research proposal checklist pdf

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How to Write a Research Proposal: Checklist Example

If you are a PhD doctoral or Master’s student approaching graduation, then a large research project, dissertation, or thesis is in your future. These capstone research projects take months if not years of preparation, and the first step in this process is first writing a compelling, organized, and effective research proposal.

Check out the  key differences between dissertation and thesis .

Research Proposal Checklists Are Important

We’ve got some good and bad news for the PhD and Master’s graduate students out there. 

First, the bad news. Research proposals are not easy to write. They require lots of preparation and planning. They can also seem to be an administrative task, with your PhD advisors constantly reminding you to write something that you’re not yet sure about. And of course, it’s also yet another written document that could be rejected. 

Now, the good news. Research proposals help you organize and focus your research. They also eliminate irrelevant topics that your research cannot or should not cover. Further, they help signal your academic superiors (professors, advisors, scientific community) that your research is worth pursuing.

Research proposal checklists  go one step further. A research proposal checklist helps you identify  what  you will research,  why  it is important and relevant, and  how  you will perform the research. 

This last part is critical. Research proposals are often rejected for not being feasible or being unfocused. But an organized research or thesis proposal checklist can help you stay on topic. 

This article goes into the following topics about research proposal checklists:

What is a Research Proposal?

Research proposals are documents that propose a research project in the sciences or academic fields and request funding or sponsorship.

The primary objective is to convince others that you have a worthwhile research project as well as an organized plan to accomplish‌ ‌it. 

A main purpose of a research plan is to clearly state the central research topic or question that you intend to research while providing a solid background of your particular area of research.

Your research proposal must contain a quick  summary of the current literature , including gaps in your research area’s knowledge base as well as areas of controversy, which together demonstrate your proposal is relevant, timely, and worth pursuing.

But what functions does a research proposal perform?:

Research proposals explain your research topic

An  effective  research proposal should answer the following questions:

• What is my research about? 
• What specific academic area will I be researching?
• What is the current scientific and academic literature?
• What are the accepted theories in my area of research?
• What are gaps in the knowledge base?
• What are key questions researchers are currently trying to answer?

Research proposals explain why your research topic is important

A  compelling  research proposal should answer the following questions:

• Why is my research important?
• Why is my research interesting to both academics and laypeople?
• What are my  research questions ? 
• How does my research contribute to the literature?
• How will my dissertation or thesis answer gaps or unsolved questions?
• How or why would my research earn funding in the future?
• How does my research relate to wider society or public health?

Research proposals explain how you will perform your research

A  feasible  research proposal should answer the following questions:

• How will my research be performed?
• What are my exact methods?
• What materials will I need to purchase? 
• What materials will I need to borrow from other researchers in my field?
• What relationships do I need to make or maintain with other academics?
• What is my research proposal timeline?
• What are the standard research procedures? 
• Are there any  study limitations  to discuss?
• Will I need to modify any research methods? What, if any, problems will this introduce?

Research Proposal Example Checklist

Use this research proposal example checklist as an aid to draft your own research proposal. This can help you decide what information to include and keep your ideas logically structured. 

Remember, if your research proposal cannot effectively answer every single question below, then you may want to consult your advisor. It doesn’t mean your chosen research topic is bad; it just means certain areas may need some additional focus.

Click here for the full Research Proposal Example Checklist in .pdf form

Research Proposal Title

The title of your research proposal must attract the reader’s eye, be descriptive of the research question, and be understandable for both casual and academic readers.

The title of your research proposal should do the following:

• Effectively summarize the main research idea
• Be clear to the general public
• Be compelling to academic researchers and other graduate students
• Fully explain the independent and dependent variables
• Avoid abbreviations and excessive  use of articles

Research Proposal Introduction and Research Background

The introduction typically begins with a general overview of your research field, focusing on a specific research problem or question. This is followed by an explanation of why the study should be conducted.

The introduction of your research proposal should answer the following questions:

• What is the research problem, research question, and purpose of the study?
• What is the rationale behind my study? 
• Why is answering this research question important?
• What are the major issues your research will address?
• What are the major challenges in answering the research question?
• Did you highlight or clarify the research discrepancies?

Significance of Research Proposal 

Your proposal’s introduction section should also clearly communicate why your research is significant, relevant, timely, and valid.

To effectively confirm the significance of your proposal, make sure your study accomplishes the following:

• The research results fill a defined gap in the knowledge.
• The proposed study will advance understanding of the subject.
• The research results will lead to the improvement of commonly used experimental models and methods in the future.
• The research results will yield novel findings that have academic and/or practical value.

Research Proposal Literature Review

In the literature review section, you should provide a review of the current state of the literature as well as provide a summary of the results generated by your research. Determine relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research to support your research claim. 

State an overview and significance of your primary resources and provide a critical analysis highlighting what those sources lack and future directions for research.

• List your primary sources.
• List your secondary sources.
• Discuss influential research papers, paradigms, and modalities. 
• What is lacking in well-accepted research paradigms in your research field?
• What are the main theories, methods, and controversies in your research field?
• How does your research question or problem tie into the current literature? Does it extend a current idea or run counter to it?

Research Proposal Theoretical Methodology and Design

Following the literature review, it is a good idea to restate your main objectives, bringing the focus back to your own project. The research design or methodology section should describe the overall approach and practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.

To help you write a clear and structured methodology, use your plan and answer the following issues. This will give you an outline to follow and keep you on track when writing this section of your research proposal. 

• Explain whether your research method will be a study or an experiment.
• Is your research for a PhD dissertation or Master’s program?
• Explain the theoretical resources motivating your choice of methods.
• Explain how particular methods enable you to answer your research question.
• Credit any colleagues or researchers you will collaborate with.
• Explain the advantages and disadvantages of your chosen methodology.
• What is the timeline of your research experiment or study?
• Compare/contrast your research design with that of the literature and other research on your topic. 
• Are there any different or alternative methods or materials that will be used?

Additionally, explain how your results will be processed:

• How will your research results be processed and interpreted?
• What data types will your results be in?
• Explain the statistical models and processes you must perform (e.g. Student’s t-test).
• Will your study be more statistically rigorous than other studies?

Read about  how to explain research methods clearly for reproducibility .

Research Proposal Discussion and Conclusion

Your  discussion and conclusion section  has an important purpose: to persuade the reader of your proposed research study’s potential impact. This section should also directly address potential weaknesses and criticisms put forth by other researchers and academics.

• Explain the limitations and weaknesses of the proposed research.
• Explain how any potential weaknesses would be justified by extenuating circumstances such as time and financial constraints.
• What, if any, alternative research questions or problems naturally can be answered in the future?
• How does the research strengthen, support, or challenge a current theoretical framework or model?

References and Bibliography

Although it comes at the end, your reference section is vital and will be carefully scrutinized. It should include all sources of information you used to support your research, and it should be in the correct citation format. 

• Provide a complete list of references for all cited statements.
• Make sure citations are in the correct format (e.g. APA, Chicago, MLA, etc.)
• References are present in the introduction, literature review, and methodology sections.

Use the Wordvice APA Citation Generator  to instantly generate citations in APA Style, or choose one of the formats below to generate citations for the citation style of your academic work:

Using Research Proposal Examples

Although every research proposal is unique, it is a good idea to take a look at examples of research proposals before writing your initial proposal draft. This will help you understand the academic level you should aim for. Be sure to include a reference list at the end of your proposal as described above. 

In addition to reading research proposal examples, you should also outline your research proposal to make sure no crucial information or research proposal sections are missing from your final manuscript. Although the sections included in a research proposal may vary depending on whether it is a grant, doctoral dissertation, conference paper, or professional project, there are many sections in common. Knowing the differences before you draft will ensure that your proposal is cohesive and thorough.

Research Proposal Proofreading and Editing

It’s vital to take the time to redraft, edit, and proofread a research proposal before submitting it to your PhD advisor or committee. Researchers and graduate students usually turn to a professional English editing service  like Wordvice to improve their research writing.

Our academic services, including thesis editing , dissertation editing , and research paper editing , will fully prepare any academic document for publication in academic journals.

• Proposal Preparation Checklist
• DARPA  Proposal Checklist
• DOE  Preparation Checklist
• NIH  Checklists and Preparation Guides
• NOAA  Checklist
• NSF  Proposal Preparation Checklists

Initializing the Proposal

• Have a discussion with the PI (Principal Investigator) to get as much information as possible at this stage; deadline, start/end date, solicitation number, basic budgeting information, and any other proposal specifics.
• Notify RAS contract administrator of the new proposal, and provide as much information as possible.
• Read the sponsor guidelines, RFA (Request For Application), RFP (Request For Proposal) carefully—they outline the proposal for you and will help you tailor this checklist to a specific submission. Be sure you are using current guidelines and forms.
• Does the sponsor require an electronic submission? If there are optional submission types, let RAS administrator know how you will be submitting the proposal.
•  Identify any proposal specific forms, formatting regulations, page limits, etc. Check that the PI and all other contributors are aware of the proposal specifications.
• Check PI status if necessary
• If the sponsor is a foundation, notify RAS administrator who will then follow-up with Foundation Relations.
• Establish with PI that there is a 5 business day lead time to RAS.

Determining Proposal Components

• Research Plan/ Statement of Work – Check guidelines to make sure all specifications have been completed. Also scan the document to see if there is any mention of humans, animals, and other special review items. Make sure if there is mention, these components have been indicated in the Kuali Coeus proposal under the Special Review tab.
• Will there be any subawards? If so, you will need scope of work, budget,and approvals from the subaward organization. Depending on the Sponsor’s requirements, you may also need a copy of the collaborating institution's F&A rate agreement, CV and/or bio sketch for key personnel; facilities/equipment/other resources, letter of commitment. Be sure to list sponsor and prime sponsor in the proposal. Also list the subaward entity under the organization tab as a performance site.
• Consultant(s) – Usually a letter from the consultant indicating the consultant’s role on the proposal, the consultant’s experience with the type of research and an established consultant rate is required. Check proposal guidelines to make sure any other specifications are met.
• Special Review Components – Make sure that any special review components are indicated under the Special Review tab, and that you have provided as much information as possible concerning the items. Many sponsors will require additional forms if there are special review items such as humans or animals. Below is a list of MIT’s special review categories that you should indicate on your proposal

Human Subjects Animal Usage Recombinant DNA Foundation Relations International Activity Biohazard Materials Radioactive Isotopes Space Change TLO Review

• Other MIT sign-offs - If the proposal includes faculty, staff, or students from another DLCI, make sure to route the proposal through that department.
• If required in the proposal, modify the CVs or Biosketches so that they match the sponsor guidelines. Make sure to include this document for all personnel specified in the sponsor guidelines.
• Include the references or letters of support (if needed)—have them emailed to you for the submission if they are arriving late, and keep originals on hand once you receive them.
• Standard statement of facilities and equipment if needed; may also be required of subawardees.
• Include Current & Pending Support , if it is required by the sponsor requirement. Make sure that the current and pending support listed matches what is in Kuali Coeus. If there are any differences, contact your RAS Contract Administrator so the most accurate information is in Kuali Coeus.
• Make sure all certifications have been completed . If the proposal required institute representatives/certifications, these will be provided by your RAS Contract Administrator.

NOTE: The proposal will not route unless certification requirements have been met. If it's an NIH proposal, and the Key Personnel have answered Yes to any of the three questions pertaining to Significant Financial Interest, then a full Conflict of Interest Disclosure will need to be completed.

• For those sponsors that require Paper Submission make however many copies are needed for final submission.
• Will there be an appendix that includes other publications (be sure you have enough copies for the submission—pay attention to agency restrictions on number allowed); are boxes necessary for shipping?

Creating the Proposal Budget

• Check sponsor guidelines - Use sponsor budget template if required.
• What is the project period? Confirm with sponsor guidelines for earliest starting date for new awards. Use an escalation factor for future years. Generally 3% is used for all expenses except tuition, which is inflated at 5% annually.
• Verify salary/stipend amounts of proposal personnel, and students that will be included on the proposal.
• Use the most current Fringe Benefit Rate ( Employee Benefits  & Vacation Accrual )
• Include cost share or matching only when required by the program guidelines. Generally MIT prefers to list subsidized tuition (66% of the subsidized tuition) or an appropriate level of academic year salary for the professor to meet mandatory cost sharing requirements.
• Subcontract budget material - Detailed budget with budget justification from the Subcontractor. When calculating subcontractor costs into the MIT budget remember that the first $25,000 has MIT F&A applied to it. If this is a NIH proposal you may also need to separate out the subcontract direct costs from indirect costs.

  Travel costs

• Equipment - Items with a cost of $5,000 or greater (effective July 1, 2013)  are not subject to F&A. Fabricated Equipment with a cost of $5,000 or greater (effective July 1, 2013) is also not subject to F&A. Note: Fabricated Equipment costs must be approved by the MIT Property Office .
• If requested -  Materials and Supplies, Publications, Consultant, and any other proposal specific items. Make sure that if it has been separated out in the sponsor’s budget forms that it’s separated out in the MIT budget.
• Facilities and administration (F&A) calculation (also known as indirect costs or overhead) Always use MIT’s negotiated rate. If the PI would like to apply for a grant or contract that has a rate lower than MIT’s established rate, the difference (under-recovery) should be discussed with the department head or director of administration and finance. The DLCI must identify the source of funds to cover any proposed under-recovery.
• Budget Justification – Explain the roles (and effort commitment, if required) of personnel on the budget, mention the institute Employee Benefit and Vacation Accrual rate as well and yearly inflation amount. List out budget categories and provide detailed information for what has been applied to each category.
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