engineering phd proposal example

School of Engineering

Guide to writing a research proposal for an engineering phd.

An important part of your PhD application is the research proposal so we want to know what your research interests are so that we may direct your application to potential supervisors. The proposal does not need be long, but the quality should be high and no more than 2-3 pages should be sufficient. Ideally your proposal should address the points below however as long as we get a clear idea of your research interests then we can consider your application.

• Ensure that your research interests match those in the School of Engineering.
• Outline the main objectives of your research, providing details of two or three key aspects.
• State your target audience for this project.
• Explain what the main outcomes of the project are that you would want to see.
• Outline what methods/approaches you intend to use to achieve the aims of your project.
• Indicate your suggested data collection procedures, including sources and any possible difficulties.
• Explain any analytical techniques you intend to use for your research.
• Broad research areas which would be unmanageable as a PhD topic or that have no relevance to the University of Warwick research areas.
• Vague descriptions of your research interests.

• How to Write a Great PhD Research Proposal | FindAPhD.com

How to Write a Great PhD Research Proposal

Written by Mark Bennett

You'll need to write a research proposal if you're submitting your own project plan as part of a PhD application. A good PhD proposal outlines the scope and significance of your topic and explains how you plan to research it.

It's helpful to think about the proposal like this: if the rest of your application explains your ability to do a PhD, the proposal demonstrates the actual PhD you plan to do. Of course, being able to effectively plan and explain a research project is one of the key qualifications for being able to complete one, which is why the proposal is such an important part of the PhD application process.

Thankfully, the secret to writing a good research proposal isn't complicated. It's simply a case of understanding what the proposal is for, what it needs to do and how it needs to be put together.

On this page

What is a phd research proposal.

First things first, do you need a research proposal for your PhD? It depends on the kind of project you want to do:

• If your PhD is advertised by a university, you probably won't need to submit a research proposal for it. The broad aims and objectives for your PhD will already be defined: you just need to prove you're the right person to do it.
• But, if you're proposing your own research topic to research within a university's PhD programme, you will need to write a proposal for it (the clue is in the word "proposing")

As a rule, advertised PhDs are very common in STEM subjects, whereas Arts, Humanities and Social Science students are more likely to propose their own PhDs.

Some PhD programmes actually wait and ask students to develop their research proposal during the degree (usually after they've completed some initial training). This is normal in the USA , but it's becoming more common for some UKRI-funded UK PhDs.

For the purposes of this guide we're going to assume that you do need to write a good research proposal for your PhD application. So let's explore what's involved in that.

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What should a research proposal for PhD admission include?

It's natural to be a little intimidated at the thought of structuring a PhD proposal, particularly if you've never written anything like this before.

But here's the thing: a research proposal isn't a fiendish test designed to catch you out and stop you ever doing a PhD. It's actually much more boring than that.

All a research proposal really is is a document that demonstrates three things:

• Your PhD is worthwhile
• Your PhD is feasible
• You are capable of completing it at this university

Or to put it even more simply: the PhD is worth doing, it's doable and you can do it.

Demonstrate your PhD is worthwhile (the what and the why)

A successful PhD project has to make a significant original contribution to knowledge. If it doesn't, it won't meet the criteria for a doctoral degree and will probably fail the viva exam .

Your PhD proposal itself doesn't have to meet those criteria (or pass a viva!) but it does need to indicate that your PhD project eventually will.

It does that by first demonstrating that your research topic is original. That means nobody else has studied this same topic (or one very similar) before.

There are all sorts of ways a PhD can be original. You might examine new data or primary sources, to look at existing material from a fresh perspective, or deal with the impact of new events. It doesn't matter how your project is original, so long as your proposal is really specific about what makes it original.

You also need to explain why your proposed research will be academically significant. To do this properly, you'll need to acknowledge relevant existing scholarship and explain how your research will relate to it. You don't need to be exhaustive at this point, but you should be able to show how your PhD will contribute to its field and – ideally – indicate some of the gaps in knowledge it will aim to fill.

The final step in demonstrating your PhD is worthwhile is to suggest what will become possible as a result of your research. How could other researchers use or build upon your results? What might closing those gaps in academic knowledge mean for audiences outside the unviversity?

Demonstrate your PhD is feasible (the how)

It isn't enough just to show that your research is worth doing; it also needs to actually be doable.

The length of a full-time PhD is around three to four years in most countries (it's longer in for a PhD in the USA , but you don't spend all that time doing research).

Three years may seem like a long time, but researching a PhD is a lot of work and you'll probably spend at least some of your time on other activities like teaching, conference presentations or even publication.

So, one of the things your proposal needs to do is demonstrate that your project is feasible: that it fits within the scope of a PhD.

The most important criteria for this is to be clear about what you plan to do. It should be obvious from your proposal what the scope of your project is – what is and isn't included within it.

You also need to outline how you plan to go about your research. Where will you start and what order do you expect to proceed in? Is the logic for that obvious? If not, it's probably a good idea to explain it.

Finally, you need to explain the methodology you plan to use. This could include techniques for collecting data and sources, theoretical perspectives for analysing them – or both. You may also need to detail specific equipment you expect to use or fieldwork you'll need to undertake (including trips to archives or other external resources).

None of this needs to be exact or completely final. The key word here is 'plan' – but you do need to have one.

Demonstrate that you can complete it at this university (the who and the where)

So far we've thought about the project itself: what makes it worth doing and how it's going to get done. But your proposal also needs to address the who and the where: why are you the right person to carry out this research, and why do you want to do it at this particular university?

The first part of this is easier than it probably looks. Writing a good research proposal demonstrates enthusiasm for your project much more convincingly than simply saying you're very interested in it (a classic case of 'show, don't tell').

You also don't need to repeat your grades and academic achievements (other parts of your PhD application will cover those). Instead, try to underline experiences that relate to this project. Has a particular module or Masters dissertation topic prepared you with useful subject knowledge or methodological skills? If so, highlight it.

It's also fine, within reason, to be honest about the skills you don't have and to identify your training needs. This shows you're being practical about your project and thinking seriously about what it will require. Just make sure you can realistically acquire the skills and training you need within the time available (this goes back to the feasibility).

Showing your project is a good fit for the university is also relatively simple. There should already be some reasons why you've chosen this university for your PhD so make sure you explain what they are. Perhaps there's a particular supervisor you'd like to work with , or facilities and resources your research could use. The key is to emphasise the fit between the project and the university – so don't just say you want to research there because it's highly ranked .

PhD research proposal structure

Hopefully the above sections have given you a few ideas for the things your proposal needs to include. Let's be honest though, the scariest thing about a proposal isn't deciding what to include: it's actually writing it.

But, if we flip that on its head, we remember that all a research proposal really is is a piece of writing that follows a pretty standard format. And that's a lot less scary.

Research proposal structure

Because proposals for PhD all have to do the same things, they mostly follow a similar structure. Yours will probably go something like this:

• Title – Keep it simple and descriptive: the clever alliteration and quotes can come later when you write up your thesis. For now, you just want the person reading this to know exactly what your research is about and, perhaps, which prospective supervisor to send it to.
• Overview – Start by defining your research question (the what) and explaining how it contributes to current work in your field (the why). This is also a good place to reference one or two pieces of scholarship: the full literature review can wait until your PhD begins, but you should show that you have some understanding of relevant academic research.
• Methodology – Make sure the reader understands the practical and / or theoretical approaches you'll take to your research. What data will you collect, how will you collect it and how will you analyse it? Ideally refer to relevant research methods and models. It's also a good idea to provide some sort of roadmap for how you'll go about things. Don't worry, you can change it later (and you will).
• Outcomes and impact – What will exist as a result of your research (other than just another PhD on a library shelf) and what will it make possible? You don't need to identify every specific outcome from your project (blue sky research is fine) but you should think about what some potential outcomes might be.

You probably won't need to include a specific conclusion - it should be obvious, by now, what your project is doing, how you're going to do it and why that matters. A quick summary sentence is fine though, if you think it will help.

Writing tips

Being able to effectively communicate academic concepts, ideas and results is a key skill for PhD research in all subjects . Think of your proposal as a chance to demonstrate this.

The good news is that the key principles of good proposal writing aren't that different from other work you've probably done as a Bachelors or Masters student:

• Be clear – The person reading your research proposal should know exactly what it is you're proposing to research, with no room for ambiguity and confusion. This is important on a practical level (they need to know where to send it) but it's also important to the success of your application: a confusing proposal suggests a confused project. Try having a friend read it and ask them "do you know what it is I'm proposing to do here?" (even if they don't understand the details).
• Be concise – You will have more ideas than you can include in your proposal. That's fine. Choose the best ones and leave the others for your interview .
• be coherent – Follow something like the structure above. Don't start with your methodology, then say what it is you want to research.

How long should a PhD research proposal be?

Honestly? As long as the university asks for it to be. Most will have guidelines and you should follow them closely if so.

If you honestly can't find a suggested word count for your proposal, then consider asking a prospective supervisor . If you still aren't sure, aim for somewhere between 1,000-2,000 words .

As a very general rule, Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences are a bit longer than STEM proposals (and a lot of STEM students don't have to write one anyway, as we've explained).

Research proposal for PhD admission - dos and don'ts

Research proposals are a popular topic over on the FindAPhD blog , where we've shared stories of how students wrote theirs , along with mistakes to avoid and a counter-intuitive look at the things a PhD proposal doesn't actually need to do .

Here are a few general tips and mistakes to avoid:

#1 Give yourself enough time to do a good job

Preparing to write a PhD proposal takes time and effort. None of this is wasted as the process of evaluating and framing your ideas for a proposal will improve your project plan immensely. So will the need to decide which ideas to include.

But you need time and space to do that, so make sure you get it. How long it will take to write your PhD proposal is heavily dependent on your personal working style, but you'll likely need to give yourself at least a few weeks to do a good job.

#2 Set out to impress

A good proposal isn't a begging letter. You're approaching the university with a great idea that's going to contribute to and enhance their research. Be honest, be realistic, but don't be unnecessarily humble. They should want you and your project.

#3 Demonstrate original thinking!

You may not need to present original research findings yet, but your proposal does need to present original ideas – and it should be clear why and how those ideas are original.

Make sure you indicate how your project is going to expand, enhance or even correct existing work in your field. Remember that making an "original contribution to knowledge" is a key part of what a PhD is .

#1 Send the same proposal to several universities

A good proposal needs to explain why you want to do your research at a particular university. That's a big part of the feasibility (the fit between project, person and place) and methodology (how are you going to use this university's equipment and archives; when and where will you need to travel).

It's OK to apply to more than one university in parallel, but, in that case, you're writing research proposals .

#2 Use online proposal templates (without evaluating them first!)

It can be tempting to search for PhD proposal samples on the internet, but make sure you evaluate what you find. Some websites may host old proposals from previous PhD students, but there's no way of knowing how relevant these are to your subject and university – or if they were even successful! More 'generic' research proposal examples can offer guidance, but they won't be tailored to your specific project.

The best place to look for a PhD proposal sample is your university. Consider asking your supervisor if they can share a good proposal from a previous student in your subject – or put you in touch with a current student you can ask.

#3 Confuse the proposal with the PhD

We've covered this on the blog , but it's simple enough to include here too.

You're setting out to do a PhD, but you (probably!) haven't done one yet. So you don't need to include research findings, in-depth analysis or a comprehesive literature review. You need to make a case for the research and analysis you want to do.

#4 Ignore your university's help and guidance

The advice on this page is necessarily quite general. We're considering adding guides to writing PhD proposals in specific subjects in future but, for now, the best place to get specific advice for your academic field is probably the university you're applying to.

See if you can get some subject-specific tips by contacting a supervisor , or just checking with the admissions team for your department.

And remember: if they give you a structure and a word count, stick to it.

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Mark bennett.

Mark joined FindAPhD to develop our first ever advice articles in 2013 and now serves as our Director of Audience & Editorial, making sure our websites and information are as useful as possible for people thinking about Masters and PhD study. He has a PhD in English Literature from the University of Sheffield, as well as Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Kent and the University of South Wales.

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We've answered some of the most frequently asked questions about PhDs, covering course types, applications, funding and the benefits of further study.

Getting ready to apply for a PhD? Our guides explain research proposals, references and entry tests for doctoral programmes.

Our guide explains how to contact a potential PhD supervisor to discuss your proposal or ideas with them before applying.

A checklist of the things you'll need to do when making an international PhD application, from meeting the entry requirements to sorting out your visa.

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School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

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Writing a research proposal

The key feature of your PhD is that it is yours - the topic, planning, motivation, and thinking all come from you. It will be the most challenging type of academic work you have ever done, but also the most rewarding.

The Research Proposal – an outline

The research proposal constitutes the main way in which the department evaluates the potential quality of your PhD plans. The proposal should be approximately 1,500 words in length and include:

• A provisional title

Question or hypothesis

Value of the phd, existing literature, methods of work.

The title indicates the ‘headline’ character of the PhD. It should include any key concepts, empirical focus, or lines of inquiry that you aim to pursue. For example: ‘ High entropy alloys (HEAs) for fusion: Exploration of novel processing routes and HEA stability in extreme environments’, or ‘Tailoring the Thermomechanical Properties of High Performance Aerospace & Automotive Composite Materials’.

You can negotiate changes in the title with your supervisor should you be successful, but it's important to devise a title that describes what you aspire to research – and which looks original and exciting.

You need a question or hypothesis to drive the research forward. The question/hypothesis will provide your motivation; to answer the question or prove/disprove the hypothesis.

The question/hypothesis will need to be something that has not been posed before - this may involve looking at something that nobody has looked at before, or taking a fresh approach to an existing topic or issue.

The aims of your research should be a short list of answers to the question - what will the PhD do? So, for example ‘this PhD will explore...’ or ‘by carrying out this research, I will contribute to debates about...’. The aims are broader than the questions/hypotheses; they give a prospective statement about the overall destination of the PhD and its potential impact.

The value of the PhD follows closely from the aims. Think about how the ways it might improve our understanding of materials - a new process or the generation of new materials? To whom might the PhD be interesting - scholars looking at particular challenges, or specific industries?

A short note of key existing literature situates the PhD in existing research. Literature reviews are not simply descriptive mapping exercises at PhD level - you should identify a small number of key texts and say something about how these books are important for your research, and whether they support, extend, or challenge existing work.

The resources you require can vary according to the nature of your research: access to a particular archive, specialist library, visits to specialised equipment and facilities, the use of analytical software, access to databases, training, workshop attendance and so on. It's important to list any of these resources and give a very brief account of how they will enhance the PhD.

The methods of work is a particularly important section - it's where you can discuss how you will answer your question or prove your hypothesis. It's relatively easy to ask a new question; it is more challenging to set out how you might come up with a convincing answer!

The research also needs a  timetable . This should be set out over three years with clear indications of how long you will need to prepare for and carry out research (however defined) and allow time for writing up. Try to be as detailed as you can at this stage.

Each of these criteria helps the Department of Materials Science and Engineering selectors make a good judgement about your proposal. By following these criteria you will have your best chance of getting your proposal accepted.

Three more important points:

• Try to be concise. Don't write too much – be as specific as you can but not wordy. It is a difficult balance to strike.
• Bear in mind that the proposal is a starting point. If you are registered to read for a PhD you will be able to work the proposal through with your supervisor in more detail in the early months.
• Take a look at the department’s staff profiles. Can you identify possible supervisors and intellectual support networks within the department? The better able the department is to support your research, the better it will be for your proposal.

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Research Proposal Guidelines

Doctor of Engineering applicants are required to submit a Research Proposal as part of their application. The research laid out in the proposal needs to be of importance to the applicant’s employer as it forms the basis for the collaboration between Johns Hopkins Engineering and your company/agency.

The research proposals are evaluated both by your prospective advisor (who will have expertise in your subject) as well as the Doctor of Engineering Oversight Committee (who have backgrounds spanning many different areas). You need to write a proposal that is appropriate for both audiences. That is, you need to provide an overview of your research goals that is broadly understandable to someone who is not knowledgeable in your field and also a deeper discussion for someone with the appropriate expertise.

Please use this Research Proposal Template for your application.

The project you propose should require depth and creativity. The results you plan to obtain should have impact beyond a narrowly focused problem. We recommend that you use the questions articulated in the Heilmeier Catechism as a guide to creating an engaging, successful proposal.

• What are you trying to do? Articulate your objectives using absolutely no jargon.
• How is it done today, and what are the limits of current practice?
• What’s new in your approach and why do you think it will be successful?
• If you’re successful, what difference will it make?
• What are the risks and the payoffs?
• How much will it cost?
• How long will it take?
• What are the midterm and final “exams” to check for success

Please note that you need not address all of these questions, but they provide a helpful framework for preparing your proposal.

Finally, we want to know about prior research experience and including that as an appendix to your proposal is most welcome.

Written Thesis Proposal

Introduction

The goal of this article is to help you to streamline your writing process and help convey your ideas in a concise, coherent, and clear way. The purpose of your proposal is to introduce, motivate, and justify the need for your research contributions. You want to communicate to your audience what your research will do ( vision ), why it is needed ( motivation ), how you will do it ( feasibility ).

Return to ToC

Before you start writing your proposal

A thesis proposal is different than most documents you have written. In a journal article, your narrative can be post-constructed based on your final data, whereas in a thesis proposal, you are envisioning a scientific story and anticipating your impact and results. Because of this, it requires a different approach to unravel your narration. Before you begin your actual writing process, it is a good idea to have (a) a perspective of the background and significance of your research, (b) a set of aims that you want to explore, and (c) a plan to approach your aims. However, the formation of your thesis proposal is often a nonlinear process. Going back and forth to revise your ideas and plans is not uncommon. In fact, this is a segue to approaching your very own thesis proposal, although a lot of time it feels quite the opposite.

Refer to “Where do I begin” article when in doubt. If you have a vague or little idea of the purpose and motivation of your work, one way is to remind yourself the aspects of the project that got you excited initially. You could refer to the “Where do I begin?” article to explore other ways of identifying the significance of your project.

Begin with an outline. It might be daunting to think about finishing a complete and coherent thesis proposal. Alternatively, if you choose to start with an outline first, you are going to have a stronger strategic perspective of the structure and content of your thesis proposal. An outline can serve as the skeleton of your proposal, where you can express the vision of your work, goals that you set for yourself to accomplish your thesis, your current status, and your future plan to explore the rest. If you don’t like the idea of an outline, you could remind yourself what strategy worked best for you in the past and adapt it to fit your needs.

Structure Diagram

Structure your thesis proposal

While some variation is acceptable, don’t stray too far from the following structure (supported by the Graduate Student Handbook). See also the Structure Diagram above.

• Cover Page. The cover page contains any relevant contact information for the committee and your project title. Try to make it look clean and professional.
• Specific Aims . The specific aims are the overview of the problem(s) that you plan to solve. Consider this as your one-minute elevator pitch on your vision for your research. It should succinctly (< 1 page) state your vision (the What), emphasize the purpose of your work (the Why), and provide a high-level summary of your research plans (the How).
• You don’t need to review everything! The point of the background is not to educate your audience, but rather to provide them with the tools needed to understand your proposal. A common pitfall is to explain all the research that you did to understand your topic and to demonstrate that you really know your information. Instead, provide enough evidence to show that you have done your reading. Cut out extraneous information. Be succinct.
• Start by motivating your project. Your background begins by addressing the motivation for your project. If you are having a hard time brainstorming the beginning of your background, try to organize your thoughts by writing down a list of bullet points about your research visions and the gap between current literature and your vision. They do not need to be in any order as they only serve to your needs. If you are unsure of how to motivate your audience, you can refer to the introductions of the key literatures where your proposal is based on, and see how your proposal fits in or extends their envisioned pictures. Another exercise to consider is to imagine: “What might happen if your work is successful?”  This will motivate your audience to understand your intent. Specifically, detailed contributions to help advance your field more manageable to undertake than vague high-level outcomes. For example, “Development of the proposed model will enable high-fidelity simulation of shear-induced crystallization” is a more specific and convincing motivation, compared to, “The field of crystallization modeling must be revolutionized in order to move forward.”

• Break down aims into tractable goals. The goal of your research plan is to explain your plans to approach the problem that you have identified. Here, you are extending your specific aims into a set of actionable plans. You can break down your aims into smaller, more tractable goals whose union can answer the lager scientific question you proposed. These smaller aims, or sub-aims, can appear in the form of individual sub-sections under each of your research aims.
• Reiterate your motivations. While you have already explained the purpose of your work in previous sections, it is still a good practice to reiterate them in the context of each sub-aim that you are proposing. This will inform your audience the motivation of each sub-aim and help them stay engaged.
• Describe a timely, actionable plan. Sometimes you might be tempted to write down every area that needs improvement. It is great to identify them; at the same time, you also need to decide on what set of tasks can you complete timely to make a measurable impact during your PhD. A timely plan now can save a lot of work a few years down the road.  Plan some specific reflection points when you’ll revisit the scope of your project and evaluate if changes are needed.  Some pre-determined “off-ramps” and “retooling” ideas will be very helpful as well, e.g., “Development of the model will rely on the experimental data of Reynold’s, however, modifications of existing correlations based on the validated data of von Karman can be useful as well.”
• Point your data to your plans. The preliminary data you have, data that others in your lab have collected, or even literature data can serve as initial steps you have taken. Your committee should not judge you based on how much or how perfect your data is. More important is to relate how your data have informed you to decide on your plans. Decide upon what data to include and point them towards your future plans.
• Name your backup plans. Make sure to consider back-up plans if everything doesn’t go as planned, because often it won’t. Try to consider which part of your plans are likely to fail and its consequence on the project trajectory. In addition, think about what alternative plans you can consider to “retune” your project. It is unlikely to predict exactly what hurdles you will encounter; however, thinking about alternatives early on will help you feel much better when you do.
• Safety. Provide a description of any relevant safety concerns with your project and how you will address them. This can include general and project-specific lab safety, PPE, and even workspace ergonomics and staying physical healthy if you are spending long days sitting at a desk or bending your back for a long time at your experimental workbench.
• Create the details of your timeline. The timeline can be broken down in the units of semester. Think about your plans to distribute your time in each sub-aims, and balance your research with classes, TA, and practice school. A common way to construct a timeline is called the Gantt Chart. There are templates that are available online where you can tailor them to fit your needs.
• References. This is a standard section listing references in the appropriate format, such as ACS format. The reference tool management software (e.g., Zotero, Endnote, Mendeley) that you are using should have prebuilt templates to convert any document you are citing to styles like ACS. If you do not already have a software tool, now is a good time to start.

Authentic, annotated, examples (AAEs)

These thesis proposals enabled the authors to successfully pass the qualifying exam during the 2017-2018 academic year.

Resources and Annotated Examples

Thesis proposal example 1, thesis proposal example 2.

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• ECE Internal

Electrical & Computer Engineering

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PhD Thesis Proposal

Each student who successfully completes the PhD qualifying examination is required to write a PhD thesis proposal, and present and defend the proposal orally before a committee.

As indicated on the Schedule for Timely PhD Completion , ECE doctoral students are expected to achieve candidacy before the end of their fifteenth month of studies.

• May starters must complete the PhD thesis proposal by July of the following year.
• September starters must complete the PhD thesis proposal by November of the following year.
• January starts must complete the PhD thesis proposal by March of the following year.

Format and Content of the Proposal

Please review the following guidelines and suggestions for the format and content of the PhD thesis proposal. The PhD thesis proposal should contain two fundamental components:

• review of the “state of the art” in a reasonably focused contemporary area of electrical and computer engineering research;
• outline of known problems to be solved or original developments that might be anticipated, accompanied by a line of approach to these problems or developments.

The “state of the art” review must refer explicitly to the relevant literature, with all references listed at the end of the proposal. The list of references need not be long, but it should be carefully considered. The list and review should show clear evidence that the student has sufficient knowledge to continue immediately into doctoral level research that will potentially lead to new results, without needing to do further background preparation in the area.

The outline of problems or developments must show that the student can formulate a line of research, including initial methodologies to be used, which should lead to significant contributions and new knowledge.

It is neither necessary nor expected that the PhD thesis proposal contain new research results, though such would be welcome. It is only necessary to be convincing that the chosen proposed area and topic of research has a very good chance of leading to new results.

PhD Thesis Proposal Committee

The supervisor will select professors to serve on the PhD thesis proposal committee according to the following regulations:

• The committee must consist of at least three professors, including the supervisor.
• Ideally, all committee members will hold a graduate faculty membership in ECE.
• One of the committee members may hold a graduate faculty membership in a unit other than ECE, where appropriate for the thesis topic.

PhD Thesis Proposal Presentation

• The supervisor will schedule the presentation. All members of the PhD thesis proposal committee must attend the presentation.
• The written proposal must be submitted to the committee at least two weeks prior to the presentation.
• The student will make a presentation at the meeting and orally defend the PhD thesis proposal.
• If the committee does not consider the proposal to be satisfactory, the student must present and defend a new PhD thesis proposal within four months. If the new proposal is also unsatisfactory, the student’s registration in the PhD program will be terminated.
• The supervisor must submit the PhD Thesis Proposal Report to the ECE Graduate Office within one week of the presentation.
• Upon the successful completion of the PhD thesis proposal, the student will have achieved “PhD candidacy.” The date of PhD candidacy will be recorded on the student’s U of T transcript.

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Examples of research proposals

How to write your research proposal, with examples of good proposals.

Research proposals

Your research proposal is a key part of your application. It tells us about the question you want to answer through your research. It is a chance for you to show your knowledge of the subject area and tell us about the methods you want to use.

We use your research proposal to match you with a supervisor or team of supervisors.

In your proposal, please tell us if you have an interest in the work of a specific academic at York St John. You can get in touch with this academic to discuss your proposal. You can also speak to one of our Research Leads. There is a list of our Research Leads on the Apply page.

When you write your proposal you need to:

• Highlight how it is original or significant
• Explain how it will develop or challenge current knowledge of your subject
• Identify the importance of your research
• Show why you are the right person to do this research
• Research Proposal Example 1 (DOC, 49kB)
• Research Proposal Example 2 (DOC, 0.9MB)
• Research Proposal Example 3 (DOC, 55.5kB)
• Research Proposal Example 4 (DOC, 49.5kB)

Subject specific guidance

• Writing a Humanities PhD Proposal (PDF, 0.1MB)
• Writing a Creative Writing PhD Proposal (PDF, 0.1MB)
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How to write a research proposal

What is a research proposal.

A research proposal should present your idea or question and expected outcomes with clarity and definition – the what .

It should also make a case for why your question is significant and what value it will bring to your discipline – the why . 

What it shouldn't do is answer the question – that's what your research will do.

Why is it important?

Research proposals are significant because it formally outlines your intended research. You need to provide details on how you will go about your research, including:

• your approach and methodology
• timeline and feasibility
• all other considerations needed to progress your research, such as resources.

Think of it as a tool that will help you clarify your idea and make conducting your research easier.

How long should it be?

Usually no more than 2000 words, but check the requirements of your degree, and your supervisor or research coordinator.

Presenting your idea clearly and concisely demonstrates that you can write this way – an attribute of a potential research candidate that is valued by assessors.

What should it include?

Project title.

Your title should clearly indicate what your proposed research is about.

Research supervisor

State the name, department and faculty or school of the academic who has agreed to supervise you. Rest assured, your research supervisor will work with you to refine your research proposal ahead of submission to ensure it meets the needs of your discipline.

Proposed mode of research

Describe your proposed mode of research. This may be closely linked to your discipline and is where you will describe the style or format of your research, e.g. data, field research, composition, written work, social performance and mixed media etc. 

This is not required for research in the sciences, but your research supervisor will be able to guide you on discipline-specific requirements.

Aims and objectives

What are you trying to achieve with your research? What is the purpose?

This section should reference why you're applying for a research degree. Are you addressing a gap in the current research? Do you want to look at a theory more closely and test it out? Is there something you're trying to prove or disprove? To help you clarify this, think about the potential outcome of your research if you were successful – that is your aim. Make sure that this is a focused statement.

Your objectives will be your aim broken down – the steps to achieving the intended outcome. They are the smaller proof points that will underpin your research's purpose. Be logical in the order of how you present these so that each succeeds the previous, i.e. if you need to achieve 'a' before 'b' before 'c', then make sure you order your objectives a, b, c.

A concise summary of what your research is about. It outlines the key aspects of what you will investigate as well as the expected outcomes. It briefly covers the what, why and how of your research. 

Tip: A good way to evaluate if you have written a strong synopsis, is to get somebody to read it without reading the rest of your research proposal. Would they know what your research is about?

Now that you have your question clarified, it is time to explain the why. Here, you need to demonstrate an understanding of the current research climate in your area of interest.

Providing context around your research topic through a literature review will show the assessor that you understand current dialogue around your research, and what is published.

Demonstrate you have a strong understanding of the key topics, significant studies and notable researchers in your area of research and how these have contributed to the current landscape.

Expected research contribution

In this section, you should consider the following:

• Why is your research question or hypothesis worth asking?
• How is the current research lacking or falling short?
• What impact will your research have on the discipline?
• Will you be extending an area of knowledge, applying it to new contexts, solving a problem, testing a theory, or challenging an existing one?
• Establish why your research is important by convincing your audience there is a gap.
• What will be the outcome of your research contribution?
• Demonstrate both your current level of knowledge and how the pursuit of your question or hypothesis will create a new understanding and generate new information.
• Show how your research is innovative and original.

Draw links between your research and the faculty or school you are applying at, and explain why you have chosen your supervisor, and what research have they or their school done to reinforce and support your own work. Cite these reasons to demonstrate how your research will benefit and contribute to the current body of knowledge.

Proposed methodology

Provide an overview of the methodology and techniques you will use to conduct your research. Cover what materials and equipment you will use, what theoretical frameworks will you draw on, and how will you collect data.

Highlight why you have chosen this particular methodology, but also why others may not have been as suitable. You need to demonstrate that you have put thought into your approach and why it's the most appropriate way to carry out your research. 

It should also highlight potential limitations you anticipate, feasibility within time and other constraints, ethical considerations and how you will address these, as well as general resources.

A work plan is a critical component of your research proposal because it indicates the feasibility of completion within the timeframe and supports you in achieving your objectives throughout your degree.

Consider the milestones you aim to achieve at each stage of your research. A PhD or master's degree by research can take two to four years of full-time study to complete. It might be helpful to offer year one in detail and the following years in broader terms. Ultimately you have to show that your research is likely to be both original and finished – and that you understand the time involved.

Provide details of the resources you will need to carry out your research project. Consider equipment, fieldwork expenses, travel and a proposed budget, to indicate how realistic your research proposal is in terms of financial requirements and whether any adjustments are needed.

Bibliography

Provide a list of references that you've made throughout your research proposal. 

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Home > Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment > Research > Research degrees > Preparing a proposal

How to prepare a research proposal

A crucial part of a research application is the research proposal. This page provides some guidance on writing a research proposal and includes some suggestions on what to include and what to avoid.

Normally a proposal should be between 1,500 and 2,000 words and will include the following:

• A working title of the topic area: This should do more than convey the key words associated with the proposed research, it should describe the content and direction of your project.
• General overview of area:  This should provide a brief overview of the wider background of the proposed research and identify the discipline(s) within which it falls. You might also refer to the way in which your own background gives you competences in your chosen area.
• Identification of the relevant literature:  In this section you should develop your proposal to demonstrate that you are aware of the debates and issues raised in relevant bodies of literature, and provide evidence for why you believe your research is needed, using an analysis of published work. References to key articles and texts should be made to show that you appreciate their relevance to your research area. You should demonstrate that your proposed area has not been studied before, so you need to identify your niche which will lead on to the thesis preparation.
• Key research questions: Since you need to demonstrate that the topic can be completed within the normal time period allowed, you need to show that it is manageable, and so focus on key questions within your niche area.
• Aims and objectives:  State specific aims and objectives of the research to be undertaken, in a logical sequence.
• Methodology:  You need to show how you anticipate achieving your aims, and demonstrate an awareness of the methodological tools available to you and show some understanding of which would be suitable for your research. It may be that a qualitative method, including the analysis of interviews, is appropriate. Alternatively your approach may involve forecasting or statistical, financial or econometric modelling. In other cases you may be combining methodologies. You need to specify the approach you feel will be most appropriate. You should include a back-up plan or risk mitigation in case of unforeseen problems.
• Timescale/research planning: You need to demonstrate an awareness of the need for planning and the timescale of the research. Your timescale should be realistic, taking into account the requirement for upgrade monitoring (PhD applicants) and timely thesis submission. The timeline should show which aspects of the project you will be completing in each year of registration and the anticipated time required for each, and time for writing up the thesis (by the end of month 36 for full-time or month 72 for part-time) should be included. Please note:  use month 1, 2, 3 etc in the timeplan/Gantt chart, not calendar months.
• Upgrade Monitoring Report (9-10M FT, 20-22 M PT)
• 2nd year Annual Monitoring Report (21-22M FT, 42-44M PT)
• 3rd year Annual Monitoring Report (33-34M FT, 66-68M PT)
• PhD Thesis Submission or Application for Writing Up Extension (36M FT, 72M PT)
• Apply for Research Ethics Approval (1-6M FT, 1-12M PT)
• Discipline-specific Training (1-9M FT, 1-18M PT)
• Complete Draft Literature Review (6-15M FT, 12-30M PT)
• Data Collection/field work (3-18M FT, 6-36M PT)
• Data Analysis / Experiments / Methodology (ongoing 6-36M FT, 12-72M PT)
• 1st year Internal (seminar/conference) presentation: (6-12M FT, 12-24M PT)
• 2nd year Internal/external (seminar/conference) presentation: (12-24M FT, 24-48M PT)
• 3rd year Internal (seminar/conference) presentation: (24-36M FT, 48-72M PT)
• Bibliography: You should include a short list of references to key articles and texts included in the application.
• Broad topic areas which would be unmanageable as research topics
• Vague descriptions of research areas
• Subject areas where your chosen school has no expertise.
• Plagiarism (for more information, please see Policies and regulations )

Research degrees

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Mechanical Engineering

How to Write a Project Proposal

Contents of proposal.

A recommended template for an MS project or thesis proposal is provided at the following link, from which you can make a Google Docs copy or download a Microsoft Word file:

ME 295 and ME 299 Proposal Template

Proposal Approval Process

The project proposal must be written so that it provides a strong evidence of a student’s thorough understanding of the topic and the capabilities to carry out the work successfully. There are three levels of approvals and signatures required to ascertain that the student in fact has the understanding and capabilities to complete the project successfully. First, the proposal is reviewed, evaluated, and signed by the advisory committee. Next, the signed Proposal Evaluation Form  is attached to the proposal, along with the completed Proposal Cover Sheet and submitted to the ME office for approval and signatures of the Graduate Advisor and the Department Chair. Refer to the Projects and Thesis tab for proposal deadline.

See our detailed instructions [pdf] for submitting the project proposal in DocuSign to help guide you through the process. 

Proposal Deadline

The proposal must be approved by the advisory committee, the Graduate Advisor, and the Department Chair prior to the university deadline for adding a course, usually the second week of February for the Spring semester and the second week of September for the Fall semester. The add-code for the first term project is issued by the ME office only after the approved project proposal has been received. Failure to meet the deadlines can delay your graduation.

Sample Proposals

The following are some representative examples of project proposals. Your proposal may have additional requirements depending on your project committee chair.

• Sample 1 (Bicycle brake)
• Sample 2 (Collapsible cup)
• Sample 3 (Object detection)
• Sample 4 (Metamaterial)
• Sample 5 (Battery)

George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering

Ph.d. proposal.

The Graduate Committee meets once a month to review and approve academic student matters; therefore, please plan accordingly. 

Prior to the semester that you are ready to present your Proposal, a composition of your reading committee should be decided in conjunction with your advisor.

Step 1. Identify your Ph.D. reading committee.

A.   You are encouraged to talk to various faculty members regarding possible topics and to begin this process immediately upon embarking on a degree program. Composition of your reading committee should be decided in conjunction with your faculty advisor.

B.    The committee consists of at least five members . 

The Ph.D. Reading Committee consists of at least five members including the dissertation advisor, who serves as the chairperson. All committee members must have an earned doctorate; in special cases, an individual who does not hold the doctorate may be proposed for membership through petitioning the Graduate Committee.  One committee member must be the dissertation advisor (or the co-advisor) and the second committee member shall be tenured or tenure-track academic faculty members with primary or joint appointment in the Woodruff School. The third committee member shall also have a primary or joint appointment in the Woodruff School. Of the last two members, at least one shall be an academic faculty member with no Woodruff School appointment, either primary or joint.  At least four of the committee members shall be tenured or tenure-track faculty members; at least one member of the committee shall have a primary appointment in the Woodruff School. An Emeritus faculty member serving as the dissertation advisor must have a co-advisor who is a tenure-track academic faculty member with a primary appointment in the Woodruff School.

Step 2. Submit the Request for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy form. 

A.   Complete the Request for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy form in the ME Graduate Handbook. Please go to the following link and follow the online instructions:  https://www2.me.gatech.edu/graddb/forms/student/ .

B.    Once the form is submitted, your faculty advisor will receive an automated email requesting a short justification for the composition of your reading committee.

Please Note: If a proposed member is not a Georgia Tech faculty member, a CV of that proposed member must also accompany the request. Please email the CV to your Staff Academic Advisor in the Office of Student Services.

Step 3. Receive approval from the Woodruff School Graduate Committee and then obtain signatures of committee members after your presentation.

A.   The Woodruff School Graduate Committee meet once a month. The meeting dates are posted in the Graduate Announcements emailed to all Woodruff students. You may also ask your Staff Academic Advisor in the Office of Student Services. After the Committee approves your topic and reading committee, you will receive an email from the Office of Student Services.

B.    Now that your reading committee has been approved, please log into eSignature.gatech.edu to create an account with DocuSign. Find detailed instructions here. (Please make here a hyperlink to the PowerPoint DocuSign tutorial). You will need the DocuSign account in order to complete the electronic version of the Admission to PhD Candidacy form after your presentation.

Writing the PhD Proposal

The objective of the Ph.D. Proposal is to allow an early assessment of your chosen topic of research for the satisfactory completion of the doctoral degree.  The proposal should delineate your specific area of research by stating the purpose, scope, methodology, overall organization, and limitations of the proposed study area. The proposal should include a review of the relevant literature and indicate the expected contribution of the research.

All graduate students who have successfully completed the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination should submit a Ph.D. proposal to the Woodruff School Office of Student Services within one year after completion of the qualifying examination. A student will not be allowed to graduate without a minimum of six calendar months between the time that his/her Ph.D. Proposal is approved and the time in which he/she completes the Ph.D. Dissertation Defense.

A well-conceived Ph.D. proposal will help you:

• Develop the critical research questions • Lay the foundation for the research work to be done • Isolate pending problems • Manage your time efficiently • Map your research progress • Think through the whole process, indicating the need for an integrated approach

Your proposal should contain a concisely stated hypothesis.  After a successful proposal presentation, the Woodruff School Graduate Committee will inform you if the topic is appropriate and that the committee understands what is planned.  After the proposal is presented, you are ready to move from perception and comprehension of critical questions to a resolution of the problem.

Cover Sheet: The cover sheet for the Ph.D. proposal is the Request for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy form.  The cover page is essentially a formal statement that names the dissertation advisor, sets forth the dissertation topic selected for the investigation, and enumerates a 200-word summary (or abstract) of the proposed dissertation research.  The title of the proposed dissertation topic should be brief, scientifically and technically valid, understandable to a scientifically or technically literate reader, and suitable for use in the public press.

The 200-word summary of the proposed research should be a self-contained description of the activity.  The summary should be written in the third person and include a statement of objectives, methods to be employed, and the significance of the proposed work to the advancement of knowledge.  It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and, insofar as possible, understandable to a scientifically literate reader.

Table of Contents: A table of contents is required and should show the location of each section as well as the major subdivisions of the project description, such as a summary of previous work, and the methods and procedures to be used.

Project Description: The main body of the proposal should be a clear statement of the work to be undertaken.  It is limited to 15 pages and should include:

•  Objectives of the proposed research and its expected significance •  Relation to longer-term goals of the investigator's project •  Relation to the present state of knowledge in the field, to work-in-progress elsewhere •  Plans of work, including the broad design of activities to be undertaken, an adequate description of experimental methods and procedures, and, if appropriate, plans for preservation, documentation, and sharing of data, samples, physical collections, and other related research products.

Bibliography: Citations must be complete (including the full name of the authors, title, year and location in the literature).  There is no page limit for this section of the proposal. 

Style and Format: Brevity will assist your Ph.D. Dissertation Reading Committee in reviewing the Ph.D. proposal.  The project description must not exceed 15 pages (30 double-spaced pages is acceptable).  Graphical elements, including charts, graphs, maps, photographs, and other pictorial presentations are included in the 15-page limit.  Pages should be of standard size (8½" x 11"; 21.6 cm x 27.9 cm) with 1" or 2.5 cm margins at the top, bottom, and on each side.  The type font size must be clear and readily legible and in standard size, which is 10 to 12 points. (Nothing smaller than 10 points should be used.)

Pursuant to the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, as amended by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, your proposal must use the metric system of weights and measures, unless impractical or inefficient.

For more information, please refer to the Thesis Manual, Thesis Templates, and Citation Tools at:   http://gradadmiss.gatech.edu/theses-dissertations

Presentation

Step 1. Provide the completed written Proposal to your committee members.

A.   A copy of the completed final draft of the proposal must be submitted to your reading committee before you are allowed to continue with scheduling the oral presentation.

Step 2. Schedule the Proposal Presentation and submit the Announcement to the Office of Student Services.

A.   Poll the members of your reading committee to establish a date and time for the presentation. Reserve a room for your oral presentation.  Submit your announcement at the following link:  https://www2.me.gatech.edu/graddb/forms/student/

This step must be completed at least two weeks (14 days) before the presentation. The announcement will be posted to the Woodruff School calendar.

Step 3. Submit Final Forms.

A.  The Thesis/Proposal/Dissertation Assessment form is now available in Qualtrics . Each committee member must complete the Qualtrics form at the conclusion of the presentation. The form will be routed to the Office of Student Services for further processing.

B.  After your presentation, please complete the Request to Ph.D. Candidacy form via DocuSign. Please be sure to list Dr. Andrei Fedorov as the School Chair and your Staff Academic Advisor as the Graduate Coordinator. An email will send automatically requesting the required signatures. Everyone will receive a final, signed copy of the form.

Research Plan / Thesis Proposal

According to Academic Regulations , all doctorands must elaborate and defend a report containing the research plan to be developed during the thesis. The research plan must be delivered up to one year since the date of first registration. The research plan shall be defended before a committee in the spring following the plan delivery.

Report structure

The report shall contain the necessary information to evaluate the originality, coherence and viability of the proposed thesis. It is suggested that the document is structured in the following sections:

• Personal details of the doctoral student and the thesis supervisor(s).
• Title of the thesis proposal.
• Summary of the proposal.
• Critical state of the art on the subject.
• Thesis goals.
• Methodology and resources needed.
• Description of tasks to achieve the thesis objectives.
• Workplan schedule with estimated deadlines.
• Bibliography.
• Material published in the field, if applicable.

Delivery procedure

The delivery and assessment is done through Atenea PhD   The Research Plan document needs to be uploaded  by the Doctorand, and validated by the Supervisor, before 1 year has passed after the date of first registration. Next is a description of the different steps involved;

• The Program administration enables the dates for upload of the research plan in Atenea PhD.
• The supervisor authorizes the upload of the document by the doctorand in Atenea PhD, Research Plan section.
• Doctorand uploads the updated version of the Research Plan in Atenea PhD, Research Plan section.
• Supervisor validates the submission, adding a comment in the Observations section.

When to defend the Research Plan

The Doctoral Program organizes the presentations of the research plans in early summer; typically, late June. The Program will appoint evaluation committees according to research areas, and all delivered research plans will be evaluated. The exact dates for Research Plan defenses will be announced by the Program.

It is the responsibility of the doctorand to have delivered the Research Plan via Atenea in due time. Failure to deliver the Research Plan at the time of presentation implies the dismissal of the program.

Research Plan Evaluation

The research plan shall be examined by a committee composed of three doctor members, one of them a professor of the program representing the CAPD, another member a professor of the program expert in the subject of the proposal, and a third member an expert external to the Program. The evaluation criteria used by the jury can be found in the Guidelines for the evaluation of the thesis proposal / research plan .

The evaluation committee will address the candidate comments and recommendations about his/her thesis proposal. These comments and recommendations must be considered by the doctorand, together with the thesis advisor . In case the evaluation committee writes them in the assessment report, the Academic Committee is in charge to check how they have been attended. Throughout the following years, the doctorand will have to justify the thesis progress compared to the proposed research plan, as a part of the yearly tutorship evaluation . This justification may also include an update, revision or improvement of the research plan, with the validation of the thesis advisor.

Documents and forms:

• Guidelines for the evaluation of the Thesis Proposal / Research Plan
• FAQs for Atenea PhD

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Thesis Proposal Exam

The Thesis Proposal Examination consists of the preparation of a written research proposal (15 pages maximum) and an oral presentation and defense of the same before a faculty committee. The purpose of the examination is to judge the student’s apparent ability to plan and conduct high-quality, PhD-level research in chemical engineering. The topic, magnitude and significance of the proposed research should be suitable for the ensuing doctoral program.

There are no restrictions on candidate/advisor consultations, but the extent of these interactions must be disclosed to the examining committee and the graduate office.

The examination will be taken no later than May 31 in the year after passing the Doctoral Candidacy Exam (DCE). For most students, this thesis proposal exam will be taken during their second year in the graduate program. Failure to take the thesis proposal exam in a timely fashion, absent approval of a petition to the faculty for special consideration, constitutes a lack of satisfactory progress toward the PhD degree and constitutes grounds for removal from the PhD program.

The examination date must be chosen in consultation with the candidate’s advisor and the other committee members at least three (3) weeks in advance of the proposed examination date. After scheduling the exam, the candidate informs the graduate program office by completing and submitting the  Request for Thesis Proposal Examination Form (PDF).

A one-page  Project Summary  (PDF)for the written research proposal must be submitted with the Written Proposal. The Written Proposal and Project Summary must be distributed to the Graduate Program Office and the committee members at least one week in advance of the scheduled examination date.

A reminder of the various due dates will be sent to the student and committee after the examination is scheduled.

Examining Committee

The Thesis Proposal Examination Committee consists of at least three faculty members from chemical engineering (including the proposed Dissertation Committee Chair(s)) and at least one cognate faculty member from outside the Chemical Engineering Department. Most students use the Thesis Proposal Exam Committee members as their Dissertation Committee members as well.

The examination consists of the preparation of a written research proposal and an oral presentation and defense of the same before the Thesis Proposal Examination Committee. At the oral examination, the candidate will present a 20-30 minute summary of the research proposal and subsequently be asked questions on the proposal and related matters. The total time for the examination is typically 60–90 minutes. The committee may be expected to pose any question relating to the substance and background of the proposed research and the applicant’s preparation for conducting the research.

Immediately before the oral examination, the advisor shall inform the other committee members of the extent of the collaboration with the candidate and also give an impression of the candidate’s performance in research already conducted.

In evaluating the thesis proposal examination, the primary criterion will be the applicant’s apparent ability to plan and conduct high-quality, PhD-level research in chemical engineering, as measured by the scholarly and technical breadth and depth displayed in the examination.

The examining committee will rate the written proposal and oral presentation as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair or Poor and provide a few comments to explain the basis for the rating. A rating of Good signifies a proposal and presentation that just meets minimum standards and is the lowest possible passing score. These ratings and comments will be shared with the student and given to the graduate office.

Success on the examination fulfills one of the requirements for the PhD degree. A student who does not pass the thesis proposal exam in their first attempt may take it a second time but no later than October 15. Failing twice to pass the thesis proposal examination is considered sufficient reason to terminate the applicant’s enrollment in the Department’s Doctoral Program.

Thesis Proposal Exam Results Report

Guidelines for Preparing for the Thesis Proposal Examination

• The applicant should read the  Proposal Writer’s Guide  (Office of Research and Sponsored Projects of The University of Michigan). The discussion of the Introduction, Background and Description of Proposed Research sections will likely be the most useful.
• The  written proposal (WP)  may be organized in any form that the applicant feels is most appropriate but should include the items listed below. Some suggestions for suitable preparation for the  oral examination (OE)  are also indicated.

Introduction  (including a statement of the problem, purpose and significance of the research).

Background  (including a literature survey and a description of research already performed by the applicant).

WP:  The literature review should be selective and critical.

OE:  The applicant is expected to be intimately familiar with the relevant literature, the opinions of previous workers in the subject, and to be critical of shortcomings in earlier work.

Description of Proposed Research  (including method or approach and expected difficulties). This must constitute about 50% of the text of the written proposal. The Project Description should provide a clear statement of the work to be undertaken and must include: objectives for the period of the proposed work and expected significance; relation to the present state of knowledge in the field and to work in progress at Michigan and elsewhere. The Project Description should outline the general plan of work, including the broad design of activities to be undertaken and, where appropriate, provide a clear description of experimental methods and procedures.

WP:  A specific research program should be put forth (e.g., identify variables to be studied and their levels); the expected research program sequence; decision points expected during the course of the research; the methods of data reduction, evaluation, interpretation and presentation, etc.

OE:  The applicant is expected to display a thorough grasp of the physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, etc., relevant to the conduct of the theoretical or experimental research program. The methods used by others or proposed to be used should be thoroughly understood.

A  timetable  for conducting and reporting the research: The timetable should be clearly based upon the scope of the work described in the description of the proposed research.

List of references . Each reference must include the names of all authors (in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication), the article and journal title, book title, volume number, page numbers and year of publication.

Curriculum Vitae .

The written research proposal must not be longer than 15 pages of text (including figures, excluding title page, list of references, and CV), of which about 50% must be the description of the proposed research.

Use one of the following typefaces: Arial, Times, Times New Roman, Palatino (if using a Mac), Courier New, Palatino Linotype, Computer Modern family of fonts at a font size of 11 points or larger. A font size of less than 11 points may be used for mathematical formulas or equations, figure, table or diagram captions and when using a Symbol font to insert Greek letters or special characters.

No more than six lines of text within a vertical space of one inch.

Margins, in all directions, must be at least an inch.

While line spacing (single-spaced, double-spaced, etc.) is at the discretion of the proposer, established page limits must be followed.

The  project summary  (pdf) is not more than one page, and it should be a self-contained description of the activity proposed. The summary should include a statement of objectives and methods to be employed. It must clearly address the intellectual merit of the proposed activity. It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and, insofar as possible, understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader. Potential hazards and safety precautions should be identified. The members of the proposed dissertation committee should be included on the Project Summary.

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Create your own research proposal

A research proposal is a short document that summarises the research you want to undertake. If you cannot find a suitable advertised project, this is a route to create your own.

When creating a research proposal, you’ll need to consider the question or issue you want to address with your project. Think about the background of the subject and how your research will be an original contribution to the field. You’ll also need to think about the methods you'll use to conduct this research. Your proposal helps us assess your suitability for a research degree and decide if we can offer you the right supervision.

Preparation

You may want to make contact with 1 or more potential supervisors to discuss project ideas. They may also be able to help with funding your degree .

You can search our academics to find a supervisor whose research interests align to yours. When you find a match, contact them to discuss your proposals. Allow time for responses and to consider their feedback.

Learn how to make a supervisor enquiry

Writing your research proposal

You should keep it clear, objective and realistic. Include:

• an outline of your research interests
• your initial thoughts about your topic
• clear objectives of what you aim to achieve or the question you want to address
• references to previous work
• why the research is relevant and original
• your proposed method and general approach
• why you believe the research should be funded
• how your skills will help to conduct the research
• any training you may need to undertake the project

How to structure your proposal

Your research proposal should include:

• a working title for your project
• up to 1,500 words (excluding a bibliography)

It’s best to write with short paragraphs and sentences. You can use images and diagrams if it’s appropriate.

Example structure:

• introduction statement (200 words)
• your background reading and the area you want to contribute to (400 words)
• your research question or issue to investigate (200 words)
• data sources, research methods and critical approaches to use (500 words)
• conclusion on how your project will contribute to the field (200 words)
• bibliography

Submit your proposal

Your potential supervisor will inform you of when to start the application process and how to include the details of your agreed project.  

More about how to apply

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