Research proposal

Applications for the PhD programme are welcomed from qualified candidates wishing to undertake research on a specific topic within one of the Institute’s broad research areas.

Apply to the PhD programme via the online application procedure.

It is assumed that before submitting an application for entry to the PhD programme, applicants will have done some preparatory work on the proposed topic of study. Admission will depend on the quality of the applicant’s research proposal and its relevance to the Institute’s research interests. Applicants are required to submit a research proposal of approximately 5,000 words which incorporates:

  • a statement of the research issue, setting out the temporal, geographic and conceptual limits of the work
  • the potential contribution of the research to theory and/or policy making
  • a concise formulation of the research issues
  • a brief review of the theoretical background and the main analytical approaches to be followed
  • a specification of the main expected methods of data collection and processing
  • proposed table of contents for the thesis
  • references and bibliography

Research proposal examples

The PDF documents in the Downloads below offer examples of successful research proposals.

  • Agrarian reform of 1950 in Jammu and Kashmir state 
  • Monetary Policy in Vietnam
  • Transnational migration within the Southeast Asian region

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