Writing a research proposal

Ross Woods, 2024

This is a brief introduction to the procedures for writing a research proposal.

What is expected?

First of all, find out what is wanted in the proposal. There can be major differences between:

  1. Commercial research in private industry
  2. Government research
  3. Academic research
  4. Academic research with specialized ethical complications.
  5. Academic research that depends on a funding agreement or some other kind of contract.
  6. Academic research done as a member of a research team working together on a project.

Even then, academic institutions vary considerably.

  1. Some want to start with an expression of intent.
  2. Some want to start with a brief 10 page statement.
  3. Some want a full proposal later on that comprises preliminary versions of the introduction, literature review, and methodology chapters.

There is also a lot of difference between competitive proposals and non-competitive proposals. Even if your competitive proposal is very good, it might be rejected because it is not as good as a competitor's proposal. Non-competitive proposals are accepted as long as they meet all requirements.

Some institutions require a comprehensive risk analysis. Some will give you a list of questions, an outline, or a set of criteria. Make sure you address each one.

Reading

Ok. So you've found out what they want. Next, do your reading. Some sort of literature review is required in many proposals.

Writing

You could then start drafting your proposal. The format of the proposal will probably include something like the following:

  1. Preliminaries: a title, your name and contact details, date submitted, adressed to whom. Most also need a reference number or program name.
  2. Statement of purpose.
  3. Statement of problem, how it arose, and why it is significant (i.e. worth researching)
  4. Review of the current literature and or context
  5. Statement of approach (e.g. methodology, expected results, any anticipated benefits)
  6. Plan: budget, time-frame, etc.
  7. Bibliography

💡 Hints

  1. Some proposals are subject to deadlines. Take them seriously. Handing it in late might mean that it is not even read.
  2. Writing it will take a series of drafts and corrections. Proof-read the final carefully.
  3. Think not just about what you want to do, but also how your readers will see it. Get someone else to comment on your advanced draft so you know how someone else understands it.
  4. Be objective and realistic. Omit any emotion-driven hoopla. The attractiveness of your proposal should depend on its concreteness.
  5. Sometimes you can talk to a official to find out what they really want. They probably won't add anything to the written information, but they might help you understand the requirements in ways that you didn't get from just reading them.
  6. Don't over-promise or under-promise.