phd research scholar

PhD student vs PhD researcher – Are they the same thing?

There is often some confusion amongst PhD students and members of the public about what a PhD student versus PhD research really is. This is mainly because there is no standard definition for what either of these terms really means.

Having spent 15 years in academia I can tell you that there is generally a rule that can be followed.

There is some overlap between the roles of a PhD student and a PhD researcher, but they are not exactly the same thing. A PhD student is a student pursuing a doctoral degree, while a PhD researcher can be anyone who is conducting research at the doctoral level, including PhD students, postdocs, and faculty members. However, in practice, the terms PhD student and PhD researcher are often used interchangeably.

The confusion comes from the fact that a PhD research is the broadest term that can describe:

• PhD students
• postdoctoral researchers
• PhD qualified research assistance
• in any other PhD qualified researcher

PhD student is a much narrower descriptor and can be described as a PhD researcher.

Not all PhD researchers PhD students, but all PhD students on PhD researchers.

What is a PhD student researcher?

Although there is no strict definition for what a PhD student researcher is, here is what I believe most academics will understand it to be.

A PhD student researcher is a PhD student who is pursuing a PhD qualification through research, typically at a university. They have a masters degree and are pursuing higher education. 

The primary role of a PhD student researcher is to conduct independent research that leads to the advancement of knowledge and understanding within their subject area.

The research will be conducted will be under the guidance of a PhD supervisor.

This may involve:

• studying existing literature,
• developing new theories,
•  conducting experiments or surveys,
• analyzing data, and
• writing papers for publication.

A PhD student researcher is expected to be an independent thinker who can work collaboratively with other researchers and use evidence-based approaches to problem-solving.

A successful PhD student researcher must be able to think critically, creatively, and analytically about problems and have excellent communication skills.

These skills will be built up with the support of your PhD supervisor throughout the course of your degree.

However, is it right for PhD should students to call themselves academic researchers?

Can PhD students call themselves academic researchers?

In my experience, people who call themselves academic researchers typically already hold a PhD.

If you feel comfortable calling yourself an academic researcher while you are pursuing PhD – by all means you should be able to do it.

Just be aware that some people will find this description of your current academic situation in accurate.

But this is not a hard and fast rule and I think that once you have a peer-reviewed publication under your belt it is reasonable to call yourself an academic researcher.

After all, your research has been reviewed and assessed by your peers and deemed good enough to appear in the peer-reviewed literature.

That is probably one of the most important signals which shows that you are capable of independent academic research and therefore you are an academic researcher.

What is the difference between PhD student and PhD researcher?

A PhD student and a PhD researcher are ALMOST the same things.

To some, they are the same.

For most people in academia, however, there would be a slight but important difference between PhD students and PhD researchers.

A PhD student is typically a person who is undertaking their doctoral studies and is actively working towards completing their degree. They may be taking courses, writing papers, or conducting research in order to fulfil the requirements of their program.

On the other hand, a PhD researcher can also be someone who has already completed their degree and is now engaging in further research activities in order to advance knowledge in a specific field or topic.

While both roles involve engaging in research activities, a PhD researcher often has more autonomy over what they are researching as well as the resources available to them for conducting said research.

A person with a PhD and called a PhD researcher often engages in more high-level analysis than what would be required of a PhD student.

You may also call these types of researchers ‘associates’.

Can you call a PhD student a researcher?

Yes, you can call a PhD student a researcher.

The goal of a PhD student during their thesis is to contribute to the knowledge base in the particular field that they are studying.

As such, they are actively engaging in research and should be considered researchers.

They can also do a range of other activities including:

• academic writing
• mentoring (senior PhD students)
• grant writing
• attending conference and symposia and much more.

However, conducting and reporting on research is the most important activity if they are to graduate with a PhD via the submission of a thesis or peer-reviewed papers.

PhD students often collaborate with other researchers and mentor junior faculty members and graduate students in their department or organization.

It is completely appropriate to refer to PhD students as researchers due to their activities advancing knowledge in their chosen field.

Wrapping up

This article has been through everything you need to know that PhD students are usually researchers.

All PhD students are PhD research is not all PhD research is our PhD students.

PhD students are free to call themselves academic researchers if they feel comfortable however some people find that this is a little bit misleading because academic researchers tend to have already completed their PhD.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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PhD Scholar vs. Research Scholar: What Should You Call Yourself?

It might be confusing as a research student to either call yourself a PhD Scholar or a Research scholar. Assuming that you are currently involved in research, you might be wondering whether to call yourself a PhD scholar or a research scholar.

In South Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, Philippines, Nepal, Malaysia, etc. A PhD student is called as PhD scholar. Whereas in the USA, PhD students are called a Doctoral Student.

A student who is currently involved in research and is also pursuing a PhD is called a PhD scholar . A Research Scholar is someone who is currently involved in research but does not necessarily have to be a PhD student. However, a PhD student can also refer to themselves as a research scholar.

Referring to the above statement, there are several other differences that need to be known. PhD scholars and research scholars cannot be differentiated solely by comparing their education. Let’s delve into more details –

So, let’s look out for the difference between What is a research scholar? What is a PhD scholar? and What is the difference between a PhD Scholar & Research Scholar?

PhD Scholar – A PhD Scholar is someone who is pursuing a PhD degree at a university. PhD Scholar is involved in research in the field of study which will contribute to the knowledge.

Research Scholar – A Research Scholar is someone who is currently involved in single or multiple research activities at once. Research Scholar can be academic or non-academic in nature. 

PhD Research Scholar – PhD Research Scholars are admitted to the Ph.D. program and are involved in original research work. The candidate has been in research for some time and is experienced.

• 1.1 1. Educational Background
• 1.2 2. Period of Research
• 1.3 3. Involvement & Scope of Research
• 1.4 4. Funding Options
• 1.5 5. Resources & Guidance
• 1.6 6. Future Career Scope
• 2 My Thoughts

Difference Between PhD Scholar & Research Scholar

1. Educational Background

When it comes to educational background and current academic status, there is not a lot of difference that can be observed. PhD scholar is somebody who is going through research and is currently pursuing a PhD program.

Although today, a PhD is considered one of the highest degrees, there is also a Post Doc. program that can be pursued after the completion of your PhD. “Post Doc. is often called as post-doctoral degree”.

Research Scholars can be involved in various aspects of research but are not limited to academics. The researcher may be conducting studies in different areas such as academics, policy making, corporate, etc. But to call yourself a research scholar, it is not necessary to pursue a PhD.

Another main difference that can be observed is – A a research scholar could be currently pursuing some kind of a graduate or master’s degree and can be involved in research.

E.g. – I used to call myself a research scholar when I was pursuing a master’s degree and was assisting my professor with his research project. But in 2013, when I started pursuing PhD, I used to call myself PhD scholar.

2. Period of Research

PhD students can call themselves Ph.D. Scholar only while pursuing the doctoral degree. An average student could complete their PhD in 3 to 5 years. While a research scholar can be involved in a graduate or master’s degree, it could be a fairly lesser term than what PhD scholar has.

If a research scholar is working on a research project, it might be for a shorter duration, after which they would need to apply for a new research project. However, if a scholar is currently employed by a company and is fully dedicated to the research projects of that company, they can continue to be called a research scholar for a longer period.

A PhD scholar works on a singular thesis which goes on for years. At the same time, a research scholar could be working on several projects in a shorter amount of time.

3. Involvement & Scope of Research

PhD scholars are very specific towards the field of study. PhD also comes with various coursework, presentations, viva, exams, workshops, etc. This scholar is also involved in conducting original research by identifying research gaps which will contribute to new knowledge in the field of study.  But, as a PhD Scholar, you are only involved in a single research study.

At the very end of completing a PhD, the scholar has generated research papers and a thesis, after which the publications will be accessible to everyone upon completion.

Research scholars can be involved in one or more research activities. The output of these activities can be in the form of research papers, policy recommendations, analyses, etc. However, after the completion of the activity/project, they don’t need to make it public.

A research scholar is not necessarily bound to conduct research exclusively in the field they studied or completed their education.

4. Funding Options

PhD scholars’ research can receive funding, but not everyone necessarily receives it. Funding can be obtained by PhD scholars if there is a specific position opened by the university in their field of study. Only then do PhD scholars receive funding. However, most scholars do receive scholarships in one way or another.

Whereas, Research Scholars can collaborate with industry or corporations to apply for research projects/positions and funding could be achieved.

5. Resources & Guidance

PhD Scholar research gets formal guidance from the PhD guides and academicians. This way, the scholar is assisted with a clear path of – How to carry out their research.  Other resources, such as access to the library, university, and institution, are also available to PhD scholars.

But, Research scholars need to collaborate with other researchers to work on their projects. The research scholar does not get a fully attentive guide to conduct the research. Most of the time there is no coursework to do which results in lesser knowledge about the research methodologies.

6. Future Career Scope

PhD scholars end up with a doctoral degree after the successful completion of the program. After which they can call themselves a Dr.

Several career options are available and can be opted after the doctoral degree, such as –

• Assistant Professor or career in academics
• Research Assistant
• Professional Career in Research
• Writer/Author

A research scholar has a significant scope of working both individually and as a professional. However, they also have the opportunity to pursue a career in academia. For entering academia, the primary requirement would be to have a PhD

So here are career options for Research Scholars –

• Policy Maker
• Project Manager
• CSR Manager

My Thoughts

You can start your research journey very early on while pursuing your undergraduate or master’s degree, collaborating with faculty members to conduct research. This is the initial step towards being involved in research and considering yourself a research scholar.

A PhD is the next degree you can pursue, formally earning a doctoral research degree. Many research scholars proceed to pursue a PhD.

If there are any other questions not addressed in this article, please mention them in the comment section, and I will be sure to respond.

Dr. Dhananjay Pingale

12 best part-time phd for working professionals in india, how to properly cite github in your research, leave a reply cancel reply.

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Research Scholarships

What is the difference between PhD Scholar and research Scholar?

PhD Scholar and research scholar are two terms that are often used interchangeably but they refer to different academic positions. PhD is an abbreviation for Doctor of Philosophy, whereas a research scholar is an individual who conducts research, usually at the graduate or postgraduate level.

PhD scholars are students who are enrolled in a doctoral program and are working towards earning their degree. They are expected to complete coursework, pass exams, and conduct original research to contribute new knowledge to their respective fields. Typically, a PhD program takes 3-5 years to complete, and students are required to defend their dissertation to earn their degree.

On the other hand, research scholars are individuals who have already completed their studies and possess a higher degree, such as a master’s or a PhD. They are engaged in research projects that align with their interests and the needs of their organization or funding body, which could be within an academic institution or a research organization. Research scholars are not typically enrolled in a degree program and may be employed by the institution where they conduct their research or may be on a fellowship or grant.

While both positions involve conducting research, the primary difference between a PhD scholar and a research scholar is that the former is a student pursuing a degree whereas the latter is an experienced researcher who has completed their studies. PhD scholars are expected to contribute original research to their respective fields as part of their degree requirements, whereas research scholars may be working on research projects for a variety of reasons, such as advancing a field, informing policymaking, or addressing societal challenges.

In summary, while PhD scholars and research scholars are both involved in research, they differ in their academic standing and focus. PhD scholars are students working towards earning a degree and conducting original research as part of their program, whereas research scholars have usually completed their formal education and are engaged in research projects on a more independent basis.

A PhD scholar and a research scholar are both involved in the academic pursuit of research. However, there are some notable differences between the two.

A PhD scholar is an individual who is pursuing a doctoral degree, typically in a specific field of study. In order to obtain a PhD, the student must conduct original research, make a significant contribution to the field, and defend their thesis or dissertation before a panel of experts. The PhD program typically entails coursework, exams, and a research dissertation. Upon successful completion of the program, the individual is awarded the title of Doctor of Philosophy.

On the other hand, a research scholar is an individual who is engaged in research in a particular field, but is not necessarily pursuing a doctoral degree. This may refer to a person who is working as a postdoctoral researcher, a visiting scholar, or a research assistant. Research scholars may work on specific projects under the guidance of a lead researcher or a principal investigator. They may be involved in data analysis, literature reviews, experimental design, and other aspects of research.

While both PhD scholars and research scholars are engaged in research, the PhD program is typically more rigorous and takes a longer time to complete. Additionally, a PhD degree is often a prerequisite for certain academic and research positions. Research scholars, on the other hand, may be employed in various research roles without necessarily possessing a PhD degree.

In conclusion, the difference between a PhD scholar and a research scholar lies primarily in their level of academic attainment and the depth of their involvement in research. While a PhD scholar is focused on attaining a doctoral degree through rigorous coursework and original research, a research scholar may be involved in research in various capacities without necessarily pursuing a PhD degree.

PhD Scholar and Research Scholar are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but there are significant differences between the two. A PhD Scholar is a student pursuing a Doctorate in Philosophy degree, a high level of education typically attained after completing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program. In contrast, a Research Scholar is an individual who is conducting research for academic purposes, without necessarily being enrolled in a PhD program.

One of the primary differences between the two is the level of education and training that is required. PhD Scholars have to complete a rigorous and comprehensive course of study, including coursework and research, to attain a doctoral degree. This education and training equip them with the knowledge, skills, and expertise to independently carry out research and contribute original knowledge in their respective fields.

On the other hand, Research Scholars are typically individuals who have already completed their higher education degrees and may have already obtained their PhDs. Research Scholars have significant experience in their area of research, but they may not necessarily have received formal training in research methodology and techniques like PhD Scholars. They may also not have the same level of access to resources and facilities that are available to PhD Scholars, such as laboratories and specialized equipment.

Another difference between PhD Scholars and Research Scholars is the scope of their research. PhD Scholars are required to focus their research on a particular area within their field, but they are expected to delve deeply into that area and make a significant contribution to the existing knowledge base. Research Scholars, on the other hand, may have a broader scope of research, as they may be conducting research in a variety of areas within their field.

In summary, while both PhD Scholars and Research Scholars are involved in research, the former is a student pursuing a degree, typically with formal training in research techniques, while the latter refers to anyone who is engaged in research in an academic setting. While there is some overlap between the two, PhD Scholars are typically expected to make a more significant contribution to their field, both in terms of original research and the dissemination of knowledge.

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PhD Program

Program overview.

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Rigorous, discipline-based research is the hallmark of the MIT Sloan PhD Program. The program is committed to educating scholars who will lead in their fields of research—those with outstanding intellectual skills who will carry forward productive research on the complex organizational, financial, and technological issues that characterize an increasingly competitive and challenging business world.

Start here.

Learn more about the program, how to apply, and find answers to common questions.

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Start Your Application

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Click here for answers to many of the most frequently asked questions.

PhD studies at MIT Sloan are intense and individual in nature, demanding a great deal of time, initiative, and discipline from every candidate. But the rewards of such rigor are tremendous:  MIT Sloan PhD graduates go on to teach and conduct research at the world's most prestigious universities.

PhD Program curriculum at MIT Sloan is organized under the following three academic areas: Behavior & Policy Sciences; Economics, Finance & Accounting; and Management Science. Our nine research groups correspond with one of the academic areas, as noted below.

MIT Sloan PhD Research Groups

Behavioral & policy sciences.

Economic Sociology

Institute for Work & Employment Research

Organization Studies

Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Strategic Management

Economics, Finance & Accounting

Accounting  

Management Science

Information Technology

System Dynamics  

Those interested in a PhD in Operations Research should visit the Operations Research Center .  

PhD Program Structure

Additional information including coursework and thesis requirements.

MIT Sloan Predoctoral Opportunities

MIT Sloan is eager to provide a diverse group of talented students with early-career exposure to research techniques as well as support in considering research career paths.

Rising Scholars Conference

The fourth annual Rising Scholars Conference on October 25 and 26 gathers diverse PhD students from across the country to present their research.

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The goal of the MIT Sloan PhD Program's admissions process is to select a small number of people who are most likely to successfully complete our rigorous and demanding program and then thrive in academic research careers. The admission selection process is highly competitive; we aim for a class size of nineteen students, admitted from a pool of hundreds of applicants.

What We Seek

• Outstanding intellectual ability
• Excellent academic records
• Previous work in disciplines related to the intended area of concentration
• Strong commitment to a career in research

MIT Sloan PhD Program Admissions Requirements Common Questions

Dates and Deadlines

Admissions for 2024 is closed. The next opportunity to apply will be for 2025 admission. The 2025 application will open in September 2024. 

More information on program requirements and application components

Students in good academic standing in our program receive a funding package that includes tuition, medical insurance, and a fellowship stipend and/or TA/RA salary. We also provide a new laptop computer and a conference travel/research budget.

Funding Information

Throughout the year, we organize events that give you a chance to learn more about the program and determine if a PhD in Management is right for you.

PhD Program Events

September 12 phd program overview.

During this webinar, you will hear from the PhD Program team and have the chance to ask questions about the application and admissions process.

DocNet Recruiting Forum at University of Minnesota

We will be joining the DocNet consortium for an overview of business academia and a recruitment fair at University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management.

September 25 PhD Program Overview

Docnet recruiting forum - david eccles school of business.

MIT Sloan PhD Program will be joining the DocNet consortium for an overview of business academia and a recruitment fair at Utah, David Eccles School of Business.

Complete PhD Admissions Event Calendar

Unlike formulaic approaches to training scholars, the PhD Program at MIT Sloan allows students to choose their own adventure and develop a unique scholarly identity. This can be daunting, but students are given a wide range of support along the way - most notably having access to world class faculty and coursework both at MIT and in the broader academic community around Boston.

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Profiles of our current students

MIT Sloan produces top-notch PhDs in management. Immersed in MIT Sloan's distinctive culture, upcoming graduates are poised to innovate in management research and education.

Academic Job Market

Doctoral candidates on the current academic market

Academic Placements

Graduates of the MIT Sloan PhD Program are researching and teaching at top schools around the world.

view recent placements 

MIT Sloan Experience

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The PhD Program is integral to the research of MIT Sloan's world-class faculty. With a reputation as risk-takers who are unafraid to embrace the unconventional, they are engaged in exciting disciplinary and interdisciplinary research that often includes PhD students as key team members.

Research centers across MIT Sloan and MIT provide a rich setting for collaboration and exploration. In addition to exposure to the faculty, PhD students also learn from one another in a creative, supportive research community.

Throughout MIT Sloan's history, our professors have devised theories and fields of study that have had a profound impact on management theory and practice.

From Douglas McGregor's Theory X/Theory Y distinction to Nobel-recognized breakthroughs in finance by Franco Modigliani and in option pricing by Robert Merton and Myron Scholes, MIT Sloan's faculty have been unmatched innovators.

This legacy of innovative thinking and dedication to research impacts every faculty member and filters down to the students who work beside them.

Faculty Links

• Accounting Faculty
• Economic Sociology Faculty
• Finance Faculty
• Information Technology Faculty
• Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER) Faculty
• Marketing Faculty
• Organization Studies Faculty
• System Dynamics Faculty
• Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management (TIES) Faculty

Student Research

“MIT Sloan PhD training is a transformative experience. The heart of the process is the student’s transition from being a consumer of knowledge to being a producer of knowledge. This involves learning to ask precise, tractable questions and addressing them with creativity and rigor. Hard work is required, but the reward is the incomparable exhilaration one feels from having solved a puzzle that had bedeviled the sharpest minds in the world!” -Ezra Zuckerman Sivan Alvin J. Siteman (1948) Professor of Entrepreneurship

Sample Dissertation Abstracts - These sample Dissertation Abstracts provide examples of the work that our students have chosen to study while in the MIT Sloan PhD Program.

We believe that our doctoral program is the heart of MIT Sloan's research community and that it develops some of the best management researchers in the world. At our annual Doctoral Research Forum, we celebrate the great research that our doctoral students do, and the research community that supports that development process.

The videos of their presentations below showcase the work of our students and will give you insight into the topics they choose to research in the program.

Attention To Retention: The Informativeness of Insiders’ Decision to Retain Shares

2024 PhD Doctoral Research Forum Winner - Gabriel Voelcker

Watch more MIT Sloan PhD Program  Doctoral Forum Videos

• [email protected]

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Faculty Directory

Meet our faculty.

Research scholar program

The Research Scholar Program aims to support early-career professors who are pursuing research in fields relevant to Google.

The Research Scholar Program provides unrestricted gifts to support research at institutions around the world, and is focused on funding world-class research conducted by early-career professors.

Program details

Application status, award information, eligibility criteria, funding amounts, supporting cutting-edge research, award recipients.

Applications are currently closed.

Decisions for the November 2023 application will be announced via email by April 2024. Please check back in Fall 2024 for details on future application cycles.

We encourage submissions from professors globally who are teaching at universities and meet the eligibility requirements. It is our hope that this program will help develop collaborations with new professors and encourage the formation of long-term relationships.

Awards are disbursed as unrestricted gifts to the university and are not intended for overhead or indirect costs. They are intended for use during the academic year in which the award is provided to support the professor’s research efforts.

• Post doctoral staff can only serve as a co-PI, not a primary PI.
• We consider exceptions for applicants who have been teaching seven years or fewer and had delays, such as working in industry, parental leave, leave of absence, etc. This exception request can be documented on the application.
• Faculty can only serve as a PI or Co-PI per round. Applicants cannot serve on two separate proposals.
• Applicants can apply a maximum of 3 times within the 7 years post-PhD.

The funds granted will be up to $60,000 USD and are intended to support the advancement of the professor’s research.

Algorithms and optimization

Our team conducts research in graph mining, optimization, operations research, and market algorithms to improve Google's infrastructure, machine learning, and marketplaces. We collaborate with teams across Google and perform research in related areas, such as algorithmic foundations of machine learning, distributed optimization, economics, and data mining.

Health research

Google Health research aims to advance AI and technology to help people live healthier lives through collaborative research with public officials, clinicians, and consumers. We are developing tools to understand population health, novel algorithms to better understand and use complex medical data, and technology to help people find high-quality health information and understand their health status.

We invite proposals that will generate and understand large datasets to improve population health, develop novel algorithms for better understanding of complex medical data, and develop novel methods to extract health insights cheaper, faster, or better.

Machine learning and data mining

Machine learning is the foundation of Google's research, with a broad scope that includes foundational and algorithmic work, critical real-world applications, and topics, such as federated learning, information retrieval, learning theory, optimization, reinforcement learning, robotics, and recommender systems.

Natural language processing

Our team comprises multiple research groups working on a wide range of natural language understanding and generation projects. Our researchers are focused on advancing the state of the art in natural language technologies and accelerating adoption everywhere for the benefit of the user. Natural language processing and understanding plays a major role in driving Google’s company-wide OKRs as language understanding is the key to unlocking Google’s approach: “Build a more helpful Google for everyone that increases the world’s knowledge, success, health, and happiness.”

Quantum computing

The Quantum AI team is developing an error-corrected quantum computer and discovering valuable applications by offering a quantum computing service. We collaborate with academic partners to advance both goals, so if you have a quantum algorithm you would like to run on our service, please submit a proposal.

Software engineering and programming languages

Research on all aspects of software development, including the engineers and the programming languages, libraries, development tools, and processes that they use.

Fundamental and applied science

Large language, visual, and multimodal models have made significant advances in recent years, opening up new possibilities for scientific research. We invite proposals in these four areas:

• Applications : Proposals that demonstrate how large language models can be used to advance scientific discovery in a specific field.
• Foundations : Proposals that explore broad advances in building, tuning, or deploying large models for scientific research, such as integrating language models with specialized scientific tools, developing multimodal models for understanding scientific data, and accelerating scientific analysis, experimentation, and summarization.
• Evaluation : Proposals that develop datasets or methods for benchmarking and evaluating large models for science, including evaluating domain-specific knowledge, assessing factuality and grounding, evaluating multimodal capabilities, and developing tasks that require multi-step scientific reasoning.
• HCI : Proposals that enhance scientific workflows, such as automating complex simulation pipelines, with large language models and human-in-the-loop interaction.

Human-computer interaction

HCI researchers at Google design and build large-scale interactive systems that aim to be humane, simple-to-understand, and delightful to use. We work across a variety of HCI disciplines, including predictive and intelligent user interfaces, mobile and ubiquitous computing, social and collaborative computing, and interactive visualization.

Machine perception

Machine perception researchers at Google develop algorithms and systems to tackle a wide range of tasks, including action recognition, object recognition and detection, hand-writing recognition, audio understanding, perceptual similarity measures, and image and video compression.

Google's privacy research reaches across multiple teams, focusing on different aspects of privacy to advance the state of the art and develop tools to protect users and give them control over their data. This includes work on privacy-preserving technologies using cryptography and differential privacy, machine learning for privacy, user interface design and human-computer interactions to make communication clear and empower users, privacy policy to define Google's guiding principles for user protection, and system analysis and measurement to develop techniques to evaluate the privacy health of Google's systems.

Google's security and anti-abuse research team brings together experts from multiple disciplines to defend users from a wide range of threats. This includes work on access control, information security, networking, operating systems, language design, cryptography, fraud detection, machine learning for abuse detection, denial of service, emerging threats, user interfaces, and other human-centered aspects of security.

Systems and networking systems

Google's systems and networking systems research is focused on building and deploying novel systems at unprecedented scale. Our work spans the entire spectrum of computing, from large-scale distributed systems to individual machines to accelerator technologies.

We address fundamental questions around data center architecture, cloud virtual networking, wide-area network interconnects, software-defined networking, machine learning for networking, large-scale management infrastructure, congestion control, bandwidth management, capacity planning, and designing networks to meet traffic demands.

What is the evaluation criteria when assessing proposals?

To ensure fairness, we use a scoring rubric for consistency across reviews. We look at the criteria below to assess proposals. Proposals must comply with the required format and other Research Scholar Program guidelines.

• Faculty Merit : Faculty is accomplished in research, community engagement, and open source contributions, with potential to contribute to responsible innovation.
• Research Merit : Faculty's proposed research is aligned with Google Research interests, innovative, and likely to have a significant impact on the field.
• Proposal Quality : The research proposal is clear, focused, and well-organized, and it demonstrates the team's ability to successfully execute the research and achieve a significant impact.
• Broadening Participation : Faculty is committed to broadening participation in computing through their work on a variety of initiatives, including, for example, designing and deploying programs, and training and mentoring students from historically marginalized groups.
• AI Ethics Principles : The research proposal strongly aligns with Google's AI Principles .

What are the steps for the selection process?

• November: Applications open
• December/January: Proposal reviews and scoring
• February: Committee reviews proposals, scoring and make selections
• March: Approval process for selected proposals
• April: Applicants are notified of decision

We completely understand the desire to receive feedback and do our best to meet this request. However, due to the high volume of applications received, you may not receive feedback on your proposal.

To ensure fairness, we use a scoring rubric for consistency across reviews.

How many times can I apply for the Research Scholar program?

Faculty may apply up to a maximum of 3 times within the 7 years they received their PhD.

Can I receive this award more than once?

Faculty can receive a Research Scholar award only once. Previous Faculty Research Award recipients are still eligible to receive a Research Scholar award.

Who is eligible to apply for the Research Scholar Program?

Institutions:

• We accept applications from full-time faculty at universities around the world. Funding is focused on supporting the faculty’s research. We do not allow applications from non-degree-granting research institutions.
• Since our funding is structured as unrestricted gifts to degree-granting Universities, we cannot process awards to other institutions (e.g. not-for-profits institutions, hospitals, non-degree-granting research institutes, etc) even if they are affiliated with a University. A Principal Investigator must apply in his or her capacity as a university professor and must be able to accept an award through that University.

Principal Investigator Requirements:

• Global faculty who have received their PhD less than 7 years from submission from degree-granting institutions who are doing research within fields relevant to Google.
• An applicant may only serve as Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator on one proposal per round, they cannot be listed on two separate proposals.
• We understand that titles may differ globally. In order for someone without the title of professor to apply, he or she must be a full-time faculty member at an eligible institution and serve as a formal advisor to masters or PhD students. We may, at our discretion, provide funding for Principal Investigators who advise undergraduate students at colleges that do not award advanced degrees.

Past Applicants:

• If an applicant’s proposal was not selected for funding the previous round, they are welcome to apply with a new proposal (or substantively revised proposal) the following round. A Principal Investigator can apply a maximum of 3 times within the 7 years post-PhD.

How do I apply for the Research Scholar Program?

The application process includes filling out an online form requesting basic information and uploading a PDF proposal via the form. As part of the online form, you will be asked to select a topic area. Please select carefully, as this will help us in ensuring your proposal is read by the appropriate reviewers. Do not send any confidential or proprietary information in your proposal. Any information you send us as part of your application will be considered not confidential regardless of any markings or designations on it.

I have a social science background, can I still apply?

Yes. We focus on funding social science research that looks at technology's implications and impacts on individuals and society. We typically review submissions from fields like human-computer interaction, psychology, and science and technology studies, as well as research in computer science fields with a strong emphasis on the human experience.

What is the proper format for a Research Scholar proposal?

• The proposal should be a maximum of 5 pages if you are a sole Principal Investigator.
• If you choose not to include the co-Principal Investigator’s CV then your proposal should only be 5 pages.
• The extra 2 pages will only accommodate for an additional CV, not for additional proposal content.
• The maximum page limit includes the 2-page CV of the primary Principal Investigator, which is required for all applications (again a 2-page CV for a co-Principal Investigator is optional).
• To be fair to you and others, we do not consider proposals longer than the maximum page limit.
• We request a Google Scholar profile link as part of the online application form. Our reviewers find it helpful to be able to easily reference a Principal Investigator's publication history to see how the current proposal relates to past work the Principal Investigator has done in relevant fields. The Google Scholar profile complements, but does not replace, the Principal Investigator's 2-page CV.
• We do not require a budget breakdown since we have flat funding amounts we will grant based on region.
• We would prefer proposals to respect a minimum 10pt font size and 1-inch (2.5-cm) margins. Our reviewers value readability.
• Below is an example of what a proposal may look like (though the relative length of each section may differ by proposal).

Proposal Format

• Proposal Title
• Principal Investigator full name, contact information (postal address, email address, phone), affiliation (university, school, college and/or department)
• Research goals, including a problem statement.
• Description of the work you'd like to do, as well as the expected outcomes and results.
• How this relates to prior work in the area (including your own, if relevant)
• References, where applicable.
• Our goal is to support work where the output will be made available to the broader research community. To that end, we ask that you provide us with a few sentences sharing what you intend to do with the output of your project (e.g. open sourcing code, making data sets public, etc.). Please note that the awards are structured as unrestricted gifts, so there are no legal requirements once a project is selected for funding. This is simply a statement of your current intentions.
• The maximum length of a Principal Investigator CV is two pages. Any submitted CV that is longer than 2 pages may be cut off at two pages before the proposal review process begins.
• We require a CV for at least the primary Principal Investigator on the proposal. We will accept CVs from each of the Principal Investigators listed on the proposal (up to two are allowed). Each CV must be limited to two pages.

Should I add a budget breakdown in my proposal?

Please do not include budget details in your proposal. We will be providing flat funding amounts based on the cost of student tuition on a regional basis.

How much funds will I get if I am awarded?

We provide support up to $60,000 USD depending on the cost of student tuition on a regional basis.

I am not eligible for this program, how can I apply to other programs?

Our website is consistently updated with new programs we offer. We encourage you to connect with our Google researchers at conferences to build more opportunities for applying to research grants.

Are Research Scholar Awards eligible for extensions?

The program is designed to support one year of work. If you are selected as a recipient of a Research Scholar award, we will partner you with a Google sponsor who can navigate the potential of an extension.

Does the co-PI need to meet the same eligibility criteria as the primary PI?

Yes, the co-PI must meet the same eligibility criteria as the primary PI. We are providing an exception if the co-PI is a postdoctoral researcher.

Can I speak to someone from the Research Scholar team to ask additional questions?

We will be providing limited email support via [email protected] . Due to the volume of emails we receive, we may not be able to respond to questions where the answer is available on the website.

Open advice to Google Research Awards proposal writers

As a part of the group of engineers that review proposals for this program, we read a lot of proposals. We'd like to read more good proposals. Here's some advice on how you can improve the content of your short proposal and make reviewing it easier.

A good research grant proposal:

• Clearly specifies a problem. Good research is driven by a great problem or question, and a good proposal starts with a clearly specified one.
• Describes a specific, credible, relevant outcome. Try to identify a specific and appropriately sized outcome, to give us a clear notion of what the research award would be enabling. What will likely come to be that might otherwise not happen? While this outcome should be a decisive step towards achieving your vision, it generally won't be adequate to completely achieve it. It often helps to describe both the minimum that is likely to be accomplished and a potential best-case. Since picking the right datasets and test cases is often important, tell us which ones you plan to use.
• Crisply differentiates the proposed contribution from prior work. Please apply normal practices (citations, etc.) for documenting how your work will materially advance the state of the art. Make it clear how your work will be changing the state of the art, and not simply trying to match it.
• Tells us how the research challenge(s) will be addressed. Successful research projects combine a great problem with ideas for solutions, too. We recognize that all the answers won't be known yet, but we'd like to feel that the direction has been established, and a plausible path has been identified. (Try to avoid proposals of the form "We want to look at problem X".) It's hard to have a big impact without taking risks, but please identify what the difficulties are likely to be and how you plan to mitigate them. It may help to explain how you succeeded in addressing analogous problems in other projects.
• Puts the proposed work in context. Most projects we fund also have support from other sources. To help us understand the expected impact of Google support, please explain what funding you already have for this area of research and how the proposed work relates to your existing plans. Do you plan to build a capability for other research, provide a tool, reproduce a prior result, collaborate with others to try something out, follow up on a promising idea, or explore a new one? All are potentially of interest; we just want to know.
• Makes the case to a non-expert. While we try to have your proposal reviewed by a Google expert in your field, it will also be read by non-experts, so please make at least the motivation and outcomes broadly accessible.

See past Research Scholar program recipients

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