Research topic
In one or two sentences, name the subject, method, or application. Avoid “artificial intelligence”; try “human–AI collaborative diagnosis for medical imaging”.
HOW TO USE LOCUS
A practical guide
New to LOCUS? Start here to learn what to complete first, where detail matters most, and what to do when a search seems to pause.
READING TIMEAbout 5 minutes
Follow the steps once to generate your first set of matches.
START HERE
Where to begin
Three steps: explain who you are, define what you want to research, then let LOCUS find the people and opportunities. Complete them in order.
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STEP ONE
Complete your profile
Add your education, grades, research, and project experience. You only do this once; every research direction uses the same profile. You can upload your CV, then review the extracted details.
Sets the level of opportunities that fit your background -
STEP TWO
Create a research direction
Describe what you want to study. Each direction is a separate application path, and you can create as many as you need.
Focuses the search on the right researchers -
STEP THREE
Run a search
Choose your target regions and search mode, then start. Results are saved under the direction so you can return at any time.
Builds a shortlist of supervisors and research groups
If your profile is incomplete, the next two steps will be less accurate. Finish your profile to a standard you are happy with before creating directions.
WRITE IT WELL
Where detail
matters most
LOCUS does more than match keywords; it reads what you write to understand you. Vague answers and large gaps leave too little evidence, so university level and supervisor direction can drift away from what actually fits.
A weak result often means the system needs more context from you.
Required fields onlyLIMITED EVIDENCE
Thoughtfully completedSTRONG EVIDENCE
Invest your time in this order
- HIGHEST IMPACTResearch experience
For each role, include the duration, your responsibilities, what you actually did, and any outputs. “Participated in a lab project” provides almost no useful evidence.
- HIGHEST IMPACTEducation
Add every degree, institution, subject, and grade. If you are changing fields, say so; it can materially change your matches.
- HIGHEST IMPACTAcademic outputs
Include papers, patents, and conference presentations. State the type, author position, and publication status, including work under review.
- BE SPECIFICGrades and projects
Enter your GPA in its original scale, such as 3.6/4.0 or 87/100. For projects, explain your contribution and the final outcome.
- ADD IF AVAILABLEReferences, language results, and funding needs
These strengthen your profile, but you can start searching without them and add them later.
Your profile will show “Minimum requirements met” when you can begin searching. That is a starting line, not a sign that the profile is complete.
YOUR DIRECTION
How to define a direction
The more specific the direction, the more relevant the people you will find. Complete the three-step editor and save it to begin searching.
Fields and keywords
Keywords help generate search terms. Fields help LOCUS understand your interdisciplinary boundaries, and you can select more than one.
Ranking reference
Choose an overall ranking or a subject ranking. This changes the benchmark for candidate universities, not your research direction.
You can also list research themes you want to avoid so they are excluded from the search.
RUN A SEARCH
Run your first search
Open a direction, choose Update search settings, and complete the following actions.
- 01Open an application directionWorkspace · Application directions
- 02Open search settingsExpand regions and search mode
- 03Choose target regionsWhere you want to apply, not where you live
- 04Choose a search modeCompare the two modes below
- 05Start the search and keep the page openResults arrive in batches
Broad search
Expand your candidate pool and discover opportunities you might otherwise miss.
- Wider scope, without application bands
- Best when you are early in the process
- Results arrive sooner
Opportunity portfolio RECOMMENDED
Uses your profile to divide candidates into ambitious, target, and safer application bands.
- Evaluates fit against your academic profile
- Organises results into three application bands
- Usually takes 4–5 minutes
WHAT TO EXPECT
After you start a search
Results do not appear all at once. They arrive in verified batches; this is the typical rhythm of a full search.
0sec0 candidates found
- JUST STARTEDAnalysing your backgroundNo results appear yet; this is normal.
- FIRST 30 SECONDSGenerating and verifying candidatesEvery candidate is checked against web sources.
- ABOUT 40 SECONDSThe first batch appearsYou can review early results while the search continues.
- 2–4 MINUTESMore batches are addedUnverified candidates are removed, so the count rises unevenly.
- ABOUT 4–5 MINUTESComplete and savedReturn to this direction later without running it again.
A search can look inactive while it is working. Do not repeatedly press Start search or refresh the page, because refreshing interrupts the current search.
READING RESULTS
How to read your results
The Opportunity portfolio groups candidates into three bands. The middle band should receive most of your application effort.
A level above your current profile. Worth trying, but keep alternatives.
The closest match to your profile and where most of your effort should go.
More attainable opportunities that make your overall plan more resilient.
#195% match
UNITED KINGDOM
Example University University of …
Department of Computer Science
Prof. …
Match rationale: explains exactly where this supervisor’s work connects with your experience.
View details
- Match scoremeasures research alignment, not your chance of admission.
- Match rationaleexplains why the person was recommended; read it carefully.
- View detailsincludes department, research group, ranking context, funding, and language requirements.
- Filterslet you narrow by country and funding; search is available in the top-right.
- Save and comparekeeps promising candidates together, and saved items can be exported.
CHECK BEFORE YOU WRITE
Read the evidence labels before contacting a supervisor
LOCUS is explicit when a detail cannot be fully verified. These labels are safeguards, not decoration.
- CONFIRMEDThe supervisor’s identity has been verifiedYou can confidently continue your review.
- WEAKLY CONFIRMEDThe evidence aligns, but is not conclusiveCheck the university website before making contact.
- NOT UNIQUEMultiple researchers share the same nameVerify the identity yourself before sending an email.
- NOT VERIFIEDDepartment or profile details came from a search resultThe link may be outdated or may refer to someone else.
Funding works the same way. “Funding risk · Medium/Unknown” is not a funding promise.
TROUBLESHOOTING
When the page seems stuck
Most apparent pauses mean the search is still working. Match what you see to the guidance below.
I started a search, but nothing has appeared
EXPECTED
The first 30–60 seconds are used to analyse your background. Wait for the first batch and do not press the button again.
A few results appeared, then nothing changed
EXPECTED
Batches can be one or two minutes apart. Candidates that cannot be verified are discarded, so the count may pause and then jump.
The search has run for more than 8 minutes
ACTION NEEDED
Refresh, return to the direction, and run the search once more. Results that already appeared should remain saved.
I accidentally refreshed or closed the page
ACTION NEEDED
The search was interrupted. Review the saved partial results, then choose Search again if you need a complete set.
There are fewer results than I expected
EXPECTED
LOCUS keeps candidates that can be traced to reliable sources. Try another region if you want to widen the pool.
The recommended university level feels wrong
ACTION NEEDED
Review your research experience, education, and academic outputs. Add missing detail, then run the search again.
The page asks me to sign in again
ACTION NEEDED
Your session has expired. Sign in again; your saved profile, directions, and results will still be there.
Nothing happened after I uploaded my CV
EXPECTED
Parsing takes a little time. LOCUS will show the extracted details for your confirmation before adding them to your profile.
Complete your profile,
then run your first search.
It is the most direct way to improve the accuracy of your results.