Select a supervisor

It is NOT necessary for you to select a supervisor, although you may contact a staff member if you wish. If you indicate a supervisor on your application, we cannot guarantee that this will be your allocated supervisor at admission, although we will make every effort to satisfy your request. In any case, you will have the opportunity to change your topic/supervisor after your arrival, so this choice is not critical, and you can just leave it blank.

Research Proposal

Potential applicants are asked to provide a title for their future research as well as a summary of at most 100 words of their research proposal. However, if you are admitted, it will be to our graduate research program, and you will have plenty of opportunity to find out about our research projects after you arrive. You will also be able to change your research proposal from the one you specify in your application. Some applicants have a clear idea about what they are planning to do, and should write their research summary accordingly, but you can also keep it very general; please see below for guidance on how to write the summary.

Applicants must write their own research proposal in their own words. It is not acceptable to copy a research proposal from other sources including the internet. Any copying should be clearly cited.

The purpose of the research proposal is to allow you to indicate your preferences to help us assign you a supervisor. However, you will have the flexibility to change topics/supervisors once you get here. You can indicate the research field (systems and control, signal processing, telecommunications networks, or photonics), and the research techniques to be used (experimental, simulation-based, or theory). Note that there are overlaps between research fields, and many graduate students use a variety of techniques. There is no harm in being specific if you have a particular research proposal in mind, but there is no advantage either in terms of admissions.

Click for examples that can be used as guide to writing your proposal, but please don't just copy one of them, as it will then be of little use to us. For example, there are many issues in photonics (devices, network design) in wireless, one might be interested in wireless networking (e.g. ad-hoc networks), or coding; signal processing is just one area. In systems and control, one might be interested in the control of irrigation networks, or in networks of sensors. Electrical Engineering is a broad discipline, and we have a wide variety of research projects. To deal with this, and the fact you cannot be expected to know in advance the details of our particular research projects, we suggest that you be general, and only add specifics to your proposal if you have a particular research interest that you intend to pursue.

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Examples

Example 1: If the candidate is interested in photonics, without any special research approach inclinations, he or she can write something along these lines:

Title: Research in Photonics.

Abstract:
I propose to conduct Research in the area of Photonics. Depending on the specific topic selected, the research program may involve some experimental investigations, together with analytical and/or computer-based studies.

Example 2: If the candidate is interested in wireless communications, with an emphasis on signal processing techniques, with applications to wireless telecommunications, he or she can write something along these lines:

Title: Research in Wireless Communications

Abstract:
I propose to conduct Research in the area of Signal Processing / Telecommunications with applications to wireless communications. I am particularly interested in theoretical techniques, but also expect to apply computer-based experimental techniques to my research.

Example 3: If the candidate has interest in Signal Processing and Control with applications in radar and target tracking, he or she may write something along these lines:

Title: Research in Signals and Systems

Abstract:
I propose to conduct research in Signals and Systems, with applications to radar and target tracking. I am particularly interested in theoretical techniques, but also expect to apply computer-based experimental techniques to my research.

Example 4: If the candidate has interest in all areas of research of our department, and has does not yet decided on a particular research area or approach at this stage, he or she may write something along these lines:

Title: Research in one of the following areas: Systems and Control, Signal Processing, Telecommunications Networks or Photonics

Abstract:
I propose to conduct research in one of the following areas: Signals and Systems, Telecommunications Networks, or Photonics. Depending on the topic selected, the research program may involve some experimental investigations, together with analytical and computer-based studies.

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