proposal on soap research project

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

An Experimental Research on Making a Soap with Long-Lasting Fragrance

The researchers studied about making soap with long lasting fragrance in order to find its feasibility, which will also suffice the satisfaction of consumers through making its fragrance last in long period of time. This kind of product has not yet reached the demands in market, but through the study, researchers produced a soap that was different from other soap products. Such that, the study aimed to know if it’s possible to make a soap with long lasting fragrance, how long will that fragrance last, and how will it benefit consumers. Through these aims, the researchers hypothesized that the soap’s fragrance would reach 4-5 hours. The researchers made use of a true experimental research design because of having randomized selection of respondents. In the study, the respondents are divided into two groups: the control group and the experimental group, by which both groups will be tested to know how long will the scent of the soap would last. The control group were the regular students who doesn’t sweat that much while the experimental group were the varsity students who sweat more during their games. Thus, the researchers believed that the main factor to the duration of a soap’s fragrance is the sweat. The researchers created a proposed soap named Doux Aroma, which means sweet scent, which was used to test the respondents. It is shown that majority of the respondents had said that the duration of the soap reached 2-3 hours at normal cases while there are some who said that the duration reached 4-5 hours at rare cases. Based from the respondents, the soap benefited them because of the soap’s fragrance that would improve their hygiene and that they don’t need to buy expensive colognes and perfume anymore. Due to this, making a soap with long lasting fragrance is indeed possible.

Related Papers

Jamielee Nicolas

ΣΜΑΡΑΓΔΑ ΜΑΝΤΑΔΑΚΗ

Dr.Thattayil Mohandas,Dr.Sc.

The perceptive and correct observation that body odors can indicate illness may unfortunately have led to the development of the erroneous belief that these odors were the cause of disease – resulting in our misguided attempts to protect ourselves against plague and typhus by carrying scented pouches and torches. Belief in the therapeutic value of perfumes was firmly established much earlier. 17th and 18th century doctors promoting the use of perfumes to combat infection frequently referred to the therapeutic use of fragrances by eminent physicians of the Ancient world such as Hippocrates (who burned scented stakes to combat the plague of Athens), Galen and Crito (whose healing methods were based almost entirely on the use of aromatics).

yosef shikur125

Marketing is summation of all systematic and innovative functions which involve in value creation for customers and value capturing from customers inreturn. So Marketing is a continuous process of innovating products according to the exact need of customers. The marketers have to develop new products to keep pace with the continuous trend of changing culture and for technological advancement to fulfill modern customers' requirements. To survive from the decline demand of products and services, it is very essential and inevitable to develop new products or update existing products according to the exact demand of customers. The continuous process of innovating and updating products and services is very needed to survive as well as to make a competitive edge in the industry. product as well as the innovative marketing process. The research or the conceptual framework developed through this research will help marketers to develop accurate strategies to develop new products as well as to market and launch the product successfully. The commercial or marketing success or failure of a product does not rest solely on the product itself. The launch strategy adopted also determines whether a product succeeds or fails in the market. The key to success in the marketing and launching process often rests in finding the proper strategies. The main purpose of the research is to survey the market and get a clear idea about the consumer behavior regarding new kind of soap which will hold both antiseptic and beauty care quality in a single soap. Launching a new product will require a large amount of planning, research, and investment of both time and financial resources. It requires problem identification, sample selection, market analysis, data analysis, data evaluation and interpretation through various numerical and statistical techniques and packages, and finally presents an understandable report to the audience. If it is planning on creating and marketing a new product, here are the most important tasks to complete before, during, and after launching. When launch a new product it can either be replacing or superseding an existing one or it may be a completely new product of a type that have never offered before. Even if the product is completely new to a company, there will be still information available about competing products and the market for them. If the new product is superseding an existing product, then will have information related to the sales of the product and its market. There can be many reasons for developing or adding a new product but most are the result of analyzing your product portfolio and either deciding that a product needs replacing and identifying a gap in the portfolio that presents with a potential opportunity. The new product launch phase is a critical part of the total new product development process. Developing a new product is an expensive and time-consuming process and its launch needs to be carefully planned. Technology development brings prosperity to nations, but the successful commercialization of this technology is the real meaning of innovation. For this reason, all companies have tried their best to launch maximum numbers of products to market. However, the commercial success or failure of a product does not rest solely on the product itself. The launch strategy adopted also determines whether a product succeeds or

Nicholas Konde Ssenyunja

Perfume extraction refer to the extraction of aromatic compounds from raw materials, using method such as distillation, solvent extraction, expression or effleurage. The extracts are either essential oils, absolutes, concretes, or butters, depending on the amount of waxes in the extracted product. Heat, chemical solvents, or exposure to oxygen in the extraction process denature the aromatic compounds, either changing their odor, character or rendering them odorless. In this project water distillation and solvent extraction were used to extract essential oils from lemongrass, 0.67% and 1.22% of essential oil respectively was produced. The extracted essential oil was formulated into perfume using a fixative and carrier solvent.

Adriana Starostova

The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the role of colour on the perception of odour by measuring the a) preference and b) intensity of 16 possible combinations of 4 coloured bottles and 4 odours as rated by 297 participants (130 males and 167 females). The two-way ANOVA for preference revealed that the role of both – colour and odour is significant for Czech participants, but the significance increases with the cultural homogeneity as for Slavic nationals, the colour and odour did not play a significant role in their preference ratings. In contrary to previous research, the effect of colour and odour on intensity ratings was not significant. Linear regression analysis then showed that gender is also a significant factor and males are generally more prone to give higher preference scores by 5.58 % than females to colour and odour interactions. On the other hand, a choice of preferred colour did not affect the preference scores. In addition, several types of congruencies between colour and odour were proposed. It is argued that one of these types (perceptual, semantic, mixed) reflect the decision-making about preference levels more precisely. As a result, it has been demonstrated that intuitive congruent pairings of colours and odours (such as lemon and yellow) do not increase the preference ratings among consumers. Instead, the mixed semantical-perceptual congruency corresponds significantly to the collected data. This approach could simplify product testing methods where the colour and odour are deemed to be selected variables.

Pascale Lemaire

This review describes the use of some natural products in cosmetic preparations, due to their low mammalian toxicity, with a brief description of the major use, plant parts used, the actives responsible for effect and the benefits of such products. Their use in skin care; such as dryness, eczema, acne, free-radical scavenging, antiinflammatory, antiaging and skin protection effects are explained, and also the use in hair care as hair growth stimulants, hair colorants, and for hair and scalp complaints such as dandruff. Essential oils when incorporated into finished products impart many benefits such as a pleasant aroma in perfumery, shine or conditioning effects in hair care products, emolliency and improving the elasticity of the skin.

Md. Zainal Abedin

Marketing is summation of all systematic and innovative functions which involve in value creation for customers and value capturing from customers inreturn. So Marketing is a continuous process of innovating products according to the exact need of customers. The marketers have to develop new products to keep pace with the continuous trend of changing culture and for technological advancement to fulfill modern customers' requirements. To survive from the decline demand of products and services, it is very essential and inevitable to develop new products or update existing products according to the exact demand of customers. The continuous process of innovating and updating products and services is very needed to survive as well as to make a competitive edge in the industry.The following Parachute brand is the example of continuous process of product innovation: Parachute Gold: Inner Strength, Parachute Gold: Nourishment, Parachute Gold: Sensorial Aroma, Parachute Gold: Nourishment + Sensorial, Parachute Gold: Sensorial – Non-Stickiness, Parachute Gold: Sensorial – Easy to Rinse. The study will help to develop a conceptual framework of innovating (Bath Soap) product as well as the innovative marketing process. The research or the conceptual framework developed through this research will help marketers to develop accurate strategies to develop new products as well as to market and launch the product successfully. The commercial or marketing success or failure of a product does not rest solely on the product itself. The launch strategy adopted also determines whether a product succeeds or fails in the market. The key to success in the marketing and launching process often rests in finding the proper strategies. The main purpose of the research is to survey the market and get a clear idea about the consumer behavior regarding new kind of soap which will hold both antiseptic and beauty care quality in a single soap. I. Scope and Rationale of the Study Launching a new product will require a large amount of planning, research, and investment of both time and financial resources. It requires problem identification, sample selection, market analysis, data analysis, data evaluation and interpretation through various numerical and statistical techniques and packages, and finally presents an understandable report to the audience. If it is planning on creating and marketing a new product, here are the most important tasks to complete before, during, and after launching. When launch a new product it can either be replacing or superseding an existing one or it may be a completely new product of a type that have never offered before. Even if the product is completely new to a company, there will be still information available about competing products and the market for them. If the new product is superseding an existing product, then will have information related to the sales of the product and its market. There can be many reasons for developing or adding a new product but most are the result of analyzing your product portfolio and either deciding that a product needs replacing and identifying a gap in the portfolio that presents with a potential opportunity. The new product launch phase is a critical part of the total new product development process. Developing a new product is an expensive and time-consuming process and its launch needs to be carefully planned. Technology development brings prosperity to nations, but the successful commercialization of this technology is the real meaning of innovation. For this reason, all companies have tried their best to launch maximum numbers of products to market. However, the commercial success or failure of a product does not rest solely on the product itself. The launch strategy adopted also determines whether a product succeeds or

Katherine Annett-Hitchcock

Loading Preview

Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.

RELATED PAPERS

Jenny Tillotson

Senses & Society

hsuan L hsu

baon monica

saidi hamisi

Fashion Practice: The Journal of Design, Creative Process & The Fashion Industr

Kimberly Pollard

Adityaherdaya Wisanggeni

Scholar Science Journals

Journal of Consumer Research

May O. Lwin

Hans Rindisbacher

farooq ahmed

Journal of Business and Psychology

Charles Gulas

João Mendes

Linda Solay

The effect of product colour and odour on consumers’ perceived preference and intensity ratings

Adriana Starostova , Vaclav Stritesky

International Journal of Aromatherapy

Stephanie R Bird

Technologica Acta

Amra Bratovcic

Christine PEtr

Jessica Nava

Social Work in Mental Health

Sophia Dziegielewski

Jesper Elberling

Leinard Manahan

Nagender Singh

Dennis Waskul , Phillip Vannini

ELIXIR: Nature's Healing Herbs

Sarim Salahadhin

Daniel Lees Fryer

Roliemelle Honorica

Muluketa Yalew

dedeep wiekf

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Starting the research process
• How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on October 12, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on November 21, 2023.

A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research.

The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements:

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organized and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.

Table of contents

Research proposal purpose, research proposal examples, research design and methods, contribution to knowledge, research schedule, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research proposals.

Academics often have to write research proposals to get funding for their projects. As a student, you might have to write a research proposal as part of a grad school application , or prior to starting your thesis or dissertation .

In addition to helping you figure out what your research can look like, a proposal can also serve to demonstrate why your project is worth pursuing to a funder, educational institution, or supervisor.

Research proposal length

The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.

One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.

Download our research proposal template

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.

• Example research proposal #1: “A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management”
• Example research proposal #2: “Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use”

Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:

• The proposed title of your project
• Your supervisor’s name
• Your institution and department

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.

Your introduction should:

• Introduce your topic
• Give necessary background and context
• Outline your  problem statement  and research questions

To guide your introduction , include information about:

• Who could have an interest in the topic (e.g., scientists, policymakers)
• How much is already known about the topic
• What is missing from this current knowledge
• What new insights your research will contribute
• Why you believe this research is worth doing

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review  shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.

In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:

• Comparing and contrasting the main theories, methods, and debates
• Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Explaining how will you build on, challenge, or synthesize prior scholarship

Following the literature review, restate your main  objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.

To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.

For example, your results might have implications for:

• Improving best practices
• Informing policymaking decisions
• Strengthening a theory or model
• Challenging popular or scientific beliefs
• Creating a basis for future research

Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .

Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.

Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.

Download our research schedule template

If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.

Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:

• Cost : exactly how much money do you need?
• Justification : why is this cost necessary to complete the research?
• Source : how did you calculate the amount?

To determine your budget, think about:

• Travel costs : do you need to go somewhere to collect your data? How will you get there, and how much time will you need? What will you do there (e.g., interviews, archival research)?
• Materials : do you need access to any tools or technologies?
• Help : do you need to hire any research assistants for the project? What will they do, and how much will you pay them?

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, November 21). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved April 8, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-proposal/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, how to write a problem statement | guide & examples, writing strong research questions | criteria & examples, how to write a literature review | guide, examples, & templates, unlimited academic ai-proofreading.

✔ Document error-free in 5minutes ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

Humanitarian Engineering Student and Faculty Blog

A place for osu humanitarian engineering students and faculty to share their experiences.

Soap-Making Project in Uganda

One thought on “ Soap-Making Project in Uganda ”

Absolutely brilliant! You have saved and changed lives with your hard work and cultural focus. Thank you all! I am Director of Knickers for New Life, focused at keeping girls in school in Uganda. I am VERY interested in connecting with you about your research on soap making in rural Uganda. Please contact me! [email protected]

Leave a reply Cancel reply

required , will not be published

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact Info

• Science Projects
• Project Guides
• STEM Activities
• Lesson Plans
• Video Lessons

The Chemistry of Clean: Make Your Own Soap to Study Soap Synthesis

David B. Whyte, PhD, Science Buddies

Make your own soap by mixing coconut oil with sodium hydroxide and demonstrate increased soap purity as you follow steps to purify it with salt (sodium chloride).

Introduction

It's not clear who first invented soap. There are documents suggesting that it was used by ancient Phoenicians over 5,000 years ago. Substances believed to be soaps have been found in ancient Egyptian ruins. It might have been invented independently in several regions at different times. An intriguing story about how the Romans learned to make soap involves the tradition of sacrificing animals on Mount Sapo. Parts of the sacrificed animals were burned as offerings to the gods. Fats from the burnt animal flesh mixed with ashes from the fires. When it rained, the Roman's noticed that a substance formed in the pools of water that ran from the ashes that had been mixed with the animal fats. Upon experimentation, they learned that this new substance, later called soap, had useful properties, including the ability to clean surfaces. Chemists now refer to the chemical reaction for making soap as saponification, in honor of the discovery on Mount Sapo.

Soap is formed by mixing fats or oils with strong bases, such as sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide is also called lye. The traditional way to make lye is to leach ashes with water. The ashes contain substantial amounts of sodium hydroxide, which dissolves in the water, forming a solution of sodium hydroxide. Before soap became available from large companies, people made their own by mixing animal fats with lye in a pot and boiling it. You could tell when it was "done" by taking a small amount of the mixture and adding it to some clean water. If there were droplets of fat on the surface of the water, the reaction was incomplete. More lye was added and the reaction continued. It was later discovered that the soap could be purified by adding salt to it. The addition of salt caused the soap to form a solid that excluded impurities, such as the sodium hydroxide. This soap was milder and suitable not just for washing clothes or pots, but also for use on skin. The figure shows the chemical reaction that is the basis for soap synthesis.

The bonds that connect the long chains of the fat molecule to the "backbone" are broken by the reaction of sodium hydroxide (and heat), yielding glycerol and three fatty-acid molecules (soap). The "acid" part of the fatty acid is the side with the oxygen (O) atoms. The fatty part is the long chain of carbons, shown here as the crooked lines. This end mixes well with fats and oils. In the second step, the fatty acids are converted into relatively pure fatty-acid salts by the addition of sodium chloride.

Now to explain, chemically, how soap works to clean things. Fats mixed with strong bases are hydrolyzed into fatty acids. Fatty acids have the very useful property of having one end that mixes well with water (it is hydrophilic, or "water-loving") and another end that mixes well with oils and fats (it is hydrophobic, or "water-hating"). The part that mixes well with water is the "acid" part. The part that mixes well with fats is the "fatty" part. This dual nature allows soaps to dissolve fat, grease, and dirt in water. Without soap, oil and water don't mix. With soap, they do.

The addition of salt (sodium chloride) to the crude form of soap forms fatty-acid salts. The sodium ions from the sodium chloride bond with the fatty acid, forming a product that is less soluble in water. Because of this reduced solubility, the soap leaves the solution and forms a solid mass. This process of "dropping" out of the solution is called precipitation. Precipitation is a great way to purify something because it separates the chemical you want (soap) from a crude mixture containing chemicals you do not want. You can imagine that a mixture of animal fat and leached ashes that has been boiled for some time might have some unpleasant byproducts! Salt precipitation of the soap leaves these behind.

Soap can be made from oils and fats derived from plants, as well as from animals. In this chemistry science project, you will synthesize soap from coconut oil. The soap will be purified by three rounds of salt purification. You will track the purity of the soap by measuring its pH after each salt-precipitation step. As more sodium hydroxide is removed, the pH will become lower. If that statement doesn't make sense to you, look back at the reaction in Figure 1 and read our Acids, Bases, & the pH Scale help guide. At the end of the experiment, you will add some fragrance and you'll have your own homemade soap!

Terms and Concepts

• Saponification
• Fatty-acid salt
• Hydrophilic
• Hydrophobic
• Precipitation
• Coconut oil
• What are other oils, besides coconut, that are used to make bath soaps?
• Based on your research, why is potassium hydroxide used instead of sodium hydroxide to make certain kinds of soaps?
• Based on your research, what is a micelle ?
• What is the chemical name of the most common fatty-acid molecule found in coconut oil?
• How does the "split-personality" of a soap molecule make it a good cleaning agent?
• What is a triglyceride ?
• The procedure for this science project uses 3-molar (3M) sodium hydroxide. What does the term molar mean?

Bibliography

• Dobberpuhl, D.A. (n.d.). Chemistry Explained: Soap . Retrieved May 25, 2010.
• Helmenstine, A.M. (n.d.). How Soap Cleans . Retrieved May 26, 2010.

Materials and Equipment

• Coconut oil (30mL)
• 3-M Sodium hydroxide solution (45mL)
• Distilled water
• Stirring rod
• Sodium chloride (45g)
• Cheesecloth
• Filter paper
• Peppermint oil
• Pyrex beakers, 100-mL (2)
• Graduated cylinders, 10-, 25-, and 50-mL
• Hot pad or oven mitts
• Lab notebook
• Scale capable of measuring in grams; needed if the Sodium chloride is in solid rather than liquid form
• Clear plastic cups (3)

Disclaimer: Science Buddies participates in affiliate programs with Home Science Tools , Amazon.com , Carolina Biological , and Jameco Electronics . Proceeds from the affiliate programs help support Science Buddies, a 501(c)(3) public charity, and keep our resources free for everyone. Our top priority is student learning. If you have any comments (positive or negative) related to purchases you've made for science projects from recommendations on our site, please let us know. Write to us at [email protected] .

Experimental Procedure

• Sodium hydroxide can burn the skin and the eyes. Do not wear contact lenses when working with the sodium hydroxide solution since this increases chance of injury if the sodium hydroxide splashes in your eyes.
• Be sure to wear safety goggles, gloves, and a lab coat or apron.
• If sodium hydroxide splashes onto your skin, wash immediately with plenty of water.
• If it splashes in your eyes, immediately flush them with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes and contact a physician.
• Remove clothing splashed with sodium hydroxide immediately and wash it before reuse.

Performing the Experiment

• Put on your lab coat, gloves, and safety goggles.
• Place 10 mL of coconut oil and 15 mL of 3-M sodium hydroxide solution into a 100-mL beaker.
• Use the wire gauze to stabilize the beaker on the hotplate if it is the kind with a spiral heating coil.
• Stir constantly. Avoid spattering of the sodium hydroxide solution by using gentle heating and by stirring constantly.
• Boil for 20 minutes, or until all of the water has evaporated.
• Carefully remove this beaker from the heat and allow it to cool.
• For steps where the soap is still a liquid, the pH can be measured by simply dipping the pH paper into the liquid. Follow the instructions on the pH paper package to interpret the results.
• For steps where the soap is a solid, it may be wet enough to just rub the pH paper against the soap. If it is not, then add 3-5 drops of water and then rub the pH paper onto these soap-water drops. Follow the instructions on the pH paper package to interpret the results.
• If you are unfamiliar with what the pH scale is or what it means, read the Science Buddies guide to Acids, Bases, & the pH Scale .
• Record the pH in your lab notebook. Call it Crude soap.
• Add 15 mL of distilled water to the soap mixture and stir it with a stirring rod.
• If you are starting with solid sodium chloride (rather than liquid), weigh 15 g of sodium chloride and put it in a 100-mL beaker.
• Add 50 mL of water and stir until dissolved.
• Heat the salt solution until it is almost boiling.
• Add the hot sodium chloride solution to the soap mixture. Use a hot pad or oven mitt, as needed.
• Break up lumps of soap with a clean stirring rod.
• Cheesecloth is made of a very fine mesh allowing for the excess liquid to drain out while retaining all the solids. The solids are the soap.
• You want to keep the material left in the beaker after you decant the liquid. Those solids are the soap.
• Measure the pH of the soap with a new pH paper. See step 7b for instructions on how to measure the pH of solid soap.
• Record the pH in your lab notebook. Call it Washed 1 time.
• Repeat steps 9–14 two more times.
• Record the pH after each wash. Call the pH readings Washed 2 times and Washed 3 times.
• Add three drops of peppermint oil to the soap.
• Press the soap between two pieces of filter paper to remove as much liquid as possible.
• Press the soap into the soap mold and dry it overnight.
• Measure and record the pH reading of the dried soap. Call the pH reading Final product .
• If the Final product pH reading is between 6 and 10, the soap is considered safe to use. If this is the case, take the soap out of the mold and confirm its ability to produce suds by washing your hands with it. Did the procedure successfully convert fat into soap?
• Record you observations about the color, odor, and texture of the soap in your lab notebook.
• Perform the entire procedure two more times with clean and fresh materials to collect additional data and to demonstrate that your results are repeatable.

Graphing Your Data

• Average the pH readings (crude and washes 1–3) for each trial.
• Graph the number of salt washes on the x-axis and the average pH readings on the y-axis.
• How does the ph change with more washes? Why?

Ask an Expert

Global connections.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

• Measure the pH of the liquid that was decanted and add this data to your presentation.
• Vary the time that the oil and sodium hydroxide are boiled. Graph the weight of soap produced vs. the time of boiling.
• Vary the temperature at which the oil and sodium hydroxide react. Keep the time constant. Graph the weight of soap produced vs. temperature.
• Determine how soap made with complete saponification differs from soap made with partial saponification (that is, with some oil still in the soap in the form of triglycerides).

If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring these related careers:

Related Links

• Science Fair Project Guide
• Other Ideas Like This
• Chemistry Project Ideas
• Cosmetic Chemistry Project Ideas
• My Favorites
• Acids, Bases, & the pH Scale
• Chemistry Safety Guide

News Feed on This Topic

Cite This Page

Explore our science videos.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Research process
• How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on 30 October 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on 13 June 2023.

A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research.

The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements:

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organised and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.

Table of contents

Research proposal purpose, research proposal examples, research design and methods, contribution to knowledge, research schedule, frequently asked questions.

Academics often have to write research proposals to get funding for their projects. As a student, you might have to write a research proposal as part of a grad school application , or prior to starting your thesis or dissertation .

In addition to helping you figure out what your research can look like, a proposal can also serve to demonstrate why your project is worth pursuing to a funder, educational institution, or supervisor.

Research proposal length

The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.

One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.

Download our research proposal template

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.

• Example research proposal #1: ‘A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management’
• Example research proposal #2: ‘ Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use’

Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:

• The proposed title of your project
• Your supervisor’s name
• Your institution and department

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.

Your introduction should:

• Introduce your topic
• Give necessary background and context
• Outline your  problem statement  and research questions

To guide your introduction , include information about:

• Who could have an interest in the topic (e.g., scientists, policymakers)
• How much is already known about the topic
• What is missing from this current knowledge
• What new insights your research will contribute
• Why you believe this research is worth doing

As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review  shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.

In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:

• Comparing and contrasting the main theories, methods, and debates
• Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Explaining how will you build on, challenge, or synthesise prior scholarship

Following the literature review, restate your main  objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.

To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasise again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.

For example, your results might have implications for:

• Improving best practices
• Informing policymaking decisions
• Strengthening a theory or model
• Challenging popular or scientific beliefs
• Creating a basis for future research

Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .

Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.

Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.

Download our research schedule template

If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.

Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:

• Cost : exactly how much money do you need?
• Justification : why is this cost necessary to complete the research?
• Source : how did you calculate the amount?

To determine your budget, think about:

• Travel costs : do you need to go somewhere to collect your data? How will you get there, and how much time will you need? What will you do there (e.g., interviews, archival research)?
• Materials : do you need access to any tools or technologies?
• Help : do you need to hire any research assistants for the project? What will they do, and how much will you pay them?

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement.

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, June 13). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved 8 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/the-research-process/research-proposal-explained/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, what is a research methodology | steps & tips, what is a literature review | guide, template, & examples, how to write a results section | tips & examples.

2025 Delta Research Awards: Proposal Solicitation

IMPORTANT DATES

April 19, 2024 10:00AM PDT: RFP Informational Webinar (Optional)

May 14, 2024 5:00PM PDT:  Letter of Intent due to eSeaGrant

June 14, 2024 10:00AM PDT: Proposal Preparation Webinar (Optional)

August 26, 2024 5:00PM PDT: Full proposals due to eSeaGrant 

December 2024: Intent to Award issued

April 1, 2025: Expected project start date

Proposals will only be accepted from applicants whose Letters of Intent have been approved and who have received an invitation to submit a full proposal. 

Table of Contents

• What's new about this Solicitation? 
• Where to Find Help
• Award Information and Project Categories
• Submittal Requirements
• Eligibility Requirements
• Solicitation Focus
• Proposal Requirements
• Proposal Review Procedure
• Resources for Applicants

1. Background

The Delta Stewardship Council (Council) is pleased to announce the 2024 Delta Research Awards Proposal Solicitation. This proposal solicitation for Delta research projects (Solicitation) is funded by the Council, led by the Council’s Delta Science Program (DSP), and administered in partnership with the University of California San Diego, California Sea Grant (Sea Grant). The Solicitation will further the DSP’s legislatively mandated mission to: 

… provide the best possible unbiased scientific information to inform water and environmental decision-making in the Delta … through funding research, synthesizing and communicating scientific information to policy-makers and decision-makers…  -Delta Reform Act 2009, Water Code Section 85280(b)(4).

Through this Solicitation, the DSP seeks to identify and fund research that will promote an integrated understanding of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh, particularly to support the science and natural resource management community’s ability to measure, anticipate, and plan for a rapidly changing climate. Proposals must advance one or more of the Science Actions in the 2022-2026 Science Action Agenda (SAA) . The SAA prioritizes science actions to fill gaps in knowledge and aligns them with management needs. For more information about the Solicitation focus and the SAA, see Section 8 . 

Eligible entities that wish to submit a proposal must first submit a Letter of Intent by the deadline set forth in the Solicitation as a prerequisite to be considered for an invitation to submit a full proposal. Letters of Intent will be evaluated based on the requirements in Section 6.1 of the Solicitation and successful applicants will receive a notification to submit a proposal. All proposals will be evaluated by independent experts with the appropriate specialized knowledge, based on requirements and criteria in Sections 9 and 10 of the Solicitation. The Council will select proposals for final awards. Selected applicants will receive an “intent to award” letter and will be required to enter into a contract agreement (agreement) to be negotiated with Sea Grant. If additional funding is available from external partners, successful proposals may receive an “intent to award” letter from the Council and/or external funding partners such as the Bureau of Reclamation and State Water Contractors, as applicable. There is a total of approximately $6 million available for awards. Sea Grant will collaborate closely with the Council in administering the Solicitation as well as for external and expert review of submitted proposals, award agreements, and communication of funded work with key interested parties. 

2. What's new about this solicitation?

• There are separate award categories for large projects ($200,001 to $1,500,000) and small projects ($90,000 to $200,000). The category for small projects was added following public input on the 2021 Solicitation. 
• Projects must directly advance at least one science action from the 2022-2026 SAA.
• In recognition of the importance of SAA actions related to the human dimensions of the Delta, projects with a substantial social science component will be eligible for additional points during the review process ( Section 10 ). Data from the 2023 Delta Residents Survey may be relevant to researchers (Section 11.2).
• Letters of Intent will be assessed based on whether the proposed project aligns with science actions identified in the 2022-2026 Science Action Agenda, meets eligibility criteria, and falls within the geographic scope of the Delta (Section 6.1).
• Large projects are required to have one or more Letter(s) of Support from a Delta community partner, resource manager, or decision-maker (Section 9.6).
• All awards will be administered as formal agreements with Sea Grant. All collaborating entities will also be required to enter into sub-agreements with the primary applicant or may be required to enter into a separate agreement with Sea Grant.
• For optional assistance identifying tribal and/or community partners, please submit a Partnership Survey response here by May 1, 2024: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N7X8S9F

3. Schedule

Table 1. Schedule in Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) 

Schedule is subject to change. Updates will be sent to applicants who have submitted a Letter of Intent via the eSeaGrant online portal .

4. Where to Find Help

Please see this website for the most updated copy of the Solicitation , answers to questions, and other information about the Solicitation and proposal process. For important resources and links, reference Section 11 , Resources for Applicants.

For technical assistance and questions about the Solicitation, please contact [email protected].

Communications with Council or Sea Grant staff related to the Solicitation, other than as specified and allowed in the Solicitation, may disqualify a potential proposal from being considered. To ensure that your questions will be answered in a timely manner, we recommend sending questions relating to proposal preparation and submission prior to August 19, 2024. 

Two optional virtual webinars will be held to provide technical assistance and other guidance for proposals (see Section 3 , Schedule). Additional virtual webinars and/or workshops may be held on topics relevant to this Solicitation. Applicants registered on eSeaGrant will be notified of workshop details. The information will also be posted on the Council’s events calendar web page . Workshops will be recorded, and the recordings will be made available on the Solicitation website.

5. Award Information and Project Categories

There is a total of approximately $6 million available for awards. Projects must directly advance at least one science action from the 2022-2026 SAA. Availability of funding is dependent upon State and Federal budget appropriations for the specified fiscal year and is subject to change. All awards selected by the Council will be administered as formal agreements with Sea Grant. In some cases, additional awards may be selected by, and administered as formal agreements with, external partners.

Project categories (dollar amount limits include all eligible costs including indirect costs): 

• Small Projects: Awards between $90,000 and $200,000 
• Large Projects: Awards between $200,001 and $1,500,000

The project duration may be up to a maximum of three years (36 months). 

Applicants may submit more than one Letter of Intent and proposal (subject to receiving an invitation to submit a proposal), but a maximum of one proposal per individual lead Principal Investigator (PI) can be selected for an award. However, lead PIs may be listed as co-PIs on other awarded projects if the total combined effort of awarded projects is less than or equal to 100% of their time. 

Budget Contingency Clause for State-Funded Contract Agreements

If the Budget Act of the current year and/or any subsequent years covered under the ensuing agreement does not appropriate sufficient funds for the program, the agreement shall be of no further force and effect. In this event, the Council will have no liability to pay any funds whatsoever or to furnish any other considerations under the agreement and the contractor shall not be obligated to perform any provisions of the agreement.

If funding for any fiscal year is reduced or deleted by the Budget Act for purposes of this program, the Council will have the option to either: cancel the agreement with no liability occurring to the Council or offer an agreement amendment to the contractor to reflect the reduced amount. The contractor shall be reimbursed for any completed work or work in progress at the time of termination of an executed agreement if approved by the Council.

Recognition of Funding Source

Successful applicants must acknowledge funding from the Delta Stewardship Council and its Delta Science Program, and any partner organizations providing project funds, as specified in the agreement language, for any publication (including online webpages) of any material based on or developed under a project funded through this Solicitation. Support must also be orally acknowledged during all news media interviews, including radio, television, and news magazines.

6. Submittal Requirements

Letter of intent (loi).

Letters of Intent (LOI) are required and must be submitted by the deadline in Section 3 (Schedule) using eSeaGrant: http://eseagrant2.ucsd.edu/. If you have never used California Sea Grant's eSeaGrant portal before, you will need to register for an account. You can change the randomly-generated password once you log in successfully into the website. Contact [email protected] with any access issues related to eSeaGrant. NOTE: We advise not to wait until the last minute to submit your LOI; when eSeaGrant experiences high user traffic, you may experience page loading delays. It is the applicant’s responsibility to get all required materials submitted before the deadline, and the submission deadline will not be extended.

All interested applicants must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI), which contains a brief description of their project, using eSeaGrant by the deadline specified in the Solicitation (see Section 3, Schedule). For projects with multiple collaborating entities requesting funds, one lead PI should submit a single LOI on behalf of all collaborating entities. LOIs will be used to screen for eligibility and relevance to the Science Action Agenda, to enable the timely selection of reviewers, and to help avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review process. Interested applicants may submit more than one LOI, but an individual may only be the Primary Investigator for a single submitted project.

LOIs will be screened based on the requirements below. An invitation to submit a proposal will be issued to each applicant whose LOI passes the screening process. LOIs received after the deadline will not be considered. 

If there are any proposed changes to the scope of the successful LOIs, applicants must notify California Sea Grant via [email protected] as soon as possible and no later than July 15th, 2024. Proposed changes may only include changes in the lead PI/institution or contact information, co-PI(s), budget, award type sought (large/small), geographic scope, and the approach including which SAAs will be addressed. Applicants will be notified by email no later than July 23rd, 2024 regarding whether the changes to their LOI are accepted, including an invitation to submit a proposal (if applicable) with the accepted revision(s).

LOIs will be assigned a pass/fail score based on their relevance to the science actions identified in the 2022-2026 Science Action Agenda ( Section 8 , Solicitation Focus), eligibility ( Section 7 , Eligibility Requirements), and whether they fall within the geographic scope of the Delta. Projects are not required to be physically located within the Delta; however, project activities must provide a demonstrable link(s) to the Delta. A link to the Delta could include hydrologic connection, tribal ancestral/spiritual connection, social/cultural connection, etc. The ‘Delta’ means the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as defined in Water Code Section 12220 and the Suisun Marsh as defined in Public Resources Code Section 29101 (Water Code Section 85058).

Applicants will be notified electronically in writing if their LOIs were or were not successful. Applicants with successful LOIs will receive an electronic invitation to submit a full proposal. Applicants that did not receive an invitation to submit will not be considered.

The page limit for the LOI is two (2) pages, Arial font size 12, single spacing, and standard margins, including header, footer, labeling, and address information. If the LOI exceeds two pages, only information in the first two pages will be considered.

LOIs must include the following information submitted through forms in eSeaGrant: 

• Name of lead PI, affiliation, and contact information (name of lead PI must not change from LOI to proposal submission).
• Name of Co-PI(s) with affiliation(s), if applicable.
• Title of project.
• Indication of award type sought (Large Project or Small Project, see Section 5 , Award Information and Project Categories) and which SAA Science Action(s) will be addressed.
• Geographic scope of the project.
• Brief discussion of the topic and approach, including how the specified science action(s) will be addressed.
• Approximate total budget and a list of all the collaborating entities who will receive funds as part of the award.

Project proposal

Proposals will only be accepted from applicants whose Letters of Intent have been approved and who have received an invitation to submit a full proposal. Applicants who do not receive an invitation to submit a proposal will not be considered. 

All proposals must present clear hypotheses or cogent research questions that can be addressed using a scientifically-sound research design. Research may invoke disciplines within, for example, the biophysical sciences, social sciences, integrated social-ecological disciplines, traditional knowledge, and/or local place-based knowledge.

Proposals are encouraged to:

• Include substantial roles for undergraduate, graduate, and/or postdoctoral students, particularly those from underrepresented groups and a diversity of lived experiences;
• Have a plan for meaningful, early, and sustained engagement with community members or community organizations;
• Be based on or thoughtfully and respectfully incorporate tribal, traditional, and/or local knowledges, as applicable.
• Proposals must meet all the requirements in Section 9 (Proposal Requirements) and must be submitted by the deadline in Section 3 (Schedule) using eSeaGrant: http://eseagrant2.ucsd.edu/. If you have never used California Sea Grant's eSeaGrant portal before, you will need to register for an account. You can change the randomly-generated password once you log in successfully into the website. Contact [email protected] with any access issues related to eSeaGrant.  NOTE: We advise not to wait until the last minute to submit your proposal; when eSeaGrant experiences high user traffic, you may experience page loading delays. It is the applicant’s responsibility to get all required materials submitted before the deadline, and the submission deadline will not be extended.

7. Eligibility Requirements

Eligible entities.

All entities will be required to fulfill the award conditions of the University Terms & Conditions (UTC-220) and all pass-through terms and conditions from the Council unless otherwise agreed upon by the parties.

Eligible entities for agreements are entities that are in good standing and eligible to do business in California, including but not limited to:

• A California Native American Tribe; 
• A California State agency, State college, or State university, including an auxiliary organization of the California State University (CSU);
• A State agency, State college, or State university from another state;
• A local governmental entity, including those created as a Joint Powers Authority and local government entities from other states;
• California community colleges including an auxiliary organization or foundation organized to support the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges;
• The Federal government including National Laboratories;
• An auxiliary organization of the Student Aid Commission established under Education Code;
• A corporation (both domestic and foreign), partnership, limited partnership, or limited liability company, or other such similar organization that meets the requirements for doing business in California, including tax-exempt organizations such as 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations;
• A private independent business, including sole proprietors;
• A domestic or foreign private college, university, or educational or research entity.

For proposals involving multiple entities, a single entity must be identified as the primary lead entity, and a single proposal describing the entire project must be submitted by that entity. The budgets of those participating entities must be clearly identified in the comprehensive project budget submitted by the lead entity and not exceed the total project budget.

Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:

• Research and data collection, analysis, synthesis, management, and delivery;
• Development of resource management tools and technologies;
• Development of conceptual or quantitative models;
• Production of peer-reviewed journal articles, conference presentations, and communications for the scientific/management community;
• Science communication for broader audiences and/or community engagement;
• Project management and coordination of a multidisciplinary team;
• Institutional Review Board (IRB) review;
• Document/report preparation. 

Ineligible Activities

Funds shall not be expended to pay:

• the design, construction, operation, mitigation, or maintenance of restoration projects or any Delta Plan covered actions , or 
• implementation activities (e.g., construction or improvement of a capital asset), or 
• land acquisition or easement purchase, or
• information technology (IT) services (e.g., hardware, software, web services) as defined: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/Resources/SCM/TOC/10/10-2

See Proposal Requirements Section for Ineligible Costs.

8. Solicitation Focus

Proposals must directly address one or more of the 25 priority science actions described in the 2022-2026 SAA and must either be physically located in the Delta or provide a demonstrable link to the Delta. The ‘Delta’ means the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as defined in Water Code Section 12220 and the Suisun Marsh as defined in Public Resources Code Section 29101 (Water Code Section 85058). A link to the Delta could include hydrologic connection, tribal ancestral/spiritual connection, social/cultural connection, etc.

In the Solicitation Notice , the section, “Solicitation Focus,” provides a high-level summary of the SAA, listing actions under thematic management needs. The management needs and the science actions are of equal priority and not listed in order of importance and are cross-cutting and integrative and unlikely to be addressed by only one project. More points will be awarded to projects that address multiple components of a science action or multiple science actions, where appropriate. For more information about the 25 priority science actions that are the focus of this Solicitation, please review the full SAA document. 

Science Actions:

• Establish publicly accessible repositories, interactive platforms, and protocols for sharing information, products, and tools associated with monitoring and modeling efforts, in support of forecast and scenario development, timely decision-making, and collaborative efforts.
• Evaluate the individual and institutional factors that enable or present barriers to coordination, learning, trusting, and using scientific information to inform decision-making and resource sharing within and among organizations.
• Identify and implement large-scale experiments that can address uncertainties in the outcomes of management actions for water supply, ecosystem function, and socioeconomic conditions in the Delta.

Science Actions: 

• Evaluate and update monitoring programs to ensure their ability to track and inform the management of climate change impacts, emerging stressors, and changes in species distributions.
• Develop a framework for monitoring, modeling, and information dissemination in support of operational forecasting and near real-time visualization of the extent, toxicity, and health impacts of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).
• Enhance flood risk models through a co-production process with Delta communities to quantify and consider tradeoffs among flood risk management, water supply and water quality management, habitat restoration, and climate adaptation.
• Iteratively develop, update, and make widely available forecasts of climatological, hydrological, social-ecological, and water quality conditions at various spatial and temporal scales that consider climate change scenarios.
• Conduct studies to inform restoration and approaches to protecting human communities that are resilient to interannual hydrologic variation and climate change impacts.
• Develop integrated frameworks, data visualization tools, and models of the Delta social-ecological system that evaluate the distribution of environmental benefits and burdens of management actions alongside anticipated climate change impacts.
• Identify how ecosystem restoration projects, in comparison to existing water management strategies, benefit and burden human communities, with an emphasis on environmental justice.
• Test and monitor the ability of tidal, nontidal, and managed wetlands and inundated floodplains to achieve multiple benefits over a range of spatial scales, including potential management costs, tradeoffs, and unintended consequences.
• Synthesize existing knowledge and conduct applied, interdisciplinary research to evaluate the costs and benefits of different strategies for minimizing the introduction and spread of invasive species, and to inform early detection and rapid response strategies.
• Use multi-method approaches (e.g., surveys, interviews, oral histories, and/or observations) to develop an understanding of how human communities’ values, and uses of cultural, recreational, agricultural, and natural resources vary across geography, demographics, and time.
• Synthesize existing data and collaboratively develop additional long-term data collection and monitoring strategies to address knowledge gaps on human communities within the Delta and those reliant on the Delta, with the goal of tracking and modeling metrics of resilience, equity, and well-being over time.
• Measure and evaluate the effects of using co-production or community science approaches (in management and planning processes) on communities' perceptions of governance and on institutional outcomes, such as implementation or innovation.
• Identify and test innovative methods for effective control or management of invasive aquatic vegetation in tidal portions of the Delta under current and projected climate conditions.
• Identify thresholds in the survival and health of managed fish and wildlife species with respect to environmental variables (e.g., flow, temperature, dissolved oxygen) and location-specific survival probabilities to develop strategies that will support species recovery.
• Determine how environmental drivers (e.g., nutrients, temperatures, water residence time) interact to cause HABs in the Delta, identify impacts on human and ecosystem health and well-being, and test possible mitigation strategies.
• Integrate and expand on existing models of hydrodynamics, nutrients, and other food web drivers to allow for the forecasting of the effects of interacting stressors on primary production and listed species.
• Quantify spatial and temporal patterns and trends of chemical contaminants and evaluate ecosystem effects through monitoring, modeling, and laboratory studies.
• Evaluate how climate change, sea level rise, and more frequent extremes will impact habitats, water supply, water quality, sediment supply, long-term species persistence, primary productivity, and food webs.
• Evaluate individual and cumulative impacts and tradeoffs of drought management actions on ecological and human communities over multiple timescales.
• Evaluate the possible multi-benefits of management actions that promote groundwater recharge for ecological functions and water resilience under climate change (e.g., multiple dry year scenarios).
• Identify how human communities connected to the Delta watershed are adapting to climate change, what opportunities and tradeoffs exist for climate adaptation approaches (i.e., agricultural practices, carbon sequestration, nature-based solutions/green infrastructure), and how behaviors vary with adaptive capacity.
• Predict and test how water allocation and supply decisions, and ecological flow scenarios should change under projected climate change to maintain habitat conditions, access of target species to critical habitat, and interactions among native and invasive species.

9. Proposal Requirements

Eligible entities that wish to submit a proposal must first submit a LOI by the deadline set forth in the Solicitation as a prerequisite to be considered for an invitation to submit a full proposal (See Section 3 , Schedule).

Applicants with successful Letters of Intent will receive an electronic invitation to submit a full proposal. The invitation to submit must be included with the proposal submittal. 

Listed below are the requirements for a complete proposal package; for full details on each component, please refer to the Proposal Solicitation Notice . For lead PIs affiliated with academic institutions, final proposals must be submitted by the institution’s sponsored research office. For deadlines, see Section 3 (Schedule). For instructions on how to submit a proposal via eSeaGrant, see Section 6.2 (Project Proposal). For award information, see Section 5 (Award Information and Project Categories).

10. Proposal Review Procedure

Each proposal submitted by the deadline specified in Section 3 will undergo several steps in the review and selection process:

• Proposals will be screened in an administrative review by Sea Grant; 
• Proposals that pass the administrative review will be advanced to a technical review by subject matter experts ( individual expert technical reviews ); 
• Individual expert technical reviews will be considered during one or more technical evaluation panel(s) during which the proposals will be reviewed, discussed and ranked;
• The Council, in consultation with the Delta Lead Scientist, will make funding decisions based on consideration of the technical reviews, rankings, and factors described in Section 10.4, Funding Decisions. 

Further details on each of these steps are below.

Administrative Review

Administrative review determines if the proposal meets the following criteria:

• The applicant and project are eligible. See Section 7 , Eligibility Requirements, for eligibility requirements.
• The proposal is complete. The proposal has all required sections: see Section 9 , Proposal Requirements.

Proposals that do not meet both criteria may not be considered eligible under this Solicitation.

Individual Expert Technical Reviews

All proposals that advance past administrative review will go through independent technical review by at least two external experts. Technical reviewers will be professionals in fields relevant to the proposed project and screened to avoid any potential conflicts of interest. Technical reviewers will evaluate each proposal in accordance with the Technical Review Criteria (Table 2) and may submit narrative comments that support their scores.

Table 2. Technical Review Criteria

The following is a list of questions that will be provided as guidance for proposal reviewers:

• Will the work address key scientific uncertainties and fill important information gaps? The proposed research does not have to be hypothesis-driven but must, at a minimum, include a clear statement of research questions.
• Is the underlying scientific basis or underlying knowledge base for the proposed work clearly explained, the need for the project justified, and is it based on the best possible information, such as current scientific literature, Tribal expertise, traditional knowledge, and local knowledge?
• Are the methods, including data analysis and reporting, clearly linked to and appropriate for the objectives and research questions?
• How is the project responsive to the 2022-2026 SAA? Which science action(s) will be addressed? Does the project address more than one science action? How comprehensively does the project address the science action(s)?
• Large Projects Only: Does the letter of support demonstrate an effective connection with management needs and meaningful engagement with practitioners, Delta communities, and/or resource managers?
• Is the proposed work significant on the landscape and regional scale?
• Will the information produced contribute to effective adaptive management or co-production (i.e., participatory knowledge development) of science for the Delta?
• If applicable: Will the project leverage existing datasets or tools?
• Is there evidence that the project team has made good faith efforts to engage with community groups or Tribes?
• How well does the proposed project incorporate realistic and ample opportunities for community partnership, participation, and/or input? 
• How will feedback from engagement be incorporated into or influence the proposed work?
• Will there be any co-production of knowledge or participatory research with tribal experts or community groups?
• Will the research process and/or products have the potential for a meaningful positive impact on underrepresented groups or to promote EJ?
• Will the process and /or products promote principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion?
• Does the Engagement and Communication Plan explain how the information will be made directly available to the entities that will most benefit from it, including scientists, managers, and the public? 
• Does the proposed work include training and mentoring for students (K-12, undergraduate, graduate), post-doctoral scholars, and/or educators (e.g., curriculum development), particularly those from underrepresented groups and with a diversity of lived experiences?
• Is there a plan for policy engagement, such as presentations to decision-makers?
• Will the proposed work include partnerships among academic, industry, and/or non-governmental organizations?
• Does the proposed project employ methods, theories, or data from any of the social science disciplines, including but not limited to political science, sociology, economics, anthropology, geography, or psychology? 
• Does the project meaningfully integrate information on social and natural dimensions of the Delta?
• Is there an adequate description of how each element of the project will be implemented (e.g., methods, materials, equipment, responsible parties)? 
• Does the schedule demonstrate a logical sequence and timing of project tasks? Is it feasible to complete the proposed work within the proposed time frame? Are potential pitfalls and contingencies described in sufficient detail?
• Are the necessary facilities, equipment, and administrative capacity available to successfully perform and manage the proposed tasks?
• Is there justification for all costs in the budget?
• Are all costs well justified and realistic for the work being proposed?
• Does the project team have adequate expertise to complete the proposed work?
• What is the project team’s record of publication, productivity, management, engagement, training, and outreach?
• Does the DMP address all sections described in the Solicitation, including best practices for open science?

Technical Evaluation Panel(s)

The Review Panel(s) will consider the individual reviews by technical experts and rank projects according to the review criteria listed in the Individual Expert Technical Reviews Section. Members of the review panel(s) will be professionals in fields relevant to the proposed projects and screened to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.

Funding Decisions

The Council will select proposals for awards in consultation with the Delta Lead Scientist (or if the Delta Lead Scientist Position is vacant, the Deputy Executive Officer for Science or the Deputy Executive Officer for Science’s designee). Funding decisions will be made with consideration of the following: 

• Review Panel feedback and rankings
• Distribution of projects across SAA science actions
• Budget requests relative to available funds
• Management relevance to the Delta
• Distribution of applicants’ institutions and career stages 

Any funding partners will select proposals in coordination with the Council and issue intent to award letters separately. 

The intent to award does not guarantee an ensuing agreement. For proposals recommended for funding, intent to award letters will be distributed to the primary applicant and will include any requested changes to the proposal and/or budget in response to proposal review feedback. The Council reserves the right to revise funding decisions. To proceed to an executed agreement, successful applicants must provide any revisions and additional documentation as requested by Sea Grant in a timely manner.

11. Resources for Applicants

Please see the funding solicitation PDF for a full list of resources relating to:

• Science Action Agenda
• Delta Residents Survey Data
• Environmental Justice
• Community Engagement
• Data Management
• More About the Delta Stewardship Council
• State and Regional Resources
• Definitions 

Appendix A: Award Reporting Template

Appendix B: Budget Template

Appendix C: Engagement and Communication Template

Application Resources

Subscribe to california sea grant emails, subscribe to california sea grant emails.

• Funding, fellowship, and job announcements
• Russian River Salmon & Steelhead Program
• Delta Stewardship Council Funding/Fellowships

View previous campaigns.