Writing a research proposal is an integral part of securing funding for your career or business. It’s not easy, but it can be done!
Writing a scientific research proposal is very different from writing an article or a speech due to the nature of the content. Your topic must be related to science, so chances are there aren’t too many people out there who have written one before.
That said, this isn’t a difficult thing to do and you don’t need special training to get started. You will still need to know how to write effective paragraphs and bullets though!
When preparing to write a scientific research proposal, first make sure your idea is original and unique. Then, start brainstorming potential topics and areas of study that could arise in your proposal.
After that, choose one of the most relevant ideas and create a short paragraph based on it. Make a note of important points and add some supporting details to ensure the reader understands the concept well.
Create a plan for your proposal
Now that you have determined the topic of your research, it is time to create an outline or plan for your proposal. This will help organize the content and structure of your proposal.
Your proposal should be organized into different sections related to your study. These can include: title, abstract, motivation, literature review, methodology, findings, conclusions, and references.
Make sure to cover these topics clearly and logically! If any of these are missing, then the rest of the material will not make sense.
You do not need to use all of these parts in each proposal, but it is good practice to do so as others may refer to them.
Decide who your audience is
As mentioned before, proposals should be written using professional academic language that is appropriate for your research area. Make sure to check out how other researchers in your field have approached similar topics and what strategies they used to get funding.
This will help you determine the best way to write about your topic so that your message can resonate with others. You want to make sure to address the important issues related to your proposal while also being clear and concise.
You don’t need fancy words, but looking into the literature of past studies can help you use proper vocabulary.
Consider the type of funding you want
Most academic departments offer at least one grant or research fellowship program during each fiscal year. These are usually focused on a specific topic, like education or health sciences.
Some faculty members also have their own internal funds that they use for projects.
By submitting an application for these opportunities, you can gain new skills while supporting your department or special project. Applications typically ask about the current state of affairs and what changes need to happen next to make the project successful.
These types of proposals are called general purpose grants as they are not necessarily targeted towards a particular outcome.
As with any writing assignment, start from the main idea and work backwards. Take some time to do some preliminary reading and listening to get a feel for the topics before starting to write.
Once you’re feeling more comfortable, begin by asking yourself why it is important to pursue this opportunity.
Make your proposal clear and concise
Writing a research proposal is not like writing an article or even a short story! You will need to keep it straightforward, easy to follow, and very clearly written.
This could be difficult at times because you have to include lots of details in the proposal. These can easily get lost in the mix as you try to make the proposal seem longer than necessary.
You do not want your audience to stop reading due to confusion or poor organization. If possible, use formal tone and grammar to maintain consistency.
Make sure to proofread many times to ensure that everything makes sense.
Provide all the necessary details
Now that you have done some preliminary work, it is time to start drafting your proposal! The first step in writing any good article or essay is to establish strong content flow.
In the case of a scientific research proposal, this means establishing an initial topic and then developing a series of paragraphs based on that topic. To ensure the success of your paper, make sure to do your homework before starting to write.
Once again, there are many free sources available through Google and other search engines. Doing some basic background research will help you get the ball rolling on your project.
After doing the appropriate amount of research, now is the time to begin writing!
General tips: when writing anything, be concise but detailed. Use short sentences but quality material, and emphasize important points.
When writing a scientific research proposal, remember that readers want to know what you plan to find as answers to the question given. Make sure to use adequate and relevant examples and evidence to back up your claims.
Identify the best location for the meeting
After you have done some research, determined what your topic is, and gathered all of your materials and notes, it’s time to pick where you will hold your talk!
Decide on a venue that has adequate space, Wi-Fi, refreshments, and close proximity to public transport or roads so people can easily get to you.
Most academic institutions offer writing workshops as part of their student services, which are great sources of free advice and guidance. Many universities also have dedicated science writing courses, which are worth looking into.
You may be able to access these through your department or via an external provider like The Publishing School or Business Services Wales. Both offer very good quality content and certification, so if this is something that appeals to you, look into those opportunities.
Prepare your presentation
After you have determined the goal of your proposal, gathered all necessary materials, and made sure everything is in order at home, it’s time to prepare your presentation!
The first thing to do when preparing for your proposal is to make sure that you are very well prepared. You don’t want to spend time gathering all the needed information and then find out there’s nothing left to put together because you forgot something.
Make sure to organize all of your notes, presentations, and documents before starting to write. This way you will know what things you need and can go back and add or edit content as needed.
You also should be familiar with how long an individual speech or topic takes so you can estimate how much time you have to fill. Some speakers use too many examples and bullets which can easily take away from the rest of the talk. Make sure to plan ahead and avoid this by using appropriate length and depth.
Practice recording and editing your video
After you have written your proposal, it is time to record and edit your proposal! While most of this can be done using free resources or softwre that are easy to access, some may require more advanced software or paid programs.
Whatever software you use, make sure it has rich features that allow you to easily edit photos, videos, documents, and websites. Many people now use laptops with built-in cameras as their main tool to create proposals. This way, you do not need to find another device to upload your proposal onto.
Some examples of such software include Windows Live Suite, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google Apps, and Apple iCloud. You get one year of all of these services per user, which makes them very cost effective long term solutions.
