Assistant Professor | Australia | Computer Science | Big Data Lead | Program Director | Cyber Security
I got 6 scholarship offers within 6 months after completing my undergraduate studies. Here is what worked for me. ๐. ๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ: There are so many scholarship pages and groups available on social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). Join them and set alerts to make sure you don't miss any scholarships available in your field. Several websites are also available that send such alerts. Also, follow professors in your domain on social media (e.g., Twitter) as they do announce such scholarships on social media too. ๐. ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ๐ฌ: Sending emails to professors having no funding/scholarship might not be too useful for either party. Better contact professors who have already advertised scholarships or open positions. ๐. ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ:ย Getting a scholarship for your PhD or master's studies does not happen in the blink of an eye. It takes time and effort. So be patient and persistent. You will get it. ๐. ๐๐ญ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ:ย You will often come across negativity. For example, it is too challenging, your profile is not so good, and only certain groups get it. Stay away from such negativity. ๐. ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ:ย You will apply for many scholarships. You will be rejected for many scholarships too. It happens to almost everyone. It hurts but don't get demotivated. Get used to rejections. Learn from it and move on to the next one. ๐. ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐/๐๐๐๐ ๐, ๐๐ญ๐: Many students keep delaying it. It's costly but it's worth an investment. Having an English score makes you eligible for so many scholarships. ๐. ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง-๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐: Make your CV and email specific to the professor, scholarship, and research lab. The one assessing them should resonate with the content. ๐. ๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ: Whilst a research proposal and cover may not be required for initial contact, it does give a very positive impression. It shows that you are hardworking and serious. Prepare and share these. ๐. ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง'๐ญ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง:ย You can't improve your GPA or grad school. However, you can improve your search process, CV, email, cover letter, and research proposal. So, don't keep them as such. Keep improving them in an iterative manner. ๐๐. ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ค:ย Learn from people who have traveled this path already. There is no harm in asking your seniors or professors to have a look at your CV, research proposal, and so on. Going the extra mile always generates some additional fruit. Anything to be added? PS: I didn't have any research publications at that time. #scholarship #research #PhD
I would love to learn more about the cover letter. Can you please help me through that?
Getting research experience is also an added adventage. It may not matter much for Msc but it does for PhD. Welldone
Points 3-5 really encouraged me. It takes time, stay away from negativity, Get used to rejections. There's no giving up on this journey. Thanks for sharing Prof.
Appreciate your efforts dear Dr. Faheem, your thoughts and experience will be an effective pathway for new researcher. Please spread your voice on other platforms of common user (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc).
Insightful indeed. Very well written Faheem.
Wonderful articulation of the strategy. Due to technological advancements, it is now very easy to contact. But persistence is required and it pays. Back in 1990s, while searching the scholarship options, you need right leads and also loads of patience. but persistence paid as I also got thru after getting the scholarship, then put on waiting list and then suddenly getting the clearance at the last minute (from British Council). Don't loos hope. I would like to share this with my PG students with due credits/ acknowledgement to you.
Great, the most important is staying away from negativity. I wasted alot of time when a senior told me about my profile. Later, I got scholarship while he was still trying.
I spent much of my time searching for PhD scholarships in my discipline (Agricultural Machinery Engineering). Very few, almost no, positions are posted, and the requirements are very tough to meet. Any tips on how to get those scholarships? (P.S., I have an excellent grade, .... but no IELTS/TOEFL Certificate)
Related to #7, but do your homework to understand the program and research interests of the faculty you are contacting to show that you are sincerely interested. You will be taken much more seriously and the recipient will be more likely to engage in a dialogue with you.
CAT '23 | GATE '23 & '21 | Artist
1yI would love to learn more about the research proposal part. Can you please help me through that?