Thank-you for taking the time to click this link, and thank-you for getting in touch.
If you have been redirected here, it is most likely because you emailed me to ask about the possibility of a PhD position in my research group. I genuinely appreciate that interest. I receive a large number of such enquiries every week, ranging from very carefully targeted messages to brief exploratory emails.
This page exists for one simple reason: to help you engage with me more effectively, and to help both of us decide whether it makes sense to continue the conversation. Being sent here is not a judgement on the quality of your email, your background, or your potential — it is simply a way of streamlining a process that otherwise becomes unmanageable.
If, after reading this page, you decide that a PhD with me is not the right fit, that is a successful outcome too.
Rather than listing requirements or rules, I find it more useful to pose a small set of questions. If you can answer these clearly and concretely, then you are very likely to get a meaningful response from me. If you cannot, it may be worth pausing before proceeding.
Have you read the UoA Doctoral Entry Requirements and do you meet them?
Are you enquiring about an advertised PhD position? If so, which one? Or are you making a general enquiry about whether I might supervise a PhD student? General enquiries are fine — but they need more work on your part to be productive.
What specific skills or experience do you have that are relavent to this research project? How did you acquire them? On the other hand, if you already have a project in mind, is it a good fit to my research? Which leads to...
This is one of the strongest signals of genuine engagement.
Have you read at least one paper written by me or by students in my group that is directly related to the topic you are asking about?
If so:
Which paper(s)?
What interested you about them?
Where do you see your interests or skills connecting to that work?
You do not need to understand every technical detail. You do need to show that you have taken the time to look.
In New Zealand, most PhD positions depend on competitive scholarships.
Have you run your academic record through the University of Auckland’s GPE (Grade Point Equivalent) calculator for doctoral scholarships?
Do you have a realistic sense of how competitive those scholarships are?
If your grades are well below the threshold, that does not mean your career is over, but it does change what conversations are productive right now.
Finally, the hardest but most important question:
Why do you want to do this PhD, in this research area, with this supervisor?
Why is now the right time for you to do it?
Good answers here are rarely long — but they are specific.
A strong enquiry does not need to be long or overly formal. It does usually include:
A clear reference to a relevant specific research area or project.
Evidence that you have read relevant papers.
A brief, concrete description of your background and skills.
An indication that you have checked eligibility and funding constraints.
If you can naturally address most of the questions above in an email, you are doing exactly the right thing.
If, after reading this, you feel that your interests and background align well with my research, you are very welcome to get in touch (or to follow up). If not, I hope this still helps you refine your search and approach other potential supervisors more effectively.
Either way: thank you for your interest, and best of luck with your next steps.