FAQ

A: I thought about how my project fits into the lab’s bigger goals, and about the equipment available in the lab.

B: I consulted colleagues and reviewed the literature.

C: Since I was continuing from Master’s, I focused on extending my existing research.

B: I referred to a template made by seniors in my lab.

A: It’s important to “sell yourself”, and to convey the various and unique experiences that you have acquired.

B: It’s fine not to have any publications. In that case, you can emphasise other academic outputs, such as conference presentations, awards, etc.

A: I spent around one month on the first draft. I sought feedback from my supervisor.

B: I started around one week before the deadline, but worked on it very carefully every day.

C: I worked on it a little every day, for a month. I received feedback from multiple people in my lab.

A: I simplified concepts, so that even a non-specialist reviewer could understand.

I used a clear structure. I identified the different objectives, and then gave examples of how each one will be addressed. I also reflected each item into the research schedule.

A: I wrote my application half in English (research part), and half in Japanese (self-appeal part).

C: I simplified the content. I made the sentences as easy to understand as possible, and constructed my ideas point by point.

A: I used grey highlights, bold, and underlining, to emphasise important points. On each page, I used bold for a couple of key sentences, so that a reviewer skimming through the application would catch the most important points.

I followed the exact structure requested in the application questions, answering all of the items.

B: I used grayscale figures, since the application form will be printed in black and white by the reviewers. I also printed and checked the form myself, to make sure the figures were easy to read.

C: I used figures to show how my research fits into the wider field, and to illustrate important features of my research. I used a Gantt chart to save space when presenting my research schedule.

Keep it simple, and don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Go for it, even if you think you’re not going to get it, and see how it goes.

Be careful, take your time, check your application many times, and make it easy to understand.