.

Outline any ethical concerns which arise from either your research topic or your proposed methods of collating data.

List the sources you have used in your literature review and point to potential sources for your research.

For more information visit the School of Global Studies

You must provide a working title for your research, this is likely to change over time, but provides a good starting point for your proposal.

Include a bibliography, which lists the books and articles you have referred to in the proposal.

For more information visit the School of History, Art History and Philosophy

Length: 2000-3500 words (excluding bibliography)

Your title should give a clear indication of your proposed research approach or key question.

Include a short summary of your central question. You should tell us what you are attempting to research and why it is significant. You must state clearly what you hope to discover at the end of your research.

Explain the subject matter of your project and why you think the issues raised are important. Provide a summary of the key debates and developments in your chosen area and demonstrate your knowledge and grasp of the specific literature (global) that you will be engaging with during your research. You should show that you are familiar with texts in your chosen area, and what are the gaps in the literature that your research is attempting to fill, i.e., how your proposed research is original and will increase our understanding of the subject matter. Through this, you should detail how your research area fits into current academic thinking and/or policy discourse.

The theoretical framework provides the rationale behind your research proposal. You must provide a critical review of existing theories or concepts (global), which are closely related to your research topic. Show how these theories/concepts frame your research questions and the overall structure of your research proposal, and clearly state the specific theoretical concepts/analytical frameworks that you are engaging with.

You should outline your draft overall research question and any relevant sub-research questions and hypotheses through engagement with the theoretical literature.

State to what extent your approach is distinctive or new or builds on/deepens existing theoretical literature in your chosen area.

Research Design

Show how you plan to carry out your research (including fieldwork) and how you will analyse the findings. You should also show how this relates to your hypothesis. Put details of your research design in terms of approaches, methods and tools, along with some indication of specifics such as sample size (i.e., give an idea of the scope of your research project).

Outline any ethical concerns that arise from either your research topic or your proposed methods of collecting and collating data.

List the sources you have used in your literature review. Also, separately, point to potential sources that will be appropriate for your proposed research.

For more information about the PhD in Development Studies by Research visit the Institute of Development Studies website .

Length: 2,000-3,000 words

• what has inspired you to pursue your area of research.

You must show you have the ability to review current research within your field of study. Your literature review should demonstrate that your research question is relevant, you are aware of the work of others in your field, and show how your research will contribute new findings to the subject area.

Outline any ethical concerns which arise from your research topic or your proposed methods.

For more information visit the School of Law, Politics and Sociology

Length: 1,500-2,000 words

You should identify the research group you want to work with and ensure that we can support your area of research before writing your research proposal.

• a general personal statement, which describes a broad topic of interest to you and how your areas of academic strength would benefit the topic
• a specific personal statement, which shows us why you are the right person for one of our advertised research projects
• explain your motivation for applying for a PhD degree and outline your career aspirations
• your knowledge of the subject and relevant research literature you have read
• the methods and techniques you will use for your research.

If you are applying for an advertised research project you should tell us:

• which project or PhD scholarship you want to be considered for in the financial information session
• if you have another way of funding your studies if we are unable to offer you a place on a funded project
• the name of your sponsor, if you will be funded by a third party.

For more information visit the School of Life Sciences

You should identify the research area (and/or the researchers) you want to be involved with.

You should either:

• write a new research proposal
• write a general personal statement, which describes a broad topic of interest to you and how your areas of academic strength would benefit the topic
• write a specific personal statement, which shows us why you are the right person for one of our advertised research projects.
• explain your interest in the research area, your motivation for carrying out the research and your career aspirations
• describe the questions you want to investigate
• describe your knowledge of the subject and relevant previous research experience and skills
• tell us about the relevant research literature you've read
• describe the methods and techniques you will use to achieve your aims.

If you are applying for advertised funding you should tell us:

• which project or PhD scholarship you want to be considered for in the financial information section

For more information visit the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Length: about 2,000 words (not including bibliography)

You must provide a working title for your research. This is likely to change over time but provides a good starting point for your proposal.

Brief abstract

Write a paragraph summarising your proposed project.

Research questions and rationale

Introduce your main research questions and why you think your research matters. Indicate how you think your research will be an original contribution to the knowledge and understanding of the subject. Describe the form of your anticipated outputs if your proposal includes creative practice. You may want to explain how you think your research will connect with existing research interests at Sussex.

Conceptual framework

The conceptual framework should elaborate the rationale behind your research proposal. You should demonstrate a critical engagement with theories and secondary literature or other artefacts that are relevant to your research topic. Show how these theories frame your research questions and the overall structure of your research proposal. If relevant, reflect on the research dimension of your creative practice.

Methodology and Research Ethics

Show us how you intend to achieve your research aims and outcomes and how you will answer your research questions. Include information about specific methods and access to relevant sources. If your project involves creative practice in some way, it is important that you describe what facilities you will need and indicate your experience in the relevant production techniques. You may want to include a practice portfolio, or provide links to online examples of your work. Reflect on any ethical considerations relevant to the conduct of your research.

Indicative timeline

Provide an account of how you envisage conducting your research to completion within the period of registration. Note that we fully expect proposals and attendant timelines to evolve in practice, but we are keen to see your ability to design a research project, bearing this in mind.

Include any literature, audiovisual or online resources you have referenced in the proposal.

For more information visit the School of Media, Film and Music

Length: 1,000-1,500 words Your research proposal should contain the following sections:

• why your research topic is interesting and important
• what we know already about the research area and how your study will expand our knowledge of it.

You should assume you are writing your research proposal for someone who has a good understanding of psychology, but not an expert in your area of research.

You should identify any gaps in our knowledge in your research area, and how your research will fill them. At the end of the section outline your aims and hypotheses.

We are interested in your ability to think critically. You should answer the following questions:

• what kind of control conditions are needed for your research?
• what do you need to measure and how?
• do you need to run any pilot studies?
• what difficulties might you have carrying out your research, and how can these be overcome?

You are expected to show how your initial idea can be developed and expanded over the duration of your PhD degree.

Reference list

You must add in a reference list in American Psychological Association format.

For more information visit the School of Psychology.

Proofread your research proposal

Once you have completed your proposal, check it through thoroughly. You should make sure all the information you have cited is accurate. Correct spelling and punctuation is also essential.

Write in clear sentences and structure your research proposal in a logical format that is easy for the reader to follow.

It is easy to miss errors in your own work, so ask someone else to proofread your research proposal before submitting it to Sussex.

You might also be interested in:

• finding a supervisor
• using our postgraduate application system
• how to apply for a PhD

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Statement of Academic Purpose and Research Proposal

Guidance for research programme applicants, guidance on the statement of academic purpose and research proposal.

The research proposal and statement of academic purpose are both important aspects of your application.

Below is detailed information on the purpose and expectations for the research proposal and statement of academic purpose for our management research degrees.

 Statement of Purpose (MPhil/PhD in Management)

Statement of purpose (mphil/phd in management).

The statement of purpose is your opportunity to describe your academic interests in, understanding of, and suitability for the programme you are applying to.

The statement of purpose should clearly demonstrate your motivations and objectives for applying to the programme. You should highlight your academic strengths and draw on any previous experiences that will strengthen your application.

We are interested to learn about your research experience to date, and how you plan to develop these skills further during your time at LSE and beyond.

You should clearly explain how you envisage studying in the Department will help support your professional and academic development, as well as your long-term academic career plans.

We are keen to understand how you will enhance and contribute to the research community and support our research focused environment within the Department of Management and LSE.

 Research Proposal (MPhil/PhD in Management)

Research proposal (mphil/phd in management).

Use your research proposal as an opportunity to showcase your research interests to the selectors, and what contributions your ideas will make to the academic field.

The research proposal is an important element of your application as it demonstrates your research and methodology interests, your academic potential, and it also helps the selectors in identifying potential supervisors.

In addition to the guidance given in  Supporting Documents , your research proposal should clearly identify and include the following:

• Title:  Please clearly state your research question or title of your research at the start of your research proposal.
• Keywords:  Please include on the first page of the proposal up to 10 keywords or phrases which accurately reflect the content of your project (e.g., 'digital innovation’, ‘fintech’, 'data privacy', ‘innovation strategy’, 'digital platforms').
• Introduction to the research idea:  What is your general topic? What questions do you want to answer? Why do you think these are interesting, and important questions that deserve to be answered? What are the main hypotheses of the work?
• Literature:  What is the key literature and its limitations?
• Methodology:  What research methods do you intend to use? What are the strengths and limitations of your chosen methodology?
• Conclusion:  How will your ideas contribute to the field, and how will this change our understanding of your research topic?
• Bibliography:  Please clearly reference any literature you have used in your research proposal.

We understand that as you undertake your study and enhance your research skills during your first year, your initial idea may change, and we therefore do not expect this idea to be fixed but the proposal should clearly demonstrate your research interests.

 Statement of Purpose (MRes/PhD in Management programmes)

Statement of purpose (mres/phd in management programmes).

The statement of purpose is your opportunity to describe your academic interests in, understanding of, and suitability for the programme you are applying to. The statement of purpose should clearly demonstrate your motivations and objectives for applying to the programme. Highlight your academic strengths and draw on any previous experiences that will strengthen your application.

Clearly explain how you envisage studying in the Department will help support your professional and academic development, as well as your long-term academic career plans.

Research Proposal (MRes/PhD in Management programmes)

For MRes/PhD in Management programmes we require an outline research proposal.

Use your outline research proposal as an opportunity to showcase your research and methodology interests to the selectors.

Your research proposal will play an important role in the evaluation of your application. The selectors will place particular weight on how you are able to tackle a question and propose a viable methodology to solve it.

The outline research proposal demonstrates your academic potential, research interests, and it helps selectors in identifying potential supervisors.

The proposal word limit is 1500 words maximum.

In addition to the guidance given in  Supporting Documents , your research proposal should outline and include the following:

• Working Title:  Please state your research question or the working title of your research at the start of your research proposal.
• Keywords:  Please include on the first page of the proposal up to 10 keywords or phrases which accurately reflect the content of your project (e.g., 'digital innovation’, ‘fintech’, 'identity’, ‘gender’, ’workplace discrimination’, ‘proactivity’, 'digital platforms').
• Introduction to the research idea:  What is your general topic? What questions do you want to answer? Why do you think these are interesting and important questions that deserve to be answered? What are the main hypotheses of the work?
• Conclusion:  In what ways will your ideas contribute to the field, and how will this help to change our understanding of your research topic?
• Bibliography:  Please clearly reference any literature you have used in your research proposal (not included in the word count).

We understand that as you undertake your study and enhance your research skills during your MRes, your initial idea may change, and we therefore do not expect this idea to be fixed but the outline research proposal should demonstrate your research interests.

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Are you planning to apply for a PhD programme ? That’s exciting! We know that the application process can sometimes be stressful, so to help you with your mission we have prepared a few tips for writing your PhD personal statement.

What is a PhD personal statement?

A PhD personal statement is different from a PhD research proposal, and the two should not be mixed up. A research proposal is a statement outlining the research problem that a student is looking to solve through their research. A PhD personal statement is usually required when a university is recruiting candidates onto pre-defined PhD projects.

A PhD personal statement will serve as your way to promote yourself as a student and explain why you are eligible to become a PhD student. Your personal statement will be your chance to make a good first impression. This will be your opportunity to talk about, and market yourself as a student. 

In addition, some students are asked to supply a motivation letter. A motivation letter is focused on outlining your future study plans and how the PhD programme can help you achieve your goals as a professional.

A PhD personal statement, on the other hand, will need to cover your motivations, academic background, achievements, experiences, and personal strengths. They are widely used at undergraduate and masters level alongside qualifications and/or work experience.

It’s important to understand the difference between these two requirements to make sure that you don’t end up sending the wrong type of letter which can lead to rejection. 

Who reads a PhD personal statement? 

Your PhD personal statement will be read and considered by various people . Admissions tutors, potential supervisors, and interview panelists will read your personal statement. All of them will be checking different parts of your personal statements such as your relevant experience, qualifications, academic background, motivations and more.

These people will be interested in different parts of your personal statement. But as long as you craft a well-thought, well-structured, and genuine statement, you’ll convince everyone why you are a good fit.

What you should include in your PhD personal statement

Different universities and departments will have differing requirements. Therefore we strongly encourage you to check – with the relevant contacts – to ensure that you cover the details they expect you to include. 

The whole point of writing your PhD personal statement is for you to tell them who you are. We know it’s easy to talk about yourself. But do make sure that information you provide is still relevant to why you are applying for a PhD programme.

Be clear and concise when sharing facts about yourself to make your readers fully understand who you are and why you deserve to become a PhD student. 

Your previous studies or courses 

All universities will have different entry requirements when it comes to PhD programmes but most of them will only accept students who have already completed their Bachelor’s degree and Master’s Degree. You need to highlight your learnings, experiences, and achievements from your previous studies to demonstrate your eligibility and become accepted in a PhD programme. 

Why you want to become a PhD student ?

When writing your PhD personal statement, you must ask yourself these questions:

• Why do you want to become a PhD student?
• What is your motivation for studying this degree subject?
• Explain is the attraction of the particular department?
• What made you choose a certain university and not another?
• Describe the details you looking forward to in your PhD programme.

Display your curiosity 

This is your chance to display your curiosity and showcase why you enjoy doing research. Although your interests might change throughout the programme, giving your readers an idea of your interests will still be great and beneficial to include in your PhD personal statement. 

Experiences and Volunteer Jobs 

You should include your work experiences, research experience and volunteer jobs to showcase your competencies. Highlight any relevant experiences you have and be sure to briefly describe the responsibilities you have previously undertaken. This will make your PhD personal statement look more professional and convincing. 

Skillset 

Critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, time management skills are some of the many skills you need to have if you want to complete your PhD degree programme. You must share your skills in your PhD personal statement to convince readers that you are prepared and skilled enough to finish your PhD programme. 

Your goals 

You can also share a glimpse of your future goals and explain how studying for a PhD can help you achieve your goals. Although your goals are expected to be seen in your motivation letter, it won’t harm you to share a bit about your career aspirations in your PhD personal statement. 

Weaknesses and how you plan to address them

Universities don’t often require students to include their weaknesses in their PhD personal statement. However, in case they ask you to it’s crucial to indicate how you are planning to address any areas where you might struggle. Better to be honest now and mention how you are overcoming them to ensure you can get the support you need. 

Tips for writing your PhD personal statement

• Before you start, make sure you know the requirements and selection criteria so you can convince all the readers of your PhD personal statement.
• Be honest. All supervisors can tell if you’re lying just to make yourself look good.
• Your chances of getting onto a PhD programme can depend on the quality of your personal statement. Don’t rush it and give yourself plenty of time to do it.
• Proofread your PhD personal statement. You can be a great candidate because of your experiences but if your grammar or spelling is mostly incorrect on your personal statement, you might end up being rejected.
• Don’t copy or use personal statement templates, using those will make your statement look generic. Structure your personal statement properly and make it unique enough to stand out.
• Show off your enthusiasm for the PhD programme and be as relevant and specific as possible. You will impress your readers and you'll have a higher chance of being accepted.

Search through the latest PhD study opportunities on Postgraduate Studentships , and join our mailing list for up-to-date advice and opportunities.

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How to write a research proposal

If you wish to study for a Manchester PhD, you may need to submit a research proposal with your application. This is crucial in the assessment of your application and it warrants plenty of your time and energy.

Your research proposal should:

• demonstrate evidence of intellectual purpose and originality;
• show that you are capable of communicating your ideas clearly, concisely and coherently;
• define the topic you are interested in and show good awareness of the research context.

Typical proposals range between 1,000 and 1,500 words; however, we advise you to consult with your School for specific guidance on word count.

Structuring your research proposal

Please check with the relevant School for the specific conventions and expectations of your research proposal. The following are general considerations that we deem important:

• Create a clear working title for your research project.
• Introduce your proposal, identifying the subject for research in terms of theoretical issues and relevant empirical applications, and highlighting why you wish to pursue this project.
• Review  the relevant literature and theories relating to your proposed research area, showing that you clearly understand the key arguments that have been developed and the ideas and findings of key researchers working on the topic. This should demonstrate your familiarity with the subject area, and your ability to communicate clearly and concisely.
• Summarise the central aims and questions that will guide your research.
• Outline  the research methods you will use, explaining how you will conduct your research. What form will the resources take? Where are they located? Will there be any problems of access?
• Indicate your project strategy and timetable. What are the main project stages? What would the annual completion expectations be? What are the perceived challenges, and how will these be overcome?
• Explain why your proposed  project is important. How will your research make an original contribution?
• Include a bibliography highlighting the key references that will support your research topic.

Before submitting your research proposal

Contact an academic member of our staff to discuss your research proposal and key objectives before you submit your formal application. This will enable you to fine-tune your proposal and check that we can identify a suitable supervisory team for you.

Find out more about choosing a suitable supervisor .

Refining your proposal

When you submit your research proposal for application purposes, you will not be committing yourself to the precise detail or methodology. Once we accept you onto a PhD programme, you can refine your original proposal following discussions with your supervisory team.

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Personal Statements for Academic Jobs

Posted in: Advice , Applications , For PhDs

I first published this post in 2015, but I've given it a little refresh for 2020, based on my experience of having read many personal statements for academic jobs, and heard academic recruiters talking about what helps to make a personal statement impactful and interesting - and what doesn't. In a challenging jobs market it's more important than ever to put time, space and research into crafting a statement that showcases your achievements, potential, and passion for your field and for the role you're applying to

Before you start

It's very tempting to jump in straight away and start writing the statement, especially if the role is precisely in your research field, at your dream university and the deadline is midnight tonight. However, it's really important before you start writing the statement to do thorough research into the Department/Faculty/research group and university you are applying to. Look at the Department's research areas and research strategy and think about how your research interests align with these and can help them to achieve their aims. Consider who you could collaborate with (and name these people in the statement). Think about why they have the facilities, expertise and people you need to fulfil your research goals. Look at their REF results and student demographics and consider what interests and appeals to you.

Academic job descriptions can vary widely in how much information they give about the precise content of the job. If anything seems unclear or you would benefit from more information, do make use of the commonly-given opportunity to informally contact the recruiting manager (usually the Head of Department). This will give you the chance to find out more about the specific teaching/research responsibilities of the role and enable you to make contact and demonstrate your enthusiasm before you even apply. You could briefly talk them through the research projects you'd like to work on to see whether these fit with their aims.

Read any instructions carefully; for some positions clear instructions will be given about what to include in the personal statement, so do make sure you follow these. Read the job description and person specification carefully and think about examples from your experience to show that you meet these criteria.

Putting the statement together

Your statement needs to be tailored throughout to the particular post you are applying for. Realistically you may be taking material you have used from previous applications, but it's vital to reorganise it and rewrite it for the current application. It will be obvious if you have simply cut and pasted generic material.

What to include:

- A brief opening statement including information about who you are and what your current role is. Including a key achievement which demonstrates your suitability for the role and Department you are applying to can help to create early impact and draw the reader in. They will have lots of statements to read so emphasising your enthusiasm and how you can contribute from the start can get their attention in a good way.

- your reasons for applying to THAT JOB in THAT DEPARTMENT. If you are applying as an internal candidate or to a department where people know you well already, don't assume your reasons will be obvious. It's crucial to give clear and specific reasons to convince them of your interest; the research you have done into the role, department and institution help here. Think about why this particular post is the perfect one for you at this stage in your career.

- clear evidence and examples to show how you meet the criteria on the person specification. It's not enough to simply say 'I have excellent presentation skills'; what evidence can you provide for this? In terms of structure, you may want to avoid listing each of the criteria individually as this can be a bit tedious; think about grouping similar criteria together, or structuring your statement according to research, teaching, and administration, depending on the focus of the job. Try and use the phrases given in the person specification where you can; this will make it easier for a busy academic recruiter to see quickly that you have the required skills and experience.

- Some indication of your future research plans, including clear goals and potential funding sources. This doesn't need to be hugely detailed and lengthy, particularly as many jobs will ask for a separate statement of research interests , but it does need to be there. Link your own goals with the research strategy/goals of the department you are applying to wherever possible, and also consider how your research goals fit with the priorities of research funders.

- proof-read your statement carefully and check for grammar and spelling errors and typos. If you are like me you will need to proof-read a hard copy as well as an onscreen version

- save a copy of your statement to refer to if you are shortlisted

- be positive and confident about your achievements and future potential. Use lots of active verbs e.g. 'presented, liaised, designed and delivered' and where possible quantifiable impact measures, such as student feedback scores or the number of attendees at that conference you organised.

- get feedback on your statement from academic colleagues. You can also get feedback from the Researcher Career Development Adviser.

- upload a copy of your CV including full lists of publications and conference presentations. Check out the advice and CV examples from Vitae.

- keep the statement to two sides of A 4.

- simply repeat all of the detail in your CV, for example lists of publications or modules you have taught; emphasise a few key highlights, especially ones that relate to that particular job

- write in big blocks of text - break the statement down into short paragraphs. Subheadings can work well.

- get drawn into talking at length about your research interests. You will need to mention these, but make sure you focus on research achievements and future goals as well. It's important not just to say what your research is about but why it matters; what difference has it made to the field and to wider society? What difference could it make to that Department?

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Hi, Thank you for the information.Personal statements are an essential piece of the application administration. Your university personal statement ought to additionally clarify why you are keen on the subject that you are applying for and can likewise say different fields other than study you are great at.

Hi, this is nice article.

Thank you for your comments Will.

Its good Article and gives good information for large population of society.

Best wishes to you

also pl refer our website

Dr Anil Gaikwad

Thank you, this is nice tips.

Nicely summarised and exactly hits the mark of a personal statement whether for research or employment.

Thank you for sharing this with us.

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WTO / Education / 11 Perfect Academic Research Statement Examples (with Guide)

11 Perfect Academic Research Statement Examples (with Guide)

Academic documents are often needed as we progress through our lives and careers. Among the most commonly used academic documents is the research statement. A research statement is usually a document not exceeding three pages that convince the board or school on a research topic. This document aims at explaining what the research you are about to conduct is about and what you hope to find out by the end of it. The document is, for the most part, short, well defined and robust.

Samples & Examples

Academic Research Statement Examples guide researchers in organizing their thoughts, presenting their ideas effectively, and highlighting the significance of their work. To further enhance convenience, here are free downloadable templates that will enable you to easily access and adapt them to suit their specific needs.

Purpose of Research Statement

The research statement is as mentioned above aimed at convincing the reader on the essence of the research you are about to start. It usually covers the main points on your plans and expected results in brief. When done properly, it should explain why you think the research is relevant, what you expect to find, what factors you plan to consider during your research, methodologies, and data collection methods, what your motivation is, and how it can benefit other academic subjects or researchers.

How a Research Statement Works for You

A research statement allows your readers to understand your potential, expertise, and skill in the field you may want to conduct your research in. By doing this; you can explain how your research can help them as well as the common good. It is used for various purposes. One common use is in helping in the hiring process.

Once a panel can determine your level of experience and expertise, they can then know whether you are a good fit to work as part of a research project. It is also a good way of gaining funding. The statement is usually an overview of a research proposal . When done right, it has the potential to encourage an investor to fund your research.

How to Write a Research Statement

For a research statement to get its message across, a good format is required, poor formatting may have you lose structure and deliver your points in a disorderly fashion. A great statement should follow the following format:

Introduction

As any other academic document, a research statement needs a good introduction. The introduction aims at defining your research agenda. This section allows you to convince your reader that you are strong and ready to embark on the research challenge. You can state your previous achievements, foundation, as well as express your passion in the subject matter. This section can detail your expertise on the research topic and any other ongoing research topics that may aid your research.

State your focus

This section works to identify the problem your research aims at solving. You can state what the problem is, why the research has not been undertaken before by other people, how you plan to work on the challenge as well as the approach you plan to use.

Importance of your research and academics

As part of convincing your reader, this section aims at making them understand how your previous experience and interests can help in the research. This section convinces your reader that you are the right person for the job.

 Summarize

As part of your conclusion, this section works to summarize your earlier mentioned points. This includes your research goals and project.

Proper delivery of the statement will convince your reader of your ability to undertake the challenge as well as your long-term goals. Following the above-described flow assures a flow of information that best explains all points needed in a systematic manner.

Format of Academic Research Statements

The objective of the research statement is to introduce yourself to a search committee. Which will most likely contain scientists both in and outside your field of study, and get them excited about your research.

To encourage people to read the statement:

• Use bullets
• Make the margins a reasonable size
• Make it one or two pages long, three at most
• Use informative section headings and subheadings
• Use an easy to read font type and size

Writing a great and effective research statement is not as easy as it may sound; even the most seasoned practitioners encounter problems and challenges daily. The statement needed might seem obvious to them but difficult to describe to non-specialists. One may not have thought about how to quantify it or how to justify the required statement concerning other agencies or national priorities. A serious challenge to them might not even be on a decision maker’s radar screen.

If, at first, you fail to succeed, don’t lose hope. If your statement is not selected, try to find out why. If possible, get the reviewer’s comments. Were they able to understand your research statement? If not, what could you have done differently to make it easily understandable to them? Did they consider it as a good statement but not a top priority or high potential payoff? Do not be embarrassed or discouraged by constructive reviews; they are the best guidance you can get to write better statements.

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Open research statement

This statement provides the University of York's commitment to the values, principles and culture of open research. It encourages and supports staff and students across all disciplines to explore and engage with open research practices in their work and study.

What is open research?

The core idea behind open research is that all aspects of the research cycle should be shared and accessible where possible. Research across all of our academic disciplines at York should be open as possible, as closed as necessary.

Open research at York strives to embed values of accessibility, reusability, reproducibility, collaboration and transparency in the research process. It is based in the belief that knowledge produces the greatest benefit when it exists in a commons, and that research produced through public funding should belong to and exist for the benefit of all. These values are especially relevant to the University of York's Strategic Vision as a 'University for Public Good'.

It is widely accepted that open practices allow for greater visibility and wider distribution of research, enabling a wide range of audiences to freely discover, engage with and participate in our research. Open practices unlock access to knowledge at an early stage in the research lifecycle and generate new opportunities for collaboration and participation.

The terms 'open research' and 'open science' are sometimes used interchangeably but are based on the same principles of collaboration and accountability which can be applied widely. Open research is relevant to all researchers, but its applications differ between disciplines.

Our commitment to open research

The University of York is committed to the long-term development of a research culture where open is the default.

We aim to actively create and pursue opportunities to grow and foster a values-driven, pluralistic, multi-faceted approach towards open research, embracing disciplinary differences and supporting our staff and students in the process.  We are also committed to incentivising and celebrating good practice, supporting and developing infrastructure and building communities of practice to help facilitate and promote open research at all levels and across all disciplines, while supporting the variety of ways in which open practices can be implemented.  

We believe that all stages of the research lifecycle can potentially be made open, within the bounds of the terms and conditions associated with research. This ranges from opening up research methodologies and workflows through to sharing open source software, open data and materials, and publishing open access journals and books. Open practice also extends into the teaching domain, for example in the production and dissemination of Open Educational Resources (OERs).

Open research offers opportunities for inclusivity and diversity, integrity, accessibility and attribution in the research process, but these are not always realised. We want to take an active role in monitoring and addressing these issues.

Governance and support

We have created strong governance structures for the advancement of an open research culture at the University of York.

The Open Research Operations Group reports into the Open Research Strategy Group and works with colleagues across the University to foster a community of open research practice and to position ourselves to meet REF and funder requirements in this area.

The Open Research Strategy Group provides the strategic guidance and direction for open research activities at the University of York. It reports to the University Research Committee and makes recommendations to identify and address issues with services, infrastructure and policies, in order to enable and promote an open research culture.

• Professor Richard Ogden - Associate Dean for Research - Arts and Humanities (Chair)
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In a statement of purpose for research, you would like to try an in-depth analysis of knowledge and stats. You rigorously apply logical techniques to conduct, illustrate and assess information. Writing a pursuit interpretation is that the bulk of the complete project . This way of study project will be determined by a qualitative approach and therefore the type of the information taken.

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• UK FCA Adopts ‘Joint Payment’ Option Allowing Bundling of Payments for Research and Trade Execution

UK FCA Adopts ‘Joint Payment’ Option Allowing Bundling of Payments for Research and Trade Execution

Further to its consultation in spring 2024, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed in Policy Statement PS24/9, “Payment Optionality for Investment Research,” that, with effect from today, 1 August 2024, covered FCA-regulated asset managers will have a “new” option to pay for research alongside those already available, i.e., payment for research from a firm’s own resources and from a research payment account. The new option facilitates joint payments for third-party research and execution services, provided that the firm meets the requirements or “guardrails” in relation to its operation.

See our May 2024 LawFlash for a summary of the consultation proposals.

Following engagement with market participants which highlighted challenges facing UK asset managers receiving research from US firms that are registered both as broker-dealers and investment advisors, FCA has decided to add “short term trading commentary and advice linked to trade execution” to the list of acceptable minor non-monetary benefits (MNMBs) for all three payment options, in addition to making some other marginal modifications to the rules governing the area.

On scope, FCA’s changes [1] will not yet be made available to all types of UK asset managers, in particular UK UCITS management companies, full-scope UK alternative investment fund managers (AIFMs), small authorised UK AIFMs, and residual collective investment scheme operators. FCA’s policy intent is to apply the changes to those fund managers to ensure consistency across all of the rules on research and inducements for investment firms and collective portfolio managers, on which it plans to consult in Q4 2024.

Nonetheless, the exclusion of these types of UK asset managers will create complications in the near term where the asset managers or their affiliates may rely on the new optionality for research payments in some cases but not others.

Readers will recall how the revised Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) introduced requirements in 2018 to separate charges for execution from charges for research, thereby “unbundling” the two services. [2] The reform caused considerable friction with payment structures operating in other jurisdictions, particularly the United States.

These changes form part of wider reforms to strengthen the UK’s position in global wholesale markets, facilitate asset managers accessing research globally and make UK asset managers better able to compete on an international scale, and share common features with other jurisdictions, including the European Union and United States. FCA confirms that in designing the new option it had regard to commission sharing arrangements (CSAs), which it describes as “a common operating practice and a frequent firm choice in research procurement.”

FCA seeks to achieve the following outcomes:

• Promoting effective competition among asset managers by introducing a new payment option that is more operationally efficient than research payment accounts (RPAs), and may thereby improve the ease with which new entrants can enter the market and be more scalable for small but fast-growing firms.
• Facilitating the international competitiveness of UK asset managers by introducing an option the features of which are compatible with those that operate in other jurisdictions, and providing operational efficiencies for asset managers with diverse business models to purchase research across multiple jurisdictions.
• Securing an appropriate degree of protection for consumers through guardrails to ensure (1) sufficient discipline around such areas as budgets for research spending, fair allocation of costs to clients, and value assessment; (2) charges to clients are reasonable; and (3) transparency around the firm’s approach and its outcome to clients.
• Preserving the aspects of research procurement approaches introduced under MiFID II that have been beneficial and operated as intended.
• Increasing choice and avoiding unnecessary regulatory costs by introducing a new research payment option while keeping existing options unchanged.

CHANGES MADE IN LIGHT OF CONSULTATIVE FEEDBACK

FCA made the following changes from its proposals:

FCA originally provided examples of how budgeting could be done at the level of an investment strategy or group of clients. FCA has now clarified that there is flexibility to accommodate a level of aggregation that is instead appropriate to a firm’s “investment process, products, services, and clients.” Importantly, FCA believes this should provide sufficient flexibility to accommodate firms with different group structures, procurement processes, investment strategy classifications, investment decision-making, and client bases.

In other welcome changes, FCA now specifies that disclosures on budgets being exceeded should be made as soon as reasonably practicable and can be part of a firm’s next periodic report on costs and charges rather than a separate communication.

Research Provider Disclosures

FCA has amended this guardrail from the consultation version in two ways. First, it no longer requires the disclosure of the most significant research providers. Instead, it requires disclosure of the types of providers from which research services are purchased, accompanied by guidance clarifying that a breakdown according to independent research providers (IRPs) vs. non-IRPs is one way to meet this requirement. FCA has also amended the level of aggregation at which such disclosures are to be made to mirror those of the budgeting guardrail above (i.e., appropriate to a firm’s investment process, products, services, and clients).

These changes address concerns raised by some respondents about providing information that may be either uninformative or commercially sensitive, while still requiring disclosure on the principal services and the broad categories of providers on which clients’ monies are spent. The changes also address a number of responses proposing increased disclosure on the proportion of research procured from IRPs, while providing sufficient latitude by embedding this in guidance. FCA also clarifies some points where its proposals were potentially misinterpreted (e.g., the requirements do not necessitate disclosure of actual amounts paid to research providers).

Price Benchmarking

FCA originally proposed a requirement to undertake benchmarking of prices paid for research services against relevant comparators to ensure charges to clients are reasonable. In the interests of proportionality and flexibility, FCA has dialled this down to require only that firms ensure research charges to clients are reasonable, leaving it to guidance to clarify that benchmarking of prices paid for research services is one means of demonstrating compliance.

Cost Allocation and Disclosure

FCA has amended this guardrail in two ways. First, on fair allocation of costs, it has been flexible about the levels at which costs are allocated, provided these are appropriate to a firm’s investment process, products, services, and clients. This is consistent with the modified budgeting and research provider disclosure guardrails above.

Second, it has given more flexibility on how to estimate expected annual costs to clients. Previously, these estimates were to be based on both the budget-setting and cost allocation procedures and the actual costs for prior annual periods, but firms can now calculate it according to whichever of the two methods is most appropriate.

Separately Identifiable Research Charges

FCA has made a change to the wording of how research costs are to be separately identified within joint payments for research and trade execution. FCA previously required that there be written agreements with research providers. To accommodate a broader range of potential market practices and arrangements, FCA now more broadly requires that arrangements be in place that stipulate how this is done.

We set out below a summary of the key requirements governing the operation of the new option:

• A written policy describing the firm’s approach to joint payments, including with respect to governance, decision-making, and controls.
• An arrangement that stipulates the methodology for calculating and separately identifying the cost of research.
• A structure for the allocation of payments between research providers, including IRPs.
• An approach for the allocation across clients of the costs of research purchased through joint payments, appropriate to the investment process, product, services, and clients of such firm, but ensuring its outcome is fair such that the relative costs incurred by clients are commensurate with relative benefits received.
• Periodic assessment, to be undertaken at least annually, of the value, quality, use, and contribution to investment decision-making of the research purchased and how the firm ensures that research charges to clients are reasonable against relevant comparators.
• Disclosure to clients on the firm’s approach to joint payments, including if and how joint payments are combined with any other payment option, the most significant research services purchased, and costs incurred.
• Operational procedures for the administration of accounts used to purchase research and for the delegation of such responsibilities to others.
• A budget to establish the amount needed for third-party research, reviewed and renewed at least annually, based on expected amounts needed to purchase such research as opposed to volumes or values of transactions.
• It is confirmed that research services are not a factor in assessing best execution, and the best execution rules continue to apply unchanged.

FCA has deleted the current rule treating investment research on small and medium-sized enterprises as an acceptable MNMB. [3] Introduced in 2021, this option for combined payments to purchase research on companies with a market capitalisation below £200 million has had little take-up. Furthermore, the new option for joint payments can apply to research on companies of any size, including the companies captured by the deleted rule. However, FCA is retaining the rule which treats corporate access in relation to companies with a market capitalisation below £200 million as an acceptable MNMB. [4]

ARRANGEMENTS IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS

In the United States, the use of “soft commissions” or “soft dollars” is commonplace, under which payments to broker-dealers for execution and research services are combined or “bundled.” This can include “full bundling” through which research can only be procured from the broker-dealer with which trade execution was undertaken. [5] However, the use of structures such as CSAs is also prevalent; these allow asset managers to pay a broker-dealer for trade execution, yet have the portion of commission allocated for research available to be used to purchase it from a different broker-dealer or IRP.

On the other hand, US broker-dealers must register as investment advisers if they wish to accept payment for research separate from execution commissions because separate payment can be treated as special compensation for the purpose of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The Investment Advisers Act provides an exclusion from the requirement to register as an investment adviser if the investment advice provided by the broker-dealer is incidental to the brokerage business and they receive no “special compensation” for providing the advice.

In 2017, the US Securities and Exchange Commission staff issued a no-action letter providing relief to US broker-dealers accepting unbundled payments from EU and UK asset managers for research services. The relief expired in July 2023 and, while evidence of any negative impacts on UK asset managers appears limited, it is important for UK asset managers to be able to obtain research from global sources without impediments to remain globally competitive.

The new framework established by FCA for optionality in payment for research should be welcomed by global asset managers, including those in the United States with UK-affiliated asset managers that have had to address the inconsistencies in regulatory regimes. However, there are certain respects in which the new FCA framework potentially differs from the US framework.

For example, under the FCA framework, an asset manager:

• may not enter into a research arrangement that would compromise its ability to meet its best execution obligations, whereas under US law an asset manager would not be deemed to have breached its best execution obligations by paying higher commission for research if the asset manager determined that the higher commission was reasonable in relation to the value of research and brokerage services in accordance with the safe harbor under Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
• must allocate costs of research procured using joint payments fairly between clients such that relative costs incurred by clients are commensurate with relative benefits received, whereas, with disclosure, under Section 28(e) an asset manager may assess the reasonableness of research costs in view of its responsibilities to all accounts for which the asset manager has investment discretion even if that means that some clients pay through client commissions for research that is not used in the management of their accounts (i.e., cross-subsidization).

The EU is introducing legislative adjustments to the MiFID II unbundling rules to offer firms greater flexibility on how to pay for investment research services. These include a new payment option to bundle research payments with execution, alongside a number of requirements with which firms will have to comply when selecting such option.

FCA’s new option for joint payments shares certain features with these recent EU proposals (e.g., transparency around the payment option selected by a firm; maintenance and disclosure to clients of a policy to manage conflicts of interest; regular assessments of the quality and value of research; an approach to separately identify charges for research from total charges for investment services; disclosure to clients of costs; the exclusion of sales and trading commentary from relevant requirements).

The EU policy-making process has not yet set out expectations in certain other areas covered by FCA’s new option (e.g., budgets for research spending, an approach to the fair allocation of costs across clients, a structure for the allocation of payments across research providers similar to CSAs) and the EU requirements are also less explicit in certain respects (e.g., cost disclosures to clients are only required upon request and if known).

If you have any questions or would like more information on the issues discussed in this LawFlash, please contact any of the following:

[1]   The new payment option and changes to the list of MNMBs.

[2]   Firms receiving research were required to either pay for research from their own resources (the P&L Model) or agree to a separate research charge with their clients using a research payment account (the RPA Model).

[3]   COBS 2.3A.19R(5)(g).

[4]   COBS 2.3A.19R(5)(k).

[5]   Some respondents to FCA’s consultation identified that the new option did not amount to “full bundling,” which does not necessitate calculating what portion of total commission is a charge for research and under which research is acquired only from the firm through which trade execution occurred. FCA agrees that its new option amounts to CSA-like arrangements, whereby the research charge is an identifiable component of total charges for trade execution and research, and it is possible to purchase research from a range of providers. FCA considers full bundling would lead to opacity of prices paid for research services, challenge the ability to compare prices paid across research providers, and not preserve competition in the separate markets for trade and execution.

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Energy Research Open Call 2024

Date published: 29 July 2024

In December 2021, DfE published the Energy Strategy for Northern Ireland – The Path to Net Zero Energy and one of the commitment statements within the Energy Strategy is: “We will produce a comprehensive energy evidence programme to inform policy decisions”. Furthermore, our commitment to establishing a robust evidence base has been highlighted in the DfE Research Programme 2024-27 published in July 2024.

The department is now seeking energy related proposals from the research community to address its research needs and build the evidence base to deliver the Energy Strategy.

Further information on this open call is available in the documents below.

The deadline for submissions is 3.00pm on 30 August 2024.

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Money blog: Major boost for homeowners as interest rate finally cut - here's what it means for mortgages

Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and tips. This afternoon's focus will largely be on the Bank of England's decision to cut the interest rate from 5.25% to 5%. Leave your thoughts in the comments box below.

Thursday 1 August 2024 19:38, UK

Top money news

• Major boost for mortgage holders as Bank of England finally cuts interest rate - from 5.25% to 5%
• Ed Conway analysis : This is a critical turning point
• Bank expects gradual rate decline
• What does decision mean for mortgage holders?
• Best savings rates you can get right now
• GPs vote to take collective action for first time in 60 years

Essential reads

• Tax rises Labour could introduce in the autumn budget
• What you can do if landlord won't fix mould - but it's risky
• Saturday Kitchen regular shares cheap pasta recipe
• Basically... Do you need a mortgage broker?
• Money Problem : Can I put thousands I've saved in my spouse's ISA?
• Best of the Money blog - an archive of features

Ask a question or make a comment

Here's a round up of some other consumer news that's been happening while our focus has been on interest rates...

US fast food giant Taco Bell is expanding the use of artificial intelligence to take orders at hundreds of its drive-thrus.

The voice AI system - which interprets customers' orders based on voice recognition - has been in development for more than two years.

The Mexican-themed chain is already operating the system at more than 100 sites across 13 US states.

TalkTalk is likely to default on its debts, a ratings agency has warned.

The broadband provider has been moved from a "substantial" credit risk to a "very high level" risk after the ratings agency Fitch cut the company's credit rating.

The company has two repayment deadlines in November and February last year and owes £1bn to lenders.

Earlier, reports emerged that TalkTalk founder Sir Charles Dunstone was trying to finalise a £200m lifeline as the company tries to avoid a collapse.

A mattress company has agreed to change its sales practices after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it misled customers about price reductions and put unfair pressure on them to make quick purchases.

The company has now signed formal commitments known as undertakings. It has committed to action, including:

• Genuine discount claims : Simba Sleep will ensure any "was" price is genuine - in other words, that they actually sell a sufficient volume of the product at that price before using it as a "was" price;
• Countdown clocks:  Simba Sleep will ensure that any countdown clocks used on its websites are clear, specify prominently which products they apply to, and do not give consumers a false impression that they must act quickly (or that when the clock ends the product will revert to the "was" price) if this is not the case.

There's good and bad news for the chancellor in today's interest rate cut, analysts have suggested.

The cut has been possible because inflation has fallen to target 2%. Rates are elevated to discourage spending and encourage saving - when this happens, price rises tend to slow.

Laith Khalaf, head of investment analysis at AJ Bell , says the cut to 5% "marks a significant victory in the fight against inflation", but there's still some way to go.

Most importantly, "we haven't spun off into an inflationary cycle like in the 1970s", he says, meaning Rachel Reeves can breathe somewhat easy on that front. 

"But inflationary pressures are still lurking. The energy price cap is expected to rise this winter, public sector pay agreements might push up prices, and a second Trump presidency in the US could stoke further global inflation through tax cuts, tariffs, and tough immigration controls," he says. 

"The bad news for Rachel Reeves is the Bank of England reckons economic growth will remain limp, with GDP growing by just 0.8% over the next year," Mr Khalaf says. 

He caveats that by noting that the Bank is not well known for optimism in projections. 

"This is evidenced by the fact the Bank has just upgraded its forecast for economic growth over the last 12 months to 1.5%, from 0.5% only three months ago."

Many of you will know that while today's decision is great news for those with a mortgage, it's not so good for savers.

That being said, the cut today may not do as much damage as some may fear. 

We spoke to Mark Hicks, head of active savings at financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown, to explain why...

"A rate cut is never going to be music to the ears of savers, but this shouldn't do too much damage - the market was split on whether we were going to get a cut, so decisive action from the Bank of England is going to mean some banks bring rates down slightly, especially among easy access accounts, but we're not expecting massive movements," he says. 

He says what really matters is what happens around expectations of rate cuts in the future. 

"If the Bank of England decides to cut rates twice and then pause, we should see minimal disruption to the savings market," he says, but "more consistent rate cutting of four or more would drive greater savings rate change".

What savers should be looking at

As it stands, the market is currently not predicting any significant falls for savers. 

"At the moment, the highest easy access rate and one-year fixed rate accounts still pay over 5%, so savers can still beat inflation by an impressive margin," Mark says.

The highest easy access rate on HL Active Savings is 4.67% and the highest fixed rate is 5.06%, he adds. 

"When you add in the effect of the current cashback deal, this takes it to 5.26%."

Mark says if you don't need the cash for a while, fixed term rates offer the best returns from a risk reward perspective, "so it's worth securing a rate by considering a fixed rate deal while these rates last". 

Money blog regular David Hollingworth, associate director at L&C Mortgages, has taken a look...

Tracker rates

Those on tracker rates will feel the most direct and immediate benefit. The mortgage rate is directly pegged to base rate so will naturally reflect the cut in base rate. You should receive confirmation of when that will come into effect and the new payment in due course. 

Trackers have remained a relatively niche part of the market as base rate has held firm until today. I don't expect to see a sudden shift toward trackers but if the door opens to further cuts we may start to see more interest in base rate trackers as we head into next year.

[Editor's note: Hargreaves Lansdown forecast a saving for those on trackers of £28 per month. There are around half a million such households.]

Variable rates

There's also some potential relief for those on standard variable rate. These are not directly linked to base rate but the hope will be that lenders will pass through the full cut to SVR, even though they are not obliged to do so. We've already seen Santander announce that it will be cutting the SVR.

This has potential benefits for all borrowers as lenders will often stress their affordability based on a rate above their SVR. If SVR eases it should help to temper the stress rates as well, which could give a little more leeway on the amount lenders can offer.

Fixed rates

Fixed rates are where the majority of borrowers have been heading. Rates have already been edging down with small but frequent cuts helping to nudge five-year deals close to and even under 4%. 

Today's decision to cut a little sooner than many had previously anticipated should only help to add further weight to those reductions. We can therefore expect to see further pricing improvements in fixed rates, as lenders continue to fight hard to gain a share in a very competitive market.

Borrowers should secure a rate and can then keep a close eye on rate movements to capitalise on any further movement, while avoiding any risk of drifting onto an expensive variable rate.

The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee is now asked how low we could go in terms of interest rates, and whether the public can expect a drop, eventually, to near 0% - like before COVID.

"I think it's reasonable to say that it's unlikely we're going back to the world we were in in 2009 and the point at which we started raising rates," Andrew Bailey says. 

He says that's because the economic outlook of that time was driven by massive shocks - like the financial crash.

"We will be somewhere around where the neutral rate will be - which will be lower than we are at now," he says, not going into any further specifics. 

Markets expect that neutral rate to be between 3-4%.

Sky's data and economics editor Ed Conway  asks the Bank chief what he means when he says the base rate is still in "restrictive territory" and when we can expect this to change.

"We look at restrictiveness in terms of where we think growth is," Andrew Bailey explains.

He says if you look at the Bank's forecast for GDP, growth is "picking up".

"We're still below potential and we do have a small output gap opening up in the forecast," he says.

"I think that's one way of capturing the fact that there is still a restrictive setting in that sense and we think that is appropriate given we have to ensure the persistence of inflation is taken out of the system," he says.

He says "there is a way to go".

We now move to a Q&A.

The Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey is asked whether this cut will be "one and done", or whether we can expect a further decline down the road. 

"I'm not giving you any view on the path of rates to come," he says.

"I'm saying we will go from meeting to meeting, as we always do."

He tweaks the question and asks himself (and then answers): "What's changed?"

"The answer is nothing's really changed actually much in terms of the economic news. It's that we have become more confident [as time has gone on]," he adds. 

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey says a consideration for the Bank is whether the decline in inflation is "baked in as the global shocks that drove up inflation unwind".

"Or are we experiencing a more permanent change to wage and price setting which will require monetary policy to remain tighter for longer," he says.

Mr Bailey says these have become "important questions" in the MPC policy considerations.

The Bank is forecasting inflation will increase to about 2.75% later this year.

It will then return to target 2% in 2025, the Bank thinks.

"We need to put the period of high inflation firmly behind us," Mr Bailey says. "We need to be careful not to cut rates too much or too quickly."

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey is speaking on the Bank's decision to cut the interest rate from 5.25% to 5%.

He's joined by other members of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee.

Watch live in the stream above.

The Bank of England has cautioned that interest rates will fall more gradually than they rose.

Shortly after cutting the rate, governor Andrew Bailey said policymakers "need to make sure inflation stays low, and be careful not to cut interest rates too quickly or by too much".

He added: "Ensuring low and stable inflation is the best thing we can do to support economic growth and the prosperity of the country."

The base interest rate rose quickly from 0.1% in late 2021 to a peak of 5.25% last summer, before remaining there for 12 months.

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Outstanding scientists elected as Fellows of the Royal Society

Over 90 exceptional researchers from across the world have this year been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society , the UK’s national academy of sciences.

Recognised for their invaluable contributions to science, the elected Fellows are leaders in their fields. They include the Nobel laureate, Professor Emmanuelle Charpentier; an Emmy winner, Dr Andrew Fitzgibbon (for his contributions to the 3D camera tracker software “boujou”); and the former Chief Medical Advisor to the US President, Professor Anthony Fauci.

Drawn from across academia, industry and wider society, the new intake spans disciplines as varied as pioneering treatments for Huntington’s Disease, developing the first algorithm for video streaming, generating new insights into memory formation, and studying the origins and evolution of our universe.

Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society, said:

“I am pleased to welcome such an outstanding group into the Fellowship of the Royal Society.

“This new cohort have already made significant contributions to our understanding of the world around us and continue to push the boundaries of possibility in academic research and industry.

“From visualising the sharp rise in global temperatures since the industrial revolution to leading the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, their diverse range of expertise is furthering human understanding and helping to address some of our greatest challenges.

“It is an honour to have them join the Fellowship.”

Statistics about this year’s intake of Fellows:

• 30% of this year’s intake of Fellows, Foreign Members and Honorary Fellows are women
• New Fellows have been elected from 23 UK institutions, including The University of Nottingham, British Antarctic Survey, University of Strathclyde and the Natural History Museum
• They have been elected from countries including Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico and Singapore

The full list of the newly elected Fellows and Foreign Members of the Royal Society is, in alphabetical order:

New Fellows

Professor Simon Aldridge FRS Professor of Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford

Professor Sir John Aston Kt FRS Harding Professor of Statistics in Public Life at Statistical Laboratory, Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics, University of Cambridge

Professor Frances Balkwill OBE FMedSci FRS Professor of Cancer Biology, Centre for Tumour Microenvironment, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London

Dr David Bentley OBE FMedSci FRS Former Vice President and Chief Scientist, Illumina Inc

Dr David Bentley FRS Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Co-Director, RNA Bioscience Initiative, Anschutz Medical School, University of Colorado Denver, USA

Professor Donna Blackmond FRS John C. Martin Endowed Chair in Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, USA

Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore FBA FMedSci FRS Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge

Professor Helen Blau FRS Donald E and Delia B Baxter Foundation Professor and Director, Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, USA

Professor Martin Blunt FREng FRS Professor of Flow in Porous Media, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London

Professor Daniel Bradley FRS Professor of Population Genetics, Trinity College Dublin

Professor Emmanuel Breuillard FRS Professor of Pure Mathematics, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford

Sir Philip Campbell FRS Editor Emeritus, Nature

Professor Brian Cantor CBE FREng FRS Visiting Professor, Department of Materials, University of Oxford and Professor and Senior Advisor, Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST), Brunel University London

Professor Kenneth Carslaw FRS Professor of Atmospheric Science, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds

Dr Andrew Carter FRS Programme Leader, Structural Studies Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

Professor Patrick Chinnery FMedSci FRS Professor of Neurology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge

Professor Yanick Crow FMedSci FRS Professor and Programme Leader, MRC Human Genetics Unit, University of Edinburgh and Institute Imagine, Université Paris, France

Professor Barry Dickson FRS Professorial Research Fellow, Queensland Brain Institute, Australia

Professor Jo Dunkley OBE FRS Professor of Physics and Astrophysical Sciences, Departments of Physics and Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, USA

Professor Aled Edwards FRS Temerty Nexus Chair in Health Innovation and Technology, Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Canada

Professor Paul Elliott CBE FMedSci FRS Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health Medicine, Imperial College London

Dr Alan Evans FRS Distinguished James McGill Professor of Neurology, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada

Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald FMedSci FRS Professor of Cancer Prevention and Director, Early Cancer Institute, University of Cambridge

Dr Andrew Fitzgibbon FREng FRS Engineering Fellow, Graphcore Ltd

Professor Michael Garrett FRS Sir Bernard Lovell Chair of Astrophysics and Director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics (JBCA), Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester

Professor Toby Gee FRS Professor, Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London

Professor Nigel Goldenfeld FRS Chancellor's Distinguished Professor of Physics, Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, USA

Professor Anjali Goswami FRS Research Leader in Evolutionary Biology, Natural History Museum, London and President of the Linnean Society of London

Professor Maria Harrison FRS William H. Crocker Professor, Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research and Adjunct Professor, Cornell University, USA

Professor Richard Hartley FRS Emeritus Distinguished Professor, College of Engineering, Computing and Cybernetics, The Australian National University, Australia

Professor Laura Herz FRS Professor of Physics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford

Professor David Hodell FRS Woodwardian Professor of Geology and Director, Godwin Laboratory for Palaeoclimate Research, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge and fellow of Clare College

Professor Saskia Hogenhout FRS Group Leader, John Innes Centre

Sir Peter Horby Kt FMedSci FRS Moh Family Foundation Professor of Emerging Infections and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine and Director, Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford

Professor Richard Jardine FREng FRS Professor of Geomechanics, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, Imperial College Proconsul and Visiting Professor, Zhejiang University, China

Professor Heidi Johansen Berg FRS Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford

Mr Simon Knowles FRS CTO and EVP engineering, Graphcore

Professor David Komander FRS Head, Ubiquitin Signalling Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) and Professor, Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Australia

Professor Daniela Kühn FRS Mason Professor of Mathematics, School of Mathematics, University of Birmingham

Professor Eric Lauga FRS Professor of Applied Mathematics, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge

Professor Chwee Lim FRS NUS Society Chair Professor, Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore and NUS Society Chair Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore

Professor Duncan Lorimer FRS Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, USA

Professor Douglas MacFarlane FRS Sir John Monash Distinguished Professor, School of Chemistry, Monash University, Australia

Professor Barbara Maher FRS Professor Emerita of Environmental Magnetism, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University

Professor George Malliaras FRS Prince Philip Professor of Technology, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge

Professor Ivan Marusic FRS Pro Vice-Chancellor and Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor, University of Melbourne, Australia

Professor Tamsin Mather FRS Professor of Earth Sciences, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford

Professor Stephen McGrath FRS Discovery Leader in Sustainable Soils and Crops, Rothamsted Research

Professor Patricia Monaghan FRS Regius Professor of Zoology, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow

Professor Graham Moore FRS Director, The John Innes Centre

Professor Francis Nimmo FRS Professor of Planetary Sciences, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, USA

Professor Sarah Otto FRS Professor, Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Canada

Professor Adrian Owen OBE FRS Professor in Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging, University of Western Ontario, Canada

Professor Lloyd Peck FRS Science Leader, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge

Professor José Penadés FRS Professor of Microbiology, Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard FMedSci FRS Ashall Professor of Infection and Immunity, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford

Professor Oscar Randal-Williams FRS Sadleirian Professor of Pure Mathematics, Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics, University of Cambridge

Professor Keith Ridgway CBE FREng FRS Senior Executive – Manufacturing, University of Strathclyde

Professor Tom Rodden FRS Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Interactive Computing, School of Computer Science, Nottingham University

Professor Stuart Rowan FRS Barry L MacLean Professor of Molecular Engineering, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, USA and Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, USA

Mr Simon Segars FRS Former CEO, Arm Holdings PLC. Board member Dolby Labs Inc, Vodafone Group PLC, Edge Impulse Inc, and Board Chair, Silicon Quantum Computing Pty

Professor Yang Shi FRS Professor of Epigenetics and Member, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Oxford

Professor Lorraine Symington FRS Harold S Ginsberg Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University, USA

Professor Sarah Tabrizi FMedSci FRS Professor of Clinical Neurology and Neurogenetics, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London

Professor Patrick Unwin FRS Professor of Chemistry and Head, Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick

Professor Mihaela van der Schaar FRS John Humphrey Plummer Professor of Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Medicine, Departments of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Engineering and Medicine, University of Cambridge

Professor Bart Vanhaesebroeck FRS Professor of Cell Signalling, Research Department of Oncology, Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London

Professor Glynn Winskel FRS Professor of Computer and Information Science, University of Strathclyde

Professor William Wisden FMedSci FRS Chair of Molecular Neuroscience, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London

Professor Xiaodong Zhang FRS Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London and The Francis Crick Institute

New Honorary Fellows

Professor Kwame Anthony Appiah FRS Silver Professor of Philosophy and Law, New York University, USA

Lord Anthony Hughes PC FRS Former Judge, UK Supreme Court

New Foreign Members

Professor Yakir Aharonov ForMemRS Distinguished Professor of Theoretical Physics, Institute for Quantum Studies and Faculty of Physics, Schmid College of Science, Chapman University, USA and Professor Emeritus, Tel Aviv University, Israel

Dr Adriaan Bax ForMemRS NIH Distinguished Investigator and Chief of the Section of Biophysical NMR Spectroscopy, National Institutes of Health, USA

Professor Rene Bernards ForMemRS Professor of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Division of Molecuar Carcinogenesis, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Netherlands

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An Interpretable Machine Learning Tool for In-Home Screening of Agitation Episodes in People Living with Dementia

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Background Agitation affects around 30% of people living with dementia (PLwD), increasing carer burden and straining care services. Agitation screening typically relies on subjective clinical scales and direct patient observation, which are resource-intensive and challenging to incorporate into routine care. Clinical applicability of data-driven methods for agitation screening is limited by constraints such as short observational periods, data granularity, and lack of interpretability and generalisability. Current interventions for agitation are primarily medication-based, which may lead to severe side effects and lack personalisation. Understanding how real-world factors affect agitation within home settings offers a promising avenue towards identifying potential personalised non-pharmacological interventions. Methods We used longitudinal data (32,896 person-days from n=63 PLwD) collected using in-home monitoring devices. Employing machine learning techniques, we developed a screening tool to determine the weekly risk of agitation. We incorporated a traffic-light system for risk stratification to aid clinical decision-making and employed the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) framework to increase interpretability. We designed an interactive tool that enables the exploration of personalised non-pharmacological interventions, such as modifying ambient light and temperature. Results Light Gradient-boosting Machine (LightGBM) achieved the highest performance in identifying agitation with a sensitivity of 71.32±7.38% and specificity of 75.28±10.43%. Implementing the traffic-light system for risk stratification increased specificity by 15% and improved all metrics. Significant contributors to agitation included low nocturnal respiratory rate, heightened alertness during sleep, and increased indoor illuminance, as revealed by statistical and feature importance analysis. Using our interactive tool, we identified that adjusting indoor lighting levels and temperature were promising and feasible interventions within our cohort. Conclusions Our interpretable framework for agitation screening, developed using data from a dementia care study, showcases significant clinical value. The accompanying interactive interface allows for the in-silico simulation of non-pharmacological interventions, facilitating the design of personalised interventions that can improve in-home dementia care.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Clinical Protocols

https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN71000991

Funding Statement

This study is funded by the UK Dementia Research Institute [award number UK DRI-7002] through UK DRI Ltd, funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society, and the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) PROTECT Project (grant number: EP/W031892/1). Infrastructure support for this research was provided by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and the UKRI Medical Research Council (MRC).The funders were not involved in the study design, data collection, data analysis or writing the manuscript

Author Declarations

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

The study received ethical approval from the London-Surrey Borders Research Ethics Committee; TIHM 1.5 REC 19/LO/0102. The study is registered with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in the United Kingdom under the Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) registration number 257561.

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

Data Availability

Unidentified patient data may become available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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