how to find a supervisor for phd in australia

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Find a research supervisor

Work alongside world-leading experts

Find an ideal, dedicated research supervisor in your field and be supported to achieve your research aspirations.

Be inspired by the best researchers in your field

Deakin has more than 2000 research experts, many of them ranked among the top 1% globally. We provide a qualified team of at least two supervisors who will guide and support you through every stage of your research degree or PhD. No matter what your passion is, we’re committed to broadening your career opportunities through accredited research training and industry placement.

How to find a research supervisor

Consider your research topic, explore our research community.

Our research community spans our faculties and schools, institutes, centres and groups, as well as a thriving network of collaborations and partnerships. Find a research institute, centre, group or partnership and discover where you can get your research done.

Get in touch with our leading experts

Once you have considered a topic and explored our research community, you'll need to get in contact with our leading experts to discuss your research interests and supervision opportunities. Use our handy tool to find a research institute, centre, group or partnership or contact one of our four faculties:

• Faculty of Business and Law
• Faculty of Health
• Faculty of Arts and Education
• Faculty of Science, Engineering and Build Environment

How to apply

You’ve found a supervisor, now it’s time to join 6500+ research students and work alongside some of the world's brightest and most accomplished academics.

My supervisor trusted my skills and motivations despite me not having direct work experience. I love my supervisor’s flexibility when managing my PhD project. This experience helped me understand that your supervisor is there to provide project guidance, but at the end of the day it is your project.

Anne Eichholtzer

PhD in conservation science

Choosing the right supervisor for you

We know doing a research degree or PhD is a big commitment and choosing a supervisor can be a critical first step. To help you find an ideal, dedicated supervisor in your field, here are some things you might want to consider:

• what areas of research the supervisor specialises in or has previously had experience supervising
• preferred working relationship and communication style
• the research culture at their workplace
• the outcomes of previous candidates the supervisor worked with.

What to expect from your supervisor?

If you're offered a place as a research candidate, Deakin will provide a qualified team of at least two supervisors recommended by the Head of Academic Unit and Faculty Executive Dean. They will provide instruction, assistance and a sounding board for ideas, as well as being available to review written material. Towards the end of the project, you’ll become the authority on the topic and your supervisor will become a senior colleague.

How Deakin’s supervisors provide support

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With the support of world-leading supervisors within his field of astronomy, Dr Saeed Salimpour's work in cosmology is inspiring new generations to be true citizens of the cosmos.

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PhD candidate Amrita describes her supervisors as the ‘perfect mentors’ to help strength her academic profile.

Supporting AI and humans to effectively collaborate

Arun shares how he was mentored and supervised by internationally renowned computer sciences across his PhD journey.

Join over 6500 research degree candidates from around the world who have enrolled at Deakin. Contact us with any questions about research at Deakin.

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Research proposal

Your degree can have varying requirements

Find a potential researcher to support your candidacy

Part of the application process for prospective candidates is to find a research expert who is interested in your research question and able to supervise you.

Finding a supervisor with the right research expertise and experience to support you through candidature is an important step in the application process. At Macquarie, our supervisors are experts in their fields and undertake training and development in research supervision to ensure you get the most out of your research journey.

Our supervisor database

To identify a potential supervisor, search Macquarie’s supervisor database for research experts in your area of interest. Once you have shortlisted a few, review their profiles to see who aligns the best with your project. Points to consider include:

• What are their research interests?
• What research projects are they currently working on?
• What other research projects have they supervised?

After you have identified a potential supervisor, the next step is to connect with them to confirm that they have the right research expertise and capacity to supervise you.

Connecting with a potential supervisor

The best way to connect with a potential supervisor is via email. Your email will be the first step in establishing a connection with your potential supervisor and will help them determine the suitability of your research question, the appropriateness of your research background and if they can supervise the project.

To assist with this decision, you should introduce yourself and provide the following:

• information about previous degrees and experience (include a current CV)
• a brief outline of your research questions/area of interest
• a short explanation about why you would like to work with them.

Once a potential supervisor has agreed to supervise you, the next step is to prepare your research proposal .

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Step-by-step help to find a research supervisor in ANU Science, Health and Medicine.

What is a research supervisor?

Your supervisor is an academic staff member who guides you throughout your research, acting as your primary academic adviser and mentor. A supervisor may work with:

• Undergraduate students pursuing research projects, including special projects or a summer research project
• Honours students
• Postgraduate coursework students: Master (Coursework) students doing a research project in a course or Master (Advanced) students working on a thesis  

What does a research supervisor do?

Your supervisor is your primary contact for your research project. The supervisor will also assist you with advice, guidance and criticism, and can help you to define and achieve your personal academic goals.  Your supervisor will:

• Assist you in selecting and defining the scope of a suitable project topic or problem.
• Assist you in devising a schedule for the project work.
• Guide you in the selection and application of appropriate data collection and analysis procedures and advise on the solution of any difficulties that arise.
• Advise on matters of thesis or report content, organisation and writing, including the timely provision of comments, written and oral, on drafts or portions of the written work.
• Meet frequently with you to discuss and evaluate each stage of the project.
• Monitor your progress and advise you when progress is unsatisfactory.
• Assist you in gaining clearance from the ethics committee, if required.

Who can be a research supervisor?

Research supervisors are experienced researchers who have the skills to guide a student's project.  A supervisor may be the leader of research group or laboratory; for example, in the Research School of Biology, research  groups  are listed on the website. The leader's last name is used is used to identify the research group. Typically, a research group leader is a professor.

Students may also be supervised by:

• a post-doctoral fellow, post-doc for short, who has a PhD works for 2+ years in a research group to get more experience
• a staff researcher, who has a PhD and a permanent position in a research group

In addition, an undergraduate student or honours student may be formally supervised by a professor but work with a post-graduate student on a daily basis.

When should I start looking for a research supervisor?

In general, the timing of when you should look for a research supervisor depends on what type of research experience you are looking for and what research school you want to work in. Our  sample research projects  can give you an idea of what types of projects students work on. These lists are a helpful source of information but may not be current.

Below is more information for:

• Undergraduate students -  are advised to approach potential supervisors the semester before beginning a research project. Yet, it is never too early to start learning about what research is being done in your field. You may become fascinated with a topic or type of research that is completely new to you!  Take every opportunity you have to ask academic staff and students about their research. You can talk to your friends who are doing research, your instructors, course demonstrators and tutors, and any post-graduate students you interact with.
• Honours students -  Before you apply for Honours, you can talk to your friends who are doing research, instructors, course demonstrators and tutors, and any post-graduate students you interact with to learn more about their research.  You can review the research being done at the research school, see what is interesting to you, and what opportunities are available.  Once you begin, you should talk to your school's Honours Convenor as soon as you begin to consider Honours to find out the details for your program.
• Coursework (Advanced) students -  Before you apply and during your first year, you can review the research being done at the research school, see what is interesting to you, and what opportunities are available. Once you begin your courses, you can talk to your friends who are doing research, instructors, and any other post-graduate students you interact with to learn more about their research. Attending seminars is also a helpful way to see what research is interesting to you.

Selected content from the  Honours Handbook .

Do I need to have a research proposal before I contact potential supervisors?

As an undergraduate, honours, or postgraduate coursework student, it is not necessary for you to have a complete research proposal before contacting a researcher. You do, however, need to do your background research and be familiar with what topics the researcher works on.

What are my responsibilities when I have a supervisor?

Your responsibilities are to:

• Communicate regularly and clearly with your supervisor.
• If you are not sure what your supervisor is trying to communicate, ask questions!
• Plan your research program and budget with your supervisor(s).
• Participate in regular meetings and/or research group activities.
• Prepare in advance for consultations or meetings.
• Take responsibility for the final results of your work. Your supervisor can and will guide you, but you must take ownership of the project.

What do all these titles mean?

The different titles can be quite confusing!  The titles tell you something, though, about your potential supervisor's career path. In Australia, a science researcher or professor's career path could look like this:

• Undergraduate degree (3 years of coursework and possibly independent research or research-based courses)
• Honours degree (1 year of research following on after the 3 year undergraduate degree)
• Master degree (1-2 years coursework and/or research)
• PhD (Doctor of Philosophy; 3+ years of research)
• Post-doctoral fellow/researcher (Post-doc; 2+ years of research)
• Staff or senior researcher/Lecturer/Senior Lecturer
• Assistant Professor (A/Professor)
• Associate Professor (Assoc. Professor)

Please note: anyone with a “Dr.” before a surname has a PhD but might not be a professor.  You can find more information at the Wikipedia page  Academic Ranks (Australia and New Zealand) .

How to find a supervisor

Step 1. think about your interests, preferences, and goals.

It is fine if you don’t have answers to these questions, but take some time to reflect.

• What topics, classes, seminars or professors have caught your interest?
• Why do you want to do research?
• What are your short and long-term goals and how does doing research fit in with those goals?
• Do you prefer to work independently or in a group?
• Do you think you’d prefer working in a small research group, or in a large one? 

Step 2. Explore current research at ANU

You need to know what topics or projects might interest you.

• Read through schools’ websites: check the priority research areas and look for research opportunities on the  sample research projects page .
• Network with course convenors, honours convenors, master convenors, students, tutors, demonstrators, and friends. Ask for advice on who is doing work in your area of interest and experiences other people have had that you might learn from.

Step 3. Prepare to contact potential supervisors

• Look at research groups’ websites. Is it a big research group or a small one?
• Read several papers from the research group. To find the most recent papers, do an online search, as well as looking at the information and papers on the ANU website, since the ANU sites may not be current.
• Prepare a list of questions you have about the group and the research.
• If possible, talk to other students to learn more about the supervisor’s expectations for students and style of supervision.  Would this style work for you?

Step 4. Contact 2-3 potential supervisors

If you choose to approach a potential supervisor after a class meeting or seminar, you should still do your background preparation.

If you email a potential supervisor, don’t take it personally if they don't respond immediately.

• Use your ANU email address. By policy, ANU academic and professional staff can only communicate with ANU students through an ANU email address.
• Sign the email using your legal name, as well as any name a convenor may know you by.
• Attach a CV and your Statement of Results (from ISIS).

See  How to email a potential supervisor  or  Emailing professors .

Step 5. Meet with potential supervisors

You may want to ask about the researcher’s:

• Research interests
• Plans for the project you are interested in
• Preferred supervisory style (How often do they like to meet? Exactly how independent do they expect a student to be? Does this match with your preferences?)
• Expectations for a student
• Experience working with undergraduate, Honours or postgraduate coursework students
• Meetings with their research students (lab meeting or research group meeting) and if you could attend one (going to a research group meeting can show you what the group's culture is like).

The potential supervisor may ask you about your:

• Academic interests (this is another opportunity to show that you read the researcher's website, as well as a few papers)
• Preparation (how you did in relevant courses, any research experience, technical skills)
• Education and career goals.

Step 6. After the meeting

Send a brief, formal email thanking the potential supervisor for the meeting.

Once you decide on a project with a supervisor if you have discussed projects with other supervisors, as a courtesy, please let the other potential supervisor know that you are working with another researcher.

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• Research degrees

Find a supervisor or research project

Graduate researchers at the University of Melbourne need at least two supervisors – one designated as the principal supervisor. Whether you want to join an established project with an assigned supervisory team or find supervisors for your own research project, the questions below may help you determine who is best placed to support your research journey:

• Do they have expertise relevant to your intended research project?
• Do they share your passion for your chosen topic?
• Are they well connected with other researchers?
• Have they developed skills in people management and mentoring?
• What is their reputation amongst current and past PhD candidates?
• Will you work well together? Consider your respective personalities and communication styles.

It’s worth discovering more about their supervision style, availability and accessibility, as well as the value of their feedback. Then search our list of 2500+ experts for research supervision or our list of available research projects.

Find an Expert

Find a research project

Your supervisors’ role

Your supervision team will:.

• Guide and support you through all stages of your candidature and ensure you have access to necessary  resources and facilities to complete your research project.
• Assist you to develop your research topic, questions, methodology and milestones for successful completion.
• Provide constructive feedback on your written work and oral presentations within a reasonable agreed timeframe and provide detailed, specific and constructive feedback on thesis drafts.
• Mentor you through the research process, providing support as you undertake new  tasks, and ensure that administrative work like ethics applications are completed or responded to in a timely way.
• Maintain an agreed schedule of regular individual meetings with you.
• Help you identify appropriate skills training and  professional development opportunities , including academic skills, external engagement (internships, industry mentoring programs), sessional teaching and PhD Program participation.
• Help you  grow your professional networks by encouraging and supporting you to engage with the research community, both locally and internationally.
• Be accessible to a reasonable extent via email, online or in person, should support be needed outside of the agreed meeting schedule.
• Promptly attend to administrative tasks like progress reviews, requests for leave of absence or candidature variations.
• Be familiar with, introduce you to and provide advice on all relevant University policies, including the  Graduate Research Training Policy and those on the conduct of research, ethical requirements, safe working practices, intellectual property and authorship.
• Adhere to the  Principles of Respectful Supervisory Relationships , be considerate of wellbeing and, where appropriate, alert you to wellbeing services.
• Advise on where to seek confidential advice and explain the process of making a formal complaint if difficult situations cannot be resolved, understanding that you may consult other individuals, including the Advisory Committee chair or confidential advisors, if you wish to raise any concerns.
• Different members of your supervision team will contribute to your supervision in different ways but should work as a team to support you.

Advisory committee

Your supervision team is supported by your Advisory Committee , which should comprise of at least three people, including the advisory committee chair and your supervisors, which will be established at commencement.

The committee has a formal role in monitoring the progress of your research project and an informal role in providing you with support and advice.

If you are experiencing issues or have matters you feel you cannot raise with your supervisors, you should consult an advisory committee member in the first instance.The roles and responsibilities of supervisors and advisory committee members are also outlined in the Graduate Research Training Policy .

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Find a Supervisor or Project

As a UNSW higher degree research candidate, you will be guided by a supervisory team of world-class researchers who are leaders in their field.

Use the filters below to search for potential supervisors or projects to start your research journey. Contact them to discuss your proposed research.

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How to contact a supervisor

Identifying the right supervisor.

Choosing the right supervisor (or ‘advisor’) is essential. You’re going to be working with them very closely for the next 1.5–3.5 years, so you’re going to need to work well together.

While there may be many potential supervisors in your field, you need to find the right one for you.

You should ask questions of any potential supervisor about the way they work, and what they expect of their research students. This will help you decide if you're compatible. Make sure to consider what you're looking for in a mentor and make sure you're on the same page before committing to 1.5–3.5 years together.

Searching for a supervisor at UQ

Start by visiting UQ Researchers. You can search or browse by fields of research, and view profiles to start making a short list of potential supervisors.

Search UQ Researchers

Spend some time familiarising yourself with each researcher's published works and make notes. When you’ve narrowed it down, choose who you want to approach. It's considered respectful to only approach one potential supervisor at a time.

Alternatively, you might browse for an existing project that has a supervisor attached.

Contacting a potential supervisor

Supervisors are busy people; make it easy for them to quickly understand your suitability and how your research interests align.

Email them briefly with the following information:

• study background
• area of interest
• your idea for a topic, or the existing project you are interested in joining
• academic CV
• why you think they might be the right supervisor for you
• whether you are an international applicant planning to move to Australia
• when you would like to commence – it must be at the start of one of the research quarters
• whether you have identified a suitable scholarship to pay your living stipend and cover the costs of tuition. (Top tip: you should have already visited the Scholarships website and have some in mind!).

Write a research proposal

Once you have in-principle agreement, some advisors may ask you to develop a research proposal to submit with your application. Some schools or institutes have specific requirements, and your potential supervisor will be able to advise you, but – generally – your proposal should:

• outline the research questions you’re trying to answer
• discuss the impact your research could have on your field
• include a preliminary analysis of existing research on your topic
• document the methods and data sources you’ll use
• introduce your supervisor and how their experience relates to your topic
• meet the expected word count
• include a detailed bibliography.

There may be other requirements, and some of the above may not apply. However, it’s good practice to write an initial research proposal, to share with your potential supervisor, if you’re proposing a project. This will help them understand your project’s suitability and how it may align with their own research. You can then work with them to decide what needs to be added or removed.

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Finding a PhD or MPhil supervisor

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Find a supervisor or project

Choose a supervisor who can help you with your research and develop your skills.

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How to identify a supervisor for your research degree

Before you start the application process, you need to find a supervisor in your area of interest.

UTS is home to world-leading academic staff working across a wide range of disciplines who are committed to mentoring the next generation of research leaders.

Use the Find a supervisor tool to find a supervisor in your area of research interest. 

You can search with keywords and remember to select “Masters Research or PhD Student supervision” under Availability when refining criteria on the left hand side bar.

Find a supervisor

How to contact a supervisor 

Once you've found a potential supervisor, it's very important to make contact with them. This is an opportunity to discuss your potential project, make sure it aligns with their current interests, and start to get a sense of whether you are a good "fit" as a supervisor-research student team. You will need a potential supervisor to agree to supervise you for your application to be successful. 

You should contact the academic by email and include:

• A few short sentences introducing yourself and how your research fits with their interests and expertise
• A copy of your current CV using UTS template ( Download UTS CV template )
• A draft of your research proposal or an explanation of why you're interested in a project that the supervisor has available
• Copies of your academic transcripts

Please allow a couple of weeks for potential supervisors to respond to your email.  If they are not available to supervise you, they may refer you to another suitable academic.

You can also contact the research office in your discipline area for assistance in finding the right UTS supervisor to fit your needs.

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How to find your supervisor

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• Griffith Graduate Research School

An effective working relationship between research candidates and their supervisors is crucial for success

You’ll need to find a supervisor who works in your area of interest by reviewing your potential supervisor’s Griffith Experts profile to establish their:

• Research interests
• Academic background
• Previous publications
• Current research projects.

The best way to find a potential supervisor is by searching Griffith Experts , or by contacting the HDR Convenor in the relevant school or department.

Once you’ve found a researcher whom you would like to work with, you’ll need to contact them directly to discuss your research proposal. It is crucial to look at the alignment between supervision and your project.

Griffith researchers

View the Schools or Departments in each of our Academic Groups to find researchers in your area of interest and to find out more about available supervisors.

If you need help finding a suitable supervisor, each Academic Group has a HDR Convenor who will be able to point you in the right direction of an academic staff member in your area of interest.

Griffith Experts

Griffith Experts is a searchable database of all our academics. You can browse by topics, projects, publications and other key terms to find academics aligned to your area of interest.

Search Experts

Research Centres and Institutes

Many excellent Griffith researchers work in our 30+ research centres and institutes.

Advice from PhD candidates and supervisors

Current PhD candidates and supervisors provide some advice for choosing a supervisor for your PhD or research degree at Griffith University.

You can search for courses, events, people, and anything else.

Find a Supervisor

Master of Research (MRes), Master of Philosophy (MPhil), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and other research degree applicants are required to discuss their proposed research project with a suitable research supervisor prior to submitting an application.

As a potential applicant, finding the right supervisors for your project is an important first step in a successful research candidature.

To find a supervisor who matches your research interests, you should try a combination of the following methods:

• Visit the School or Institute research pages and look for researchers in your area of interest.
• Search the  Staff Profiles Directory  by keyword.

If you identify a potential supervisor, you should send them an email introducing yourself, describing your previous degrees and experience, outlining your area of interest, and providing a short explanation about why you would like to work with them on a research project.

If you are finding it difficult to identify a supervisor, you should contact the Higher Degree Research (HDR) Director or Associate Dean, HDR in a relevant School or Institute. They will be able to provide advice and may be able to recommend a potential supervisor or research project.

Available research projects

You can browse a list of currently available research projects to find potential research areas where a supervisor is looking to recruit a candidate.

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Research institutes.

Professor Jing Han [email protected]

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Associate Professor Jorge Serrador [email protected]

Dr Elizabeth Conroy [email protected]  

Associate Dean, HDR (or equivalent)

Associate Professor Dilupa Nakandala [email protected]

Associate Professor Dongmo Zhang [email protected]

Associate Professor David Cole [email protected]

Dr Kejun Dong [email protected]

Associate Professor Elise Baker [email protected]

Dr Alex Ling [email protected]

Dr Caroline Compton [email protected]

Dr Tara Roberts [email protected]

Associate Professor Nathan Wilson [email protected]

List of potential HDR supervisors

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Associate Professor Liza Cubeddu [email protected]

Dr Peter Bansel [email protected]

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• Choosing a PhD Supervisor

Written by Ben Taylor

Your PhD supervisor will play a vital part in your PhD, providing you with the mentorship, feedback and support you need to succeed. That’s why it’s so important to spend time finding a supervisor for your PhD who will be a great fit for you and your project.

The role of a PhD supervisor is to use their own experience and expertise to support you throughout your project. A good supervisor will show interest in your project and provide regular feedback on your work.

Each person’s supervision experience depends on their university, department and personal preferences. While it’s expected you’ll meet with your supervisor regularly, this might mean weekly for some, and monthly for others. It’s important to make sure both you and your supervisor’s expectations match so that you can receive the best possible support.

This page covers how to find and choose a PhD supervisor. We’ve also explained the qualities of a good PhD supervisor.

How to find a PhD supervisor

How you'll find your PhD supervisor depends on whether you’re applying for an advertised project or putting forward your own research proposal .

If you’re applying for an advertised project , the process of finding a supervisor is simple. Usually they’ll be the academic who has devised the project in question, and the person you’ll be making your application to.

It’s still important to do your homework. Make sure you’re clued up on their research and able to ask sensible, specific questions about the project in your initial contact . Advertised projects – often with funding already attached – are much more common in STEM subjects , although you may still come across them in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences too.

If you’re proposing your own PhD project , you’ll need to do some investigation to find an academic whose research interests align with your own. The rest of this section will give you several pointers how you can do this.

Finding an expert in your field

First of all, you’ll want to have at least a rough idea of what you want your PhD topic to be. This is so that you can begin to narrow down prospective supervisors by research interests and focus on those that have expertise in your area.

This doesn’t necessarily have to mean finishing the final draft of your research proposal (that comes a little later), but you’ll need to have a decent plan of what you want to achieve with your PhD research so that you know you’re getting in touch with the right people (and not wasting your time – or theirs!).

There are several ways to do this:

• Browsing the academic staff section of a university department website – This is where lecturers and professors will list their research interests, publications and the areas in which they’re keen to supervise PhD students. Some websites allow you to filter and search by interest. In other cases you’ll need to check these profiles individually – time-consuming but worth it.
• Speaking to the academics at your current (or previous) university – These people will likely know exactly who the experts in your field are. They’ll probably even be experts themselves! If you already have a friendly relationship with a personal tutor or Masters dissertation supervisor, it’ll be good to have an informal chat about who they think could be a good fit for your work.
• Checking who has been prolific in your research area – There are probably a few names that have come up repeatedly in your previous work at postgraduate level. It’s worth scouring bibliographies and chapters to learn more about the academics behind them. Read up on their current work and find out whether they’re accepting supervisees.
• Scientific databases – If you’re a STEM student, scientific databases will give you lots of data with which to refine your search. This allows you to look for the most cited articles and thus find out who the leading researchers are.

Once you’ve done your research and have a good idea of the academic landscape around your proposed PhD topic, you should make a shortlist of around three potential supervisors to contact. Now is the time to make sure you’re really clued up on their academic background and current projects, so that you can make an excellent first impression when you get in touch with them.

Who can supervise a PhD student?

An academic doesn’t necessarily need to hold a senior role in order to supervise a PhD student. Junior research fellows and assistant professors often act as supervisors when their work is particularly relevant, as well as more senior professors and lecturers.

However, universities will have different policies on who exactly can supervise (and in what circumstances). It’s best to do your research if you think you’ve found the perfect supervisor candidate but they aren’t a lecturer.

Contacting a PhD supervisor

Our guide to contacting a PhD supervisor has everything you need to know about first contact, with tips on preparation, email etiquette, making a good impression and questions to ask.

How to choose a PhD supervisor

If you’re in a lucky enough position that you have two or more prospective supervisors that are happy to oversee your PhD project, there are several factors that you might consider when making your final decision:

• What career stage your potential supervisor is at – An academic at the beginning of their career might have fewer professional commitments and therefore more time to supervise you. A senior lecturer or professor, meanwhile, may have an extremely busy professional life – but this could be counterbalanced by their expertise and experience.
• Other supervisees – Find out what kind of work the supervisor has previously been (or is currently) involved in. You can normally see a list of current research students on a department website, for example. Are they engaged in similar work to you? See if you can find out what path previous supervisees took after finishing their PhD. Maybe stayed in the department or took up postdoc positions.
• University facilities – If your choices of supervisor are at different universities, weigh up the benefits that might come with the specialist facilities and resources available at each institution.
• University department – Depending on your preferences, you may want to work within a small, specialised department or a larger team that allows more scope for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

If you’re able to meet your potential supervisor – either in-person or via video call – that can also be a great way of gauging their personality and your chemistry. You’re going to be working with them for a minimum of three years, so you want to make sure you’re going to get on with them!

What are the qualities of a good PhD supervisor?

Now that you know how to find a supervisor for your project, you might be wondering about how to choose a good PhD supervisor. You’ll be spending a lot of time with them during your PhD, so it pays to understand what to look out for in terms of personality traits, expertise and experience.

#1 Substantial research expertise

The ideal PhD supervisor will be an expert in their academic field, with a wealth of publications, articles, chapters and books. They’ll also have a background in organising and presenting at conference events.

It’s also important that their expertise is up-to-date. You should look for evidence that they’re currently active in your research area, with recent publications and conference attendance. The quality of these publications is also important – prominent, peer-reviewed journals are ideal. If your prospective supervisor has lots of citations, that’s also a great sign.

#2 Clear about their career plans

After you’ve made initial contact with a supervisor, it’s good to get an idea of where they see their own future. If they’re planning to retire, go on sabbatical or change institution, that could cause problems for your PhD later down the line. It goes without saying that you want a supervisor who is going to stick around for the duration of your PhD.

#3 Previous experience as a PhD supervisor

Ideally, a supervisor should have a long track record of supervising PhD candidates, with plenty of experience helping them through the ups and downs that come with research. It’s well worth investigating how previous supervisees have done under the tutelage of your prospective supervisor – university websites, ResearchGate and LinkedIn are the best places to do this.

If you’re able to visit the department in person, speak to current PhD students to get an idea of how they’re getting on.

#4 Personality

It can be difficult to judge someone’s personality on the basis of emails, a video call or a chat over coffee, but try to decide if your potential supervisor is a good match for you on a personal level.

Do they seem enthusiastic about your work and inspiring about their own interests? Will they make a good mentor when it comes down to the hard work of completing your PhD? Are they more of a hands-on or hands-off supervisor?

#5 Organisational skills

Excellent organisational skills – both on your part and your supervisor’s part – are key to succeeding at a PhD. You’ll want a supervisor that is clear with their expectations, giving you deadlines where necessary but also having some flexibility that takes your personal situation into account.

You also want a supervisor who is easy to get hold of for feedback and advice, with regular office hours. Many academics are extremely busy, but you should expect your supervisor to find time for you where necessary.

Can I change my PhD supervisor?

There are a variety of reasons why someone may want or need to change their PhD supervisor. Issues with the working relationship or other circumstances could make a supervisor unable to provide proper support . Unfortunately these things happen, but universities are well equipped to help PhD students in these instances.

Usually PhD students wishing to change supervisors should contact their departmental head of postgraduate study to discuss the situation. They will then advise on the best course of action to take. If there is an available academic in the department with the right expertise for your project, then they will be assigned as your new supervisor. Otherwise, you may have to consider transferring to another university.

PhD supervisor guide

If you want to find out more about what it's like to work with a PhD supervisor, we've written a guide on what to expect from your PhD supervisor . Then, head over to our course listings where you can find information on interesting courses and their academic supervisors.

Our postgrad newsletter shares courses, funding news, stories and advice

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A checklist of the things you'll need to do when making an international PhD application, from meeting the entry requirements to sorting out your visa.

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Find a supervisor

If you want to pursue a PhD, Master of Philosophy, or another HDR course, the most vital step is to choose a supervisor. Indeed, the choice of supervisor is, arguably, significantly more important to your career and wellbeing than is the choice of university. This document specifies how you should choose a supervisor at the University of Wollongong. You can, however, apply similar methods to choose a supervisor elsewhere.

• Start searching UOW Scholars
• Contact Faculty Heads of Postgraduate Studies

How to choose a supervisor

• Collapse All
• Step 1: Create a shortlist of supervisors
• Step 2: Email your potential supervisors

Step 3: Evaluate the supervisors

Step 4: arrange a panel of supervisors, step 1: create a shortlist of supervisors .

• Visit the UOW Scholars
• Enter your keywords—terms that correspond to your research interests, such as “diabetes remote”—to generate a list of names.
• Click each name to read more about these supervisors.
• Trust your intuition on whether you feel these supervisors might be suitable.
• Choose 5 to 10 possible supervisors

Search UOW Scholars

Tip: Seek advice from your Head of Postgraduate Studies

In some instances, after you search UOW scholars , you feel certain about which supervisors you want to contact.  However, some applicants feel uncertain because

• they could not identify enough, or even any, supervisors they feel will be helpful,
• too many supervisors could be relevant and they cannot decide which individuals to contact.

To clarify which academics may be able to supervisor their proposed research topic, you may contact the Head of Postgraduate Studies in the relevant school.  

Head of Postgraduate Studies by Faculty

Reach out to the Head of Postgraduate Studies relevant to your research interests. You may contact more than one Head of Postgraduate Studies.

Email example template 

Dear [Title] [Surname],

My name is [your name] .  I am working at [your organisation] and have completed [your degree] .  I am interested in completing a PhD in the field of [research interest].  

Specifically, I am fascinated by {your interest focus].   I enjoy [your enjoyment] and would like to learn more about [area] . 

I appreciate you may be very busy, but I was wondering whether anyone in your school might be interested in supporting me.  For example, I was wondering whether I should contact [any potential supervisor/s from your search on UOW Scholars] ?  

Kind regards

Step 2: Email your potential supervisors 

To email supervisors who may be suitable, you could adapt the following template.

I appreciate you may be very busy, but I was wondering whether you may interested in the possibility of supervision.  Or, if not, would you be able to suggest someone else I should contact?   

If one or more of these academics express an interest in supervising, you can then discuss your ideas and answer their questions, typically over email or videoconference.  During these conversations, you should evaluate these supervisors.

Evaluation guide 

• The supervisors respond within a day or explains any delays in their response. 

Accommodating

• The supervisors propose suggestions that accommodate your specific needs and circumstances.
• They might ask you questions about your circumstances—such as your family responsibilities, financial position, or skills—and seem interested in you.
• The supervisors might ask you whether you prefer a qualitative design, a quantitative design, or mixed method design.
• They offer advice that is sensitive to your answers.
• They should not impose their own preferences onto you.
• Supervisors who are not accommodating are not flexible enough to fulfill your needs.
• The supervisors show humility, acknowledging their limitations.
• They might also allude to their passion to learn.
• They may even refer to their hope they will learn from their interactions with you—and they will certainly be receptive to your suggestions and perspectives.
• Humble supervisors foster a more trustworthy relationship, encourage you to be candid about your capabilities, and organise useful collaborations.

Knowledgeable and passionate

• The supervisors demonstrate they have accrued some advanced and perhaps exclusive knowledge about the discipline, methods, or setting.
• The supervisors show some passion about this topic.

All candidates need to be assigned two or more supervisors from the university.  At least one of these supervisors need to be experienced, called a principal supervisor.  So, once you have chosen your first supervisor, you should collaborate with this person to select other supervisors.  You should check that at least one supervisor has:

• developed expertise in the relevant discipline or disciplines,
• developed expertise in the methodology and methods you plan to use,
• is likely to be employed at the university during the entire candidature,
• has developed expertise in the setting or industry in which the research will be conducted, such as a First Nations community or a hospital.

Furthermore, in the future, your panel of supervisors should include:

• a potential end-user of the research—such as an industry partner,
• an early-career researcher who could benefit from a role in this project but may also appreciate the pressure of HDR more acutely.

I think it's really important in research to be part of a good team, and part of a supportive team. I work with Professor Martina Sanderson-Smith, who is the head of the Infectious Disease Research Group. I'm really fortunate that Martina is someone who supports me in a lot of different ways, and encourages me to step out of my comfort zone, to be independent, and to pursue the ideas that I come up with. Anuk Indraratna PhD Candidate in Infectious Diseases

• Current Students

Finding a supervisor

Want advice about your study, your wellbeing or getting the most out of university?

For the best chance of being accepted into our postgraduate research program, we recommend you speak with a potential supervisor before you apply. This will help you confirm that we have a qualified staff member available to supervise your research project, and they will be able to help you develop your research topic into a research proposal.

Search for a supervisor

There are generally two ways to find a supervisor at Murdoch.

You can  search for an expert in the specific field you're interested in researching.

Please note, this search tool does not include our full list of academics but could be useful as a starting point.

If you have a specific enquiry you can contact our Graduate Research School from 8:30am–4:30pm, Monday–Friday.

• General Enquiries:  9360 6927
• Email:   [email protected]
• Location:   512.1.001

Contact your potential supervisor

Once you have found the name of a potential supervisor, you can work out if they would be a good fit for your research project. It's a good idea to:

• Do your homework: Develop an idea about their approach to your field of research by reading some of their previous academic work.
• Invite your prospective supervisor to meet in person: This can help you work out how well you might work together. If this is not possible you should at least talk to them over the phone and exchange emails about your topic.
• Develop both of your expectations from the very beginning: Ask them about their communication and work styles. How often would you expect to meet - and what would those meetings cover? Will they be active in helping you set academic goals or take a more hands-off approach?

Please note, changes can be made to your supervisory panel at any time throughout your research journey if required.

What to expect from your supervisor

Your supervisor's role is not to tell you what to do, or monitor every aspect of your research project. They will act as a guide to discuss your ideas with and seek advice from. They can help you with:

• Intellectual support: Your supervisor can help you find your way through the literature, help you formulate a topic and design your methodology. In later stages of your project they might discuss your ideas and critique your arguments and writing style.
• Emotional support: Your supervisor should take a critical approach to your work, but also give you understanding and encouragement.
• Quality assurance: Your supervisor knows what standard your thesis should meet and can assess the feasibility of your plans.

The aim of a PhD is to prepare you to run major research projects, so eventually you and your supervisor may become academic colleagues.

What your supervisor will expect from you

You will be expected to show your supervisor that you have:

• Good communication skills: You need to keep them informed about the progress of your work and whether you're facing any problems.
• A strong work ethic: Treat your research project like a job, work hard, take your role seriously and meet agreed deadlines.
• The ability to take initiative: You need to take responsibility for your research project and direct your own learning.

Many of our research students have said their supervisor had a lifelong influence on their future career, so it's worth taking the time to find the right person.

Learn more about life as a research student

Working with your supervisor is an important element of your research journey. Find out more about what to expect as you complete your research degree at Murdoch.

Life as a research student

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How do I find a potential supervisor?

It is important that your research supervisor's area of interest aligns to the research you intend to do.

There are two ways to find a potential supervisor:

• Browse through the research conducted at UniSA here . You will always find a list of the people working in a particular area, or a generic email address that you can use to ask for more information.
• You can also use our  Directory of Research Expertise search tool to look for individuals who conduct research that aligns to your interests.
• Individuals with job roles such as 'Dean' will have limited capacity to supervise research candidates.
• When contacting a potential supervisor remember that they may get multiple contacts similar to yours each week.  You are likely to get a better response if your communication is clear and specific, and also shows how your background and interests are related to your potential supervisor's area of interest.

Is this answer helpful?

Research Supervisor Connect

Find your research opportunity.

In order for us to process your enquiry* you must include the following documentation:

• Curriculum Vitae (including all relevant research experience and any publications).
• Complete academic transcripts for all of your degrees, including all final grades.
• An initial research proposal: In no more than 2000 words demonstrate how  your research experience aligns with the supervisor’s and why you’re interested in this opportunity.

You’ll need to tailor your research proposal to each opportunity you enquire about. Follow our Research Proposal Guidelines .

*Please note this is a research opportunity enquiry and not an application to a postgraduate research degree at the University of Sydney. Please see the ‘How to apply section below’ for more information on submitting a formal application.

Find out more about postgraduate research degrees including different types of degrees and how to fund your degree.

Get a head start

Latest research news, how to apply.

Want to apply for a postgraduate research degree at the University of Sydney? Find out all you need to know about the application process .

Scholarships

 We have a range of scholarships available to help support you in your research studies. Find out what you're  eligible for , whether you're a domestic or international student.

Research with impact

Looking at a problem from a new perspective might reveal a hidden path. Applying this idea to research opens up a range of multidisciplinary opportunities, turning previous achievements into new starting points .

More information

Are you a research supervisor and want to publish your research opportunities online? Email us at  [email protected]  to find out how.

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How to email a potential supervisor

Tips and templates for how to ask an academic to supervise your research project.

Compose your email carefully

• Use your ANU email address; by policy, ANU staff can only communicate with ANU students through your ANU email address.
• Use an informative, brief subject line.
• Use formal language (no emoticons, abbreviations, etc.)
• Address a potential supervisor as Dr (appropriate for anyone with a PhD) or Prof.
• Be direct. Introduce yourself and your reason for emailing.
• State if you are interested in a course project, an honours project, or a masters project.
• If you are interested in a specific project or topic mentioned on the website, explain why.
• If relevant, mention a paper you read and why it was interesting to you or a question you have.
• Ask to schedule a meeting and suggest several times that suit you.
• Acknowledge that the potential supervisor may be busy and provide them the opportunity to suggest alternate times.
• Sign using your legal name, as well as any name a staff member may know you by.
• Attach a CV and your Statement of Results (from ISIS). 

After you email

• Don’t take it personally if the potential supervisor doesn’t respond immediately! Researchers travel, teach, do research, supervise students, serve on university committees and are very busy.
• If you don’t hear back in a week or so, you can send a brief, polite follow-up email.
• You should respond promptly if the researcher emails you, thank the supervisor for the response, and respond to any questions.
• If the potential supervisor asks to be addressed by a first name or signs an email with a first name, you can address future emails using the potential supervisor’s first name.

Email templates

DO NOT SEND THIS EMAIL

From: [email protected] Subject: Research

I want to do research! J Im a grt student and want to learn more. What do you do research on?

TX, Student Name

DO SEND THIS EMAIL

From: [email protected] Subject: Potential research project

Dear Professor Surname , I am a year in degree at ANU and I am writing to ask about opportunities for Honours research projects in Semester 1 of next year. I did a research project on topic with names in course . Expression of interest in the topic . I am especially interested in your previous work on describe a paper or talk .

I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you time period , but please let me know if a different time would be more suitable. I have attached my CV and statement of results to this e-mail, but if there is additional information that I have not included that you would like, I would be happy to provide it to you. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, Ambitious Student

Modified from UC Santa Cruz How to Email a Research Professor .

Dear Professor X , My name is Name , and I am very interested in becoming involved in research in Subject Area . I am a X year student, and I have taken Courses and Additional Experiences . I have attached my CV and statement of results. My goal is to Goal .

I have reviewed your staff profile and am interested in the work that you have done. I was intrigued by your journal article, "Article Title." It Additional Information about Topic . I would like to get involved in research in this area because it will help me to better prepare for Goals .

Would it be possible to meet with you to further discuss Topic and my possible involvement in research? I am available Days and Times , but please let me know if a different time would be more suitable. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, Name

Modified from UC Irvine Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program .

Find a supervisor

All research degree candidates require a supervisor. It is recommended you start actively searching for potential supervisors in your chosen field before you submit your application.

You can search for a supervisor by researcher name, area of expertise or by research centre name

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An Ultimate Student Guide to Study Abroad : How to Contact Potential Supervisors Successfully, Sample Cold Emails and Guides

O nce you have decided to take that bold step to further into the academic world, searching for Higher Degree by Research(HDR) studentship positions (PhD, Masters) around the world, the first thing to do is to identify a Potential Supervisor, someone who is ready to hold your hands and guide you towards that academic independence. It is necessary to contact prospective supervisors to discuss the suitability of your research interests in relation to theirs. Like I said before, in almost all Australian Universities(including most other Universities abroad), there is a need to get approval from a potential supervisor in research degree programs ready to supervise you before lodging an application for that program. In some universities, your advisory team could be made up of two to three advisors.

You must keep in mind that, these people are among one the busiest people you will ever meet.  Apart from the busy job life itself, they got lots of ongoing projects, students under supervision, lectures, markings, and seminars and equally receive thousands of emails from students like you around the world asking for studentship positions. With this busy schedule, only a few emails from students around the world asking for studentship positions would get a reply. The rest would end up in the trash box.

So in order to capture their attention and avoid your email being sent into the trash folder, your (first) email must be very captivating, explicit , rich in content and well-planned showing a genuine interest in your academic pursuit and your already acquired academic and research capabilities. With good planning ahead of time, you will be surprised how much response you get from these researchers who are interested to work with you. This guide will provide you with all the tips you need to successfully captivate the interest of your potential supervisors and get a response.  At end of the post are sample cold emails for you to explore or download.  So how to contact a PhD/Masters supervisor? In another word, how to email potential PhD/Masters supervisors?

• ⌦  A Rich Email Content  And 
• ⌦  The Content Presentation /Structure

Let's now look broadly into the above two aspects or ways to successfully email a potential supervisor when asking for a studentship position. We will start first with the strategies on how to  construct rich and captivating email content before looking at the next strategy which is how to present or structure this rich content to be more captivating, hence, creating a reason for your email to be given the attention you seek. 

A.  Rich Email Content(How to construct rich and captivating email content)

#1 search for the supervisors, #2 be sure that your research interests are aligned with his (common research interests), #3 have good background knowledge of your area of interest.,   #4 prepare a well-planned/very captivating research background of your area of interest.

  B.  Content Presentation/Structure( How to present or structure that first email)

How to email potential phd or masters supervisor:.

Mail content presentation approach (Structure of the email) .  Make sure to subdivide your email into three subcategories :

Introduction, body and conclusion .  (Note you do not need to write down these subcategories in your email, it is just a format that you need to demonstrate through paragraphing)

   (1) Introducing yourself :

   👉 start with an email etiquette,     👉 introduce who you are.

•  Degree and grades,
• Number of publications,
• English language scores,
• Current university and your current location 
• And briefly highlight the reason for your email  :

 ( 2) In the body paragraph :

      👉 s tate your main goal,       👉   state your current research and academic background.,      👉 state your most current experience, (3) in the conclusion paragraph :.

Are you having problems contacting a potential supervisor in Australian Universities or elsewhere? Find other helpful materials below including sample cold email examples, free online courses on how to write an impressive CV,  research proposals and personal statements

A compilation of Cold Email samples from a list of Universities

University cold email samples, guidelines and examples.

• A cold email sample from the Australia National University
• A cold email sample from Michigan University
• A cold email sample from the University of Scranton 
• A cold email sample from the University of Toronto
• A cold email sample from Lucklab, the University of California-Davis
• A cold email sample from the University of Notre Dame, Australia
• A cold email sample from the University of Kentucky
• A cold email sample from the Seattle University
• A cold email sample from the University of California Santa Cruz
• A cold email sample from the Ohio State University
• A cold email sample from Standford university
• A cold email sample from P.S University of California
• A cold email sample from Purdue university
• A cold email sample from the University of Saskatchewan

For sample research proposals, tips and examples, find details here . This includes a compilation of sample research proposals across different Universities in different fields. And find here  free online courses, guidelines and examples on how to write a research proposal for a strong application. The guidelines and examples are from top Australian Universities. Explore and download.

Other related links mentioned in this post you should equally check:

How to apply successfully to australian scholarships   list of fully funded government and institution sponsored scholarships in australia(undergraduate/masters/phd/short courses) 5 tips on how to secure a postgraduate admission in an australian university   how to successfully contact potential supervisors undergraduate scholarships fully funded masters scholarships fully funded phd. scholarships top scholarships infos and guides   list of australian universities with no application fee research proposal guide for successful admission/scholarship applications general research degree scholarship requirements for australian universities general undergraduate scholarship requirements to study abroad(australia) general coursework degree program scholarship requirements don't hesitate to leave a comment below, tell us about your experience in applying for a scholarship abroad, your difficulties and how we can assist you if you need any help.  please  subscribe  here for all future updates and opportunities. if you find our content helpful, please kindly follow us on  facebook ,  instagram ,  twitter ,  linkedin  for more content and updates. if you have questions that need a wide response, feel free to join our  facebook group community  of 80k+ active members to interact.    have a question or need to talk please feel free to reach us on instagram.

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i find the article to be clear and direct to point. my problem is a situation where you have less research papers, how do you present them to be captivating to a potential supervisor.

Hi Raymond. Thanks for the comment. The whole process is still same. Though many publications is an added advantage, having at least one publication especially in a good international Journal is good start. Just make an effort to do a research on the previous works of this supervisor and make a connection in your email. Cheers!

Great insightful information Paul with regard to securing sponsorship and admission for higher degree in Australian Universities.This has been quite handy.I am grateful.

I am happy to hear that Oraro! Good luck with everything!

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I think the best way to contact a Ph.D. supervisor is by email. In this email, you need to write a concise and professional letter to your supervisor. law essay writing service is providing help to the students in their essay writing work.

Good tips Elizabeth!

Hello good evening for this explicit explanations. Please I am a graduate of electrical engineering from a polytechnic. Please is there any hope of me securing scholarship to forward my studies?

hi, Sure! As long as you meet the requirements and you are eligible, there is hope my friend!

Thank you so much for the important information.

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