Shaping Philosophical Research into Doctoral Projects
Workshop, Institute of Philosophy, KU Leuven (BE). 4 February 2026.
The workshop will explore various approaches to conceptualising, shaping, and crafting new research projects within the expansive domain of philosophy and its historical development. Adopting a hands-on approach, participants will engage directly with research design using a dedicated worksheet, available for download via the button below. These materials will be distributed to all participants and will serve as the basis for a day-long discussion throughout the workshop. Each session will critically address the core requirements of funding bodies (especially the FWO), organisations, and individual academic institutions, offering participants a comprehensive understanding of how to structure a successful research proposal.
Registration and attendance
The workshop is open to all interested students at KU Leuven, particularly prospective applicants to PhD programmes. Registration is required. To register, please email Nicola Polloni (nicola.polloni[at]unime.it) by 15 January 2026.
Worksheet submission
Participants are kindly asked to download the worksheet (button below), complete it, and send it to Nicola Polloni (nicola.polloni[at]unime.it) by 25 January 2026. Please note that this deadline is final. Please submit your worksheet in DOCX format.
Peer assessment and Workbook
Submitted worksheets will be anonymised and shared with registered participants as a Workbook. Each participant is required to review the workbook and provide feedback using the Review Book. In particular, participants are expected to:
- read the worksheets included in the workbook
- analyse their potential strengths and weaknessess
- provide constructive feedback in the Review Book
- Submit their feedback by 4 February 2026.
For the workshop to work effectively, everyone’s collaboration is essential. Worksheet submission entails a commitment to complete the peer assessment of the other participants’ worksheets. Submitting a worksheet without completing the peer assessment undermines the process and is unfair to the rest of the group. Accordingly, if completion of the peer assessment is not feasible, careful consideration is encouraged before submitting a worksheet. Attendance at the workshop remains welcome even without worksheet submission; however, in that case, notification as soon as possible would be appreciated.
Confidentiality
The workbook contains anonymised submissions from fellow students. Due to its sensitive nature, it must be used exclusively for workshop purposes and must not be shared outside the closed group of participants. Please treat it with the utmost confidentiality.
How to review the workbook
Please read the workbook as if you were an evaluator and assess each section using the following criteria:
- Clarity: Is the text immediately clear to the reader, or is it overly technical, complex, or poorly structured?
- Soundness: Is the proposed action methodologically sound? Is it aligned with the intended result? Is it necessary for project implementation?
- Feasibility: Is the action feasible in terms of time, resources, and skills? Does it align with the proponent’s profile and the aims of their research?
- Persuasiveness: Does the text convey the relevance and urgency of the proposed action convincingly?
Once you have completed your assessment, please use the Review Book to provide your reflective feedback.
The Review Book
From 26 January onwards, please download and use the Review Book to write your assessment for each section (i.e. each of the 15 questions). For each section, briefly indicate:
- the strengths and weaknesses of the response;
- what you would have done differently;
- how the answer could be improved.
This is a crucial part of the workshop, and active participation is expected. Please send your completed Review Book to Nicola Polloni (nicola.polloni[at]unime.it) by 4 February 2026. Review Books will be shared with registered participants after the workshop. Short extensions of the submission deadline are possible.
Workshop participation
Please bring your Review Book to the workshop and be prepared to contribute actively to classroom discussions. Use your Review Book and the class discussion to reflect on and improve your own proposal.
Programme
The workshop will be held in Room A (ground floor) of the Institute of Philosophy of KU Leuven. Coffee and lunch breaks will take place in the Raadzaal (first floor). The workshop is in-person only and will not be streamed online.
9.00–11.00, Room A
Envisioning Research: Aims, Objectives, Outputs
11.00–11.30, Raadzaal
Coffee break
11.30–12.30, Room A
The Subtleties of Data Management
Session generously led by Sam Urlings.
12.30– 14.00, Raadzaal
Lunch break
14.00–15.30, Room A
Doing Research: Plans, Methodologies, Risks
15.30–15.45
Break
15.45–16.45, Room A
Making an Impression: Branding Your Narrative
16.45–17.15
Break
17.15–18.30, Room A
Getting Funded: Successful Stories
Classroom discussion with Joseph Abbah, Yanfu Chen, Sybrand Veeger, and Nicola Zetti.
18.30, Room A
Workshop Closure
Potestas essendi 