Repeated PhD scholarship rejections are taking a toll on me. Any advice?
I’m an international applicant applying for funded PhD positions in business/management, with a research focus on AI, market research and responsible use of generative AI.
I have decent grades, a BBA and MBA, teaching experience, a co-authored paper, and research project experience. I’ve also managed to get supervisory support for some applications and submitted what I believe were strong proposals.
However, I keep getting rejected, usually with feedback that my proposal is strong but the competition was very high. I understand funded PhD places are competitive, but repeated rejections are becoming really discouraging.
For those who have been through this process, how can I improve my chances? I am applying in European universities. Main focus is Ireland, Netherlands, and Germany. (English taught programs only )