Research strategies and policies

We only take on a small number of new projects each year, but we are open to a very wide range of approaches. There are three critical factors in our selection:

• artistic level
• the specificity of the links between student and project
• the extent to which the work could make a valuable contribution to our continually developing understanding of artistic research

Researchers at the Academy are likely to work on and with primary sources, and to explore the ways in which music is communicated. A critical understanding of the context(s) for a project is vital, but much of our research activity takes place in the practice room, the rehearsal studio, on stage, at the composition desk and in discussions with other musicians.

Most Doctoral students do not have the kind of one-to-one principal study lessons typical of taught degrees. Instead, they work closely with at least one experienced supervisor who helps to manage and guide the project and who assists in organising the necessary support network. We do provide one-to-one lesson support where appropriate to individual students or projects.

The Research Ethics Form requires that you have read and understood the Royal Academy of Music’s Ethics Policy.

Please download and fill in the Research Ethics Approval Form 2020 This will open as a Word document.