How to Get Your PhD Study Questions Answered

No matter where you are in your PhD journey, an online study fair is a great opportunity to speak to university representatives and get your questions answered.

Whether you’re just starting to think about applying for a doctorate or you’re already working on a PhD research proposal, we reckon that study fairs have something to offer everyone.

PhD LIVE is our next virtual study fair, taking place on:

• Wednesday 13 October (STEM and Medicine)
• Thursday 14 October (Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Business)

Attending these events will give you the chance to chat directly to over 30 excellent universities and find out important information on funding, fees and research programmes, wherever you are in the world.

We’ve also put together an exciting talks programme that includes a PhD research proposal writing masterclass, tailored funding advice and an international PhD study 101.

Read on for more information on the virtual fair (which is absolutely free to attend) – and why you should put it in your diary. Or you can register your interest right now, and we’ll email you everything you need to take part.

The PhD LIVE virtual study fair is the perfect opportunity to speak directly with university staff and find out exactly what you need to know to apply for a PhD next year. These people will be well-placed to answer important questions regarding their university’s policy for on-campus research and teaching.

The representatives will also be able to talk to you about PhD studentships and funding opportunities, as well as what makes their institution such a great place to study. If you’re unsure about the process for finding and contacting a PhD supervisor at their university, they’ll be able to point you in the right direction.

There are a couple of different ways you can contact university staff at our virtual fair – you can either chat to someone on a one-to-one basis or take part in a group discussion. You can also instantly access university information and useful links on their virtual booths.

Plus, you won’t have to wait for an email response – you’ll receive an answer there and then at the fair.

Throughout the fair, you’ll be able to attend a series of presentations, discussion panels and advice sessions, designed to give you vital information on different aspects of PhD study. These are some of the topics you’ll learn more about during PhD LIVE’s talks programme:

• PhD research proposals writing masterclass
• Finding and funding your PhD
• International study 101
• Ask students anything about PhD study

Please note that the only place to watch and take part in these webinars will be at PhD LIVE – you won’t be able to download the slides after the event.

As I’ve already mentioned, we’re running two PhD LIVE events this month, each dedicated to specific subject areas:

• Wednesday 13 October (STEM and Medicine)
• Thursday 14 October (Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Business)

This means that you can be sure you’ll be chatting with university representatives who understand your research interests. We’ve also tailored the talks programme on each day (more on that below) to these subject groupings, so that you’ll be able to get information directly relevant to your PhD goals.

Of course, if you’re not exactly sure yet what you want to do a PhD in, you can attend both days.

This is a fairly obvious point, but it bears repeating: we’ve organised PhD LIVE with the goal of making it as easy as possible to access. It’s completely free to attend and you don’t have to worry about any transport costs. You can also join at a time that’s convenient to you, as universities will be online to answer your questions from 11am to 3pm BST (GMT+1) on 13 and 14 October.

Chances are, you’ll be able to log on with the device you’re reading this very blog on – smartphone, tablets and computers can all be used to visit our virtual fair.

There’s also the fact that you’ll have the chance to talk to people representing over 30 universities from across the UK and overseas, including the University of Oxford, the University of Sydney and the University of Birmingham.

This would be difficult enough to do in any other context, even pre-COVID! So, we’d encourage you to make the most of it, perhaps even chatting to institutions you might not have otherwise considered. Who knows – you may find your perfect PhD project at the fair!

If you’d like to attend the PhD LIVE Virtual Study Fair – great! All you need to do now is to register for your free place at the event.

You’ll soon receive an email with all the information you need about the fairs. We look forward to seeing you there!

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