Hi,
I am an International student looking forward for a PhD. and have posted few applications too. As the competition is very high for international people to get a PhD with funding, I wanted to go ahead with some research assistance/ internship/research fellowship under any of the supervisors. Hoping that, this might help me find a PhD in the future.I have teaching and Industrial experience with a 1 1/2 yrs exposure as a research fellow in India while pursuing my Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering, which may fetch a bit of advantage.
Recently I moved to UK as a dependent. I am not knowing the sources of how to apply, whom to contact, whether to go directly to some university and speak to the supervisors etc.
If I get any of the supervisors mail id from University websites, Can I e-mail that particular supervisor if I could join as a research intern? Will that be taken negatively by them?
Not able to decide the mode of communication, I happened to post a request if anyone could suggest your opinions as you may be knowing quiet better.

Sure. The best way to communicate with supervisors is their email from Uni website. You can also send a letter if you do not get a reply. The worst thing they can do is not replying so there is nothing to lose.

Oh Okay. Thank you... In the websites, head of the department' mail IDs are generally given, and the research works going on in his department are displayed. But the details of the supervisors who have undertaken those research works are not being shown.
In such cases, Should I write/e-mail to Head of the Department???

You can look what research interests you in dept. Then look at staff pages (if there is any) and contact the ones whose research is close to what you want to do. If itis not clear, look at publications of dept and cotact head of dept, readers and lecturers whose publications are more relevant to your interest.

Sure. I will do that. Thank you for the advice. This might work. Will keep updated if I get some kind of positive replies. Fingers crossed!!!