How to write your postgraduate research proposal

Key principles of a good research proposal

To make your research proposal meets the requirements that funders and HE institutes will be looking for, you should do the following:

Be aware of your subject area

You will need to demonstrate in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of your area of interest.

Try to identify prospective supervisors in advance

Don’t be afraid to discuss your ideas with them and seek their feedback – and be prepared to take their comments on board.

Read the funder’s guidelines

If you’re applying for a grant or funding, read the funder’s guidelines very carefully and make sure you address all their requirements. A common reason for applications being rejected is the failure of the proposal to meet the funder’s specifications. If you are unclear about the guidelines, then contact the funder for clarification.

Focus on clarity in your writing

If you are applying to an external funding agency, for example, reviewers may not be experts in your field of research.

Structure of your research proposal

The content of a good research proposal is of paramount importance, but the structure and presentation are important factors in making your proposal accessible to reviewers.

If applying to funders, you should carefully follow their suggested guidelines for structuring your proposal. Otherwise, or if you are not given much structural guidance, you should consider including the following sections in your proposal.

Writing style for your research proposal

A research proposal is a piece of academic writing, so you should follow the guidelines for academic writing style. Subject to guidelines from funders, you should:

• Be clear and objective in your writing style, and avoid ambiguity
• Structure your text using headings and subheadings
• Avoid long blocks of text by using smaller paragraphs and shorter sentences
• Add interest through appropriate images and tables