PhD motivation letter for a studentship

Dear All,

Please help me to write an motivation letter which can impress the professor. As the submission deadline is tomorrow I would really appreciate any critical comments and suggestions for improvements.

Thank you for your time and expertise
Best,
Michaela

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My name and address

Prof. name and address

RE: ESRC funded doctoral studentship in African Zoonosis – focus on NTDs

Dear Professor ****,

I am writing in response to the advertised ESRC funded doctoral studentship in African Zoonosis with focus on the social, economic and political dimensions of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), e.g. Ebola, at ******. I have recently completed my Master’s in Medical Anthropology and Sociology at the **** which, in combination with my broad undergraduate anthropological training obtained at *****, has thoroughly prepared me for this PhD position.

My comprehensive anthropological training has equipped me with a solid theoretical grounding in subjects such as Anthropological History and Theory, Anthropological perspectives on War, Humanitarian Assistance and Global Health, Medical Anthropology and Research Design. I have also developed a detailed knowledge and understanding of qualitative research methods and have evidenced this in a range of small ethnographic research projects on particular topics, such as on rituals (research on Tae Kwon Do), on the significance of religion in the making of British identity (research on Sikhism), and on the stigmatisation of disabilities (research on Rosacea, a facial skin disorder). I was awarded with A grades for all these projects. Throughout my undergraduate and master’s ethnographic dissertation projects I could further demonstrate my excellent research skills, as well as my clear, concise and well-referenced writing style. For both papers I was awarded with the highest grade and an award for the best undergraduate Anthropology dissertation of the year 2013.

In addition to my outstanding academic achievements I have extensive therapeutic and office work experience which equipped me with excellent time, project management, analytical and problem-solving skills in order to work independently to the highest standards and to tight deadlines. My organisational skills led to a successful and independent organised undergraduate ethnographic research project in Ghana, and a master research project conducted in Amsterdam. Furthermore, my 15+years of professional experience has provided me with necessary skills to manage, lead and collaborate effectively with different sets of people. This proofed useful during my dissertation research projects for the building up of rapport, trust and empathy with a wide range of research participants.

My motivation in applying for this PhD position arises from my passion for neglected diseases, including Ebola and chronic diseases, and the structural factors causing such a neglect (e.g. lack of funding interest from global philanthropic organisations and the pharmaceutical industry due to concentration of NTDs in impoverished populations in the developing world). Furthermore, I am enthusiastic about global health inequities and how global institutions and governments are influencing a developing countries national health policies, leading to a weakening of existing health care systems. My interest in researching the socio-economic and political impacts of the Ebola epidemic in Monrovia stems out of curiosity on how the already fragile health care system in Liberia is coping with the current Ebola epidemic and what impacts this outbreak has on the local population. I am in particular interested in how the epidemic affects the urban population in Monrovia, the city dynamics and its spatial design. All of the above mentioned reasons - coupled with my passion and love for Africa, its politics, development, future and its people, their societies and cultures - makes me a well suited candidate for this PhD studentship.

Continuing my education at the ******, with its outstanding international reputation for being an innovative centre of African studies, fills me with excitement. The strong link to other academic disciplines such as Medical Anthropology or Global Public Health studies would provide me with a stimulating academic environment to pursue my research project; whilst at the same time would allow me to stay close to my academic roots. Furthermore, the Science, Technology and Development research group’s interests on science and technology’s role in international development parallel my own, namely, on the impact biomedicine and global health has upon policy makers and macro forces, and how this affects the local population in a given country. Furthermore, the group’s research approach of embedding local, empirical work into broader flows of knowledge reflects my own understanding on how locally conducted ethnographic research can contribute to knowledge enhancement and ultimately can have a societal impact.

I am eager and ready to take on this opportunity and challenge in order to complete this PhD in African Studies. I have the required education, experience, motivation and personality as to make great achievements in this programme. Moreover, I believe that my personal and academic background would also contribute significantly to this PhD programme. Therefore, joining this programme will pave the way for my future academic career as an Africanist and medical anthropologist.

Thank you for considering my application.

Yours sincerely,