We get a lot of emails about potential PhD positions. Below are some top tips to help make your email/application stand out.

When emailing - less is more. I know it can be tempting to try and tell us everything about you but long emails are not the way forwards.

Be patient - I get a lot of emails and will not be able to reply instantly. In busy times it can take me a week to get back to people, chasing me before this will not help your chances.

Keep the information relevant - why are you interested in the project we are advertising. Wanting to do a PhD in renewable energy is not a good enough reason, I want to know exactly what interests you in the specific project, this needs to be specific to the science we are aiming to do. This is the best way to make yourself stand out.

This leads me onto:

Avoid ChatGPT - I get hundreds of emails all written the same because people rely on chatgpt. I’d rather your english was less polished than I receive an email with lots of words but no substance.

Finally, funding is competitive especially if you are an international student. Please do not take rejections personally, often we do not have a lot of funding and a lot of excellent applicants. Sometimes your scientific background just wont be well suited to the PhD project we are offering.