Hi, I've just written my first cover letter, I was wondering if anyone could look at it and give me some advice on how to make it better?


I am writing to apply for the PhD studentship offered under the supervision of *** studying ****, as advertised on the university website. I have recently graduatedfrom the University of Edinburgh with first class honours in biologicalsciences (zoology) and am looking to embark on a PhD studentship to begin myacademic career.

I have a keen interest in studying evolutionary theory, questioning why things in the world are the way that theyare. For my honours project I examined the evolutionary pressures promoting lethal-fighting behaviour in parasitoid wasps (Melittobia), this opened my eyes to the numerous evolutionary theories explaining variation in conflict and cooperation. My understanding of such evolutionary theory was furthered in examinedundergraduate studies, in which I excelled (average 77%), in particular the course in social evolution introduced me to cooperative societies of species ranging from meerkats to the amoebic slug-forming Dictyostelium discoideum. In my opinion the evolution of cooperation is still one of the most apparent questions of evolutionary biology and I would thrive at the opportunity to give my own input into this field of biological research. Studying the complex system of conflict versus cooperation in *****, incorporating factors such asextra-group copulations, cooperative breeding, dominance hierarchies, migration,and hormonal constraints alongside the expertise of ** would be both an interesting and rewardingopportunity.

In my final year at the Universityof Edinburgh I studied the complexities ofevolutionary models such as game theory, the prisoner's dilemma, and many involved in the evolution of sex and breeding systems, this led me to recognise the power of modelling in verifying evolutionary theory. With my understanding of using evolutionary models I was able to create my own short model to explain why my findings of variation in fighting levels in M. australica did not match those predicted in papers published in Animal Behaviour and the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. I have always been a confident mathematician, achieving a grade A at A level, and so would be confident in using game theory and population models alongside understanding of evolutionary theory to conduct my own theoretical research on the effects of intergroup competition.

It didn't all fit, here is the second half...

I have always been keenly involved in field work, having taken part in small mammal population surveys in Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, and Northern Canada. This has left me with good experience in trapping and handling small mammals, as well as other aspects of field work such as team work and adaptability, which would make me a strong member of your team. Project Borneo 2006 (http://www.ceramike.com/borneo/Index.htm) involved thorough preparation; planning aspects of field work including aims and methods, contacting collaborators and field sites, training, and obtaining grants. This has given me high confidence in independent organisation, something that is vital to taking on a PhD studentship.

I have enclosed my CV for your reference, I hope that this alongside the skills and attributes I have highlighted here will lead you to consider me for the advertised PhD studentship. My contact details are given at the top of my CV. I look forward to hearing from you soon.


Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you very much