Contact for research inquiries

If you wish to undertake a PhD with one of us, please contact us please contact Professor Sengupta at u.sengupta[at]mmu.ac.uk or Professor White at s. white[at]mmu.ac.uk.

Note 1: The PhD is not a taught course. It entails the design and implementation of a substantial research project carried out from the beginning of your enrolment period.

Note 2: You are advised to contact us as potential supervisors prior to your formal submission for admission.

Admissions Link

For all institutional inquiries related to requirements, processes and additional information please see https://www.mmu.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-study

For admissions, please see https://www.mmu.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-study/phd/how-to-apply

Information to send us with a query

1. Your research proposal

Maximum two pages consisting of the following sections:

1. Topic(s)
2. Proposed Methodology
   1. Theoretical Framework
   1. Methods (how will you collect/produce data? How will you analyse your data/experiments?)
3. Research Question (what are you trying to find out more about? – link to the methodology as the way)
4. Research Outcomes (what are the planned outcomes of your research? Will you create a new framework to understand or analyse something? Develop a new model/digital tool/process? Will you contribute to a new process to solve problems such as sustainability through design?)
5. Contribution to knowledge (who will be interested in your newly produced knowledge? Which scholars? Which journals?)
6. Fit i.e. why you want to do the PhD with us? (What do you know of our research/research area? What are the research areas, outputs or topics that you want to engage with and enhance at our labs?

2. Additional information to send us

1. What is your intended start date for the PhD program? the usual annual cycle is a Sept/Oct start
2. What is your funding model? Do you have external funding pathways? Are you prepared to undertake your PhD as a self-funded student? Please note some funding can be based on the standing of your host institution.  The PHD researchers we work with are awarded by the MSA at Manchester Metropolitan University. QS ranking: https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/manchester-school-architecture
3. How flexible are you with your research topic to create a positive fit with the [IC]lab or [CPU]lab? Name the primary existing skills and interests that you wish to take forward.
4. Note that minimum academic English proficiency is a requirement for admission. Please see the guidance on the information pages or make an inquiry.
5. Clearly explain the research relevant skills you may already have e.g. but not limited to:
   • Literature – Scholarly synthesis
   • Qualitative – interview and observational
   • Quantitative – survey and statistical futures
   • Participatory – workshops, communities and co-creative
   • Simulative/AI – agent-based modelling, graph modelling, machine learning
   • Digital – GIS and Python coding