what is proposed research

What (Exactly) Is A Research Proposal?

A simple explainer with examples + free template.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2020 (Updated April 2023)

Whether you’re nearing the end of your degree and your dissertation is on the horizon, or you’re planning to apply for a PhD program, chances are you’ll need to craft a convincing research proposal . If you’re on this page, you’re probably unsure exactly what the research proposal is all about. Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Overview: Research Proposal Basics

• What a research proposal is
• What a research proposal needs to cover
• How to structure your research proposal
• Example /sample proposals
• Proposal writing FAQs
• Key takeaways & additional resources

What is a research proposal?

Simply put, a research proposal is a structured, formal document that explains what you plan to research (your research topic), why it’s worth researching (your justification), and how  you plan to investigate it (your methodology). 

The purpose of the research proposal (its job, so to speak) is to convince  your research supervisor, committee or university that your research is  suitable  (for the requirements of the degree program) and  manageable  (given the time and resource constraints you will face). 

The most important word here is “ convince ” – in other words, your research proposal needs to  sell  your research idea (to whoever is going to approve it). If it doesn’t convince them (of its suitability and manageability), you’ll need to revise and resubmit . This will cost you valuable time, which will either delay the start of your research or eat into its time allowance (which is bad news). 

What goes into a research proposal?

A good dissertation or thesis proposal needs to cover the “ what “, “ why ” and” how ” of the proposed study. Let’s look at each of these attributes in a little more detail:

Your proposal needs to clearly articulate your research topic . This needs to be specific and unambiguous . Your research topic should make it clear exactly what you plan to research and in what context. Here’s an example of a well-articulated research topic:

An investigation into the factors which impact female Generation Y consumer’s likelihood to promote a specific makeup brand to their peers: a British context

As you can see, this topic is extremely clear. From this one line we can see exactly:

• What’s being investigated – factors that make people promote or advocate for a brand of a specific makeup brand
• Who it involves – female Gen-Y consumers
• In what context – the United Kingdom

So, make sure that your research proposal provides a detailed explanation of your research topic . If possible, also briefly outline your research aims and objectives , and perhaps even your research questions (although in some cases you’ll only develop these at a later stage). Needless to say, don’t start writing your proposal until you have a clear topic in mind , or you’ll end up waffling and your research proposal will suffer as a result of this.

Need a helping hand?

As we touched on earlier, it’s not good enough to simply propose a research topic – you need to justify why your topic is original . In other words, what makes it  unique ? What gap in the current literature does it fill? If it’s simply a rehash of the existing research, it’s probably not going to get approval – it needs to be fresh.

But,  originality  alone is not enough. Once you’ve ticked that box, you also need to justify why your proposed topic is  important . In other words, what value will it add to the world if you achieve your research aims?

As an example, let’s look at the sample research topic we mentioned earlier (factors impacting brand advocacy). In this case, if the research could uncover relevant factors, these findings would be very useful to marketers in the cosmetics industry, and would, therefore, have commercial value . That is a clear justification for the research.

So, when you’re crafting your research proposal, remember that it’s not enough for a topic to simply be unique. It needs to be useful and value-creating – and you need to convey that value in your proposal. If you’re struggling to find a research topic that makes the cut, watch  our video covering how to find a research topic .

It’s all good and well to have a great topic that’s original and valuable, but you’re not going to convince anyone to approve it without discussing the practicalities – in other words:

• How will you actually undertake your research (i.e., your methodology)?
• Is your research methodology appropriate given your research aims?
• Is your approach manageable given your constraints (time, money, etc.)?

While it’s generally not expected that you’ll have a fully fleshed-out methodology at the proposal stage, you’ll likely still need to provide a high-level overview of your research methodology . Here are some important questions you’ll need to address in your research proposal:

• Will you take a qualitative , quantitative or mixed -method approach?
• What sampling strategy will you adopt?
• How will you collect your data (e.g., interviews, surveys, etc)?
• How will you analyse your data (e.g., descriptive and inferential statistics , content analysis, discourse analysis, etc, .)?
• What potential limitations will your methodology carry?

So, be sure to give some thought to the practicalities of your research and have at least a basic methodological plan before you start writing up your proposal. If this all sounds rather intimidating, the video below provides a good introduction to research methodology and the key choices you’ll need to make.

How To Structure A Research Proposal

Now that we’ve covered the key points that need to be addressed in a proposal, you may be wondering, “ But how is a research proposal structured? “.

While the exact structure and format required for a research proposal differs from university to university, there are four “essential ingredients” that commonly make up the structure of a research proposal:

• A rich introduction and background to the proposed research
• An initial literature review covering the existing research
• An overview of the proposed research methodology
• A discussion regarding the practicalities (project plans, timelines, etc.)

In the video below, we unpack each of these four sections, step by step.

Research Proposal Examples/Samples

In the video below, we provide a detailed walkthrough of two successful research proposals (Master’s and PhD-level), as well as our popular free proposal template.

Proposal Writing FAQs

How long should a research proposal be.

This varies tremendously, depending on the university, the field of study (e.g., social sciences vs natural sciences), and the level of the degree (e.g. undergraduate, Masters or PhD) – so it’s always best to check with your university what their specific requirements are before you start planning your proposal.

As a rough guide, a formal research proposal at Masters-level often ranges between 2000-3000 words, while a PhD-level proposal can be far more detailed, ranging from 5000-8000 words. In some cases, a rough outline of the topic is all that’s needed, while in other cases, universities expect a very detailed proposal that essentially forms the first three chapters of the dissertation or thesis.

The takeaway – be sure to check with your institution before you start writing.

How do I choose a topic for my research proposal?

Finding a good research topic is a process that involves multiple steps. We cover the topic ideation process in this video post.

How do I write a literature review for my proposal?

While you typically won’t need a comprehensive literature review at the proposal stage, you still need to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the key literature and are able to synthesise it. We explain the literature review process here.

How do I create a timeline and budget for my proposal?

We explain how to craft a project plan/timeline and budget in Research Proposal Bootcamp .

Which referencing format should I use in my research proposal?

The expectations and requirements regarding formatting and referencing vary from institution to institution. Therefore, you’ll need to check this information with your university.

What common proposal writing mistakes do I need to look out for?

We’ve create a video post about some of the most common mistakes students make when writing a proposal – you can access that here . If you’re short on time, here’s a quick summary:

• The research topic is too broad (or just poorly articulated).
• The research aims, objectives and questions don’t align.
• The research topic is not well justified.
• The study has a weak theoretical foundation.
• The research design is not well articulated well enough.
• Poor writing and sloppy presentation.
• Poor project planning and risk management.
• Not following the university’s specific criteria.

Key Takeaways & Additional Resources

As you write up your research proposal, remember the all-important core purpose:  to convince . Your research proposal needs to sell your study in terms of suitability and viability. So, focus on crafting a convincing narrative to ensure a strong proposal.

At the same time, pay close attention to your university’s requirements. While we’ve covered the essentials here, every institution has its own set of expectations and it’s essential that you follow these to maximise your chances of approval.

By the way, we’ve got plenty more resources to help you fast-track your research proposal. Here are some of our most popular resources to get you started:

• Proposal Writing 101 : A Introductory Webinar
• Research Proposal Bootcamp : The Ultimate Online Course
• Template : A basic template to help you craft your proposal

If you’re looking for 1-on-1 support with your research proposal, be sure to check out our private coaching service , where we hold your hand through the proposal development process (and the entire research journey), step by step.

Psst… there’s more!

This post is an extract from our bestselling Udemy Course, Research Proposal Bootcamp . If you want to work smart, you don't want to miss this .

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51 Comments

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In view of the above, I welcome more coaching.

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Bundle of thanks to you for the research proposal guide it was really good and useful if it is possible please send me the sample of research proposal

You’re most welcome. We don’t have any research proposals that we can share (the students own the intellectual property), but you might find our research proposal template useful: https://gradcoach.com/research-proposal-template/

Cheruiyot Moses Kipyegon

Thanks alot. It was an eye opener that came timely enough before my imminent proposal defense. Thanks, again

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Thank you. This is a great insight. I am a student preparing for a PhD program. I am requested to write my Research Proposal as part of what I am required to submit before my unconditional admission. I am grateful having listened to this video which will go a long way in helping me to actually choose a topic of interest and not just any topic as well as to narrow down the topic and be specific about it. I indeed need more of this especially as am trying to choose a topic suitable for a DBA am about embarking on. Thank you once more. The video is indeed helpful.

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• 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.

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McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, June 13). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved 2 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/the-research-process/research-proposal-explained/

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How to write a research proposal

What is a research proposal?

What is the purpose of a research proposal , how long should a research proposal be, what should be included in a research proposal, 1. the title page, 2. introduction, 3. literature review, 4. research design, 5. implications, 6. reference list, frequently asked questions about writing a research proposal, related articles.

If you’re in higher education, the term “research proposal” is something you’re likely to be familiar with. But what is it, exactly? You’ll normally come across the need to prepare a research proposal when you’re looking to secure Ph.D. funding.

When you’re trying to find someone to fund your Ph.D. research, a research proposal is essentially your “pitch.”

A research proposal is a concise and coherent summary of your proposed research.

You’ll need to set out the issues that are central to the topic area and how you intend to address them with your research. To do this, you’ll need to give the following:

• an outline of the general area of study within which your research falls
• an overview of how much is currently known about the topic
• a literature review that covers the recent scholarly debate or conversation around the topic

➡️  What is a literature review? Learn more in our guide.

Essentially, you are trying to persuade your institution that you and your project are worth investing their time and money into.

It is the opportunity for you to demonstrate that you have the aptitude for this level of research by showing that you can articulate complex ideas:

It also helps you to find the right supervisor to oversee your research. When you’re writing your research proposal, you should always have this in the back of your mind.

This is the document that potential supervisors will use in determining the legitimacy of your research and, consequently, whether they will invest in you or not. It is therefore incredibly important that you spend some time on getting it right.

Tip: While there may not always be length requirements for research proposals, you should strive to cover everything you need to in a concise way.

If your research proposal is for a bachelor’s or master’s degree, it may only be a few pages long. For a Ph.D., a proposal could be a pretty long document that spans a few dozen pages.

➡️ Research proposals are similar to grant proposals. Learn how to write a grant proposal in our guide.

When you’re writing your proposal, keep in mind its purpose and why you’re writing it. It, therefore, needs to clearly explain the relevance of your research and its context with other discussions on the topic. You need to then explain what approach you will take and why it is feasible.

Generally, your structure should look something like this:

• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Research Design
• Implications

If you follow this structure, you’ll have a comprehensive and coherent proposal that looks and feels professional, without missing out on anything important. We’ll take a deep dive into each of these areas one by one next.

The title page might vary slightly per your area of study but, as a general point, your title page should contain the following:

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

Tip: Keep in mind any departmental or institutional guidelines for a research proposal title page. Also, your supervisor may ask for specific details to be added to the page.

The introduction is crucial   to your research proposal as it is your first opportunity to hook the reader in. A good introduction section will introduce your project and its relevance to the field of study.

You’ll want to use this space to demonstrate that you have carefully thought about how to present your project as interesting, original, and important research. A good place to start is by introducing the context of your research problem.

Think about answering these questions:

• What is it you want to research and why?
• How does this research relate to the respective field?
• How much is already known about this area?
• Who might find this research interesting?
• What are the key questions you aim to answer with your research?
• What will the findings of this project add to the topic area?

Your introduction aims to set yourself off on a great footing and illustrate to the reader that you are an expert in your field and that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge and theory.

The literature review section answers the question who else is talking about your proposed research topic.

You want to demonstrate that your research will contribute to conversations around the topic and that it will sit happily amongst experts in the field.

➡️ Read more about how to write a literature review .

There are lots of ways you can find relevant information for your literature review, including:

• Research relevant academic sources such as books and journals to find similar conversations around the topic.
• Read through abstracts and bibliographies of your academic sources to look for relevance and further additional resources without delving too deep into articles that are possibly not relevant to you.
• Watch out for heavily-cited works . This should help you to identify authoritative work that you need to read and document.
• Look for any research gaps , trends and patterns, common themes, debates, and contradictions.
• Consider any seminal studies on the topic area as it is likely anticipated that you will address these in your research proposal.

This is where you get down to the real meat of your research proposal. It should be a discussion about the overall approach you plan on taking, and the practical steps you’ll follow in answering the research questions you’ve posed.

So what should you discuss here? Some of the key things you will need to discuss at this point are:

• What form will your research take? Is it qualitative/quantitative/mixed? Will your research be primary or secondary?
• What sources will you use? Who or what will you be studying as part of your research.
• Document your research method. How are you practically going to carry out your research? What tools will you need? What procedures will you use?
• Any practicality issues you foresee. Do you think there will be any obstacles to your anticipated timescale? What resources will you require in carrying out your research?

Your research design should also discuss the potential implications of your research. For example, are you looking to confirm an existing theory or develop a new one?

If you intend to create a basis for further research, you should describe this here.

It is important to explain fully what you want the outcome of your research to look like and what you want to achieve by it. This will help those reading your research proposal to decide if it’s something the field  needs  and  wants,  and ultimately whether they will support you with it.

When you reach the end of your research proposal, you’ll have to compile a list of references for everything you’ve cited above. Ideally, you should keep track of everything from the beginning. Otherwise, this could be a mammoth and pretty laborious task to do.

Consider using a reference manager like Paperpile to format and organize your citations. Paperpile allows you to organize and save your citations for later use and cite them in thousands of citation styles directly in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or LaTeX.

Your project may also require you to have a timeline, depending on the budget you are requesting. If you need one, you should include it here and explain both the timeline and the budget you need, documenting what should be done at each stage of the research and how much of the budget this will use.

This is the final step, but not one to be missed. You should make sure that you edit and proofread your document so that you can be sure there are no mistakes.

A good idea is to have another person proofread the document for you so that you get a fresh pair of eyes on it. You can even have a professional proofreader do this for you.

This is an important document and you don’t want spelling or grammatical mistakes to get in the way of you and your reader.

➡️ Working on a research proposal for a thesis? Take a look at our guide on how to come up with a topic for your thesis .

A research proposal is a concise and coherent summary of your proposed research. Generally, your research proposal will have a title page, introduction, literature review section, a section about research design and explaining the implications of your research, and a reference list.

A good research proposal is concise and coherent. It has a clear purpose, clearly explains the relevance of your research and its context with other discussions on the topic. A good research proposal explains what approach you will take and why it is feasible.

You need a research proposal to persuade your institution that you and your project are worth investing their time and money into. It is your opportunity to demonstrate your aptitude for this level or research by showing that you can articulate complex ideas clearly, concisely, and critically.

A research proposal is essentially your "pitch" when you're trying to find someone to fund your PhD. It is a clear and concise summary of your proposed research. It gives an outline of the general area of study within which your research falls, it elaborates how much is currently known about the topic, and it highlights any recent debate or conversation around the topic by other academics.

The general answer is: as long as it needs to be to cover everything. The length of your research proposal depends on the requirements from the institution that you are applying to. Make sure to carefully read all the instructions given, and if this specific information is not provided, you can always ask.

Writing a Research Proposal

• First Online: 10 April 2022

Cite this chapter

• Fahimeh Tabatabaei 3 &
• Lobat Tayebi 3  

791 Accesses

A research proposal is a roadmap that brings the researcher closer to the objectives, takes the research topic from a purely subjective mind, and manifests an objective plan. It shows us what steps we need to take to reach the objective, what questions we should answer, and how much time we need. It is a framework based on which you can perform your research in a well-organized and timely manner. In other words, by writing a research proposal, you get a map that shows the direction to the destination (answering the research question). If the proposal is poorly prepared, after spending a lot of energy and money, you may realize that the result of the research has nothing to do with the initial objective, and the study may end up nowhere. Therefore, writing the proposal shows that the researcher is aware of the proper research and can justify the significance of his/her idea.

• Research proposal
• Research strategy
• Research methodology
• Research design
• Problem formulation
• Sample size
• Random allocation
• Specific aims
• Review grants

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A.A. Monte, A.M. Libby, Introduction to the specific aims page of a grant proposal. Kline JA, editor. Acad. Emerg. Med. 25 (9), 1042–1047 (2018)

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Additional Resources

https://grants.nih.gov

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm

https://www.ninr.nih.gov

https://www.niaid.nih.gov

http://www.grantcentral.com

http://www.saem.org/research

http://www.cfda.gov

http://www.ahrq.gov

http://www.nsf/gov

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Tabatabaei, F., Tayebi, L. (2022). Writing a Research Proposal. In: Research Methods in Dentistry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98028-3_4

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What is a research proposal?

A research proposal is a type of text which maps out a proposed central research problem or question and a suggested approach to its investigation.

In many universities, including RMIT, the research proposal is a formal requirement. It is central to achieving your first milestone: your Confirmation of Candidature. The research proposal is useful for both you and the University: it gives you the opportunity to get valuable feedback about your intended research aims, objectives and design. It also confirms that your proposed research is worth doing, which puts you on track for a successful candidature supported by your School and the University. 

Although there may be specific School or disciplinary requirements that you need to be aware of, all research proposals address the following central themes:

• what   you propose to research
• why   the topic needs to be researched
• how  you plan to research it.

Purpose and audience

Before venturing into writing a research purposal, it is important to think about the  purpose  and  audience of this type of text.  Spend a moment or two to reflect on what these might be.

What do you think is the purpose of your research proposal and who is your audience?

The purpose of your research proposal is:

1. To allow experienced researchers (your supervisors and their peers) to assess whether

• the research question or problem is viable (that is, answers or solutions are possible)
• the research is worth doing in terms of its contribution to the field of study and benefits to stakeholders
• the scope is appropriate to the degree (Masters or PhD)
• you’ve understood the relevant key literature and identified the gap for your research
• you’ve chosen an appropriate methodological approach.

2. To help you clarify and focus on what you want to do, why you want to do it, and how you’ll do it. The research proposal helps you position yourself as a researcher in your field. It will also allow you to:

• systematically think through your proposed research, argue for its significance and identify the scope
• show a critical understanding of the scholarly field around your proposed research
• show the gap in the literature that your research will address
• justify your proposed research design
• identify all tasks that need to be done through a realistic timetable
• anticipate potential problems
• hone organisational skills that you will need for your research
• become familiar with relevant search engines and databases
• develop skills in research writing.

The main audience for your research proposal is your reviewers. Universities usually assign a panel of reviewers to which you need to submit your research proposal. Often this is within the first year of study for PhD candidates, and within the first six months for Masters by Research candidates.

Your reviewers may have a strong disciplinary understanding of the area of your proposed research, but depending on your specialisation, they may not. It is therefore important to create a clear context, rationale and framework for your proposed research. Limit jargon and specialist terminology so that non-specialists can comprehend it. You need to convince the reviewers that your proposed research is worth doing and that you will be able to effectively ‘interrogate’ your research questions or address the research problems through your chosen research design.

Your review panel will expect you to demonstrate:

• a clearly defined and feasible research project
• a clearly explained rationale for your research
• evidence that your research will make an original contribution through a critical review of the literature
• written skills appropriate to graduate research study.

Research and Writing Skills for Academic and Graduate Researchers Copyright © 2022 by RMIT University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Generative AI and Writing
• Acknowledgments

The goal of a research proposal is twofold: to present and justify the need to study a research problem and to present the practical ways in which the proposed study should be conducted. The design elements and procedures for conducting research are governed by standards of the predominant discipline in which the problem resides, therefore, the guidelines for research proposals are more exacting and less formal than a general project proposal. Research proposals contain extensive literature reviews. They must provide persuasive evidence that a need exists for the proposed study. In addition to providing a rationale, a proposal describes detailed methodology for conducting the research consistent with requirements of the professional or academic field and a statement on anticipated outcomes and benefits derived from the study's completion.

Krathwohl, David R. How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005.

How to Approach Writing a Research Proposal

Your professor may assign the task of writing a research proposal for the following reasons:

• Develop your skills in thinking about and designing a comprehensive research study;
• Learn how to conduct a comprehensive review of the literature to determine that the research problem has not been adequately addressed or has been answered ineffectively and, in so doing, become better at locating pertinent scholarship related to your topic;
• Improve your general research and writing skills;
• Practice identifying the logical steps that must be taken to accomplish one's research goals;
• Critically review, examine, and consider the use of different methods for gathering and analyzing data related to the research problem; and,
• Nurture a sense of inquisitiveness within yourself and to help see yourself as an active participant in the process of conducting scholarly research.

A proposal should contain all the key elements involved in designing a completed research study, with sufficient information that allows readers to assess the validity and usefulness of your proposed study. The only elements missing from a research proposal are the findings of the study and your analysis of those findings. Finally, an effective proposal is judged on the quality of your writing and, therefore, it is important that your proposal is coherent, clear, and compelling.

Regardless of the research problem you are investigating and the methodology you choose, all research proposals must address the following questions:

• What do you plan to accomplish? Be clear and succinct in defining the research problem and what it is you are proposing to investigate.
• Why do you want to do the research? In addition to detailing your research design, you also must conduct a thorough review of the literature and provide convincing evidence that it is a topic worthy of in-depth study. A successful research proposal must answer the "So What?" question.
• How are you going to conduct the research? Be sure that what you propose is doable. If you're having difficulty formulating a research problem to propose investigating, go here for strategies in developing a problem to study.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Failure to be concise . A research proposal must be focused and not be "all over the map" or diverge into unrelated tangents without a clear sense of purpose.
• Failure to cite landmark works in your literature review . Proposals should be grounded in foundational research that lays a foundation for understanding the development and scope of the the topic and its relevance.
• Failure to delimit the contextual scope of your research [e.g., time, place, people, etc.]. As with any research paper, your proposed study must inform the reader how and in what ways the study will frame the problem.
• Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed research . This is critical. In many workplace settings, the research proposal is a formal document intended to argue for why a study should be funded.
• Sloppy or imprecise writing, or poor grammar . Although a research proposal does not represent a completed research study, there is still an expectation that it is well-written and follows the style and rules of good academic writing.
• Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major issues . Your proposal should focus on only a few key research questions in order to support the argument that the research needs to be conducted. Minor issues, even if valid, can be mentioned but they should not dominate the overall narrative.

Procter, Margaret. The Academic Proposal.  The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Sanford, Keith. Information for Students: Writing a Research Proposal. Baylor University; Wong, Paul T. P. How to Write a Research Proposal. International Network on Personal Meaning. Trinity Western University; Writing Academic Proposals: Conferences, Articles, and Books. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing a Research Proposal. University Library. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Structure and Writing Style

Beginning the Proposal Process

As with writing most college-level academic papers, research proposals are generally organized the same way throughout most social science disciplines. The text of proposals generally vary in length between ten and thirty-five pages, followed by the list of references. However, before you begin, read the assignment carefully and, if anything seems unclear, ask your professor whether there are any specific requirements for organizing and writing the proposal.

A good place to begin is to ask yourself a series of questions:

• What do I want to study?
• Why is the topic important?
• How is it significant within the subject areas covered in my class?
• What problems will it help solve?
• How does it build upon [and hopefully go beyond] research already conducted on the topic?
• What exactly should I plan to do, and can I get it done in the time available?

In general, a compelling research proposal should document your knowledge of the topic and demonstrate your enthusiasm for conducting the study. Approach it with the intention of leaving your readers feeling like, "Wow, that's an exciting idea and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!"

Most proposals should include the following sections:

I.  Introduction

In the real world of higher education, a research proposal is most often written by scholars seeking grant funding for a research project or it's the first step in getting approval to write a doctoral dissertation. Even if this is just a course assignment, treat your introduction as the initial pitch of an idea based on a thorough examination of the significance of a research problem. After reading the introduction, your readers should not only have an understanding of what you want to do, but they should also be able to gain a sense of your passion for the topic and to be excited about the study's possible outcomes. Note that most proposals do not include an abstract [summary] before the introduction.

Think about your introduction as a narrative written in two to four paragraphs that succinctly answers the following four questions :

• What is the central research problem?
• What is the topic of study related to that research problem?
• What methods should be used to analyze the research problem?
• Answer the "So What?" question by explaining why this is important research, what is its significance, and why should someone reading the proposal care about the outcomes of the proposed study?

II.  Background and Significance

This is where you explain the scope and context of your proposal and describe in detail why it's important. It can be melded into your introduction or you can create a separate section to help with the organization and narrative flow of your proposal. Approach writing this section with the thought that you can’t assume your readers will know as much about the research problem as you do. Note that this section is not an essay going over everything you have learned about the topic; instead, you must choose what is most relevant in explaining the aims of your research.

To that end, while there are no prescribed rules for establishing the significance of your proposed study, you should attempt to address some or all of the following:

• State the research problem and give a more detailed explanation about the purpose of the study than what you stated in the introduction. This is particularly important if the problem is complex or multifaceted .
• Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing; be sure to answer the "So What? question [i.e., why should anyone care?].
• Describe the major issues or problems examined by your research. This can be in the form of questions to be addressed. Be sure to note how your proposed study builds on previous assumptions about the research problem.
• Explain the methods you plan to use for conducting your research. Clearly identify the key sources you intend to use and explain how they will contribute to your analysis of the topic.
• Describe the boundaries of your proposed research in order to provide a clear focus. Where appropriate, state not only what you plan to study, but what aspects of the research problem will be excluded from the study.
• If necessary, provide definitions of key concepts, theories, or terms.

III.  Literature Review

Connected to the background and significance of your study is a section of your proposal devoted to a more deliberate review and synthesis of prior studies related to the research problem under investigation . The purpose here is to place your project within the larger whole of what is currently being explored, while at the same time, demonstrating to your readers that your work is original and innovative. Think about what questions other researchers have asked, what methodological approaches they have used, and what is your understanding of their findings and, when stated, their recommendations. Also pay attention to any suggestions for further research.

Since a literature review is information dense, it is crucial that this section is intelligently structured to enable a reader to grasp the key arguments underpinning your proposed study in relation to the arguments put forth by other researchers. A good strategy is to break the literature into "conceptual categories" [themes] rather than systematically or chronologically describing groups of materials one at a time. Note that conceptual categories generally reveal themselves after you have read most of the pertinent literature on your topic so adding new categories is an on-going process of discovery as you review more studies. How do you know you've covered the key conceptual categories underlying the research literature? Generally, you can have confidence that all of the significant conceptual categories have been identified if you start to see repetition in the conclusions or recommendations that are being made.

NOTE: Do not shy away from challenging the conclusions made in prior research as a basis for supporting the need for your proposal. Assess what you believe is missing and state how previous research has failed to adequately examine the issue that your study addresses. Highlighting the problematic conclusions strengthens your proposal. For more information on writing literature reviews, GO HERE .

To help frame your proposal's review of prior research, consider the "five C’s" of writing a literature review:

• Cite , so as to keep the primary focus on the literature pertinent to your research problem.
• Compare the various arguments, theories, methodologies, and findings expressed in the literature: what do the authors agree on? Who applies similar approaches to analyzing the research problem?
• Contrast the various arguments, themes, methodologies, approaches, and controversies expressed in the literature: describe what are the major areas of disagreement, controversy, or debate among scholars?
• Critique the literature: Which arguments are more persuasive, and why? Which approaches, findings, and methodologies seem most reliable, valid, or appropriate, and why? Pay attention to the verbs you use to describe what an author says/does [e.g., asserts, demonstrates, argues, etc.].
• Connect the literature to your own area of research and investigation: how does your own work draw upon, depart from, synthesize, or add a new perspective to what has been said in the literature?

IV.  Research Design and Methods

This section must be well-written and logically organized because you are not actually doing the research, yet, your reader must have confidence that you have a plan worth pursuing . The reader will never have a study outcome from which to evaluate whether your methodological choices were the correct ones. Thus, the objective here is to convince the reader that your overall research design and proposed methods of analysis will correctly address the problem and that the methods will provide the means to effectively interpret the potential results. Your design and methods should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study.

Describe the overall research design by building upon and drawing examples from your review of the literature. Consider not only methods that other researchers have used, but methods of data gathering that have not been used but perhaps could be. Be specific about the methodological approaches you plan to undertake to obtain information, the techniques you would use to analyze the data, and the tests of external validity to which you commit yourself [i.e., the trustworthiness by which you can generalize from your study to other people, places, events, and/or periods of time].

When describing the methods you will use, be sure to cover the following:

• Specify the research process you will undertake and the way you will interpret the results obtained in relation to the research problem. Don't just describe what you intend to achieve from applying the methods you choose, but state how you will spend your time while applying these methods [e.g., coding text from interviews to find statements about the need to change school curriculum; running a regression to determine if there is a relationship between campaign advertising on social media sites and election outcomes in Europe ].
• Keep in mind that the methodology is not just a list of tasks; it is a deliberate argument as to why techniques for gathering information add up to the best way to investigate the research problem. This is an important point because the mere listing of tasks to be performed does not demonstrate that, collectively, they effectively address the research problem. Be sure you clearly explain this.
• Anticipate and acknowledge any potential barriers and pitfalls in carrying out your research design and explain how you plan to address them. No method applied to research in the social and behavioral sciences is perfect, so you need to describe where you believe challenges may exist in obtaining data or accessing information. It's always better to acknowledge this than to have it brought up by your professor!

V.  Preliminary Suppositions and Implications

Just because you don't have to actually conduct the study and analyze the results, doesn't mean you can skip talking about the analytical process and potential implications . The purpose of this section is to argue how and in what ways you believe your research will refine, revise, or extend existing knowledge in the subject area under investigation. Depending on the aims and objectives of your study, describe how the anticipated results will impact future scholarly research, theory, practice, forms of interventions, or policy making. Note that such discussions may have either substantive [a potential new policy], theoretical [a potential new understanding], or methodological [a potential new way of analyzing] significance.   When thinking about the potential implications of your study, ask the following questions:

• What might the results mean in regards to challenging the theoretical framework and underlying assumptions that support the study?
• What suggestions for subsequent research could arise from the potential outcomes of the study?
• What will the results mean to practitioners in the natural settings of their workplace, organization, or community?
• Will the results influence programs, methods, and/or forms of intervention?
• How might the results contribute to the solution of social, economic, or other types of problems?
• Will the results influence policy decisions?
• In what way do individuals or groups benefit should your study be pursued?
• What will be improved or changed as a result of the proposed research?
• How will the results of the study be implemented and what innovations or transformative insights could emerge from the process of implementation?

NOTE:   This section should not delve into idle speculation, opinion, or be formulated on the basis of unclear evidence . The purpose is to reflect upon gaps or understudied areas of the current literature and describe how your proposed research contributes to a new understanding of the research problem should the study be implemented as designed.

ANOTHER NOTE : This section is also where you describe any potential limitations to your proposed study. While it is impossible to highlight all potential limitations because the study has yet to be conducted, you still must tell the reader where and in what form impediments may arise and how you plan to address them.

VI.  Conclusion

The conclusion reiterates the importance or significance of your proposal and provides a brief summary of the entire study . This section should be only one or two paragraphs long, emphasizing why the research problem is worth investigating, why your research study is unique, and how it should advance existing knowledge.

Someone reading this section should come away with an understanding of:

• Why the study should be done;
• The specific purpose of the study and the research questions it attempts to answer;
• The decision for why the research design and methods used where chosen over other options;
• The potential implications emerging from your proposed study of the research problem; and
• A sense of how your study fits within the broader scholarship about the research problem.

VII.  Citations

As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used . In a standard research proposal, this section can take two forms, so consult with your professor about which one is preferred.

• References -- a list of only the sources you actually used in creating your proposal.
• Bibliography -- a list of everything you used in creating your proposal, along with additional citations to any key sources relevant to understanding the research problem.

In either case, this section should testify to the fact that you did enough preparatory work to ensure the project will complement and not just duplicate the efforts of other researchers. It demonstrates to the reader that you have a thorough understanding of prior research on the topic.

Most proposal formats have you start a new page and use the heading "References" or "Bibliography" centered at the top of the page. Cited works should always use a standard format that follows the writing style advised by the discipline of your course [e.g., education=APA; history=Chicago] or that is preferred by your professor. This section normally does not count towards the total page length of your research proposal.

Develop a Research Proposal: Writing the Proposal. Office of Library Information Services. Baltimore County Public Schools; Heath, M. Teresa Pereira and Caroline Tynan. “Crafting a Research Proposal.” The Marketing Review 10 (Summer 2010): 147-168; Jones, Mark. “Writing a Research Proposal.” In MasterClass in Geography Education: Transforming Teaching and Learning . Graham Butt, editor. (New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2015), pp. 113-127; Juni, Muhamad Hanafiah. “Writing a Research Proposal.” International Journal of Public Health and Clinical Sciences 1 (September/October 2014): 229-240; Krathwohl, David R. How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2005; Procter, Margaret. The Academic Proposal. The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Punch, Keith and Wayne McGowan. "Developing and Writing a Research Proposal." In From Postgraduate to Social Scientist: A Guide to Key Skills . Nigel Gilbert, ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2006), 59-81; Wong, Paul T. P. How to Write a Research Proposal. International Network on Personal Meaning. Trinity Western University; Writing Academic Proposals: Conferences , Articles, and Books. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Writing a Research Proposal. University Library. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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How to write a research proposal?

Department of Anaesthesiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Devika Rani Duggappa

Writing the proposal of a research work in the present era is a challenging task due to the constantly evolving trends in the qualitative research design and the need to incorporate medical advances into the methodology. The proposal is a detailed plan or ‘blueprint’ for the intended study, and once it is completed, the research project should flow smoothly. Even today, many of the proposals at post-graduate evaluation committees and application proposals for funding are substandard. A search was conducted with keywords such as research proposal, writing proposal and qualitative using search engines, namely, PubMed and Google Scholar, and an attempt has been made to provide broad guidelines for writing a scientifically appropriate research proposal.

INTRODUCTION

A clean, well-thought-out proposal forms the backbone for the research itself and hence becomes the most important step in the process of conduct of research.[ 1 ] The objective of preparing a research proposal would be to obtain approvals from various committees including ethics committee [details under ‘Research methodology II’ section [ Table 1 ] in this issue of IJA) and to request for grants. However, there are very few universally accepted guidelines for preparation of a good quality research proposal. A search was performed with keywords such as research proposal, funding, qualitative and writing proposals using search engines, namely, PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus.

Five ‘C’s while writing a literature review

BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A proposal needs to show how your work fits into what is already known about the topic and what new paradigm will it add to the literature, while specifying the question that the research will answer, establishing its significance, and the implications of the answer.[ 2 ] The proposal must be capable of convincing the evaluation committee about the credibility, achievability, practicality and reproducibility (repeatability) of the research design.[ 3 ] Four categories of audience with different expectations may be present in the evaluation committees, namely academic colleagues, policy-makers, practitioners and lay audiences who evaluate the research proposal. Tips for preparation of a good research proposal include; ‘be practical, be persuasive, make broader links, aim for crystal clarity and plan before you write’. A researcher must be balanced, with a realistic understanding of what can be achieved. Being persuasive implies that researcher must be able to convince other researchers, research funding agencies, educational institutions and supervisors that the research is worth getting approval. The aim of the researcher should be clearly stated in simple language that describes the research in a way that non-specialists can comprehend, without use of jargons. The proposal must not only demonstrate that it is based on an intelligent understanding of the existing literature but also show that the writer has thought about the time needed to conduct each stage of the research.[ 4 , 5 ]

CONTENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

The contents or formats of a research proposal vary depending on the requirements of evaluation committee and are generally provided by the evaluation committee or the institution.

In general, a cover page should contain the (i) title of the proposal, (ii) name and affiliation of the researcher (principal investigator) and co-investigators, (iii) institutional affiliation (degree of the investigator and the name of institution where the study will be performed), details of contact such as phone numbers, E-mail id's and lines for signatures of investigators.

The main contents of the proposal may be presented under the following headings: (i) introduction, (ii) review of literature, (iii) aims and objectives, (iv) research design and methods, (v) ethical considerations, (vi) budget, (vii) appendices and (viii) citations.[ 4 ]

Introduction

It is also sometimes termed as ‘need for study’ or ‘abstract’. Introduction is an initial pitch of an idea; it sets the scene and puts the research in context.[ 6 ] The introduction should be designed to create interest in the reader about the topic and proposal. It should convey to the reader, what you want to do, what necessitates the study and your passion for the topic.[ 7 ] Some questions that can be used to assess the significance of the study are: (i) Who has an interest in the domain of inquiry? (ii) What do we already know about the topic? (iii) What has not been answered adequately in previous research and practice? (iv) How will this research add to knowledge, practice and policy in this area? Some of the evaluation committees, expect the last two questions, elaborated under a separate heading of ‘background and significance’.[ 8 ] Introduction should also contain the hypothesis behind the research design. If hypothesis cannot be constructed, the line of inquiry to be used in the research must be indicated.

Review of literature

It refers to all sources of scientific evidence pertaining to the topic in interest. In the present era of digitalisation and easy accessibility, there is an enormous amount of relevant data available, making it a challenge for the researcher to include all of it in his/her review.[ 9 ] It is crucial to structure this section intelligently so that the reader can grasp the argument related to your study in relation to that of other researchers, while still demonstrating to your readers that your work is original and innovative. It is preferable to summarise each article in a paragraph, highlighting the details pertinent to the topic of interest. The progression of review can move from the more general to the more focused studies, or a historical progression can be used to develop the story, without making it exhaustive.[ 1 ] Literature should include supporting data, disagreements and controversies. Five ‘C's may be kept in mind while writing a literature review[ 10 ] [ Table 1 ].

Aims and objectives

The research purpose (or goal or aim) gives a broad indication of what the researcher wishes to achieve in the research. The hypothesis to be tested can be the aim of the study. The objectives related to parameters or tools used to achieve the aim are generally categorised as primary and secondary objectives.

Research design and method

The objective here is to convince the reader that the overall research design and methods of analysis will correctly address the research problem and to impress upon the reader that the methodology/sources chosen are appropriate for the specific topic. It should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study.

In this section, the methods and sources used to conduct the research must be discussed, including specific references to sites, databases, key texts or authors that will be indispensable to the project. There should be specific mention about the methodological approaches to be undertaken to gather information, about the techniques to be used to analyse it and about the tests of external validity to which researcher is committed.[ 10 , 11 ]

The components of this section include the following:[ 4 ]

Population and sample

Population refers to all the elements (individuals, objects or substances) that meet certain criteria for inclusion in a given universe,[ 12 ] and sample refers to subset of population which meets the inclusion criteria for enrolment into the study. The inclusion and exclusion criteria should be clearly defined. The details pertaining to sample size are discussed in the article “Sample size calculation: Basic priniciples” published in this issue of IJA.

Data collection

The researcher is expected to give a detailed account of the methodology adopted for collection of data, which include the time frame required for the research. The methodology should be tested for its validity and ensure that, in pursuit of achieving the results, the participant's life is not jeopardised. The author should anticipate and acknowledge any potential barrier and pitfall in carrying out the research design and explain plans to address them, thereby avoiding lacunae due to incomplete data collection. If the researcher is planning to acquire data through interviews or questionnaires, copy of the questions used for the same should be attached as an annexure with the proposal.

Rigor (soundness of the research)

This addresses the strength of the research with respect to its neutrality, consistency and applicability. Rigor must be reflected throughout the proposal.

It refers to the robustness of a research method against bias. The author should convey the measures taken to avoid bias, viz. blinding and randomisation, in an elaborate way, thus ensuring that the result obtained from the adopted method is purely as chance and not influenced by other confounding variables.

Consistency

Consistency considers whether the findings will be consistent if the inquiry was replicated with the same participants and in a similar context. This can be achieved by adopting standard and universally accepted methods and scales.

Applicability

Applicability refers to the degree to which the findings can be applied to different contexts and groups.[ 13 ]

Data analysis

This section deals with the reduction and reconstruction of data and its analysis including sample size calculation. The researcher is expected to explain the steps adopted for coding and sorting the data obtained. Various tests to be used to analyse the data for its robustness, significance should be clearly stated. Author should also mention the names of statistician and suitable software which will be used in due course of data analysis and their contribution to data analysis and sample calculation.[ 9 ]

Ethical considerations

Medical research introduces special moral and ethical problems that are not usually encountered by other researchers during data collection, and hence, the researcher should take special care in ensuring that ethical standards are met. Ethical considerations refer to the protection of the participants' rights (right to self-determination, right to privacy, right to autonomy and confidentiality, right to fair treatment and right to protection from discomfort and harm), obtaining informed consent and the institutional review process (ethical approval). The researcher needs to provide adequate information on each of these aspects.

Informed consent needs to be obtained from the participants (details discussed in further chapters), as well as the research site and the relevant authorities.

When the researcher prepares a research budget, he/she should predict and cost all aspects of the research and then add an additional allowance for unpredictable disasters, delays and rising costs. All items in the budget should be justified.

Appendices are documents that support the proposal and application. The appendices will be specific for each proposal but documents that are usually required include informed consent form, supporting documents, questionnaires, measurement tools and patient information of the study in layman's language.

As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used in composing your proposal. Although the words ‘references and bibliography’ are different, they are used interchangeably. It refers to all references cited in the research proposal.

Successful, qualitative research proposals should communicate the researcher's knowledge of the field and method and convey the emergent nature of the qualitative design. The proposal should follow a discernible logic from the introduction to presentation of the appendices.

Financial support and sponsorship

Conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interest.

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Research Proposal: What it is + Free Guide

The success of your project, your team, and your financial future is dependent on the success of your research proposal. In some instances, it will assist in obtaining funding in your chosen field of study, while in other cases, it may facilitate your receiving a grant or funding.

The following article is designed to help you provide your decision-makers with the best research proposal strategy.

What is a Research Proposal?

A Research Proposal is an outline and overview of the research you intend to conduct. Its goal is t o establish expertise and support your proposed area of research in shaping the assessment of your application. Your research proposal is just the beginning of your research project. Over time, your ideas will grow and develop.

Benefits of writing a well-designed research proposal

The purpose of a research proposal is to inform your client or end-user of the significance of your research . It will also provide the following benefits:

• Show that your project is important and of high quality and that you are capable of completing the research.
• Provide an opportunity for you to think through your research project, refine your focus, and anticipate any challenges that may arise. 
• You may want to review your proposal at different stages of your research process .

to remind yourself of your focus and to chart how your project has progressed.

How to write a Research Proposal 

What to include in the proposal:.

Provide a brief and concise overview of the survey in your introduction. Identify the survey topic, the data sought, and the target. Additionally, the introduction should describe the purpose of the survey, how the results will be used, how the volunteers or paid respondents will be contacted, and how many people will be contacted.

Include the dates on which the survey will begin and end. It should also be noted whether the identities of the participants will also be revealed with the results. The proposal should include a copy of the survey.

This will give the relevant authority or review committee that will be approving or disapproving the survey the opportunity to analyze the survey intent in detail. In the event that the results are subject to sampling errors , specify how the data will be handled.

1. Specificity Is Key

Imagine a professor of neurology heading a research group that wants to survey college students’ sleeping habits and needs 100 volunteers to complete five short questions. Researchers could contact students on campus to recruit participants. The survey proposal would include detailed information on what the neurology team is trying to learn, including information on why the survey is important, such as citing prior research in the field.

2. Provide Contact Information

A survey proposal should identify the surveyors involved and include the name of the person who will handle the proposal. In addition, a description of the manner in which participants will be contacted (by telephone, email, or in-person) should be included.

3. Example of an outline for a survey research proposal

It is important to structure your Survey Proposal Outline so that it provides structure to your reader, addressing your problem statement or main point of the study.

Describe your objectives, research methodology, research activities, and a timeline similar to what follows.

What Not To Do While Writing A Research Proposal

• The topic of your research cannot be generic. It has to be concise and to the point.
• Not explaining the need for your study: If anyone has to invest anything into your research, you’ll need to sell it.
• Having impractical goals or suggestions without any backing.
• Have poor theory and knowledge of the subject.
• Use outdated material and data sources as reference points.
• Poor grammar and poor presentation skills for your idea

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SOC W 505/506 Foundations of Social Welfare Research

• What is a Research Proposal?
• Qualitative Research
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• General Research Methods
• IRB's and Research Ethics
• Data Management and Analysis

Information on Writing a Research Proposal

From the Sage Encyclopedia of Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation:

Research proposals are written to propose a research project and oftentimes request funding, or sponsorship, for that research. The research proposal is used to assess the originality and quality of ideas and the feasibility of a proposed project. The goal of the research proposal is to convince others that the investigator has (a) an important idea; (b) the skills, knowledge, and resources to carry out the project; and (c) a plan to implement the project on time and within budget. This entry discusses the process of developing a research proposal and the elements of an effective proposal.

For a graduate student, a research proposal may be required to begin the dissertation process. This serves to communicate the research focus to others, such as members of the student’s dissertation committee. It also indicates the investigator’s plan of action, including a level of thoroughness and sufficient detail to replicate the study. The research proposal could also be considered as a contract, once members of the committee agree to the execution of the project.

Requirements may include:  an abstract, introduction, literature review, method section, and conclusion.  A research proposal has to clearly and concisely identify the proposed research and its importance. The background literature should support the need for the research and the potential impact of the findings.

The method section proposes a comprehensive explanation of the research design, including subjects, timeline, and data analysis. Research questions should be identified as well as measurement instruments and methods to answer the research questions. Proposals for research involving human subjects identify how the investigators will protect participants throughout their research project. 

Proposals often require engaging in an external review either by an external evaluator or advisory  board consisting of expert consultants in the field. References are included to provide documentation about the supporting literature identified in the proposal. Appendixes and supplemental materials may also be included, following the sponsoring organization’s guidelines. As a general rule, educational research proposals follow the American Psychological Association formatting guidelines and publishing standards. If funding is being requested, it is important for the proposal to identify how the research will benefit the sponsoring organization and its constituents.

The success of a research proposal depends on both the quality of the project and its presentation. A proposal may have specific goals, but if they are neither realistic nor desirable, the probability of obtaining funding is reduced. Similar to manuscripts being considered for journal articles, reviewers evaluate each research proposal to identify strengths and criticisms based on a general framework and scoring rubric determined by the sponsoring organization. Research proposals that meet the scoring criteria are considered for funding opportunities. If a proposal does not meet the scoring criteria, revisions may be necessary before resubmitting the proposal to the same or a different sponsoring organization.

Common mistakes and pitfalls can often be avoided in research proposal writing through awareness and careful planning. In an effective research proposal, the research idea is clearly stated as a problem and there is an explanation of how the proposed research addresses a demonstrable gap in the current literature. In addition, an effective proposal is well structured, frames the research question(s) within sufficient context supported by the literature, and has a timeline that is appropriate to address the focus and scope of the research project. All requirements of the sponsoring organization, including required project elements and document formatting, need to be met within the research proposal. Finally, an effective proposal is engaging and demonstrates the researcher’s passion and commitment to the research addressed.

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A Guide to Research Proposals

• What is a research proposal?
• Searching for journal articles
• Glossary of Research

Contact info

The Story of Research 

If you have ever read a news article online where it included the phrase "In a recent study..." you got a small glimpse of a parallel world. Out in this world, scholars and scientists are putting the scientific method to good use. Unless you know to look for it, you wouldn't know it was there.

Think about where you get your information on a daily basis. It's probably the internet, tv, social media, and from your friends and family. There are other sources of information that you might have never encountered (directly) before coming to SHU. As you enter college, you meet your professors who are here to teach you, yes, but they have other responsibilities too. Outside of their teaching duties, your professors must continue their research which means publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals, chapters in books, or even entire books.

Before diving into a research project, scholars (including your professors) often have to write research proposals. Even experts need to prove that their research is important and valuable. Research proposals are required when applying for grant money from different organizations, so scholars need to make a good argument that proves their project deserves to be funded. Sometimes there is fierce competition for limited funds. Even a good research project (because, let's be honest, some are bad) needs a good research proposal to help it be completed.   

Your Research Proposal

You might be thinking to yourself, "I am not applying for a grant, why is my professor making me do a research proposal?"

A research proposal is a great way to introduce you to research without making you write a long research paper (sounds nice, no?). It is preparing you for future classes where you might have to write a paper whether you research the same topic or not. If you do research the same topic, a research proposal gives you a huge head start because you end up having done a lot of prep work for the final project. This makes the entire process less stressful for you. If you don't use the same topic, you still have a better idea of how the process works for a new research project.

Research proposals force you to think about why the topic matters, not just to yourself, but to a wider audience. You get to learn about the scholarly conversation already going on and how you might be able to contribute to it with your own research.

Picking a Topic

The first thing you need to do is figure out what you want to research. This is probably going to be the hardest part.

Where do you even start?

You'll be spending some time on this project and you don't want to get bored by it. There are a few places to look when you are stuck on finding an interesting research topic. 

• Your professor probably left some suggestions for you in the syllabus or on the handout for the assignment.
• Are there any examples from class that have stuck with you? Or from another one of your classes?
• Have you read anything in the news, seen something on tv or on social media that seemed like something you wanted to research?

Other things to think about when choosing a topic...

• There is such a thing as being too broad and too specific about a topic. If you are finding too many sources and are getting overwhelmed by the options, you need to narrow it down. If you are not finding anything about it, it is too specific and you need to take a step back.
• If you are having an emotional (anger, happiness) response to a particular topic, ask yourself why. You can still research the topic, but be conscious of your strong reactions and/or opinion. You might be inadvertently only looking at the side of the issue with which you agree.  
• Picking a topic
• Handout: Developing a research Question Worksheet for to help develop a more specific research question from a broad topic. Uses the "4 W" questions: Who, What, Where, When

Writing an Abstract

An Abstract is a concise summary of a research paper or article. It is a 150-250 word paragraph that provides a quick overview of your work and explains how it is organized. It should express your thesis or main idea and your key points. It should also suggest any implications of the research you discuss. 

An abstract describes the work. 

It begins with a brief statement of the research problem or question, followed by a description of the research method and design.

Anatomy of a Research Proposal

Below are three main sections you should have in a Research Proposal.

NOTE: Always refer to the assignment prompt from your class or syllabus. Your professor likely has specified a few things that you need to include in your Research Proposal. 

Introduction

• What is your question? Provide a clear description of the question or problem. Explain the purpose of the research. Why is the issue important and to whom? Is there a specific audience that will want or need to know your findings?

Literature Review/Background information

• A literature review is where you discuss what other people have written about the topic (or a similar one). This means you need to find that research and read it and then be able to explain it briefly.
• You are also looking for something that they are missing/already know that they are missing. You are trying to fill that gap with the research you are proposing.
• The number of articles depends on the assignment your professor gave you. In a situation where you are applying for funding, you would want to find as much research as possible to have a complete literature review. For a class assignment, you might not need to find everything ever written. Double-check the assignment. You want to find the most relevant and most recent literature on the subject to help you with your proposal.

Methodology/Investigatory Procedures

• What methods will you use? Qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods? You have been learning about the different methods for research throughout the semester, so it is up to you to decide which is best for your topic. For an overview of the methods, and definitions for other terms, see the Glossary of Research .

Research Proposal Length

Again, this depends on your professor. It can be as short as 4 pages or as long as 20. 

This always depends on the subject you are studying. In the Social Sciences, you will probably need to use APA or Chicago Style (Author-Date). 

• Audiovisual/Digital Sources

Here are some examples of research proposals to give you a little inspiration. Just consider the examples and follow format on above.

• Research Proposal Example From University of Waterloo in Canada. Example Research Proposal on environmental policy in Canada and US.
• A Sample Proposal with Comments This research proposal is not political science related, but has some good questions in the comments section that may help you think through your own research proposal.
• Social Sciences Example 1 Example of research proposal in the social sciences.
• Social Sciences Example 2 Example research proposal in the social sciences: Racial and Ethnic minorities
• Social Sciences Example 3 Example Research Proposal in the Social Sciences: Gangs and Criminal Organizations

For more information about research proposal writing, read through the book Research Proposals: A practical Guide. Click on the link below to access the eBook.

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• What Is a Research Design | Types, Guide & Examples

What Is a Research Design | Types, Guide & Examples

Published on June 7, 2021 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 20, 2023 by Pritha Bhandari.

A research design is a strategy for answering your   research question  using empirical data. Creating a research design means making decisions about:

• Your overall research objectives and approach
• Whether you’ll rely on primary research or secondary research
• Your sampling methods or criteria for selecting subjects
• Your data collection methods
• The procedures you’ll follow to collect data
• Your data analysis methods

A well-planned research design helps ensure that your methods match your research objectives and that you use the right kind of analysis for your data.

Table of contents

Step 1: consider your aims and approach, step 2: choose a type of research design, step 3: identify your population and sampling method, step 4: choose your data collection methods, step 5: plan your data collection procedures, step 6: decide on your data analysis strategies, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research design.

• Introduction

Before you can start designing your research, you should already have a clear idea of the research question you want to investigate.

There are many different ways you could go about answering this question. Your research design choices should be driven by your aims and priorities—start by thinking carefully about what you want to achieve.

The first choice you need to make is whether you’ll take a qualitative or quantitative approach.

Qualitative research designs tend to be more flexible and inductive , allowing you to adjust your approach based on what you find throughout the research process.

Quantitative research designs tend to be more fixed and deductive , with variables and hypotheses clearly defined in advance of data collection.

It’s also possible to use a mixed-methods design that integrates aspects of both approaches. By combining qualitative and quantitative insights, you can gain a more complete picture of the problem you’re studying and strengthen the credibility of your conclusions.

Practical and ethical considerations when designing research

As well as scientific considerations, you need to think practically when designing your research. If your research involves people or animals, you also need to consider research ethics .

• How much time do you have to collect data and write up the research?
• Will you be able to gain access to the data you need (e.g., by travelling to a specific location or contacting specific people)?
• Do you have the necessary research skills (e.g., statistical analysis or interview techniques)?
• Will you need ethical approval ?

At each stage of the research design process, make sure that your choices are practically feasible.

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Within both qualitative and quantitative approaches, there are several types of research design to choose from. Each type provides a framework for the overall shape of your research.

Types of quantitative research designs

Quantitative designs can be split into four main types.

• Experimental and   quasi-experimental designs allow you to test cause-and-effect relationships
• Descriptive and correlational designs allow you to measure variables and describe relationships between them.

With descriptive and correlational designs, you can get a clear picture of characteristics, trends and relationships as they exist in the real world. However, you can’t draw conclusions about cause and effect (because correlation doesn’t imply causation ).

Experiments are the strongest way to test cause-and-effect relationships without the risk of other variables influencing the results. However, their controlled conditions may not always reflect how things work in the real world. They’re often also more difficult and expensive to implement.

Types of qualitative research designs

Qualitative designs are less strictly defined. This approach is about gaining a rich, detailed understanding of a specific context or phenomenon, and you can often be more creative and flexible in designing your research.

The table below shows some common types of qualitative design. They often have similar approaches in terms of data collection, but focus on different aspects when analyzing the data.

Your research design should clearly define who or what your research will focus on, and how you’ll go about choosing your participants or subjects.

In research, a population is the entire group that you want to draw conclusions about, while a sample is the smaller group of individuals you’ll actually collect data from.

Defining the population

A population can be made up of anything you want to study—plants, animals, organizations, texts, countries, etc. In the social sciences, it most often refers to a group of people.

For example, will you focus on people from a specific demographic, region or background? Are you interested in people with a certain job or medical condition, or users of a particular product?

The more precisely you define your population, the easier it will be to gather a representative sample.

• Sampling methods

Even with a narrowly defined population, it’s rarely possible to collect data from every individual. Instead, you’ll collect data from a sample.

To select a sample, there are two main approaches: probability sampling and non-probability sampling . The sampling method you use affects how confidently you can generalize your results to the population as a whole.

Probability sampling is the most statistically valid option, but it’s often difficult to achieve unless you’re dealing with a very small and accessible population.

For practical reasons, many studies use non-probability sampling, but it’s important to be aware of the limitations and carefully consider potential biases. You should always make an effort to gather a sample that’s as representative as possible of the population.

Case selection in qualitative research

In some types of qualitative designs, sampling may not be relevant.

For example, in an ethnography or a case study , your aim is to deeply understand a specific context, not to generalize to a population. Instead of sampling, you may simply aim to collect as much data as possible about the context you are studying.

In these types of design, you still have to carefully consider your choice of case or community. You should have a clear rationale for why this particular case is suitable for answering your research question .

For example, you might choose a case study that reveals an unusual or neglected aspect of your research problem, or you might choose several very similar or very different cases in order to compare them.

Data collection methods are ways of directly measuring variables and gathering information. They allow you to gain first-hand knowledge and original insights into your research problem.

You can choose just one data collection method, or use several methods in the same study.

Survey methods

Surveys allow you to collect data about opinions, behaviors, experiences, and characteristics by asking people directly. There are two main survey methods to choose from: questionnaires and interviews .

Observation methods

Observational studies allow you to collect data unobtrusively, observing characteristics, behaviors or social interactions without relying on self-reporting.

Observations may be conducted in real time, taking notes as you observe, or you might make audiovisual recordings for later analysis. They can be qualitative or quantitative.

Other methods of data collection

There are many other ways you might collect data depending on your field and topic.

If you’re not sure which methods will work best for your research design, try reading some papers in your field to see what kinds of data collection methods they used.

Secondary data

If you don’t have the time or resources to collect data from the population you’re interested in, you can also choose to use secondary data that other researchers already collected—for example, datasets from government surveys or previous studies on your topic.

With this raw data, you can do your own analysis to answer new research questions that weren’t addressed by the original study.

Using secondary data can expand the scope of your research, as you may be able to access much larger and more varied samples than you could collect yourself.

However, it also means you don’t have any control over which variables to measure or how to measure them, so the conclusions you can draw may be limited.

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As well as deciding on your methods, you need to plan exactly how you’ll use these methods to collect data that’s consistent, accurate, and unbiased.

Planning systematic procedures is especially important in quantitative research, where you need to precisely define your variables and ensure your measurements are high in reliability and validity.

Operationalization

Some variables, like height or age, are easily measured. But often you’ll be dealing with more abstract concepts, like satisfaction, anxiety, or competence. Operationalization means turning these fuzzy ideas into measurable indicators.

If you’re using observations , which events or actions will you count?

If you’re using surveys , which questions will you ask and what range of responses will be offered?

You may also choose to use or adapt existing materials designed to measure the concept you’re interested in—for example, questionnaires or inventories whose reliability and validity has already been established.

Reliability and validity

Reliability means your results can be consistently reproduced, while validity means that you’re actually measuring the concept you’re interested in.

For valid and reliable results, your measurement materials should be thoroughly researched and carefully designed. Plan your procedures to make sure you carry out the same steps in the same way for each participant.

If you’re developing a new questionnaire or other instrument to measure a specific concept, running a pilot study allows you to check its validity and reliability in advance.

Sampling procedures

As well as choosing an appropriate sampling method , you need a concrete plan for how you’ll actually contact and recruit your selected sample.

That means making decisions about things like:

• How many participants do you need for an adequate sample size?
• What inclusion and exclusion criteria will you use to identify eligible participants?
• How will you contact your sample—by mail, online, by phone, or in person?

If you’re using a probability sampling method , it’s important that everyone who is randomly selected actually participates in the study. How will you ensure a high response rate?

If you’re using a non-probability method , how will you avoid research bias and ensure a representative sample?

Data management

It’s also important to create a data management plan for organizing and storing your data.

Will you need to transcribe interviews or perform data entry for observations? You should anonymize and safeguard any sensitive data, and make sure it’s backed up regularly.

Keeping your data well-organized will save time when it comes to analyzing it. It can also help other researchers validate and add to your findings (high replicability ).

On its own, raw data can’t answer your research question. The last step of designing your research is planning how you’ll analyze the data.

Quantitative data analysis

In quantitative research, you’ll most likely use some form of statistical analysis . With statistics, you can summarize your sample data, make estimates, and test hypotheses.

Using descriptive statistics , you can summarize your sample data in terms of:

• The distribution of the data (e.g., the frequency of each score on a test)
• The central tendency of the data (e.g., the mean to describe the average score)
• The variability of the data (e.g., the standard deviation to describe how spread out the scores are)

The specific calculations you can do depend on the level of measurement of your variables.

Using inferential statistics , you can:

• Make estimates about the population based on your sample data.
• Test hypotheses about a relationship between variables.

Regression and correlation tests look for associations between two or more variables, while comparison tests (such as t tests and ANOVAs ) look for differences in the outcomes of different groups.

Your choice of statistical test depends on various aspects of your research design, including the types of variables you’re dealing with and the distribution of your data.

Qualitative data analysis

In qualitative research, your data will usually be very dense with information and ideas. Instead of summing it up in numbers, you’ll need to comb through the data in detail, interpret its meanings, identify patterns, and extract the parts that are most relevant to your research question.

Two of the most common approaches to doing this are thematic analysis and discourse analysis .

There are many other ways of analyzing qualitative data depending on the aims of your research. To get a sense of potential approaches, try reading some qualitative research papers in your field.

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.

• 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

A research design is a strategy for answering your   research question . It defines your overall approach and determines how you will collect and analyze data.

A well-planned research design helps ensure that your methods match your research aims, that you collect high-quality data, and that you use the right kind of analysis to answer your questions, utilizing credible sources . This allows you to draw valid , trustworthy conclusions.

Quantitative research designs can be divided into two main categories:

• Correlational and descriptive designs are used to investigate characteristics, averages, trends, and associations between variables.
• Experimental and quasi-experimental designs are used to test causal relationships .

Qualitative research designs tend to be more flexible. Common types of qualitative design include case study , ethnography , and grounded theory designs.

The priorities of a research design can vary depending on the field, but you usually have to specify:

• Your research questions and/or hypotheses
• Your overall approach (e.g., qualitative or quantitative )
• The type of design you’re using (e.g., a survey , experiment , or case study )
• Your data collection methods (e.g., questionnaires , observations)
• Your data collection procedures (e.g., operationalization , timing and data management)
• Your data analysis methods (e.g., statistical tests  or thematic analysis )

A sample is a subset of individuals from a larger population . Sampling means selecting the group that you will actually collect data from in your research. For example, if you are researching the opinions of students in your university, you could survey a sample of 100 students.

In statistics, sampling allows you to test a hypothesis about the characteristics of a population.

Operationalization means turning abstract conceptual ideas into measurable observations.

For example, the concept of social anxiety isn’t directly observable, but it can be operationally defined in terms of self-rating scores, behavioral avoidance of crowded places, or physical anxiety symptoms in social situations.

Before collecting data , it’s important to consider how you will operationalize the variables that you want to measure.

A research project is an academic, scientific, or professional undertaking to answer a research question . Research projects can take many forms, such as qualitative or quantitative , descriptive , longitudinal , experimental , or correlational . What kind of research approach you choose will depend on your topic.

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Home » How To Write A Proposal – Step By Step Guide [With Template]

How To Write A Proposal – Step By Step Guide [With Template]

Table of Contents

How To Write A Proposal

Writing a Proposal involves several key steps to effectively communicate your ideas and intentions to a target audience. Here’s a detailed breakdown of each step:

Identify the Purpose and Audience

• Clearly define the purpose of your proposal: What problem are you addressing, what solution are you proposing, or what goal are you aiming to achieve?
• Identify your target audience: Who will be reading your proposal? Consider their background, interests, and any specific requirements they may have.

Conduct Research

• Gather relevant information: Conduct thorough research to support your proposal. This may involve studying existing literature, analyzing data, or conducting surveys/interviews to gather necessary facts and evidence.
• Understand the context: Familiarize yourself with the current situation or problem you’re addressing. Identify any relevant trends, challenges, or opportunities that may impact your proposal.

Develop an Outline

• Create a clear and logical structure: Divide your proposal into sections or headings that will guide your readers through the content.
• Introduction: Provide a concise overview of the problem, its significance, and the proposed solution.
• Background/Context: Offer relevant background information and context to help the readers understand the situation.
• Objectives/Goals: Clearly state the objectives or goals of your proposal.
• Methodology/Approach: Describe the approach or methodology you will use to address the problem.
• Timeline/Schedule: Present a detailed timeline or schedule outlining the key milestones or activities.
• Budget/Resources: Specify the financial and other resources required to implement your proposal.
• Evaluation/Success Metrics: Explain how you will measure the success or effectiveness of your proposal.
• Conclusion: Summarize the main points and restate the benefits of your proposal.

Write the Proposal

• Grab attention: Start with a compelling opening statement or a brief story that hooks the reader.
• Clearly state the problem: Clearly define the problem or issue you are addressing and explain its significance.
• Present your proposal: Introduce your proposed solution, project, or idea and explain why it is the best approach.
• State the objectives/goals: Clearly articulate the specific objectives or goals your proposal aims to achieve.
• Provide supporting information: Present evidence, data, or examples to support your claims and justify your proposal.
• Explain the methodology: Describe in detail the approach, methods, or strategies you will use to implement your proposal.
• Address potential concerns: Anticipate and address any potential objections or challenges the readers may have and provide counterarguments or mitigation strategies.
• Recap the main points: Summarize the key points you’ve discussed in the proposal.
• Reinforce the benefits: Emphasize the positive outcomes, benefits, or impact your proposal will have.
• Call to action: Clearly state what action you want the readers to take, such as approving the proposal, providing funding, or collaborating with you.

Review and Revise

• Proofread for clarity and coherence: Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
• Ensure a logical flow: Read through your proposal to ensure the ideas are presented in a logical order and are easy to follow.
• Revise and refine: Fine-tune your proposal to make it concise, persuasive, and compelling.

Add Supplementary Materials

• Attach relevant documents: Include any supporting materials that strengthen your proposal, such as research findings, charts, graphs, or testimonials.
• Appendices: Add any additional information that might be useful but not essential to the main body of the proposal.

Formatting and Presentation

• Follow the guidelines: Adhere to any specific formatting guidelines provided by the organization or institution to which you are submitting the proposal.
• Use a professional tone and language: Ensure that your proposal is written in a clear, concise, and professional manner.
• Use headings and subheadings: Organize your proposal with clear headings and subheadings to improve readability.
• Pay attention to design: Use appropriate fonts, font sizes, and formatting styles to make your proposal visually appealing.
• Include a cover page: Create a cover page that includes the title of your proposal, your name or organization, the date, and any other required information.

Seek Feedback

• Share your proposal with trusted colleagues or mentors and ask for their feedback. Consider their suggestions for improvement and incorporate them into your proposal if necessary.

Finalize and Submit

• Make any final revisions based on the feedback received.
• Ensure that all required sections, attachments, and documentation are included.
• Double-check for any formatting, grammar, or spelling errors.
• Submit your proposal within the designated deadline and according to the submission guidelines provided.

Proposal Format

The format of a proposal can vary depending on the specific requirements of the organization or institution you are submitting it to. However, here is a general proposal format that you can follow:

1. Title Page:

• Include the title of your proposal, your name or organization’s name, the date, and any other relevant information specified by the guidelines.

2. Executive Summary:

•  Provide a concise overview of your proposal, highlighting the key points and objectives.
• Summarize the problem, proposed solution, and anticipated benefits.
• Keep it brief and engaging, as this section is often read first and should capture the reader’s attention.

3. Introduction:

• State the problem or issue you are addressing and its significance.
• Provide background information to help the reader understand the context and importance of the problem.
• Clearly state the purpose and objectives of your proposal.

4. Problem Statement:

• Describe the problem in detail, highlighting its impact and consequences.
• Use data, statistics, or examples to support your claims and demonstrate the need for a solution.

5. Proposed Solution or Project Description:

• Explain your proposed solution or project in a clear and detailed manner.
• Describe how your solution addresses the problem and why it is the most effective approach.
• Include information on the methods, strategies, or activities you will undertake to implement your solution.
• Highlight any unique features, innovations, or advantages of your proposal.

6. Methodology:

• Provide a step-by-step explanation of the methodology or approach you will use to implement your proposal.
• Include a timeline or schedule that outlines the key milestones, tasks, and deliverables.
• Clearly describe the resources, personnel, or expertise required for each phase of the project.

7. Evaluation and Success Metrics:

• Explain how you will measure the success or effectiveness of your proposal.
• Identify specific metrics, indicators, or evaluation methods that will be used.
• Describe how you will track progress, gather feedback, and make adjustments as needed.
• Present a detailed budget that outlines the financial resources required for your proposal.
• Include all relevant costs, such as personnel, materials, equipment, and any other expenses.
• Provide a justification for each item in the budget.

9. Conclusion:

•  Summarize the main points of your proposal.
•  Reiterate the benefits and positive outcomes of implementing your proposal.
• Emphasize the value and impact it will have on the organization or community.

10. Appendices:

• Include any additional supporting materials, such as research findings, charts, graphs, or testimonials.
•  Attach any relevant documents that provide further information but are not essential to the main body of the proposal.

Proposal Template

Here’s a basic proposal template that you can use as a starting point for creating your own proposal:

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

I am writing to submit a proposal for [briefly state the purpose of the proposal and its significance]. This proposal outlines a comprehensive solution to address [describe the problem or issue] and presents an actionable plan to achieve the desired objectives.

Thank you for considering this proposal. I believe that implementing this solution will significantly contribute to [organization’s or community’s goals]. I am available to discuss the proposal in more detail at your convenience. Please feel free to contact me at [your email address or phone number].

Yours sincerely,

Note: This template is a starting point and should be customized to meet the specific requirements and guidelines provided by the organization or institution to which you are submitting the proposal.

Proposal Sample

Here’s a sample proposal to give you an idea of how it could be structured and written:

Subject : Proposal for Implementation of Environmental Education Program

I am pleased to submit this proposal for your consideration, outlining a comprehensive plan for the implementation of an Environmental Education Program. This program aims to address the critical need for environmental awareness and education among the community, with the objective of fostering a sense of responsibility and sustainability.

Executive Summary: Our proposed Environmental Education Program is designed to provide engaging and interactive educational opportunities for individuals of all ages. By combining classroom learning, hands-on activities, and community engagement, we aim to create a long-lasting impact on environmental conservation practices and attitudes.

Introduction: The state of our environment is facing significant challenges, including climate change, habitat loss, and pollution. It is essential to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to understand these issues and take action. This proposal seeks to bridge the gap in environmental education and inspire a sense of environmental stewardship among the community.

Problem Statement: The lack of environmental education programs has resulted in limited awareness and understanding of environmental issues. As a result, individuals are less likely to adopt sustainable practices or actively contribute to conservation efforts. Our program aims to address this gap and empower individuals to become environmentally conscious and responsible citizens.

Proposed Solution or Project Description: Our Environmental Education Program will comprise a range of activities, including workshops, field trips, and community initiatives. We will collaborate with local schools, community centers, and environmental organizations to ensure broad participation and maximum impact. By incorporating interactive learning experiences, such as nature walks, recycling drives, and eco-craft sessions, we aim to make environmental education engaging and enjoyable.

Methodology: Our program will be structured into modules that cover key environmental themes, such as biodiversity, climate change, waste management, and sustainable living. Each module will include a mix of classroom sessions, hands-on activities, and practical field experiences. We will also leverage technology, such as educational apps and online resources, to enhance learning outcomes.

Evaluation and Success Metrics: We will employ a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Pre- and post-assessments will gauge knowledge gain, while surveys and feedback forms will assess participant satisfaction and behavior change. We will also track the number of community engagement activities and the adoption of sustainable practices as indicators of success.

Budget: Please find attached a detailed budget breakdown for the implementation of the Environmental Education Program. The budget covers personnel costs, materials and supplies, transportation, and outreach expenses. We have ensured cost-effectiveness while maintaining the quality and impact of the program.

Conclusion: By implementing this Environmental Education Program, we have the opportunity to make a significant difference in our community’s environmental consciousness and practices. We are confident that this program will foster a generation of individuals who are passionate about protecting our environment and taking sustainable actions. We look forward to discussing the proposal further and working together to make a positive impact.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Should you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at [your email address or phone number].

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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Budgeting, Cost Principles and Tools

Cost principles and guidance.

Project budgets should include all costs required to accomplish the objectives in the proposal or agreement. These costs are categorized as either direct or indirect costs.

All direct costs charged to sponsored projects awarded to The University of Texas must be allowable, allocable, necessary and reasonable for carrying out the objectives of the sponsored project as defined in Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200). To be consistent in managing direct costs, the University extends these requirements to both federal and nonfederal sponsors.

For details on direct costs, see the Code of Federal Regulations ( 200.413 ), which are also detailed in the University (HOP).

All costs charged to a sponsored project must be allowable, reasonable and allocable ( 2 CFR 200 Subpart E—Cost Principles ).

Allowable: A direct cost is allowable when it is necessary for the project and meets the criteria for reasonable and allocable costs outlined here in 200.403 .

Reasonable: A direct cost is reasonable when it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person, as defined in 200.404 .

Allocable: A cost is allocable to a particular award if the relative benefit of the goods or services can be assigned to that award. The cost must be incurred specifically for the award, and be charged to the award proportionally to the benefit the award received, as outlined in 200.405 .

For additional details, please see Select Items of Cost Guide (PDF) .

Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs are costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefited. These costs include building depreciation, equipment and capital improvement, utilities, custodial services, general administration, research administration, the libraries, accounting and purchasing. ( 200.414 ).

The University’s F&A rates are determined by an agreement with the federal government in accordance with the federal  Uniform Guidance . See the current  Cost Rate Agreement .

Organized Research – On-Campus Organized Research means all research and development activities that are separately budgeted and accounted for, including sponsored and University research activities and research training activities.

58.5% (MTDC) (14.5% ARL)

Instruction – On-Campus Instruction means the institution’s teaching and training activities (other than research training) whether offered for credit toward a degree or certificate or on a non-credit basis, and whether offered through regular academic departments or separate divisions, such as a summer school division or an extension division.

Other Sponsored Activities – On-Campus Other Sponsored Activities means programs and projects financed by federal and non-federal agencies and organizations which involve the performance of work other than instruction and organized research. Examples of such programs and projects are health service projects and community service programs, as well as symposia and conferences that do not meet the definition of  Instruction .

Off-Campus This rate is used when the project will take place off campus for at least 90 consecutive days  and  one of the following criteria is met:

• The combined proposed effort of all involved UT personnel working off-campus is greater than the combined proposed effort of all involved UT personnel working on-campus. This includes unpaid contributed effort.
• The budget includes leasing or renting an off-site facility as a direct cost, and the personnel paid from the grant and any equipment are located at that facility.
• The total direct costs incurred off-campus exceeds the total direct costs incurred on-campus.

You must have OSP approval prior to using the off-campus rate. Requests to use the off-campus rate are due to OSP at least seven (7) business days before the proposal deadline.

The University of Texas at Austin will honor published (e.g. foundations or non-profits) or statutory (e.g. USDA, US Dept. of Education) limitations on recovery of indirect costs. The University also accepts the following rates from these prime sponsors without additional documentation:

• Texas, Austin and Travis County Funding (excluding federal flow through) activities are 15% (TDC)
• Non profit foundations without published rates are 15% (TDC)
• Clinical Trials for Industry (excluding federal flow through) are 38% (TDC)

All other exceptions to these F&A rates require a waiver, which is approved by the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors.

Waiver and reduction requests are submitted to OVPR through the Associate Dean for Research (ADR) or equivalent in the PI’s college or unit. Requests should include:

• Detailed budget
• Explanation for the request
• Approval by the ADR
• Draft commitment letter prepared for signature by OVPR if required by the sponsor

Requests for IDC adjustments must be routed by the ADR to OVPR for final review and approval at least 7 business days prior to the proposal submission deadline.

Please note:

• OVPR does not judge the relative merit of submitted proposals; therefore, it will not waive or reduce F&A to make proposals more competitive.
• OVPR does not grant F&A waivers or reductions for the sake of stretching a proposal’s budget; therefore, OVPR will not waive or reduce F&A to help a budget fit into an agency cost cap.

Subrecipients to The University of Texas at Austin should use the federally negotiated F&A agreements in effect at their institutions unless a published or statutory limitation from the prime sponsor applies. When no approved cost rate agreement exists and there is no sponsor-published policy, the University will accept the following F&A rates from these prime sponsors:

• National Institutes of Health (NIH) subawards for foreign institutions of international organizations ( GPS 16.6 ;  45 CFR 75.414(c)(1)(i) ) are accepted at 8% (MTDC).
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) subawards for for-profit entities WITHOUT an established cost rate agreement (excluding SBIR/STTR) ( GPS 7.4 ;  45 CFR 75.414(c)(1)(ii) ) are not allowed. For-profit entities WITH a negotiated rate agreement should use their negotiated rates.
• Any federal sponsor with a subaward for a non-federal entity (never having received a negotiated indirect cost rate) ( 2 CFR 200.414(f) ), will accept 10% (MTDC) de minimus.

Please note, the University does not negotiate indirect cost rates for subrecipients.

Base: The F&A rate is applied to a base of direct costs in order to determine the F&A Cost. The base can be calculated in one of the following ways:

• Total Direct Costs (TDC)  =  TDC  means all direct costs included in the project budget. There are no exclusion or modifiers.
• Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)  =  MTDC  means all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs ( §200.1 ).

See the F&A Rate Decision Guide (PDF) for more information.

Participant Support vs. Participant Incentive

Per Uniform Guidance  2 CFR 200.1 , Participant Support is a direct cost for items such as stipends or subsistence allowances, travel allowances and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conference, or training projects. Participant Support Costs are exempt from F&A when using UT’s negotiated F&A rate.

Uniform Guidance  2 CFR 200.308(c)(5)  requires prior sponsor approval to transfer funds budgeted for participant support costs to other budget categories.

Participant Incentives are low value payments or items given to individuals to encourage them to participate in research. In order to be an incentive, the value of a payment or item must be minimal and should be provided to all participants in the research projects.

Paying individuals in exchange for their participation is a common and, in general, acceptable practice. Payment to individuals for their participation in studies is not considered a benefit and is not taken into account when IRB weighs the risks and benefits of the research. Payments can include compensation, gift certificates to participate in a survey, or petty cash “gifts” to encourage rural interviews.

UT Austin allows for use of  Tango Card  to compensate research participants. Tango Card is an online gift card service that enables researchers to allocate research compensation remotely.

Participant Incentives are part of the MTDC Base, and F&A should be calculated for funds budgeted in this expense category.

Any prior approval requirements to rebudget this expense category will be detailed in the sponsored award document.

Cost Sharing

Cost sharing is a commitment made by an institution to fund a portion of the total cost of a sponsored agreement. Find information on UT Austin’s cost sharing policies and procedures for reporting.

Fringe Rates and Guidelines

The term “fringe benefits” refers to non-wage expenses paid by an employer on behalf of their employees. These expenses include insurance premium sharing, employer matching, Social Security (OASI) and Medicare, Teacher Retirement System (TRS) and Optional Retirement Program (ORP) matching, as well as assessments for Unemployment Compensation Insurance (UCI), Workers’ Compensation Insurance (WCI), vacation and sick leave.

Fringe Rates

Fringe benefits are a direct cost to a sponsored project ( §200.431 ). They are budgeted as a percentage of the salaries and wages and shown as a separate entry in the budget. Fringe is charged on all payroll transactions processed in Workday (See a detailed list ).

The University’s fringe rates are negotiated with its cognizant agency (DHHS) and are part of the University’s  F&A Cost Rate Agreement .

The actual fringe benefit rate will be charged to the project when the expense is incurred, regardless of what rate is budgeted in the proposal. It may be necessary to rebudget during the project period to pay for actual fringe benefit costs.

Additional fringe benefit rate information can be found at UT Austin Payroll .

Projections for Planning Purposes

Fringe mitigation.

The transition to pooled fringe rates in FY19 may impact existing sponsored projects or previously submitted proposals. To mitigate grant/contract accounts (26- accounts) whose proposals were submitted prior to August 10, 2018 with fringe budgeted at less than the new rates, see Fringe Overdrafts Guidance .

Budget Revisions Requests

The transition to pooled fringes may impact existing awards. To that end, Post-Award will be enforcing fringe requirements on budget transfers in line with expected needs to support the new pooled fringe rates.

A budget transfer represents a deviation from the originally planned project and budget. The budget transfer may be sponsor-approved or allowed, but in either case the transfer composition of salary and fringe will need to meet the ongoing budget needs under pooled fringes.

This means, all budget transfers will need to carry a fringe-to-salary ratio of 30% (the percentage ratio may be updated annually dependent on the negotiated rate).

A budget transfer may increase or decrease only salary, only fringe or both. For questions, see Salary Cap Guidance .

To initiate a budget transfer, log into the Financial Resources Management System (FRMS) and Select the Transfers tab.

Person Months Calculator

A “person month” is the metric for expressing the effort (amount of time) personnel devote to a specific project. The effort is based on the type of appointment of the individual (Calendar, Academic or Summer).

Download UT’s Person Month Calculator Template

OSP Constituency List

UT’s Proposal Budget Template Download a five-year budget template to map out proposed project costs by category.

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

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• Russian River Salmon & Steelhead Program
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Bureau of governmental research raises concerns over proposed recovery district for new orleans sewerage and water board.

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The Bureau of Governmental Research is raising what they call significant concerns with a proposed plan to overhaul the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board.

Gov. Jeff Landry appointed a task force to create a plan to fix decadeslong issues with the utility in New Orleans.

The task force released its plan last week, which called for a Recovery District to oversee the utility for a two-year period.

The suggested 11-member board would be created by the legislature and replace the Sewerage and Waterboard Board of Directors.

The BGR issued a letter to the New Orleans City Council regarding the proposal, pointing out several problems with it.

The letter states that the proposed 11-member board would face a steep learning curve regarding how the utility is run.

The letter says that the current board has years of experience governing the utility and that momentum could be lost in the overhaul.

Other issues brought to light in the letter include the city losing control, which could lessen the council's ability to hold the utility accountable for performance problems.

BGR suggested that the council work with the legislature to establish legal authority over the handling of the utility's funding proposals as well as a framework for oversight of the utility.

The BGR also recommended that the council review its funding process so that an independent expert deals with funding requests and provides opportunities for public comment.

The letter suggests that the comprehensive oversight includes regular reviews of strategic and financial reports, updates on operations, regular monitoring of performance and goals that have measurable outcomes.

Through this process, the BGR said it hopes the council can hold the utility accountable for performance and keep the S&WB effective in its operations.

Opinion | Biden administration proposal threatens…

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Opinion | Biden administration proposal threatens innovative research at universities across the country

UCLA just purchased a 700,000-square-foot property in Westwood that it’s planning to remodel into a state-of-the-art research park for quantum science, immunology, immunotherapy, and other high-tech fields. UCLA has billed the park as the “future home of discoveries that will change the world.”

Despite such visionary local leadership, however, policymakers in Washington are poised to scuttle innovation at universities across the country. The Biden administration plans to reinterpret a decades-old law, the Bayh-Dole Act, that is at the heart of university-based research and development.

The proposal would affect patents on any invention arising from federally funded research. It asserts the federal government’s supposed authority to “march in” and effectively seize patents when officials think a product’s price is too high.

In essence, the federal government wants to control the price of university-based innovations. Doing so would blow up the “technology transfer” system that turns breakthrough discoveries into real solutions. Products on the chopping block include life-saving therapies and quantum computers.

This would set us back to before 1980, when the government maintained control over all patents associated with federal funding. Because Washington had neither the capacity nor incentive to commercialize these inventions, and universities cannot make and sell products on their own, publicly funded breakthroughs rarely yielded tangible benefits.

Bayh-Dole solved this problem by allowing universities and other federally funded research institutions to retain patent rights for their discoveries. That enabled them to partner with private businesses that bring their inventions to market. In turn, universities collect royalties that support more students and more research, creating a continuous cycle of innovation.

Bayh-Dole unlocked the vast innovation potential of America’s universities. Before Bayh-Dole, federally funded research had produced roughly 30,000 patents, but the government had licensed fewer than 1,500 for commercialization. In comparison, 2022 alone saw nearly 17,000 patent applications filed for federally funded discoveries and almost 10,000 licenses executed. The Act supports millions of jobs, has helped launch over 17,000 start-ups, and has contributed around $2 trillion to U.S. output.

UCLA’s new research park helps illustrate Bayh-Dole’s influence. Google, which supported UCLA’s acquisition of the site, was founded to commercialize a patented search engine algorithm from Stanford University. Meanwhile, it was a revolutionary drug developed by UCLA faculty that sparked the launch of the field of cancer immunotherapy, a primary focus of the new park.

Private sector partners are critical for bringing such university innovations to market, and they rely on patents to justify their investment. If the government casts doubt on the reliability of these patents, firms will hesitate to license and develop early-stage research. Unfortunately, the new patent seizure plan will do just that.

The administration maintains it will only exercise this newfound authority when prices are “unreasonable,” whatever that means. But if the government can decide the level of profitability, especially based on such arbitrary, unpredictable standards, the private sector will avoid all promising inventions generated from federal funds. In the end, they will not reach the public.

Not only is the proposal bad policy, it is also illegal. The Bayh-Dole Act does not give the administration price-control authority. In fact, the law’s bipartisan architects, Senators Birch Bayh and Bob Dole, explicitly cautioned against it. And every single presidential administration, from both parties, has consistently declined to use the law to regulate prices.

UCLA envisions the new research park as “bring[ing] scholars from different higher education institutions, corporate partners, government agencies and startups together to…achieve breakthroughs that will serve our global society.” This type of cooperation has become the norm under Bayh-Dole. It will end abruptly if the Biden administration rewrites the rules of the game.

Fortunately, there are better approaches to improving access to drugs and other technologies. UCLA, for example, recently partnered with the UN’s Medicines Patent Pool and the student-led UAEM (Universities Allied for Essential Medicines) to require that licenses include an Affordable Access Plan for low- and middle-income countries. Leaving the crafting of such plans to private-public partnerships makes more sense than Washington big-footing it.

UCLA is investing $500 million in developing the new research park. The private sector will add much more. But for these investments to ultimately benefit the public, the Biden administration must lay off Bayh-Dole.

Amir Naiberg serves as associate vice chancellor and president & CEO of UCLA Technology Development Corporation. Andrei Iancu served as the undersecretary of Commerce for intellectual property and director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from 2018 to 2021 and serves as board co-chair of the Council for Innovation Promotion.

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Regions & Countries

How temporary protected status has expanded under the biden administration.

Since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, his administration has greatly expanded the number of immigrants who are eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) – a designation that gives them time-limited permission to live and work in the United States and avoid potential deportation.

The federal government offers TPS to qualifying immigrants who live in the U.S. and come from selected nations that are deemed unsafe to return to because of war, natural disasters or other crises.

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to determine the number of immigrants in the U.S. who are eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The federal government, as directed by the president, determines the countries whose immigrants living in the U.S. would be eligible for TPS. TPS is granted to nationals of designated countries and to those with no nationality, but who last habitually lived in a designated country (immigrants). To apply, immigrants must have continuously lived in the U.S. at or before a date specified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

For this analysis, we collected information about the TPS program published on the DHS website; Federal Register announcements about TPS benefits ; and information from the Congressional Research Service .

In this analysis, TPS beneficiary numbers for most countries are taken from DHS statistics provided to the Congressional Research Service, which exclude recipients who also have lawful permanent resident status or U.S. citizenship. Some may have left the U.S. or died. For immigrants eligible for TPS from the redesignations of Cameroon, Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela, estimates of the number of people eligible were included in the most recent Federal Register notices regarding those countries’ TPS designations.

Nearly 1.2 million of the roughly 21.6 million noncitizen immigrants living in the U.S. are either receiving or eligible for TPS. These immigrants come from 16 countries : Afghanistan, Cameroon, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen.

Federal immigration officials may grant TPS for up to 18 months based on conditions in immigrants’ home countries, and they may repeatedly extend this eligibility if dangerous conditions in those countries persist.

The Biden administration cited dangerous conditions in Cameroon, Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela when it recently expanded TPS protections to immigrants from those countries. The Federal Register provides detailed information about each of these countries’ designations .

The recent TPS expansions continue the Biden administration’s efforts to broaden the program .

Since 2021, the Department of Homeland Security – which oversees the program – has added Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Ukraine and Venezuela to the list of countries whose immigrants may qualify for TPS. It also extended the terms of eligibility for immigrants from most countries that were already covered by TPS.

The Biden administration’s expansions stand in contrast to the Trump administration’s efforts to end TPS for nearly all beneficiaries. On his first day as president, Biden asked Congress to pass legislation that would allow TPS recipients who meet certain conditions to apply immediately for green cards that would let them become lawful permanent residents. Green card holders may be granted U.S. citizenship if they pass additional background checks and meet the usual naturalization conditions of knowledge of English and U.S. civics.

TPS recipients are not currently eligible for permanent residency or U.S. citizenship unless they pursue those statuses through other immigration processes.

Some TPS recipients have lived in the U.S. for decades

Immigrants with TPS live in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, according to the Congressional Research Service . The largest numbers live in Florida, Texas, California and New York – all of them states with large immigrant populations.

Some current TPS beneficiaries have lived in the U.S. for two decades or more. For example, those from Honduras and Nicaragua have been eligible because of damage from Hurricane Mitch in 1998, provided they have been living in the U.S. since Dec. 30 of that year. And current protections for immigrants from El Salvador apply to those who have lived in the U.S. since Feb. 13, 2001, following a series of earthquakes that killed more than a thousand people and inflicted widespread damage there.

Deferred Enforced Departure also offers protection from deportation

Another form of temporary relief from deportation, called Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), is granted at the president’s discretion, rather than as a result of an administrative process in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It usually follows catastrophes in immigrants’ home countries similar to those that have triggered TPS. Currently, certain immigrants from Liberia, Hong Kong and the Palestinian territories are eligible for this benefit and are also allowed to apply for authorization to work. Liberian immigrants with DED have  relief until June 30, 2024 , and those from Hong Kong until Feb. 5, 2025 . The president recently enacted DED for immigrants from the Palestinian territories for 18 months starting Feb. 14, 2024.

To be granted TPS, applicants must meet filing deadlines, pay a fee, and prove they have lived in the U.S. continuously since the events that triggered relief from deportation. They must also meet criminal record requirements . For example, they must show that they have not been convicted of any felony or two or more misdemeanors while in the U.S.; persecuted others; or engaged in terrorism.

Once the Department of Homeland Security determines that a nation’s immigrants are eligible for TPS, those immigrants can apply for deportation relief if they entered the U.S. without authorization or entered on a temporary visa that has since expired. Those with a valid temporary visa or another non-immigrant status, such as foreign students, are also eligible to apply.

Federal officials are required to announce 60 days before any TPS designation expires whether it will be extended. Without a decision, it automatically extends for another six months.

Congress and President George H.W. Bush authorized the TPS program in the 1990 immigration law , granting the White House executive power to designate and extend the status to immigrants in the U.S. based on certain criteria.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published Oct. 28, 2021.

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A Proposed Framework and Lexicon for Cancer Prevention

Cancer Discov 2024;14:594–9

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Philip E. Castle , Jessica M. Faupel-Badger , Asad Umar , Timothy R. Rebbeck; A Proposed Framework and Lexicon for Cancer Prevention. Cancer Discov 1 April 2024; 14 (4): 594–599. https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-23-1492

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Cancer prevention is central to efforts to control the burden of cancer. We propose a new terminology framework to help guide these efforts and promote a key equity principle: “equal care for equal risk.”

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