Show that you understand the current state of research on your topic.
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
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.
Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:
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:
To guide your introduction , include information about:
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:
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.
? or ? , , or research design? | |
, )? ? | |
, , , )? | |
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To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.
For example, your results might have implications for:
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
Research phase | Objectives | Deadline |
---|---|---|
1. Background research and literature review | 20th January | |
2. Research design planning | and data analysis methods | 13th February |
3. Data collection and preparation | with selected participants and code interviews | 24th March |
4. Data analysis | of interview transcripts | 22nd April |
5. Writing | 17th June | |
6. Revision | final work | 28th July |
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:
To determine your budget, think about:
If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Methodology
Statistics
Research bias
Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .
Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.
I will compare …
A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.
Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.
A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.
A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.
A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.
All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.
Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.
Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.
The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
McCombes, S. & George, T. (2024, September 05). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-proposal/
Other students also liked, how to write a problem statement | guide & examples, writing strong research questions | criteria & examples, how to write a literature review | guide, examples, & templates, what is your plagiarism score.
To be a successful candidate for a research grant, you need perfect budget formulation and justification. Here, we will help you plan the research budget for your grant proposal and give you handy tips to transform it into a convincible form.
Your budget is the skeleton of your grant proposal. It provides the estimated finance your research needs to be completed in a particular time range. It also gives the funders an exact knowledge about where their funds will be used and how will they be financed ( Asya, 2008 ). It is your responsibility to postulate clearly how you will manage the funds if granted. An excellent budget plan will compel your funders to assume that you have thought about every financial detail concerning your project.
Certain wordings are preferred to convey your research budget information better. It is important to familiarize with them before constructing the budget section of the proposals. The lexis includes:
These are the expenses that are utilized solely for executing your research. For example, expenses on your research staff members, tools, materials, and travel finance.
These are the overhead charges reserved for institutional facilities that you avail yourself while conducting your research. For example, institutional laboratory, electricity, and water usage costs.
These are the additional benefits provided to the personnel, along with their basic salaries. Every institution has its own set of fringe benefits rates.
It is a group of institutions that apply for a grant together as one. They have reached a grant agreement, and one of the institutions represents them all. The budget is divided between them.
There are two budget designs used in the NIH grant applications. Specific points will decide the type of budget design form you have to use for your application. These are:
Your budget design is considered modular when your research fulfills the following criteria:
Your budget design should be in detailed form if your research project fulfills any of the below-mentioned criteria:
For the modular design, you have to fill out the PHS 398 modular budget application form, and for the detailed design budget, you have to use the R & R detailed budget application form.
Your budget planning starts when you find the research question and decide on a suitable study design. You should also be able to guess the unpredictable charges that can arise while conducting your research ( Sudheesh, Devika & Nethra, 2016 ). There are five main points to keep in mind while planning your research budget:
Think about all the things that will affect your research budget. These are mainly the study design, testing procedures, sample collection methods, and research settings. The more complicated and unique these essentials will be, the higher will be your budget requirements. Also, observe the already present resources and will they benefit your research budget.
The next point to consider while planning your budget is to abide by the budget rules and limitations of your particular funding agency. Read each instruction carefully and remember not to deviate from it. It is expected of you to provide the exact list of items necessary for your project.
Thirdly, a breakdown of each item into its related category should be made along with its cost. A breakdown of the budget item-wise and year-wise with cost calculation should be done. Point out the recurring and nonrecurring items that are directly related to your research. All this planning is done beforehand to ensure proper budget management.
For every enlisted item, you should be able to provide a solid justification for its importance in your research. Only a well-justified budget document can win the confidence of the peer reviewers.
Reviewing is the most significant step for every document or proposal. You can ask your team members to review your budget document for you. Also, recalculate the cost of each item and the total items combined cost per annum. Keep in mind that too low or high budget will only raise suspicion in the mind of your reviewers. So, make sure you plan a research budget range, not more than the maximum limit set by your funding agency ( Michael et al., 2019 ).
Projecting your finances into your application requires skills. When writing, we primarily divide our budget into two sub-sections. These include:
As mentioned before, these are the direct expenses on which your research is largely dependent. So, firstly, give the heading of direct costs and then further give the following subheadings with explanations.
Personnel Involved
If your research project involves resource team members, here is where you have to mention them. Your resource team includes the technicians, laboratory attendants, site caretakers, data entry personnel, junior researchers, and the senior researcher involved. Specify their allowances and salaries in an organized manner.
Recurring Expenditure
These expenses occur regularly and yet cannot be avoided. These include equipment usage, laboratory-conducted diagnostic tests, telecommunication charges, chemicals, and any other essential items. Fees for human subjects involved in your research are also stated here.
Non-recurring Expenditure
These are the costs of items for which you have to pay one-time charges, and then their use is free. These include buying charges for the printer, computer, or other electronic items. Once you buy them, they are charge-free. Thus, you have to specify all the non-recurring charges in your budget form.
Traveling Expenditure
In this subheading, specify the amount spent on your traveling for research purposes. Separately mention your traveling costs for attending research-related conferences, seminars, and training. Also, mention the travel expenses for the surveys and data collection. Visiting expenses to other institutions for the sake of a research study can also be mentioned here.
The second sub-section is indirect expenditure. It includes facilities that are indirectly related to your research project. These can be library facilities, electricity, and water usage for your experiments and test conduction. These are also called overhead charges that are paid specifically to the institution for providing such facilities ( Ahmed & Abdullah, 2017 ).
In the final paragraph, write a short finalizing note relating your budget outlining the main point. This should be a 4 to 5-lined paragraph.
Most of the funding agencies separately require justification for each item that you specified in your above-mentioned budget form. This document is also known as the budget narrative page. It reasons the importance of that item for your research conduction. Each item is mentioned in the same order as in your budget form and should be justified respectively ( Al-Jundi & Salah, 2016 ). It is best to make a three-columned table with the name of the item in the first column, the quantity and cost in the second column, and a justification statement in the third column.
In the last, you have to provide a summarized form of your budget for your proposed research. It is written at the end when you have completed writing your whole application. In this, you have to specify every item with its cost per annum. The non-recurring items will only be specified under the first-year heading as they have a one-time expense. Likewise, the recurring items will be mentioned in both years, along with their costs.
The following points will enhance the esthetics of your budget section:
Writing the budget items under a categorized heading will make it easy for the reviewers to retrieve the necessary points in your budget. You can use bullet marks or checklist signs to highlight your main points. This will show the reviewers that you have the budget representation skills and that your enlisted budget finance is authentic.
Try to write your budget essentials in a tabulated form with three main columns. The first column represents the item name. The second column specifies the cost of that particular essential. The third column signifies the importance of your particular essential in performing your research. This will save both time and effort of reviewers who have to scrutinize many applications at a time.
The pattern you follow for each essential specification in the budget form should be followed in the same manner while writing the budget justification document. There should be a flow in your budget data and which will further enhance its esthetics.
Your language should be simple enough to be understood by a common person. Complicated terms and phrases will only make it difficult for reviewers to reach your point of view.
Your budget prepares you for all the financial aids you need to conduct your research. It informs you about the expenses of each research item and method. In this way, you can choose an economical procedure for your research. The budget section is considered as the key factor of success or failure for your proposal. This section requires a skillful approach and should be handled delicately. Nowadays, research writers record their budget in the form of electronic spreadsheets. It is easy to manage the budget essentials and the expenses via these excel spreadsheets. You just need to point out and categorize the direct and indirect costs in the already drawn tabulated budget spreadsheet. Hence, you will be able to plan and compose a well-scripted budget by following the instructions given in this article.
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Basic components of a research budget, two models of budget development, other factors affecting your budget.
Budgets should provide the sponsor with an accurate assessment of all cost items and cost amounts that are deemed necessary and reasonable to carry out your project. They should be based upon your description or the statement of work. Budget justification provides more in-depth detail and reason for each cost and is often considered by reviewers as a good indicator of the feasibility of the research.
A research budget contains both direct costs and indirect costs (overhead), but the level of detail varies from sponsor to sponsor. The first step in developing a budget is to carefully read the guidelines of the funding opportunity being pursued.
There is no magic formula available for developing a budget but there are some basic steps to follow in order to develop an accurate budget:
The examples below developed by the University of British Columbia demonstrate two ways to include indirect costs in your budget.
Unless the sponsor specifies in writing that they require the indirect costs of research to be presented as a separate line item (Cost Model), the indirect cost should be built into each budget line item (Price Model). Indirect costs are normally included in the price of goods and services worldwide.
For example, you are developing a budget for a funding opportunity with an indirect cost rate of 25%. Your direct costs are $201,000 broken down by expense categories shown in the second column of the table below. The third and fourth colums present the two ways you can include the 25% overhead in your budget using the Price Model or the Cost Model, respectively:
Line item description | Direct Cost | Price model (indirect cost built into each line item) | Cost model (indirect cost presented as a separate line item) |
---|---|---|---|
Salary: Post-Doctoral fellow * 1 | $42,000 | $52,500 | $42,000 |
Salary: PhD student * 2 | $43,000 | $53,750 | $43,000 |
Salary: Master's student * 3 | $54,000 | $67,500 | $54,000 |
Digital devices | $26,000 | $32,500 | $26,000 |
Consumables | $15,000 | $18,750 | $15,000 |
Travel and subsistence | $21,000 | $26,250 | $21,000 |
SFU Indirect Cost (25% of Direct Costs) | N/A | N/A | $50,250 |
In-kind and cash contributions, like other costs to the sponsored project, must be eligible and must be treated in a consistent and uniform manner in proposal preparation and in financial reporting.
Cash contributions are actual cash transactions that can be documented in the accounting system. Examples of cash contributions include:
In-kind contributions are both non-monetary or cash equivalent resources that can be given a cash value, such as goods and/or services in support of a research project or proposal. It is challenging to report on in-kind contribution, please make sure the numbers you use are well supported, consistent and easy to quantitate.
Examples of an in-kind contribution may include:
Some sponsored projects require the university and/or a third party to contribute a portion of the project costs–this contribution is known as matching.
Matching requirements may be in the form of an actual cash expenditure of funds or may be an “in-kind” match. For example:
Examples of agency programs that include some form of matching from a third party are:
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How to Estimate a Proposal Budget: Considerations, Calculators, Communication
Creating an effective proposal budget is key to writing a winning proposal.
But it’s not exactly easy.
Your proposal budget has to be accurate, justifiable, and appealing … all while ensuring profitability for your organization.
(Learn how RFP360 can help you streamline the proposal management process.)
But what exactly is a proposal budget?
A proposal budget is the budget you put forth in a business proposal. It serves as an estimate of the cost your prospect will pay if they select your organization.
Below, we’ll provide advice to help you create an effective proposal budget in the form of considerations, calculators, and communication tips.
When creating a proposal budget, you must consider five key factors.
To calculate the salary cost for your proposal, determine who will be involved in the project.
For example, an ad agency might support their clients with:
A software company, on the other hand, might rely on:
Once you know who will support the prospect if they select your organization, determine how much they make per hour.
Then, simply multiply that figure by the number of hours they will need to work.
Your proposal budget should also take research and development costs into consideration.
How much did your organization invest in determining whether you had a viable market and offering? How much did you spend actually creating the offering?
While you won’t put the burden of recouping these costs on a single client, they are important to keep in mind.
If your employees must travel to satisfy your proposal, factor in these costs, as well.
This may include salespeople, implementation specialists, trainers, account managers, or anyone else who does on-site visits with the client.
Operational expenses are crucial to remember when creating a proposal budget. After all, you have to keep the lights on.
Calculate costs such as marketing, sales, rent, utilities, maintenance, general staff, and any other expenses your organization must incur to continue operations.
Finally, understand your target profit margin.
While your business objective likely centers around your customers, you can’t serve anyone if you don’t stay in business.
Understand and consider your profit margin before finalizing your proposal budget.
To help you accurately estimate your proposal budget, we’ve compiled a list of calculator tools.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation offers this Indirect Cost Calculator tool “to assist applicants with calculating the allowable amount of indirect costs that can be included in proposal budgets.”
Price&Cost is a software solution that offers “painless project budgeting and cost tracking.”
While the solution costs $90 per month in their lowest pricing tier, they offer a 14-day free trial.
Here’s a short, one-minute video that explains how it works:
This tool is designed to work as an overall business budget calculator that “you can treat as a business budget worksheet to plan out the budget for upcoming months or to quickly reassess your priorities.”
It can, however, serve as your proposal budget calculator. Just ignore the income sections and focus on one-time costs, salaries, and monthly expenses.
Effectively communicating your proposal budget is key.
One often-overlooked step in this process comes during the client discovery period: Understanding your prospect’s budget.
Creating a proposal budget that’s wildly out of line with their expectations won’t help anyone.
But how do you get your prospects to open up about their budget before you respond to their requests for proposals (RFPs)?
According to sales expert Lilly Ferrick , “You could come right out and ask, ‘What is your budget?’ But in doing so, unless you’ve already established a high degree of trust, you are likely to encounter obstacles.”
Instead, she suggests:
Approaching the topic in this manner allows prospects to engage in a fluid conversation, instead of locking them into a specific figure before they’re comfortable.
Use the insights gained from this discussion to tailor your proposal to their needs and limitations.
Once you’re ready to present your proposal budget, you’ll want to create a budget narrative — also known as a budget justification.
According to the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), a budget narrative serves two purposes:
The key to writing a budget narrative that appeals to prospects is providing adequate detail and tying everything back to return on investment (ROI).
In most cases, organizations aren’t trying to avoid spending money — they’re trying to avoid wasting money.
As long as you can prove the money they invest in your organization will bring value, they’ll happily accept the cost.
RFP360 — the only full-circle RFP management system on the market today — streamlines the entire proposal management process, empowering users to focus on creating compelling content that leads to wins.
“RFP360 has really helped us handle dramatic influxes,” said Technolutions Chief of Staff Laura Gardner. “For example, at one point last year, we had 12 RFPs due in one month, and we were able to submit responses to all of them.”
Learn how RFP360 can improve the proposal management process at your organization.
As RFP360’s sales director, Pat is responsible for implementing strategic growth initiatives, mentoring sales staff, and driving revenue. Before joining RFP360, he led the sales team for a growing tech firm as they launched their North American presence and new go-to-market strategies. When he’s not working or chasing down his one-and-a-half-year-old and three-and-a-half-year-old children, he enjoys golfing and watching live music.
Find out why leading response teams across the world turn to Responsive for their Strategic Response Management and RFP software needs.
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While financial support is crucial for conducting research, acquiring funds for your research is a challenging task and so is planning the budget for grant proposal !
The key requisites of a successful grant proposal are:
In an attempt to grab the attention of funders, researchers strive to submit innovative research proposals and often overlook other elements when creating a successful grant proposal. One such neglected section is the budget for grant proposals . It is important for funders to know how finances are being utilized. Therefore, adequately estimating how much the project will cost and how the finances will be distributed can make all the difference. In simpler words, your grant proposal must explain your request in both textual and numeral forms.
It is often a challenge for budding researchers to present an estimated cost of their research. However, remember that the grant budget is not an organizational budget! Furthermore, in today’s age of stiff competition, even senior researchers will benefit from improving their budgeting skills. In this article, we will discuss ways on how to draft a compelling budget for grant proposal.
Why is the Budget Section Important for a Grant Proposal?
A grant budget is important to paint the financial picture of your research proposal to the funders. The budget for grant proposal provides the following:
What Constitutes a Budget for Grant Proposal?
An estimated budget quantifies the financial plan for possible expenses during the research project. The budget for grant proposals must demonstrate and serve a plan for funders on how the researcher/s will utilize the money for both operational aspects of the project and miscellaneous expenses associated with the research.
In order to stand out from other applicants, researchers can customize the budget for grant proposal as per the funding agencies’ guidelines. However, the major elements of the budget plan comprise two broad categories: Direct and Indirect Costs
Direct costs are perhaps the most critical part of your budget section. These expenses are solely incurred for executing your research. It broadly includes expenses towards:
Furthermore, direct costs are sub-categorized into the below two forms based on their occurrence during the research:
As human resources are required for the study, salaries with allowances must be budgeted as per funding agency guidelines. The human resources may include personnel such as site manager, research assistant, junior research fellow (JRF), senior research fellow (SRF), research associate, technician, or data entry operator, and attender.
These expenses are variable and may keep on occurring throughout the study period. Consumables, chemicals, glassware, laboratory test charges , diagnostic kits, stationery, prints, photocopies, communication, postage, telephone charges, survey tools, questionnaires, publication charges, reprints, binding, etc. are some of the particulars in this category. Additionally, recurring expenses could also include allowances for patients/participants, food charges, and medical charges.
These are expenses that are one-time in nature and do not recur at regular intervals throughout the research duration. Equipment or instruments along with its accessories, software programs, computers, printers, electronic accessories of existing instruments in your lab, etc. are some of the particulars covered under non-recurring expenses.
Travelling expenses can be used for attending meetings, conferences, workshops, and training programs relevant to your research study. Some funding agencies allow both foreign and domestic travel, whereas, some do not. You can mention traveling expenses for collection of data, survey, and visit to other centers in a multi-centric study in this sub-section.
The detailed budget for grant proposal should be clear, well organized and easy to understand. Below is an example for grant proposal. The costs described below are direct costs:
These do not directly attribute to specific expenses of a research, but rather act as an accomplice to run a project. These are also termed as overhead charges. Particulars such as electricity bill, water, library membership, accommodation charges, administrative charges, etc. are included in indirect costs. Generally, about 5–15% of the total budget is provisioned as overhead charges, which is credited to the institution directly. However, this range may vary as per the funding agency.
Tips to Draft a Compelling Budget for Grant Proposal
So when does your budget planning begin? It’s usually when you have your research question and a suitable study design ready!
Here are seven top tips to follow whilst drafting a compelling budget for grant proposal :
Study design, testing procedures, sample collection methods, and research settings are the essential factors that need to be focused on to resolve the research problem. The uniqueness and complexity of these essentials increases the chances of being incorporated in the budget.
You must abide by the budget rules and limitations provided by your potential funder and draft the budget accordingly. Scrutinize each instruction and do not deviate from its actual meaning. Most importantly, stick to the list of requisites provided by the funding agencies.
Breakup all particulars with their costs under related categories as mentioned earlier. Furthermore, follow an item-wise and year-wise tabulation method to present your budget.
Funders like to see that the investigators are valuing the finances provided and not splurging on irrelevant particulars. For instance, you must mention if you can redirect resources such as equipment or instruments that are already available from your previous study and can be used in your present study.
While you are seeking for funds , the funder is interested in investing in projects that bring other resources to the table. Owing to this, your budget section must include two sections:
Inclusion of expenses is obviously the major part of the budget section. Likewise, mentioning revenue in this case means other sources that will pay for your research.
You’d wonder—why do the potential funders care about where the other money is coming from? Well, it is to instill trust in the funders. Acquiring some or most of the needed funds gives credibility to your research and ensures the funder that organizations are willing to invest in non-profit research.
It is critical to base your budgeted expenses on the true costs of your project requisites. But pulling numbers out of thin air will lead to confusion and tally errors. Make sure that you find the cost of all particulars from trusted sources and quote them accurately in your budget. Avoid over-estimating your budget, as it may repel the funder. As you know, “something is better than nothing”! So stick to the narrative of your research and align the budget of grant proposal to it. Subsequently, it is important to keep in mind that a very low budget will raise eyebrows to suspicion. Thus, make sure what you request for is reasonable.
Describe your methodology to track the expenses throughout the project. You must mention how you plan to effectively manage your expenses and review them. Additionally, give references of some tools that you will be using to manage your finances.
Have you been facing challenges in drafting the budget for grant proposal ? What did you do to improve your budgeting skills? Try these tips while drafting the next budget for your grant proposal and let us know how it works out for you and your colleagues.
Hi , can i please get a template? for research grant
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Budgets and budget justifications demonstrate feasibility, value for money and detail why you need an item for your project, as well as how you arrived at the costings.
Every research project has two budget categories: direct costs and indirect costs.
The University determines a set percentage for the indirect costs of funded research. Contact Grants Services for the correct figure to use.
Direct costs are costs integral to achieving the research objectives of a grant. The costs directly address the research objectives of the grant and relate to the research plan.
Direct cost examples:
Indirect costs are institution costs that benefit and support research activities at the institution. Although they are necessary for the conduct of research and may be incurred during the project, they are costs that do not directly address the approved research objectives of a grant.
Indirect cost examples:
All external research activities are expected to contribute to indirect costs except :
Indirect costs are calculated by determining the direct costs first and then applying the indirect costs formula:
e.g. Direct costs = $50,000 x (indirect cost % figure) = Total project cost
Your project budget needs to include all cash and in-kind items it requires.
In-kind support is any non-cash contributions that a party gives to the project. In-kind can be contributed by Western Sydney University or by an external party, and can include:
On-costs are direct costs associated with salary. These costs relate to superannuation, sick leave, payroll tax etc. and must be included your budget.
Access this link for more detail about Western on-costs
For the latest salary figures, please check with the Office of People
You are a Lead Chief Investigator (CI) on a non-Category 1 funding body project for one year. You commit 0.4 (FTE) of your time to the research = 2 days per week. You are paid at Academic Level E, Step 2, which is $188,944 per annum. You can calculate your salary inclusive of 28% on-costs as follows:
0.4 x 0.28 x 188,944 = 21,161.73
The budgeting of your salary, a direct cost of the research, should be listed as $21,161.73.
If your project covers three years, with the same or differing time commitments, you calculate this figure for each year of your project. Remember to factor in pay rises according to Step increases in multi-year grants.
You may also have a research assistant employed full-time for seven weeks at HEW Level 5, Step 3. You hire the assistant at the casual hourly rate of $48.97, which includes 25% leave loading. You add 16.5% on-costs to this figure:
48.97 x (35 x 7) = 11,997.65
11,997.65 x .165 = 1,979.50
1,979.50 + 11,997.65 = 13,977.15
The total cost to employ the research assistant is $13,977.15.
Note 1: the maximum period a person can be employed on a casual rate is 6 months.
Note 2: For some schemes, the funding provider stipulates a specific maximum rate for funding of salary on-costs, e.g. the Australian Research Council (ARC) funds on-costs at a rate of 30%, so you must use this figure.
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Setting up a research budget plan is really crucial for any Ph.D. candidate or any other researcher. This plan will help you know how expensive your research is. A research budget ensures you if all the costs are covered or if you need any additional funds to cover the research expenses. In conclusion, this guide will help you to provide a realistic appraisal of the research costs.
Is there a fund? Is there a funding opportunity within the Faculty? How about the cost of publishing your article in an open-access journal? Some Universities fund publication cost too.
When you are planning a research budget there is different kind of costs:
This kind of cost is utilized solely to execute the research. like expenses on:
These expenses will be reserved for institutional facilities when conducting your research. For example:
There is 2 kind of budget designs:
When you find the research question and plan a suitable study design; You can guess the unpredictable charges that can arise while researching. Consider these five main points while planning your research budget:
Which items will affect your research budget? These are mainly:
Find the introduction of budget rules and limitations by your funding agency.
You should do a breakdown of the budget item-wise and year-wise with cost calculation. After that, consider the recurring and nonrecurring items that are directly related to your research.
For every enlisted item provide a solid justification for its importance in your research budget.
Reviewing is the most significant step of your budget plan. Above all, Recalculate the cost of each item and the total items. Remember that too low or high budget will raise suspicion in the mind of your reviewers. So stay in the research budget range.
The funding agencies require justification for each item of the budget plan. This document is also known as the budget narrative page. In other words, It reasons the importance of each item. Academictown suggests drawing a three-columned table with:
At last, provide a summarized form of your budget to specify every item with its cost per annum:
This research budget plan prepares you for all the financial aids you need. The plan will inform you about the expenses of each research item and method. The budget section is the key factor of success or failure for your proposal. For instance, You can manage the items with a spreadsheet. Pointing out and categorizing the direct and indirect costs, at last, will be able to plan and compose a well-scripted budget.
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The budget should list all cost details for the year or another appropriate period of time. It should include any applicable salaries & wages, fringe benefits, services, supplies, equipment, publications, travel, other direct expenses, and any facility and administrative costs. A brief outline for developing a budget is included in Michigan Tech's policies and procedures manual .
Sample budgets are available for Michigan Tech researchers in the RD Toolkit .
You can download a budget worksheet (Excel) to help you with this process. Refer to the Guidelines for Budget Development for additional calculation help and information.
Follow these cost considerations when developing your budget:
Sponsor requirements differ, and sample budget justifications should be seen only as a starting point. Guidelines for sponsor requirements are in the annotated budget justifications. Read the solicitation and the sponsor’s proposal preparation guidelines for each proposal's requirements.
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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:
Literature review.
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.
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.
Show your reader why your project is interesting, original, and important. | |
Demonstrate your comfort and familiarity with your field. Show that you understand the current state of research on your topic. | |
Make a case for your . Demonstrate that you have carefully thought about the data, tools, and procedures necessary to conduct your research. | |
Confirm that your project is feasible within the timeline of your program or funding deadline. |
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
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.
Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:
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:
To guide your introduction , include information about:
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:
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.
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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:
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
Research phase | Objectives | Deadline |
---|---|---|
1. Background research and literature review | 20th January | |
2. Research design planning | and data analysis methods | 13th February |
3. Data collection and preparation | with selected participants and code interviews | 24th March |
4. Data analysis | of interview transcripts | 22nd April |
5. Writing | 17th June | |
6. Revision | final work | 28th July |
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:
To determine your budget, think about:
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.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.
McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, June 13). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved 9 September 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/the-research-process/research-proposal-explained/
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How to make a simple research budget
Writing a Proposal Budget
Breakdown of the budget into item-wise and year-wise with cost calculation should be done. It should be ensured that costs are reasonable, allowable and related to the research proposal, so that the budget appears realistic. Travel expenses should be calculated as per the rules of the funding agency.
Preparing a Proposal Budget Toolkit
Example: Statistical Consultant - $100/hour, estimated 20 hours Budget: $100 x 20 = $2,000. d) Student Support. If you're involving students in your research, include their stipends or wages. Example: Graduate Student Assistant - $1,500/month for 9 months Budget: $1,500 x 9 = $13,500.
A research proposal budget is a financial plan that details the costs of a research project. Including both direct and indirect costs in your budget is crucial for accuracy. Justifying each budget item helps in gaining approval from stakeholders. Avoiding common budgeting mistakes can improve the chances of funding success.
A precise estimate of the budget is really the best approach to win a grant. And importantly, once your proposal has been funded, you will find that having carefully estimated the different costs at the application stage will not only guarantee an optimal use of the funds, but also make the practical implementation of the research project ...
The Budget and Budget Justification sections of a research proposal demonstrate to reviewers that you understand what resources are required to effectively operationalize your research project and that you've thoughtfully mapped out this important part of your research plan. BUDGETS: Principle: The expenses listed in a good research budget should
Creating a Budget. In general, while your research proposal outlines the academic significance of your study, the budget and budget narrative show that you have an understanding of what it will cost for you to be able to perform this research. Your proposed budget should identify all the expenses that are necessary and reasonable for the ...
Abstract. Novice investigators may be intimidated by the task of proposal budget preparation. Often a basic understanding of the mechanics of budgeting, paired with a good working relationship with the institution's sponsored programs office, can alleviate much of the stress investigators encounter in developing budgets.
How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & ...
Try to write your budget essentials in a tabulated form with three main columns. The first column represents the item name. The second column specifies the cost of that particular essential. The third column signifies the importance of your particular essential in performing your research.
Develop a research budget
How to Estimate a Proposal Budget: Calculators, Research ...
Here are seven top tips to follow whilst drafting a compelling budget for grant proposal: Focus on Uniqueness of Study Essentials. Study design, testing procedures, sample collection methods, and research settings are the essential factors that need to be focused on to resolve the research problem.
Developing a Budget for Your Research Application
Research Budgeting. A research budget will help you determine all the expenses that are required to successfully execute your research project. Budget expenses are often organized into expense categories. Budget Terminology. The total budget (cost) of a research project is made up of both. cash*and in-kind*contributions; the Tri-Agencies ...
The plan will inform you about the expenses of each research item and method. The budget section is the key factor of success or failure for your proposal. For instance, You can manage the items with a spreadsheet. Pointing out and categorizing the direct and indirect costs, at last, will be able to plan and compose a well-scripted budget.
A successful grant-winning application requires two key elements: (1) innovative research prob lem with best probable idea/plan for. tackling it and (2) appropriate planning of budget. The aim of ...
Useful tips for writing a research proposal. Maintain a focus in your proposal: Your research proposal should be clear and concise, outlining your research idea and its benefits to your chosen field of study, in a way that the reader can clearly understand. Remember, your proposal is just the starting point and an outline and does not need to ...
Proposal Budgets | Research Projects | Michigan Tech
Sample Budget Justifications. Sponsor requirements differ, and sample budget justifications should be seen only as a starting point. Guidelines for sponsor requirements are in the annotated budget justifications. Read the solicitation and the sponsor's proposal preparation guidelines for each proposal's requirements.
How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates