undergraduate research project proposal

Princeton Correspondents on Undergraduate Research

How to Write a Research Proposal as an Undergrad

As I just passed the deadline for my junior independent work (JIW), I wanted to explore strategies that could be helpful in composing a research proposal. In the chemistry department, JIW usually involves lab work and collecting raw data. However, this year, because of the pandemic, there is limited benchwork involved and most of the emphasis has shifted to designing a research proposal that would segue into one’s senior thesis. So far, I have only had one prior experience composing a research proposal, and it was from a virtual summer research program in my department. For this program, I was able to write a proposal on modifying a certain chemical inhibitor that could be used in reducing cancer cell proliferation. Using that experience as a guide, I will outline the steps I followed when I wrote my proposal. (Most of these steps are oriented towards research in the natural sciences, but there are many aspects common to research in other fields).

The first step is usually choosing a topic . This can be assigned to you by the principal investigator for the lab or a research mentor if you have one. For me, it was my research mentor, a graduate student in our lab, who helped me in selecting a field of query for my proposal. When I chose the lab I wanted to be part of for my summer project (with my JIW and senior thesis in mind) , I knew the general area of research I wanted to be involved in. But, usually within a lab, there are many projects that graduate students and post-docs work on within that specific area. Hence, it is important to identify a mentor with specific projects you want to be involved in for your own research. Once you choose a mentor, you can talk to them about formulating a research proposal based on the direction they plan to take their research in and how you can be involved in a similar project. Usually, mentors assign you one to three papers related to your research topic – a review paper that summarizes many research articles and one to two research articles with similar findings and methodology. In my case, the papers involved a review article on the role of the chemical inhibitor I was investigating along with articles on inhibitor design and mechanism of action.  

The next step is to perform a literature review to broadly assess previous work in your research topic, using the articles assigned by your mentor. At this stage, for my proposal, I was trying to know as much about my research area from these papers as well as the articles cited in them. Here, it is helpful to use a reference management software such as Zotero and Mendeley to organize your notes along with all the articles you look into for a bibliography. 

After going through your literature review, you can start thinking about identifying questions that remain to be answered in that field. For my JIW, I found some good ideas in the discussion section of the papers I had read where authors discussed what could be done in future research projects. One discussion section, for example, suggested ways to complement in-vitro experiments (outside of a living organism) with in-vivo ones (inside a living organism) . Reviewing the discussion section is a relatively straightforward way to formulate your own hypothesis. Alternatively, you could look at the papers’ raw data and find that the authors’ conclusions need to be revisited (this might require a critical review of the paper and the supplementary materials) or you could work on improving the paper’s methodology and optimizing its experiments. Furthermore, you might think about combining ideas from different papers or trying to reconcile differing conclusions reached by them.

The next step is developing a general outline ; deciding on what you want to cover in your proposal and how it is going to be structured. Here, you should try hard to limit the scope of your proposal to what you can realistically do for your senior thesis. As a junior or a senior, you will only be working with your mentor for a limited amount of time. Hence, it is not possible to plan long term experiments that would be appropriate for graduate students or post-docs in the lab. (For my summer project, there was not a follow up experiment involved, so I was able to think about possible experiments without the time or equipment constraints that would need to be considered for a JIW). Thus, your proposal should mostly focus on what you think is feasible given your timeline. 

Below are two final considerations. It is important that your research proposal outlines how you plan to collect your own data , analyze it and compare it with other papers in your field. For a research project based on a proposal, you need only establish if your premises/hypotheses are true or false. To do that, you need to formulate questions you can answer by collecting your own data, and this is where experiments come in. My summer project had three specific aims and each one was in the form of a question.

It is important to keep in mind in your proposal the experiments you can perform efficiently on your own – the experimental skills you want to master as an undergraduate. In my view, it is better to learn one to two skills very well than having surface-level knowledge of many. This is because the nature of research has been very specialized in each field that there is limited room for broad investigations. This does not mean your proposal should be solely based on things you can test by yourself (although it might be preferable to put more emphasis there). If your proposal involves experiments beyond what you can learn to do in a year or two, you can think of asking for help from an expert in your lab. 

A research proposal at the undergraduate level is an engaging exercise on coming up with your own questions on your chosen field. There is much leeway as an undergraduate to experiment within your field and think out of the box. In many ways, you will learn how to learn and how to formulate questions for any task you encounter in the future. Whether or not you want to be involved in research, it is an experience common to all Princeton students that you take with you after graduation.

In this post, I have described the basic elements of a natural science research proposal and my approach to writing one. Although the steps above are not comprehensive, I am hopeful they offer guidance you can adapt when you write your own proposal in the future.

— Yodahe Gebreegziabher, Natural Sciences Correspondent

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• How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on October 12, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on September 5, 2024.

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

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

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

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

Table of contents

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

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

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

Research proposal length

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

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

Download our research proposal template

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

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

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

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

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

Your introduction should:

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

To guide your introduction , include information about:

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

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

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

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

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

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

For example, your results might have implications for:

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

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

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

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

Download our research schedule template

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

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

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

To determine your budget, think about:

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

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

Methodology

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

 Statistics

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

Research bias

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

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

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

I will compare …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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McCombes, S. & George, T. (2024, September 05). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved September 13, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-proposal/

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10 Successful Undergraduate Research Project Examples To Inspire You

Embarking on an undergraduate research project can be a transformative experience, offering students the opportunity to delve deep into their areas of interest, develop critical thinking skills, and contribute original insights to their fields. This article showcases 10 successful undergraduate research project examples, each designed to inspire and guide students in creating impactful and innovative research projects.

Key Takeaways

• Academic projects can significantly enhance your research and analytical skills.
• Choosing a project that aligns with your interests can increase engagement and output quality.
• Utilizing structured templates and tools can streamline the research process.
• Collaborative projects often yield richer insights and more comprehensive outcomes.
• Presenting research in various formats (e.g., infographics, presentations) can broaden its impact.

1. Academic Project Planner

The Academic Project Planner is an essential tool that aids in transitioning from thesis to project mode with structured planning, time management, stress-free management, versatile support, and a detailed roadmap for academic projects. It helps you define the scope of your project clearly , ensuring that your academic endeavor is focused and feasible. By consulting with advisors and utilizing tools like the Academic Project Planner, you can refine your ideas and ensure that your project meets the academic standards of your institution.

Key Features:

• Structured Planning : Provides a clear framework to organize your project from start to finish.
• Time Management : Helps you allocate time effectively to meet deadlines.
• Versatile Support : Offers various tools and resources to assist in different aspects of project management.
• Detailed Roadmap : Guides you through each phase of the project, ensuring no detail is overlooked.

By following these strategies and utilizing the Academic Project Planner, you can embark on your research journey with confidence, knowing that you have a well-organized plan to guide you.

2. Literature Navigator

The Literature Navigator is designed to guide you through the complex terrain of academic literature, making it easier for you to navigate your research efficiently. This tool is invaluable for students who are embarking on extensive research projects and need a structured approach to manage their literature review process.

Key Features

• Clear instructions : Step-by-step guidance on how to find literature , ensuring you never feel lost in the sea of information.
• Efficient strategies : Techniques for efficient searching, sorting, and synthesizing information.
• Quality sources : Access to databases and journals recommended for academic research.
• Plagiarism prevention : Tools and tips to help you maintain academic integrity in your work.

By utilizing the Literature Navigator, you can enhance your research efficiency and ensure a more organized and effective literature review. This tool not only helps you in gathering and organizing information but also in critically analyzing and using it to support your thesis or research project.

3. Writing Wizard's Template

When embarking on your academic writing journey, the Writing Wizard's Template can be a game-changer. This tool is designed to streamline the writing process, making it more efficient and less daunting. Expect to write multiple drafts , but with this template, each revision will be more focused and effective. The template guides you through structuring your argument, ensuring that all critical points are covered comprehensively.

Here are some steps to effectively use the Writing Wizard's Template:

• Start by outlining your main argument or thesis statement.
• Use the template to structure each section of your paper.
• Regularly update your drafts to refine your argument and incorporate feedback.
• Utilize the checklist feature to ensure all elements of the paper meet academic standards.

By following these steps, you can enhance the clarity and impact of your academic papers, making the writing process a more manageable and rewarding experience.

4. Thesis Dialogue Blueprint

When embarking on your thesis, the Thesis Dialogue Blueprint can be a game-changer. This tool is designed to help you structure the conversations and interactions within your research, ensuring that every dialogue or interview conducted is purposeful and contributes significantly to your thesis. Here’s how you can utilize this blueprint effectively:

• Identify the key stakeholders involved in your research and list the potential questions or topics you need to discuss with them.
• Organize these dialogues chronologically or thematically to maintain a coherent flow of information.
• Prepare contingency questions in case the conversation veers off the intended path.

By systematically organizing your interactions, you ensure that no critical information is missed and that your thesis remains on track. Remember, the significance of setting realistic deadlines cannot be overstated; it is crucial for maintaining momentum and ensuring successful completion of your academic research.

5. Research Proposal Compass

Navigating the complexities of crafting a successful research proposal can be daunting. The Research Proposal Compass is designed to guide you through every step of this critical process. From understanding the basics of proposal structure to advanced techniques for persuasive writing, this tool is invaluable for students at all academic levels.

Key features include:

• Step-by-step guidance on structuring your proposal
• Tips on how to find research question
• Strategies for effectively presenting your research goals

This comprehensive guide ensures that you are well-prepared to present a polished and persuasive research proposal, significantly boosting your confidence and potential for success.

6. Thesis Action Plan

Embarking on your thesis can be a daunting task, often accompanied by thesis anxiety . However, with a structured Thesis Action Plan , you can navigate this journey with confidence. This plan acts as a comprehensive guide, providing you with step-by-step instructions from the initial stages of selecting a topic to the final steps of crafting a flawless report. Here’s how you can create an effective master thesis outline:

• Identify Your Research Topic : Pinpoint a topic that not only interests you but also contributes to your field of study.
• Literature Review : Gather and synthesize relevant research to build a solid foundation for your study.
• Methodology Design : Decide on the appropriate research methods to collect and analyze data.
• Data Collection and Analysis : Systematically gather data and perform analyses to draw meaningful conclusions.
• Writing and Revision : Draft your thesis, then revise to ensure clarity and coherence.
• Final Presentation : Prepare to present your findings in a clear and professional manner.

By following these steps, you can reduce uncertainty and manage your thesis with precision, ultimately leading to a successful completion.

7. Infographics

Infographics are a powerful tool for undergraduate research projects, allowing you to present complex data and insights in a visually engaging and easily digestible format. By transforming your research findings into infographics, you can enhance comprehension and retention among your audience. List infographics , for example, are particularly effective for summarizing steps, processes, or lists of items, making them ideal for projects that involve sequential information or categorization.

Consider using infographics to compare and contrast different elements of your study, such as theoretical frameworks or case study outcomes. This method not only makes the information more accessible but also more compelling to review. Below is an example of how you might structure an infographic for a project comparing different educational theories :

• Key Concept: Concept 1
• Application: How it applies
• Key Concept: Concept 2

By employing infographics, you ensure that your research is not only academically rigorous but also visually impactful, making it easier for your peers and professors to grasp the nuances of your work.

8. Brochures

Brochures are a powerful tool for undergraduate research projects, allowing you to present your findings in a visually appealing and concise format. Creating a compelling brochure involves more than just listing facts; it requires a strategic layout and engaging content that captures the essence of your research. Start by defining the purpose of your brochure and identifying your target audience. This will guide the design choices and the complexity of the information you include.

Consider the following structure for your brochure:

• Cover Page: Introduce your project with a catchy title and an intriguing graphic.
• Introduction: Provide a brief overview of your research question and objectives.
• Methodology: Explain how you conducted your research, highlighting any innovative techniques used.
• Results: Present your findings in a clear and structured manner, using charts or graphs if applicable.
• Conclusion: Summarize the implications of your research and any future directions.
• Contact Information: Include details for further communication, such as your email or a link to your academic profile.

By utilizing brochure templates and tools available online, you can create a professional-looking brochure that effectively communicates your research to peers, professors, and potential employers. Remember, the key to a successful brochure is clarity and visual impact, making your research accessible and engaging to a wider audience.

9. Presentations

When it comes to showcasing your research, presentations play a pivotal role in communicating your findings effectively. Whether you're presenting at a conference , in a classroom, or online, the ability to deliver a clear and engaging presentation is crucial. Here are some key elements to consider:

• Design : Use text size, weight, and color for emphasis. Keep the slides clean and uncluttered by including only essential information.
• Content : Focus on emphasizing key points . This can be achieved through a combination of text and visual aids such as graphs or images.
• Delivery : Practice your presentation multiple times to ensure smooth delivery. Pay attention to your pacing and make sure to engage with your audience through eye contact and questions.

By mastering these elements, you can ensure that your presentation not only delivers the necessary information but also keeps the audience engaged and interested.

10. Mind maps

Mind maps are a powerful tool for organizing and visualizing your research ideas. By creating a mind map, you can visually structure your thoughts, making complex topics easier to understand and communicate. This method is particularly effective for brainstorming sessions, where you can freely explore different aspects of your topic without the constraints of a linear format.

Benefits of Using Mind Maps

• Enhances creativity by allowing you to explore various pathways and connections.
• Improves memory and recall through the visual and organized representation of information.
• Facilitates a better understanding of relationships and hierarchies within your research topic.

How to Create an Effective Mind Map

• Start with a central idea and branch out into major themes.
• Use colors and images to differentiate and emphasize different sections.
• Keep branches curved and flowing to enhance readability and aesthetic appeal.

Mind maps are not just a learning strategy ; they are a multi-sensory tool that can significantly enhance your academic performance. As highlighted in studies, mind maps help students organize and integrate knowledge effectively, making them a valuable addition to any research project.

Explore the power of mind maps in our latest article section '10. Mind maps' on Research Rebels. Mind maps are an incredible tool for organizing your thoughts and tackling complex projects like thesis writing. Dive into our comprehensive guide and learn how to effectively use mind maps to streamline your academic work. Don't miss out on enhancing your study techniques— visit our website now to read more and claim your special offer!

In conclusion, the diverse array of undergraduate research projects presented in this article exemplifies the profound impact that focused academic inquiry can have, not only within the confines of academia but also in broader societal contexts. These projects, ranging from scientific investigations to creative endeavors, highlight the potential of undergraduate research to foster innovation, solve real-world problems, and contribute to the academic and professional growth of students. As these examples show, engaging in research projects can be a transformative component of the undergraduate experience, providing students with invaluable skills, insights, and opportunities to contribute to their fields of study. Whether you are a student contemplating a research project or an educator guiding scholarly pursuits, these examples serve as a beacon of inspiration and a testament to the possibilities that await in the world of academic research.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is project based learning.

Project based learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.

How can I effectively use infographics in my research project?

Infographics can be used to visually represent data, making complex information easier to understand and more engaging. They are particularly useful for summarizing research findings, illustrating trends, and comparing statistics.

What are the benefits of using a Thesis Dialogue Blueprint?

The Thesis Dialogue Blueprint helps structure your thesis discussions, ensuring clarity and coherence in presenting your arguments. It aids in organizing your thoughts and aligning them with your research objectives.

How can I manage thesis anxiety?

Managing thesis anxiety involves planning, seeking support from advisors, using organizational tools like the Thesis Action Plan, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Engaging with supportive communities like Research Rebels can also alleviate anxiety.

What should I consider when choosing a research project?

Consider your interests, the relevance to your field, the resources available, and the scope of the project. It's important to choose a topic that is both intriguing and manageable within the constraints of your program.

How can project based learning enhance student success?

Project based learning promotes critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. It encourages active learning and collaboration among students, which are key factors in enhancing student success and engagement in the learning process.

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How to write a research proposal

Advice and guidance on writing a proposal for a student research project.

Purpose of a research proposal

A research proposal is your plan for the research you intend to conduct. It should describe:

• what you will investigate, 
• why it is important to the discipline and 
• how you will conduct your research.

Your research proposal also needs to persuade someone about how and why your intended project is worthwhile. 

In your proposal you will need to explain and defend your choices. Always think about the exact reasons why you are making specific choices and why they are the best options available to you and your project.

Your research proposal should focus on: 

• Relevance - You want to convince the reader how and why your research is relevant and significant to your field and how it is original. This is typically done in parts of the introduction and the literature review.
• Context - You should demonstrate that you are familiar with the field, you understand the current state of research on the topic and your ideas have a strong academic basis (i.e., not simply based on your instincts or personal views). This will be the focus of your introduction and literature review. 
• Approach - You need to make a case for your methodology, showing that you have carefully thought about the data, tools and procedures you will need to conduct the research. You need to explicitly defend all of your choices. This will be presented in the research design section. 

Feasibility - You need to show that your project is both reasonable and feasible within the practical constraints of the course, timescales, institution or funding. You need to make sure you have the time and access to resources to complete the project in a reasonable period.

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Proposal format

The format of a research proposal varies between fields and levels of study but most proposals should contain at least these elements: 

• introduction, 
• literature review, 
• research design and 
• reference list.

Research proposals usually range from 500-1500 words. However, proposals for larger projects, such as a PhD dissertation or funding request, may be longer and more detailed.

Check the required format for your discipline and context.

Introduction

The introduction to your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why. In other words, this is where you answer the reader’s “so what?” 

It should typically include: 

• introducing the topic, 
• outlining your research question(s) and 
• giving background and context. 

Some important questions to shape your introduction include: 

• Who has an interest in the topic (e.g. scientists, practitioners, policymakers, particular members of society)?
• How much is already known about the problem and why is it important?
• What is missing from current knowledge and why?
• What new insights will your research contribute?
• Why is this research worth doing?

If your proposal is very long, you might include separate sections with more detailed information on the background and context, aims and objectives, and importance of the research.

To get you started, try describing your proposed research project to a friend or family member, or imagine how you would describe it to them.  What background information would you need to provide?  What would the impact of the research be for the general public?

Literature review 

It’s important to show that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review convinces the reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory (i.e. how it relates to established research in the field).

Your literature review will also show that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said. This is also where you explain why your research is necessary. 

You do not need to conduct a full literature review, as you will do that later during the research project, but you do need to provide an overview of the key research and ideas relating to your topic.

You might want to consider some of the following prompts:

• Comparing and contrasting: what are the main theories, methods, debates and controversies?
• Being critical: what are the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches?
• Showing how your research fits in: how will you build on, challenge or synthesise the work of others? 
• Filling a gap in the existing body of research: why is your idea innovative? 

Visit How to write a literature review for detailed information.

Research design and methods

Following the literature review, you can restate your main objectives to bring the focus back to your own project. 

The research design/ methodology section should describe the overall approach and practical steps you will take to answer your research questions. You also need to demonstrate the feasibility of the project, keeping in mind time and other constraints.

You should include:

• Qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods research?
• Will you collect original data or work with primary/secondary sources? 
• Is your research design descriptive, correlational or experimental? Something completely different?
• If you are undertaking your own study, when and where will you collect the data? How will you select subjects or sources? Exactly what or who will you study?
• What tools and procedures will you use (e.g. systematic reviews, surveys, interviews, observation, experiments, bibliographic data) to collect your data? 
• What tools/methods will you use to analyse your data? 
• Why are these the best methods to answer your research question(s)? This is where you should justify your choices. 
• How much time will you need to collect and analyse the data? 
• How will you gain access to participants and sources?
• How will you address any ethical issues?
• What problems might you encounter? How will you address them?

Do not simply compile a list of methods. Explain why this is the most appropriate, valid and reliable way to approach answering your question. Remember you should always be defending your choices! 

You might also need to include a schedule or a budget - check what is required for your proposal. 

Implications and contributions to knowledge

To finish your proposal on a strong note, emphasise the potential implications of the research. This means: what do you intend to contribute to existing knowledge on the topic?

Although you cannot know the results of your research until you have actually done the work, you should have a clear idea of how your work will contribute to your field. 

This section is very important because it expresses exactly why your research is necessary. 

Try to cover at least some of the following topics:

• Ways in which your work can challenge existing theories and assumptions in your field. 
• How your work will create the foundation for future research and theory. 
• The practical value of your findings for practitioners, educators or other academics in your field. 
• The problems or issues your work can potentially help to resolve. 
• Policies that could be impacted by your findings. 
• How your findings can be implemented in academia or other settings and what difference this will make.

This part is not about stating the specific results that you expect to obtain but rather, this is the section where you explicitly state how your findings will be valuable. 

This section should tie your whole proposal together. It is just like the concluding paragraph that you would structure and craft for a typical essay. You should briefly summarise your research proposal and reinforce why your research is important. 

Reference list

Your research proposal must include proper citations and full references for every source you have included. Follow your department’s referencing style .

Writing style

You should write in an academic style. 

Your proposal is a piece of persuasive and critical writing. Although you are presenting your proposal in an academic and objective manner, the goal is to get the reader to say ‘yes’ to your work. Make sure you emphasise the strengths of your proposal and why your research is important.

Resources on how to write critically:

• How to write critically
• The Manchester academic phrasebank includes some examples of phrases you can use when being critical .

Academic writing does not need to be flowery or pretentious. Aim to write in a concise and accessible style.

Book a writing advisory service appointment for advice and feedback on your style and other aspects of your proposal.

Make an appointment

Checklist for a strong proposal 

Once you have written your proposal, read back through it with the following questions in mind.

• Have you made a strong and persuasive argument for the value of your research?
• Have you focused on key information? Avoid unnecessary details.
• Is your proposal easy to understand? Have you expressed your ideas clearly?
• Have you included references for all the sources you cite?
• Is your reference list formatted correctly?

Check for spelling, grammatical or stylistic errors. Visit How to proofread your work for more information.

After submitting your proposal

Once you get to the stage of carrying out your research project, you may find our 

Research Writing workshop useful. This workshop will look at some of the main writing challenges associated with writing a large-scale research project and look at strategies to manage your writing on a day-to-day basis. It will identify ways to plan, organise and map out the structure of your writing to allow you to develop an effective writing schedule and make continuous progress on your dissertation project.

• How to plan a dissertation or final year project
• How to write a literature review
• How to identify your research methods

Further Resources

• Applying essentials – PhD study

Use your mySkills portfolio to discover your skillset, reflect on your development, and record your progress.

How To Write A Research Proposal

A Straightforward How-To Guide (With Examples)

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewed By: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | August 2019 (Updated April 2023)

Writing up a strong research proposal for a dissertation or thesis is much like a marriage proposal. It’s a task that calls on you to win somebody over and persuade them that what you’re planning is a great idea. An idea they’re happy to say ‘yes’ to. This means that your dissertation proposal needs to be   persuasive ,   attractive   and well-planned. In this post, I’ll show you how to write a winning dissertation proposal, from scratch.

Before you start:

– Understand exactly what a research proposal is – Ask yourself these 4 questions

The 5 essential ingredients:

• The title/topic
• The introduction chapter
• The scope/delimitations
• Preliminary literature review
• Design/ methodology
• Practical considerations and risks 

What Is A Research Proposal?

The research proposal is literally that: a written document that communicates what you propose to research, in a concise format. It’s where you put all that stuff that’s spinning around in your head down on to paper, in a logical, convincing fashion.

Convincing   is the keyword here, as your research proposal needs to convince the assessor that your research is   clearly articulated   (i.e., a clear research question) ,   worth doing   (i.e., is unique and valuable enough to justify the effort), and   doable   within the restrictions you’ll face (time limits, budget, skill limits, etc.). If your proposal does not address these three criteria, your research won’t be approved, no matter how “exciting” the research idea might be.

PS – if you’re completely new to proposal writing, we’ve got a detailed walkthrough video covering two successful research proposals here . 

How do I know I’m ready?

Before starting the writing process, you need to   ask yourself 4 important questions .  If you can’t answer them succinctly and confidently, you’re not ready – you need to go back and think more deeply about your dissertation topic .

You should be able to answer the following 4 questions before starting your dissertation or thesis research proposal:

• WHAT is my main research question? (the topic)
• WHO cares and why is this important? (the justification)
• WHAT data would I need to answer this question, and how will I analyse it? (the research design)
• HOW will I manage the completion of this research, within the given timelines? (project and risk management)

If you can’t answer these questions clearly and concisely,   you’re not yet ready   to write your research proposal – revisit our   post on choosing a topic .

If you can, that’s great – it’s time to start writing up your dissertation proposal. Next, I’ll discuss what needs to go into your research proposal, and how to structure it all into an intuitive, convincing document with a linear narrative.

The 5 Essential Ingredients

Research proposals can vary in style between institutions and disciplines, but here I’ll share with you a   handy 5-section structure   you can use. These 5 sections directly address the core questions we spoke about earlier, ensuring that you present a convincing proposal. If your institution already provides a proposal template, there will likely be substantial overlap with this, so you’ll still get value from reading on.

For each section discussed below, make sure you use headers and sub-headers (ideally, numbered headers) to help the reader navigate through your document, and to support them when they need to revisit a previous section. Don’t just present an endless wall of text, paragraph after paragraph after paragraph…

Top Tip:   Use MS Word Styles to format headings. This will allow you to be clear about whether a sub-heading is level 2, 3, or 4. Additionally, you can view your document in ‘outline view’ which will show you only your headings. This makes it much easier to check your structure, shift things around and make decisions about where a section needs to sit. You can also generate a 100% accurate table of contents using Word’s automatic functionality.

Ingredient #1 – Topic/Title Header

Your research proposal’s title should be your main research question in its simplest form, possibly with a sub-heading providing basic details on the specifics of the study. For example:

“Compliance with equality legislation in the charity sector: a study of the ‘reasonable adjustments’ made in three London care homes”

As you can see, this title provides a clear indication of what the research is about, in broad terms. It paints a high-level picture for the first-time reader, which gives them a taste of what to expect.   Always aim for a clear, concise title . Don’t feel the need to capture every detail of your research in your title – your proposal will fill in the gaps.

Need a helping hand?

Ingredient #2 – Introduction

In this section of your research proposal, you’ll expand on what you’ve communicated in the title, by providing a few paragraphs which offer more detail about your research topic. Importantly, the focus here is the   topic   – what will you research and why is that worth researching? This is not the place to discuss methodology, practicalities, etc. – you’ll do that later.

You should cover the following:

• An overview of the   broad area   you’ll be researching – introduce the reader to key concepts and language
• An explanation of the   specific (narrower) area   you’ll be focusing, and why you’ll be focusing there
• Your research   aims   and   objectives
• Your   research question (s) and sub-questions (if applicable)

Importantly, you should aim to use short sentences and plain language – don’t babble on with extensive jargon, acronyms and complex language. Assume that the reader is an intelligent layman – not a subject area specialist (even if they are). Remember that the   best writing is writing that can be easily understood   and digested. Keep it simple.

Note that some universities may want some extra bits and pieces in your introduction section. For example, personal development objectives, a structural outline, etc. Check your brief to see if there are any other details they expect in your proposal, and make sure you find a place for these.

Ingredient #3 – Scope

Next, you’ll need to specify what the scope of your research will be – this is also known as the delimitations . In other words, you need to make it clear what you will be covering and, more importantly, what you won’t be covering in your research. Simply put, this is about ring fencing your research topic so that you have a laser-sharp focus.

All too often, students feel the need to go broad and try to address as many issues as possible, in the interest of producing comprehensive research. Whilst this is admirable, it’s a mistake. By tightly refining your scope, you’ll enable yourself to   go deep   with your research, which is what you need to earn good marks. If your scope is too broad, you’re likely going to land up with superficial research (which won’t earn marks), so don’t be afraid to narrow things down.

Ingredient #4 – Literature Review

In this section of your research proposal, you need to provide a (relatively) brief discussion of the existing literature. Naturally, this will not be as comprehensive as the literature review in your actual dissertation, but it will lay the foundation for that. In fact, if you put in the effort at this stage, you’ll make your life a lot easier when it’s time to write your actual literature review chapter.

There are a few things you need to achieve in this section:

• Demonstrate that you’ve done your reading and are   familiar with the current state of the research   in your topic area.
• Show that   there’s a clear gap   for your specific research – i.e., show that your topic is sufficiently unique and will add value to the existing research.
• Show how the existing research has shaped your thinking regarding   research design . For example, you might use scales or questionnaires from previous studies.

When you write up your literature review, keep these three objectives front of mind, especially number two (revealing the gap in the literature), so that your literature review has a   clear purpose and direction . Everything you write should be contributing towards one (or more) of these objectives in some way. If it doesn’t, you need to ask yourself whether it’s truly needed.

Top Tip:  Don’t fall into the trap of just describing the main pieces of literature, for example, “A says this, B says that, C also says that…” and so on. Merely describing the literature provides no value. Instead, you need to   synthesise   it, and use it to address the three objectives above.

Ingredient #5 – Research Methodology

Now that you’ve clearly explained both your intended research topic (in the introduction) and the existing research it will draw on (in the literature review section), it’s time to get practical and explain exactly how you’ll be carrying out your own research. In other words, your research methodology.

In this section, you’ll need to   answer two critical questions :

• How   will you design your research? I.e., what research methodology will you adopt, what will your sample be, how will you collect data, etc.
• Why   have you chosen this design? I.e., why does this approach suit your specific research aims, objectives and questions?

In other words, this is not just about explaining WHAT you’ll be doing, it’s also about explaining WHY. In fact, the   justification is the most important part , because that justification is how you demonstrate a good understanding of research design (which is what assessors want to see).

Some essential design choices you need to cover in your research proposal include:

• Your intended research philosophy (e.g., positivism, interpretivism or pragmatism )
• What methodological approach you’ll be taking (e.g., qualitative , quantitative or mixed )
• The details of your sample (e.g., sample size, who they are, who they represent, etc.)
• What data you plan to collect (i.e. data about what, in what form?)
• How you plan to collect it (e.g., surveys , interviews , focus groups, etc.)
• How you plan to analyse it (e.g., regression analysis, thematic analysis , etc.)
• Ethical adherence (i.e., does this research satisfy all ethical requirements of your institution, or does it need further approval?)

This list is not exhaustive – these are just some core attributes of research design. Check with your institution what level of detail they expect. The “ research onion ” by Saunders et al (2009) provides a good summary of the various design choices you ultimately need to make – you can   read more about that here .

Don’t forget the practicalities…

In addition to the technical aspects, you will need to address the   practical   side of the project. In other words, you need to explain   what resources you’ll need   (e.g., time, money, access to equipment or software, etc.) and how you intend to secure these resources. You need to show that your project is feasible, so any “make or break” type resources need to already be secured. The success or failure of your project cannot depend on some resource which you’re not yet sure you have access to.

Another part of the practicalities discussion is   project and risk management . In other words, you need to show that you have a clear project plan to tackle your research with. Some key questions to address:

• What are the timelines for each phase of your project?
• Are the time allocations reasonable?
• What happens if something takes longer than anticipated (risk management)?
• What happens if you don’t get the response rate you expect?

A good way to demonstrate that you’ve thought this through is to include a Gantt chart and a risk register (in the appendix if word count is a problem). With these two tools, you can show that you’ve got a clear, feasible plan, and you’ve thought about and accounted for the potential risks.

Tip – Be honest about the potential difficulties – but show that you are anticipating solutions and workarounds. This is much more impressive to an assessor than an unrealistically optimistic proposal which does not anticipate any challenges whatsoever.

Final Touches: Read And Simplify

The final step is to edit and proofread your proposal – very carefully. It sounds obvious, but all too often poor editing and proofreading ruin a good proposal. Nothing is more off-putting for an assessor than a poorly edited, typo-strewn document. It sends the message that you either do not pay attention to detail, or just don’t care. Neither of these are good messages. Put the effort into editing and proofreading your proposal (or pay someone to do it for you) – it will pay dividends.

When you’re editing, watch out for ‘academese’. Many students can speak simply, passionately and clearly about their dissertation topic – but become incomprehensible the moment they turn the laptop on. You are not required to write in any kind of special, formal, complex language when you write academic work. Sure, there may be technical terms, jargon specific to your discipline, shorthand terms and so on. But, apart from those,   keep your written language very close to natural spoken language   – just as you would speak in the classroom. Imagine that you are explaining your project plans to your classmates or a family member. Remember, write for the intelligent layman, not the subject matter experts. Plain-language, concise writing is what wins hearts and minds – and marks!

Let’s Recap: Research Proposal 101

And there you have it – how to write your dissertation or thesis research proposal, from the title page to the final proof. Here’s a quick recap of the key takeaways:

• The purpose of the research proposal is to   convince   – therefore, you need to make a clear, concise argument of why your research is both worth doing and doable.
• Make sure you can ask the critical what, who, and how questions of your research   before   you put pen to paper.
• Title – provides the first taste of your research, in broad terms
• Introduction – explains what you’ll be researching in more detail
• Scope – explains the boundaries of your research
• Literature review – explains how your research fits into the existing research and why it’s unique and valuable
• Research methodology – explains and justifies how you will carry out your own research

Hopefully, this post has helped you better understand how to write up a winning research proposal. If you enjoyed it, be sure to check out the rest of the Grad Coach Blog . If your university doesn’t provide any template for your proposal, you might want to try out our free research proposal template .

Psst… there’s more!

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

30 Comments

Thank you so much for the valuable insight that you have given, especially on the research proposal. That is what I have managed to cover. I still need to go back to the other parts as I got disturbed while still listening to Derek’s audio on you-tube. I am inspired. I will definitely continue with Grad-coach guidance on You-tube.

Thanks for the kind words :). All the best with your proposal.

First of all, thanks a lot for making such a wonderful presentation. The video was really useful and gave me a very clear insight of how a research proposal has to be written. I shall try implementing these ideas in my RP.

Once again, I thank you for this content.

I found reading your outline on writing research proposal very beneficial. I wish there was a way of submitting my draft proposal to you guys for critiquing before I submit to the institution.

Hi Bonginkosi

Thank you for the kind words. Yes, we do provide a review service. The best starting point is to have a chat with one of our coaches here: https://gradcoach.com/book/new/ .

Hello team GRADCOACH, may God bless you so much. I was totally green in research. Am so happy for your free superb tutorials and resources. Once again thank you so much Derek and his team.

You’re welcome, Erick. Good luck with your research proposal 🙂

thank you for the information. its precise and on point.

Really a remarkable piece of writing and great source of guidance for the researchers. GOD BLESS YOU for your guidance. Regards

Thanks so much for your guidance. It is easy and comprehensive the way you explain the steps for a winning research proposal.

Thank you guys so much for the rich post. I enjoyed and learn from every word in it. My problem now is how to get into your platform wherein I can always seek help on things related to my research work ? Secondly, I wish to find out if there is a way I can send my tentative proposal to you guys for examination before I take to my supervisor Once again thanks very much for the insights

Thanks for your kind words, Desire.

If you are based in a country where Grad Coach’s paid services are available, you can book a consultation by clicking the “Book” button in the top right.

Best of luck with your studies.

May God bless you team for the wonderful work you are doing,

If I have a topic, Can I submit it to you so that you can draft a proposal for me?? As I am expecting to go for masters degree in the near future.

Thanks for your comment. We definitely cannot draft a proposal for you, as that would constitute academic misconduct. The proposal needs to be your own work. We can coach you through the process, but it needs to be your own work and your own writing.

Best of luck with your research!

I found a lot of many essential concepts from your material. it is real a road map to write a research proposal. so thanks a lot. If there is any update material on your hand on MBA please forward to me.

GradCoach is a professional website that presents support and helps for MBA student like me through the useful online information on the page and with my 1-on-1 online coaching with the amazing and professional PhD Kerryen.

Thank you Kerryen so much for the support and help 🙂

I really recommend dealing with such a reliable services provider like Gradcoah and a coach like Kerryen.

Hi, Am happy for your service and effort to help students and researchers, Please, i have been given an assignment on research for strategic development, the task one is to formulate a research proposal to support the strategic development of a business area, my issue here is how to go about it, especially the topic or title and introduction. Please, i would like to know if you could help me and how much is the charge.

This content is practical, valuable, and just great!

Thank you very much!

Hi Derek, Thank you for the valuable presentation. It is very helpful especially for beginners like me. I am just starting my PhD.

This is quite instructive and research proposal made simple. Can I have a research proposal template?

Great! Thanks for rescuing me, because I had no former knowledge in this topic. But with this piece of information, I am now secured. Thank you once more.

I enjoyed listening to your video on how to write a proposal. I think I will be able to write a winning proposal with your advice. I wish you were to be my supervisor.

Dear Derek Jansen,

Thank you for your great content. I couldn’t learn these topics in MBA, but now I learned from GradCoach. Really appreciate your efforts….

From Afghanistan!

I have got very essential inputs for startup of my dissertation proposal. Well organized properly communicated with video presentation. Thank you for the presentation.

Wow, this is absolutely amazing guys. Thank you so much for the fruitful presentation, you’ve made my research much easier.

this helps me a lot. thank you all so much for impacting in us. may god richly bless you all

How I wish I’d learn about Grad Coach earlier. I’ve been stumbling around writing and rewriting! Now I have concise clear directions on how to put this thing together. Thank you!

Fantastic!! Thank You for this very concise yet comprehensive guidance.

Even if I am poor in English I would like to thank you very much.

Thank you very much, this is very insightful.

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ANNOTATED SAMPLE GRANT PROPOSALS

How to Use Annotated Sample Grants

Are these real grants written by real students.

Yes! While each proposal represents a successfully funded application, there are two things to keep in mind: 1) The proposals below are  final products;  no student started out with a polished proposal. The proposal writing process requires stages of editing while a student formulates their project and works on best representing that project in writing. 2) The samples reflect a wide range of project types, but  they are not exhaustive . URGs can be on any topic in any field, but all must make a successful argument for why their project should be done/can be done by the person proposing to do it.  See our proposal writing guides for more advice. The best way to utilize these proposals is to pay attention to the  proposal strengths  and  areas for improvement  on each cover page to guide your reading.

How do I decide which sample grants to read?

When students first look through the database, they are usually compelled to read an example from their major (Therefore, we often hear complaints that there is not a sample proposal for every major). However, this is not the best approach because there can be many different kinds of methodologies within a single subject area, and similar research methods can be used across fields.

• Read through the Methodology Definitions and Proposal Features  to identify which methodolog(ies) are most similar to your proposed project. 
• Use the Annotated Sample Grant Database ( scroll below the definitions and features) filters or search for this methodology to identify relevant proposals and begin reading!

It does not matter whether the samples you read are summer grants (SURGs) or academic year grants (AYURGs).  The main difference between the two grant types is that academic year proposals (AYURG) require a budget to explain how the $1,000 will be used towards research materials, while summer proposals (SURG) do not require a budget (the money is a living stipend that goes directly to the student awardee) and SURGs have a bigger project scope since they reflect a project that will take 8 weeks of full time research to complete.  The overall format and style is the same across both grant cycles, so they are relevant examples for you to review, regardless of which grant cycle you are planning to apply.  

How do I get my proposal to look like these sample grants?

Do not submit a first draft:  These sample proposals went through multiple rounds of revisions with feedback from both Office of Undergraduate Research advisors and the student’s faculty mentor. First, it helps to learn about grant structure and proposal writing techniques before you get started. Then, when you begin drafting, it’s normal to make lots of changes as the grant evolves. You will learn a lot about your project during the editing and revision process, and you typically end up with a better project by working through several drafts of a proposal.

Work with an advisor:  Students who work with an Office of Undergraduate Research Advisor have higher success rates than students who do not. We encourage students to meet with advisors well in advance of the deadline (and feel free to send us drafts of your proposal prior to our advising appointment, no matter how rough your draft is!), so we can help you polish and refine your proposal.

Review final proposal checklists prior to submission:  the expectation is a two-page, single-spaced research grant proposal (1″ margins, Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11), and proposals that do not meet these formatting expectations will not be considered by the review committee.  Your bibliography does not count towards this page limit.

Academic Year URG Submission Checklist

Summer URG Application Checklist

METHODOLOGY DEFINITIONS & PROPOSAL FEATURES

Research methodologies.

The proposed project involves collecting primary sources held in archives, a Special Collections library, or other repository. Archival sources might include manuscripts, documents, records, objects, sound and audiovisual materials, etc. If a student proposes a trip to collect such sources, the student should address a clear plan of what will be collected from which archives, and should address availability and access (ie these sources are not available online, and the student has permission to access the archive).

Computational/Mathematical Modeling

The proposed project involves developing models to numerically study the behavior of system(s), often through computer simulation. Students should specify what modeling tool they will be using (i.e., an off-the-shelf product, a lab-specific codebase), what experience they have with it, and what resources they have when they get stuck with the tool (especially if the advisor is not a modeler). Models often involve iterations of improvements, so much like a Design/Build project, the proposal should clearly define parameters for a “successful” model with indication of how the student will assess if the model meets these minimum qualifications.

Creative Output

The proposed project has a creative output such playwriting, play production, documentary, music composition, poetry, creative writing, or other art. Just like all other proposals, the project centers on an answerable question, and the student must show the question and method associated with the research and generation of that project. The artist also must justify their work and make an argument for why this art is needed and/or how it will add to important conversations .

Design/Build

The proposed project’s output centers around a final product or tool. The student clearly defines parameters for a “successful” project with indication of how they will assess if the product meets these minimum qualifications.

The project takes place in a lab or research group environment, though the methodology within the lab or research group vary widely by field. The project often fits within the larger goals/or project of the research group, but the proposal still has a clearly identified research question that the student is working independently to answer.

Literary/Composition Analysis

The project studies, evaluates, and interprets literature or composition. The methods are likely influenced by theory within the field of study. In the proposal, the student has clearly defined which pieces will be studied and will justify why these pieces were selected. Context will be given that provides a framework for how the pieces will be analyzed or interpreted.

Qualitative Data Analysis

The project proposes to analyze data from non-numeric information such as interview transcripts, notes, video and audio recordings, images, and text documents. The proposal clearly defines how the student will examine and interpret patterns and themes in the data and how this methodology will help to answer the defined research question.

Quantitative Data Analysis

The project proposes to analyze data from numeric sources. The proposal clearly defines variables to be compared and provides insight as to the kinds of statistical tests that will be used to evaluate the significance of the data.

The proposed project will collect data through survey(s). The proposal should clearly defined who will be asked to complete the survey, how these participants will be recruited, and/or proof of support from contacts. The proposal should include the survey(s) in an appendix. The proposal should articulate how the results from these survey(s) will be analyzed.

The proposed project will use theoretical frameworks within their proposed area of research to explain, predict, and/or challenge and extend existing knowledge. The conceptual framework serves as a lens through which the student will evaluate the research project and research question(s); it will likely contain a set of assumptions and concepts that form the basis of this lens.

Proposal Features

Group project.

A group project is proposed by two or more students; these proposals receive one additional page for each additional student beyond the two page maximum. Group projects must clearly articulate the unique role of each student researcher. While the uploaded grant proposal is the same, each student researcher must submit their own application into the system for the review.

International Travel

Projects may take place internationally. If the proposed country is not the student’s place of permanent residence, the student can additionally apply for funding to cover half the cost of an international plane ticket. Proposals with international travel should likely include travel itineraries and/or proof of support from in-country contacts in the appendix.

Non-English Language Proficiency

Projects may be conducted in a non-English language. If you have proficiency in the proposed language, you should include context (such as bilingual, heritage speaker, or by referencing coursework etc.) If you are not proficient and the project requires language proficiency, you should include a plan for translation or proof of contacts in the country who can support your research in English.

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Research Proposal

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A research proposal is generally required for any research opportunity that you wish to pursue. This document is a clear account of the research that you plan to undertake. It is your chance to explain what you want to study and its significance. It is also an occasion to show the expertise you already have in the field.

Your research proposal describes the who, what, where, when, and why of your project. It should:

• establish your research question;
• explain why the research is important to your field;
• say where you and with whom you will work;
• describe how you will answer your question; and
• discuss the wider impact of your research.

Research is almost never done in a vacuum. Plan to talk with your professors and other students about your questions and plans.

Leave enough time to write several drafts of the research proposal. Show it to your professors, other students, and URF advisers for constructive feedback. Having a range of opinions is useful since review committees for fellowships are not always made up of specialists in your field. How your work impacts the wider world is important.

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Past Project Examples

+ biological sciences.

Sample Proposal #1   Sample Proposal #2

Agronomy & Plant Genetics

• Pollen Viability and Germination of Northern Wild Rice (Zizania Palustris L.)

Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics

• Optimizing the Parameters for the Consensus Approach to Protein Stabilization
• Effects of Human APOBEC3A in a Novel Cancer Model
• Determining the Inhibitory Effect of CaM and FKBP12.6 on Cardiac Calcium Release Channel Model of Heart Failure
• Engineering HUH Endonucleases to Direct DNA Sequence Specificity
• A Proof-of-Concept Study to Develop the Reporter-Based Assay for Identification of Potential Senotherapeutics
• Using Phenotypic Traits in Brassica Rapa to Measure Abiotic Stress Response
• Metal Contaminants in Floral Nectar
• Investigating the Enzymatic Activity of Nectar Protein NmNec3 and Pigment Precursor Properties in the Color-Changing Nectar of Nesocodon Mauritianus

Ecology, Evolution & Behavior

• Predicting the Ability of Amino Acid Auxotrophic E. coli to Regain Biosynthetic Capabilities
• Examining How the Toxic Cross-Feeding Relationship Between Escherichia Coli and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Affects Escherichia Coli Evolution
• Investigating and Comparing the Effects of Oxytocin on the Social Behaviors of Male and Female Cheetahs
• Investigating the Genetic Basis, Composition, and Relative Fitness of Various Phenotypes of Multicellular ‘Snowflake’ Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

Genetics, Cell Biology and Development

• Quantitative Analysis of Polygenic Risk Scores and Microbiome Diversity as Predictive Models of Complex Disease
• Burning the Fat to Boost Longevity: Testing the Mechanisms of Drosophila Lifespan Extension via Lipid Remodeling
• Unlocking a Capsaicin Pathway in Tomatoes Through Deconstructed Viral Vectors

Neuroscience

• Investigating the Role of ApoE 4 in Postsynaptic Deficits in Parkinson’s Disease Dementia
• Chemogenetic Inhibition of Nucleus Accumbens PV+ Interneurons Modulates Opioid Induced Reward-Related Behavior
• To Examine Roles of Microglia in Early Brain Development
• Investigating the Long Term Neurological Effects of Hyperglycemia in Mature Brains and the Effects of a High Fat Diet on Hyperglycemia
• Optimization of Gene Editing to Affect Monocyte Activation and Differentiation
• Myogenic Analysis of DUX Family Genes DUXA and DUXB Breastmilk Fungi and Establishment of the Infant Gut Mycobiome
• Investigating Methylene Blue as a Facilitator to Reverse the Effects of Developmental Iron Deficiency

Pharmacology

• Structure-Activity Relationship Study of a Novel N1-Biphenyl Fluoroquinolone With Anti-Proliferative Activity
• The Role of the Alpha6 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Subunit in Alcohol and Nicotine Consumption
• The Influence of SLC39A8 And HGFAC on Acute Alcohol Behavior and Metabolism
• The Role of HGFAC on Alcohol and Nicotine Consumption in Mice

Plant Biology

• Examining the Role of MET1 in the Setaria Viridis Methylome
• Investigating Fungal Interspecies Competition in Ectomycorrhizal Communities
• Exploring Rapid Evolution of Early Post-Germination Allocation Strategies in Clarkia Santiana ssp. Santiana in Response to the Recent California Megadrought

See All CBS Projects

Sample Proposal

Architecture and Landscape Architecture

• Photographic Bias in Architecture
• Reconceiving Juvenile Rehabilitation
• IN | OUT, Dreaming-Nature
• Indoor-Outdoor (The Vast Divide Between Out And In)

Design, Housing, & Apparel

• Creating a User Experience and Interface for Underrepresented K-12 Children to Promote Design and Making
• Light and Well- Being: An Analysis of the WELL Building Standards
• Defining Gender Neutral Fashion
• Post Occupancy Evaluation In Design
• The Application of Eye-Level Marketing Theory to Idea Selection During Team Based Brainstorming Sessions
• Translating IR Spatial Positioning Circuitry to Softlines 2019

+ Education & Human Development

Sample Proposal #1 Sample Proposal #2

Child Development

• Shared Reading: Black and White vs. Color Book
• Examining the Association Between Positive Self-Concept and Immune Functioning
• Phonetic and Semantic Features in Young Children's Foreign Word Learning

Educational Psychology

• Struggling to Succeed

Family Social Science

• Early Childhood Family Education Staff Perspectives Toward the Integration of Technology
• Prevention of Human Trafficking with Migrant Workers and Their Family  

Institute of Child Development 

• Bridging Transitions: Formation of Attachment Among Children in Childcare Settings

Kinesiology

• Sensitivity to Changes in Dynamic Affordances for Walking
• Comparing Total and Regional Body Composition Measurements Between a Handheld Electrical Impedance Myography Device and Dual X-ray Absorptiometry
• Investigating the Effects of Exergaming on College Students’ Psychosocial Outcomes
• The Role of Chromaticity in the Visual Control of Stance
• Ethnographer Analysis of the Court Systems

Sports Management

• The Examination of Women Coaches in Ireland: A Report on Third Level Sport Institutions 2017-2018

+ Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences

Sample Proposal #1   Sample Proposal #2

• Identifying the Optimum Planting Depth of Kernza Cultivars in Three Minnesota Soils
• Evaluating Allele Frequencies at a Seed Shatter Locus in Natural and Cultivated Stands of Northern Wild Rice
• Developing a Naturally Derived Bioherbicide to Control Garlic Mustard

Animal Science

• Modern Alfalfa Varieties Population and Stem Counts to Predict Yield
• Pilot Study to Investigate the Effect of Individual Versus Pair Housing During the Preweaning Period on Dairy Calf Well-Being
• Examining Microbial Environments Present in Dairy Cattle and Dairy Hutches
• Role of Nuclear Actin Polymerization in Regulating Non-Cell Death Etosis in Airway Epithelial Cells Exposed to Fungal Allergens.

Applied Economics

• The Economics of Renewable Energy in Minnesota
• The Effect of Pesticides on the Behavior of Native Pollinators
• Edible Insects - The Food to Save the World

Fisheries & Wildlife

• The Influence of Snow Pack on Canid Space Use in Altered Landscapes
• Northern Goshawk Nest Site Characteristics in the Black Hills National Forest
• Robot-Assisted Conservation Research on Two Federally Endangered Mussels: Observational Data Needed to Reveal life History Requirements
• Survival of Two Strains of Stocked Walleye (Sander Vitreus)

Food Science & Nutrition

• To Isolate Bacteriophage from Ready to Eat Foods Such as Salad or Deli Meat and See if Bacteriophage Can be Found That Kill Listeria
• Detection of a Population-Specific Mutation in a Zinc Transporter Gene Using Blood DNA and qPCR
• Importance of Diet and Cooking Knowledge from Childhood to Collegiate Years
• Protecting Food Flavorings from Deterioration

Forest Resources

• The Relationship Between Pine Barrens Knowledge and Acceptance of Barrens Restoration Strategies
• Where Will the Ash Wood Go? Gaining Forest Industry Perspectives on the Use of Ash Wood in Anticipation of Emerald Ash Borer
• Using Stable Isotopes and Fallout Radionuclides to Track Winter Precipitation
• Impacts of Experimental Warming and Drought on Tree Stomatal Density and Size

Horticultural Science

• Development of Tuber Stachys as a Potential Vegetable Crop
• Evaluation of Interspecific Compatibility in Perennial Flax
• A Comparison of Hydroponic Cultivation Systems for Commercial Hop Production
• Introgression of the Non-Native Invasive Knotweed on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota
• Intraspecific Pollen Tube Competition
• Differences in Cover Crop Biomass Production Across Planting Methods
• Assessing Cold Hardiness of Two Kiwi Berry Species (Actinidia Arguta and Actinidia Kolomikta) by Microscopically Comparing Cold Damage in Shoot Tissues

Soil, Water, & Climate

• Soil “A” Horizon Development Relative to Plant Community Diversity and Agricultural Abandonment
• Microbial Community Structure and its Effect on Nitrogen Cycling Dynamics in a Kura Clover Living Mulch System
• Evaluating Enzyme Activity in Agricultural High Tunnels Compared to Open Fields in Minnesota and Kentucky
• Impacts of Earthworm Invasion on the island of Ta’u in American Samoa

Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences

• Domesticated Birds Take Down P. Tenuis
• Evaluating Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Methods in Minnesota

See All CFANS Projects

+ Liberal Arts

Sample Proposal #1  

Sample Proposal #2  

Sample Proposal #3

Anthropology

• The Price of Legitimacy: Representation, Self-Perception, and Organizing Strategy at el Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha
• The Liquid Architecture of Fantasy
• Exploring Narrative through the Storyteller, Written Text, and Visual Art
• Touch Board: New Technology’s Potential for Making Art Interactive
• Assimilation and Pleasure in the Archive
• Voice to Vision
• Imagining the North Country, 1600 - 1900

Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature

• The Media Coverage of Sanctions and Its Implications
• Price Discrimination in a Perfect Information Inelastic Setting: A Case of FAFSA and Higher Education
• European Christian Pilgrimage to the Holy Land During the Early Modern Period

French & Italian

• 'Where Were the Women?' The Story of the Women Who Collaborated in France 1940 – 1944
• Linguistic Change and the Urbanization of Roman Markets
• Deep Learning Computer Vision Tree Ring Detection
• Impact of Contraceptive Availability and Knowledge on Desired Family Size and Spacing in Niger
• Dight Institute Archives and The History of Eugenics
• The Role of Black Feminism Within the Black Power Movemen
• Illustrating an Emperor: Understanding the Life and Reign of Maximilian I Through Theuerdank
• The Denmark Vesey Conspiracy: Conceptualizing Crime and Religion in Slaveholding Societies
• The Discovery, Acquisition, Authentication, and Distribution of Christian Relics in Europe and the Holy Lands in the Premodern Era
• The Effects of Coca Production on 21st Century Latin American Development
• Making the Makers: Conceptualizations and Representations of the Pregnant Body in Shakespeare’s World
• American Expertise and Yugoslavia’s Tourism Industry During the Cold War
• Doing Digital History: Twenty-First-Century Methods for Researching the Past

Institute of Linguistics

• Lexical Restrictions on That-Trace Effects in Indonesian
• The Long Term Impact of the SSBI CARLA Summer Institute Course

Journalism & Mass Communication

• The Emerging Trend of Brand Ambassadors and Influencers
• Multitasking Part 2: The Effectiveness of Advertisement on a Cross-Cultural Population

Political Science

• Paris Agreement and MENA
• Changing Perceptions of People with Disabilities Activism, Protest, and Narrative
• Examining School District Consolidation and Urbanization- A Case Study of White Bear Lake School District
• The Unintended Effects of Global Nonproliferation Policies on the Value of Nuclear Weapons to Norm-Defying States
• Women and Minority Experiences of Workplace Bias
• Trauma History, Attachment Dimensions, and Relationship Quality
• Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Following LPS-Induced Inflammation
• Enhanced Neural Coding and Sound Perception in Musicians
• Internal Attributions of Control in School Age Children and Subsequent Perceptions of Control During Stress in Adolescence
• Interaction Between Goal-Driven and Habitual Behavior in Visual Search
• Understanding the Role of Trauma on Social Decision-Making and Trust
• Pitch Perception of Complex Melodies at High Frequencies
• The Role of Cultural Values in the Empowerment of Latina Womxn
• Relationship Between Impulsivity and Bipolar Spectrum Disorder Among College Students

Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences

• Standardizing the Viscosity of Common Liquids for Pediatric Dysphagia Patients Using IDDSI Testing Protocols
• Establishing Standardized Thickening Recipes Using Infant Cereals to Reach Consistent Viscosity Levels for Infant Feeding
• Standardizing Treatment Viscosity Recipes for Pediatric Patients With Dysphagia
• A Comparison of Patient and Clinician Attitudes Towards Remote Adjustment of Self-Fit Hearing Instruments

Theatre Arts & Dance

• Mental Health Visibility Through Performance: An Integration of Dance and Psychology
• Embodiment of Technique of Innovation on Nationalized Dance
• Embodiment of Aesthetic through Indigenous Memory

See All CLA Projects

+ Science & Engineering

Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics

• Aircraft Flutter Suppression using Conic-Sector-Based-Control
• Attitude Control of a Spacecraft Flexible Appendage Using Parallel Feedforward Control
• Improved Low-Cost Real Time Tracking System Using Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs)
• Motion Tracking with an Absolute Orientation Sensor
• Evaluating the Accuracy of Conventional Drag Prediction and Validation Methods for Small Electric UAVs
• Infrared Observations of Variable Stars and Transient Astronomical Events
• Observation of Variable Stars in Infrared

Biomedical Engineering

• Development and Validation of the Subject-Specific Computational Models Using Electrophysiological Single-Unit Activity
• Subject-Specific Modeling of Epidural Spinal Cord Stimulation for Paraplegia
• Understanding the Role of Fibrinolysis Inhibition in Cell-Laden 3D Fibrin Networks
• Direction of Information Flow in Working Memory Network in Humans
• Characterization and Modulation of Cellular Distribution and Protein-Protein Interaction of Fused in Sarcoma (FUS)
• Predicting SCD through multi-scale nonlinear-dynamics-based risk stratification
• Development of a FRET-Based Biosensor to Monitor the Pathological Protein Aggregation in Parkinson’s Disease

Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering

• The Removal and Transfer of Excess Nutrients from Wastewater to a Biochar Fertilizer
• Evaluating the Water Quality Impacts of Floating Treatment Wetlands in a Stormwater Retention Pond
• Biogas Production and Upgrading Through Solid State Anaerobic Digestion Food Waste and Bioelectrichemical Treatment of Leachate
• Investigating Interactions Between Mucor and Plant Roots
• Conversion of Paper Mill Residues to Fermentable Sugars
• Growing Selenium Nanoparticles on Ceramic Materials for Mercury Removal
• Solid-State Fermentation of Feather Meal to Produce More Sustainable Animal Feed

Chemical Engineering & Materials Science

• Characterization of Phase Transitions in Non-Equilibrium Many-Bodied Systems
• Optimization of Biomass Waste-to-Energy Supply Chains with Modular and Mobile Production Units in Minnesota
• Engineering Cellular Metabolism to Improve Function of NK Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy
• Deterministic Integrated Production and Maintenance Scheduling Incorporating Various Equipment Health Models
• Gelation Temperature as a Function of Percent Allylation in Aqueous Methylcellulose Solutions
• Analysis of Crack Patterns in Drying Silica Suspensions and Hydrodynamic Interactions with Active Matters
• Ion Gel Gating with Boron Nitride Buffer Layer in Strontium Stannate Thin films
• Effect of Channel Morphology on Capillary Flow
• Processing of Spatially Gradient Nanocrystal Films
• Synthesis of Copper Indium Sulfide (cis) Quantum Dots
• Engineering Substrate Stiffness to Enhance Hepatocyte Differentiation from Embryonic Stem Cells
• Developing a Method to Select Training Sets for an Active Space Selection ML Classification Mode
• Characterizing Gas Sensing Proteins in M. tuberculosis Through X-ray Crystallography
• The Reactivity and Redox-Induced Nucleation and Growth of Goethite on Synthetic Aluminum Substituted Hematite Nanoparticles
• Optimization of a BET Family BRD4 Domain 1 Inhibitor as a New Anti-Cancer Agent
• Synthesis, Characterization, and Adsorption of ZIF-8 Nanoparticles on a Macroporous Support Using Rhodamine B and Methylene Blue Dye
• Difunctionalization of Arenes from Aryne Intermediates Generated by Diradicals
• Synthesis of [24]azacyclacene
• Optimization of Solid-Contact Potassium Ion-Selective Electrodes Made with Colloid-Imprinted Mesoporous Carbon
• The Relationship between Heme Redox Potentials and Activity in TB Dormancy Signaling
• A Light Activated Cancer Drug
• Characterization of Organocatalysts with Enhanced Electrophilic Activities via UV-Vis Spectroscopy

Civil, Environmental and Geo Engineering

• Manipulation of Fluvial Bathymetry Through Yawed Porous Grids
• Comparative Study of Los Angeles Abrasion and Impact Loss to Other Standard Aggregate Toughness Tests
• Effect of Cement Fineness on Fresh Grout Properties with Admixtures in Post Tension Grout

Computer Science & Engineering

• Incorporating Semantic Information to Improve Surface Normal Prediction
• Empirical Study of the Spread of Misinformation in Social Networks
• Controlling Growing Tasks via Altering the Secondary Agent Ratio
• Designing a Computer Game for the Empirical Study of Human-Robot Collaboration
• Reconstructing 3D Human body model from 2D images using HUMBI (Human Multiview Behavioral Imaging) dataset
• Application of the Diving by Inflation Variation Engine
• Transferring Solutions for Machine Learning Based Collision Avoidance from Simulation to Real Life
• Detection and Tracking of Key Facial Points
• Development of Autopilot Control System Design Framework for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) - Parametrization and Validation with EdgeBot
• Failure Detection and Diagnosis for Underwater Robotics Using Neural Network Optimization and Onboard Sensors and Software
• Strafing Gain: A Novel Redirected Walking Technique in Virtual Reality

Electrical & Computer Engineering

• Selenium (IV, VI) Reduction by Fungi Under Oxic Conditions
• Exploring Morphological Patterns in Diurnal Raptors Using 3-D Beak Data
• Replication of a Referenced Setting Using Non-Prehensile and Prehensile Movements of the Robot Arm
• The Design of the Topological Insulator Using LC Networks Circuit
• Using DNA Strand Displacement to Implement Binary Logic Operations
• Using SAT Solvers for the Synthesis of Acyclic Logic Functions
• Optimization with Cyclic Combinational Circuits: Design, Analysis, and Synthesis
• The Flexible Solar Cell
• Efficient Digital Filters Using a Hybrid Binary-Unary Number Representation
• An Investigation on the Efficiency of Wide-Band Gap Devices in Grid-Tied Inverters

Industrial and Systems Engineering

• Scheduling Analysis of an M Health Outpatient Clinic

Mechanical Engineering

• Microfluidic Fabrication of Solid-shelled Capsules Using Paraffin Wax
• Numerical Investigation of Plasma-Assisted Gas Reforming
• Isothermal Compressed Air Energy Storage System
• Improving the Preservation of Bioprinted Tissue
• Characterizing Freezing Response for Natural Killer Cells
• Short-Term Energy Storage Solution for the Hybridization of Hydrostatic Transmissions in Wind Turbines
• Development of a High Throughput Plate Reader Based hHINT1 Kinetics Assay as an Alternative to Classic Fluorometric Assays
• Design and Synthesis of a ssDNA-based SuFEx Probe Targeting APOBEC3B Cytosine Deaminase

Physics & Astronomy

• Study of Low-Q² Resonance Suppression to Reduce Systematic Uncertainties on NOvA Experimental Results
• Measuring the Switching Window of Ferromagnet-InSb Nanowire Quantum Devices in MuMax3 Simulations
• Investigating Cosmic Ray Acceleration Mechanisms in Blazars Using X-rays
• Hydrodynamic Simulation of Stellar Core Convection
• To Study the Effects of Atmospheric Oxidation on the Dark Conductivity of Free Standing Nanocrystalline Thin Films
• Role of Surface Doping Layer in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas
• Democratizing Cryogenics: Determining the Feasibility of Manufacturing a Low Cost, Self-Sufficient Liquid Nitrogen System
• Optimization of Stretched Exponential Model for Amorphous Semiconductor Alloys
• Anneals and Growth of HgBa2CuO4+
• Growth, Characterization, and High Pressure Behavior of Potassium Doped Bismuthate Crystals
• Measurements of Carbon Dioxide Diffusion Rates in Thin Film Plastics

See All CSE Projects

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Writing Project Proposals

Some applications will ask for an essay outlining a proposed project, including details of the design and plan for carrying it out. Remember that your essay is essentially an exercise in expository writing, but with a twist—it also needs to be persuasive.

As you get ready to write, think about the following questions:

How will you demonstrate the match between yourself and a particular project?

• What inspired or motivated you for this project?
• Language proficiency? Coursework? Contacts? Organizational affiliation? Experience traveling alone?
• Why there? Why now? How is it important or meaningful?

What makes you a strong fit for a particular opportunity?

• Does the project benefit from specific skillsets, values, experiences, or accomplishments?
• How can you concisely share an anecdote(s) from your life that directly demonstrates why you are a good fit for this opportunity?

How will you demonstrate the feasibility of your project?

• Can your project be completed within the timeframe allowed?
• Have you laid the appropriate groundwork (e.g., made connections with local scholars; introduced yourself and your project to the archivist; learned specific software or equipment; getting IRB approval; and more) to convince the committee that you are ready to start (and ideally complete) your project on time?
• Consider your audience. Selection committees typically are comprised of faculty from a broad range of academic disciplines, so write for an intelligent reader, but someone who’s probably not an expert your specific field.

How will you craft your essay to be persuasive in text and tone?

• How will this project/experience impact your future goals/pursuits?
• What will the impact of this project be—on both you as the applicant as well as on the field/community/target audience?
• What about your project is timely, so that the committee understands that your project needs to be completed now and could not be similiarly accomplished in a couple years’ time? Are we on the cusp of something important in your field, something pressing within a group of people, or at an important part of history or policy, for example? What is the urgency surrounding your project?

Selection committees want to learn about you . Be sure to connect the opportunity at hand to your past experiences—compelling moments in your personal and/or academic life, interesting anecdotes, something that shaped your outlook or motivated you. Make sure you focus on relevant experiences, though. Your essay should not be a narrative version of your resume nor a cover letter. Tell the committee who you are, what you value, what makes you "tick," what you want to do, how you plan to do it, and why it’s important—and do so in an honest voice.

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Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Haas scholars program, proposal format, haas scholars program: guidelines for your project proposal.

Please review these guidelines and policies before beginning to write your Haas Scholars proposal.  We recommended using this research proposal worksheet to prepare your proposal. For more suggestions on how to approach each section, visit the proposal-writing resources page on the OURS website and/or attend a “How to Write a Proposal” workshop (times/dates here ). You may also review a video recording of the Research Proposal Workshop linked here . Note: you will need to be signed into you BMail account (@berkeley.edu) in order to access the linked resources above.

Your proposal should contain the following five sections:

• Research Statement (Project Summary)
• Background and Rationale
• Research Plan (Methodologies and Timeline)
• Qualifications and Affiliations
• Bibliography

Note : You will need to number any supplementary materials (graphics, images, charts) that you refer to in your application and upload them as a single PDF.

Research Statement (Project Summary) (max. 1,000 characters, approx. 175 words)

Provide an overview of your project, addressing the following questions:

• What specific question does your research ask. and why is it important?
• How will your project potentially contribute new knowledge to the field?

A good research statement acts as an abstract of your project – it is your sales pitch. It should:

• Provide a hook or snapshot of your specific topic
• Introduce a hypothesis or intervention in the field, stating your research question
• Briefly contextualize your proposal in current conversations in the field
• Describe the potential impact or implication(s) of the project
• Make a claim about how this project is relevant
• Convince the reader that this project is exciting, innovative, and meaningful!

Background and Rationale (max. 4,000 characters, approx. 750 words)

Contextualize your research project within existing literature and make a case for why this research matters. Although you may use in-text citations to refer to sources that have informed your research, full citations of these sources should be included in the bibliography section. Be sure to address the following questions:

• What is already known about the research topic you will be working on?
• How does your project align with or depart from the existing scholarship?
• How will this research contribute to the wider field?

This section builds on the project overview you provided in the Research Statement section. In it, you will situate your research project within existing literature. This is where you will cite the sources included in the bibliography!

• Situate your research question within the broader field, summarizing the key findings of scholarship that shaped your thinking
• Indicate how your project will contribute new knowledge
• Identify questions your research will answer

Research Plan (Methodologies and Timeline) (max. 3,000 characters, approx. 500 words)

Describe your research plan. Provide an account of the methodologies that will inform your process and outline the timeline of your project. Be sure to address the following questions:

• Describe your summer research plan in chronological order, using either a week-by-week timeline or phases approach. Each week/phase should specify goals, action items, and methods.
• How are your chosen research methods appropriate for addressing these issues?
• Are there constraints or anticipated challenges associated with any particular elements of your research process?

This section details the how, when, where, and what of your project, describing how you will tackle the research objectives. It should identify the components of this research and your organizational approach. Be clear about the nature of your research (e.g., bibliographic, labwork, experiments, interviews, documentation). Describe your project as a process that can be broken down into rational, discrete phases:

• What will your first step be?  What is entailed in this step? What will your questioning look like? How long will it take?
• How does step 1 prepare you for step 2? How does step 2 prepare you for step 3? etc.
• Are there benchmarks that will define your process?

Qualifications and Affiliations (max. 1,200 characters, approx. 200 words)

Describe your qualifications to conduct this research. Reference not only any relevant coursework and germane research experience but also personal experiences that make the project meaningful to you. If your research requires an external affiliation or permission to access particular resources, provide evidence that you have secured these. Be sure to address the following:

• What academic and personal experiences have prepared you to carry out this research project?
• Does your project depend on access to people and/or institutions or particular resources (i.e., interviewing subjects, partnering with institutions, traveling to archives or museums)? If so, please describe the affiliations, permissions, and agreements you have established.

In this section, you are convincing the committee that you are prepared to undertake this research. You are providing a personal statement about why this research matters to you. Here’s what to include:  

• A narrative account of what you learned
• Previous research experience
• Planned training in the coming semester or early summer
• Any external affiliations secured (archives, labs, community groups)
• Relevant leadership or extracurricular activities
• Demonstration of passion for the proposed project

Bibliography (max. 4,000 characters)

Provide a short bibliography that has informed your thinking. Include full citations of any sources you mentioned elsewhere in this proposal.

• Ten most important sources
• e.g., Chicago, MLA, APA, etc.

Previously Successful Research Proposals

To view examples of research proposals, you can visit the SURF L&S Resources page linked here .

Note: The proposals will be listed by Major(s), Fellow, and Title of Project. To access the files linked, you must be logged into a valid UC Berkeley email address.

Department of Biological Sciences

Examples of Undergraduate Research Projects

Fall 2021 projects.

Previous Projects

30+ SAMPLE Undergraduate Research Proposal in PDF

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Step 1: determine the research topic and perform literature reviews, step 2: list the gaps in literature and frame the purpose of the study, step 3: construct the introduction, hypothesis, and research questions to guide the study, step 4: outline the investigation methods and research design, step 5: indicate the sample size, including its characteristics, step 6: outline the necessary procedures for data collection and analysis, share this post on your network, you may also like these articles, title project proposal.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the essentials of crafting an effective Title Project Proposal. Whether you're applying for a grant, pitching a new project, or seeking approval…

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Stanford Research Development Office

What Makes a Successful Proposal

Grant proposals are a distinct genre compared to other academic writing. At its heart, a compelling proposal focuses on posing an exciting research question or problem and offering a convincing narrative for how you will use grant funds to answer or solve it. 

Strong proposals typically exhibit several key characteristics:

• Define a specific, compelling, and carefully vetted concept.
• Explain its relevance to the academic community and society.
• Highlight the potential impact and why the research is timely and necessary.
• Present an innovative and original approach or access to a new corpus/data.
• Some funding programs are more interested in incremental accomplishments, while others (many that we work with) want more transformative potential.
• Provide a well-defined and practical plan for carrying out the project, including contingency plans.
• Clearly outline as applicable the research design, theoretical approach, data collection methods, analysis techniques, and include necessary preliminary data or proof of concept to demonstrate feasibility.
• Establish clear, achievable goals and objectives.
• Outline a realistic timeline with milestones.
• Provide a strategy for continuous evaluation and adaptation.
• Highlight the expertise of a well-rounded project team with clear roles and responsibilities in the project.
• Demonstrate strong collaboration and cohesion within the team, showcasing previous related work and publications to reinforce credibility.
• Tailor the proposal to align with the program’s objectives and priorities.
• Show how the research fits within the broader mission of the funding agency.
• Write concisely and avoid jargon. Define specialized terminology if necessary.
• Ensure that the proposal is accessible to a diverse audience, including non-specialists who may be involved in the review process.
• Use storytelling techniques to create a compelling narrative.
• Incorporate visual elements, such as graphics, charts, and figures, to effectively convey complex information.
• Provide a detailed and realistic budget, demonstrating a clear understanding of resource needs.
• Justify all expenses, showing how they support the project's success.
• Outline how you will share results with the academic community and beyond.
• Include plans for publications, conferences, and using other dissemination channels.
• Strictly follow the funder’s guidelines, ensuring all required components, including supporting documents and signatures, are included.
• Consider using strategic formatting elements, such as headers, bold text, and figures or tables, to make key elements easy to locate.

Addressing these key characteristics will help position your proposal for success. The Stanford Research Development Office is here to work with you throughout the process, from developing a compelling narrative to ensuring alignment with funder priorities. Our team offers expert guidance, resources, and support to enhance the competitiveness of your proposal for external funding.

Contact us at  [email protected] to learn how we can help you.

Created: 02/06/24

Updated: 09/12/24

Proposal Guidelines

Main navigation, proposal guidelines .

Proposals should be authored and submitted by faculty mentors or the departmental staff coordinating the projects and programs to be funded. 

Proposals must explicitly address:

• Scholarly and experiential goals for participating students
• Mentoring strategies, including training and resources available to new mentors as well as guidance and resources for students
• Outreach and selection criteria for students participants, including efforts to address issues of diversity and inclusion as appropriate
• For Departmental Grants, recruitment and selection criteria for mentors and projects, where necessary
• Specific outcomes for past participants (e.g. subsequent publications, honors theses, presentations, etc.) as appropriate.  Discuss any available student or mentor feedback, and highlight new processes or initiatives responding to this feedback.
• All research programs and projects are subject to change at any given point and time depending on  Stanford Global Risk advisories  and  CDC guidelines . 
• Continue to pay special attention to current Stanford travel restrictions and undergraduate research policies outlines in the  University Health Alerts . 
• Read more about the Undergraduate Research requirements for projects involving  Off-campus Travel and International Travel .
• All grant proposals must include an appendix with a Contingency Plan in the event that disruptions (not just COVID) occur.

Selection Criteria

Grants are competitive, and even strong proposals may receive only partial funding. Successful proposals will provide concise evidence of:

• A plan to cultivate strong faculty mentorship
• Intensive student intellectual engagement with faculty mentors' scholarship
• Student training to develop the skills that enable more independent projects and increased intellectual responsibilities in the future
• A clear plan to foster student engagement with other undergraduate researchers as well as the department or program’s broader scholarly community
• **Please note that exemplary proposals may be shared with future applicants. 

Program Administration

For questions regarding program goals, proposal content, or review criteria, please contact:

Brian Thomas Associate Dean of Undergraduate Research Opportunities [email protected] 650/723-0051

For questions regarding grant administration and budgets, please contact: [email protected] 650/497-5388

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CALS Undergraduate Research Grants

Terms and dates:.

Kristina Harrison

Cornell Affiliations:

Agriculture and Life Sciences

CALS Undergraduate Research Grant

Funding up to $2000 USD is available to undergraduate students for research expenses, including travel to a professional meeting or conference to present findings. Funding may not be used as a stipend for students conducting the research. Students are advised to work with faculty members to develop scientifically relevant and well-circumscribed research proposals.

Decisions made by late-November for Fall funding and in early April for Spring/Summer funding.

The following is a list of undergraduate grants offered by the Office of Academic Programs:

• The Dextra Undergraduate Research Endowment Fund enables talented undergraduate students in genomics/life sciences and/or environmental sciences to perform undergraduate research. Undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are invited to submit proposals. Several grants of up to $2,000 will be made each year.
• The Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (Cornell AES) has made available $25,000 this year for supplementing current Hatch or Multistate projects where the principle investigator is mentoring a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences undergraduate student in research associated with that Hatch project. Twenty-five projects will be supplemented with $1,000 each to support the undergraduate student's research. The student should be engaged in independent research (i.e. involved in the research process more than doing "busy work" to earn an income).Projects awarded this supplement in Federal Year '22 (FY22) must be spent by September 30, 2024.
• The Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (Cornell AES) has made available $4,000 this year for supplementing current McIntire-Stennis grants, where the principal investigator is mentoring a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences undergraduate student in research associated with that McIntire-Stennis Grant.
• The Jane E. Brody Undergraduate Research Award funds undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Research Honors Program. Up to $500 of funds per student is available. Undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are invited to submit proposals.
• S. Ann and Robert R. Morley have provided funds to support research by undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The primary objective is to increase the involvement of students in research in the agricultural and life sciences. Undergraduate students from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are invited to submit research proposals in competition for funding. Applicants may be individuals or groups; projects may involve basic or applied research. At least four proposals will be chosen for a maximum of $1,500 each. No student may receive the award for more than two consecutive years.
• Fredric (Fred) N. Gabler ’93 was a CALS alumnus who was killed in the September 11, 2001 tragedy. The Gabler Endowment was established by friends of Fred Gabler and his family to ensure the continuance of the honors research program in CALS. The fund will provide financial assistance to an undergraduate researcher enrolled in the CALS Research Honors program. 
• The Michael W. Berns BS ’64, MS ’66, PhD ’68 Undergraduate Research Award provides support to undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences performing research in the life and environmental sciences. The fund will provide financial assistance to an undergraduate student working with a faculty member on a research project, which may take place during an academic semester or over a summer.

Grant Proposal Application Instructions

Proposals  must  strictly adhere to the guidelines described below; those that do not may be returned.

Proposals should include :

• Cover Page/Application Proposal  for Research funds. Students with Microsoft Word may fill out the application digitally. Eligible applicants may apply to more than one program using a single application.
• Statement of Objectives and Significance
• Brief Review of Relevant Literature
• Description of Methodology (detail adequate to evaluate the probability of project completion; statement(s) of expected results helpful if known)
• Time frame (research to be completed within a 12-month period)
• Literature Cited

Additional considerations:

• Proposals should be written in 12-point font with single or double spacing between lines and at least 1-inch margins. Abbreviations within the proposal must be defined. No appendices may be included.
• Undergraduate grant proposals are restricted to a  maximum of 2 pages , excluding cover page and list of literature cited.
• The budget should list the actual project cost; other sources of funding received, expected, or for which the student has applied; and the amount of funding requested from the Office of Academic Programs, including an explanation of how those funds will be used.
• If the student has already received funding for this research from one of these sources, an additional page must be added to the proposal describing the research progress.
• Computers and software purchased with these funds are the property of Cornell University and must remain at Cornell after the student graduates.
• All undergraduate proposals must be reviewed by the student’s research mentor and revised according to his/her recommendations. The final proposal must be signed by the research mentor before submission to the Office of Academic Programs.

A sample proposal is available for review:  sample #1 .

Funding is limited to  full-time students  only. 

These awards can be used for research or travel related to research, including attending research conferences.

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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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Active funding opportunity

Nsf 23-601: research experiences for undergraduates (reu), program solicitation, document information, document history.

• Posted: June 29, 2023
• Replaces: NSF 22-601

Program Solicitation NSF 23-601

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):

     September 27, 2023

     August 21, 2024

     Third Wednesday in August, Annually Thereafter

Important Information And Revision Notes

The student stipend amount and the generally expected maximum for total project costs (including other student costs) have been increased.

The non-PI faculty/professionals who will serve as research mentors for students are no longer required to be listed as Senior Personnel in REU Site proposals. However, Collaborators & Other Affiliations (COA) documents for anticipated non-PI research mentors must be uploaded into the Additional Single Copy Documents section of the proposal.

Students' names (as coauthors) are no longer required to be labeled with asterisks (*) in bibliographic citations in the Biographical Sketches of the PI and other Senior Personnel.

NSF's Education & Training Application (ETAP) is described and encouraged as a means of managing student applications and collecting student demographic information. Some NSF units may require their REU Sites to use ETAP.

Proposers are reminded of Federal and NSF non-discrimination statutes and regulations (PAPPG Chapter XI.A), which apply to the selection of students for REU opportunities.

A description of a new partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE), which offers the possibility of DOE co-funding for relevant REU Site proposals, has been added to the "Special Opportunities (Partnerships)" section.

Minor edits and reorganizations of text have been made to improve clarity. Links and references have been updated.

Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. The NSF PAPPG is regularly revised and it is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets the requirements specified in this solicitation and the applicable version of the PAPPG. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Summary Of Program Requirements

General information.

Program Title:

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites and Supplements

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. This solicitation features two mechanisms for supporting student research: REU Sites are based on independent proposals to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department or may offer interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme. REU Supplements may be included as a component of proposals for new or renewal NSF grants or cooperative agreements or may be requested for ongoing NSF-funded research projects. REU projects with an international dimension are welcome. Undergraduate student participants in either REU Sites or REU Supplements must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or U.S. permanent residents. Students do not apply to NSF to participate in REU activities, and NSF does not select students for the opportunities. Investigators who receive REU awards establish their own process for receiving and reviewing applications and selecting students, and students follow the instructions provided by each REU Site or REU Supplement to apply. (In some cases, investigators pre-select students for REU Supplements.) To identify appropriate REU Sites, students should consult the directory of active REU Sites on the Web at https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm .

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

• NSF REU Site Contacts: https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_contacts.jsp
• 47.041 --- Engineering
• 47.049 --- Mathematical and Physical Sciences
• 47.050 --- Geosciences
• 47.070 --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering
• 47.074 --- Biological Sciences
• 47.075 --- Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences
• 47.076 --- STEM Education
• 47.079 --- Office of International Science and Engineering
• 47.083 --- Office of Integrative Activities (OIA)
• 47.084 --- NSF Technology, Innovation and Partnerships

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant or Cooperative Agreement

Estimated Number of Awards: 1,300 to 1,350

This estimate includes approximately 175 new Site awards and 1,150 new Supplement awards each year.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $84,800,000

in FY 2024 — This estimate includes both Sites and Supplements, pending availability of funds.

Eligibility Information

Who May Submit Proposals:

The categories of proposers eligible to submit proposals to the National Science Foundation are identified in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), Chapter I.E. Unaffiliated individuals are not eligible to submit proposals in response to this solicitation.

Who May Serve as PI:

For REU Site proposals, a single individual may be designated as the Principal Investigator. This individual will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the award. However, one additional person may be designated as Co-Principal Investigator if developing and operating the REU Site would involve such shared responsibility. After a proposal is awarded , some NSF units may allow the addition of more Co-PIs if an exceptional case can be made for why the management of the REU Site must be distributed.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI:

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. proposal preparation instructions.

• Letters of Intent: Not required
• Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required
• Full Proposals submitted via Research.gov: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) guidelines apply. The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=pappg .
• Full Proposals submitted via Grants.gov: NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide ).

B. Budgetary Information

C. due dates, proposal review information criteria.

Merit Review Criteria:

National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review criteria apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Award Administration Information

Award Conditions:

Standard NSF award conditions apply.

Reporting Requirements:

Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

I. Introduction

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) is a Foundation-wide program that supports active participation in science, engineering, and education research by undergraduate students. REU proposals are welcome in any of the research areas supported by NSF (see https://new.nsf.gov/funding ), including the priority areas and cross-cutting areas that NSF identifies on its website and in its annual Budget Request to Congress ( https://new.nsf.gov/budget ).

The REU program seeks to expand student participation in all kinds of research — both disciplinary and interdisciplinary — encompassing efforts by individual investigators, groups, centers, national facilities, and others. It draws on the integration of research and education to attract a diverse pool of talented students into careers in science and engineering (including teaching and education research related to science and engineering) and to help ensure that these students receive the best education possible.

This solicitation features two mechanisms for support of student research: REU Sites and REU Supplements .

II. Program Description

Research experience is one of the most effective avenues for attracting students to and retaining them in science and engineering and for preparing them for careers in these fields. The REU program, through both Sites and Supplements, aims to provide appropriate and valuable educational experiences for undergraduate students through participation in research. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. REU projects feature high-quality interaction of students with faculty and/or other research mentors and access to appropriate facilities and professional development opportunities.

REU projects offer an opportunity to increase the participation of the full spectrum of the nation's diverse talent in STEM. Several million additional people — specifically, individuals from groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields — are needed for the U.S. science and engineering workforce to reflect the demographics of the U.S. population. (See the reports Vision 2030 [ https://nsf.gov/nsb/publications/vision2030.pdf ], The STEM Labor Force of Today [ https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20212/ ], and Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities [ https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf23315/ ].) Reaching these "missing millions" is central to the nation's economic competitiveness and is a priority for NSF.

Historically, the vast majority of REU participants have been junior- or senior-level undergraduates — students who have typically already committed to a major in science or engineering. So that the REU program can succeed in attracting students into science and engineering who might not otherwise consider those majors and careers, projects are encouraged to involve students at earlier stages in their college experience. Some REU projects effectively engage first-year and second-year undergraduates by developing partnerships with community colleges.

NSF welcomes proposals that include efforts to broaden geographic and demographic participation in REU projects. Proposals involving experienced researchers at institutions in EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions , minority-serving institutions, and emerging research institutions are encouraged.

REU projects may be carried out during the summer months, during the academic year, or both.

International REU Projects

The REU program welcomes projects with an international dimension. International REU Sites (iREUs) or Supplements usually involve a partnership between U.S. researchers and collaborators at a foreign institution or organization. These projects are expected to entail (1) true intellectual collaboration with a foreign partner and (2) benefits to the students from the unique expertise, skills, facilities, phenomena, or other resources that the foreign collaborator or research environment provides. International REU projects generally have higher travel costs and a higher per-student cost than domestic projects. They also often have more complex logistics and require a more complex mentoring arrangement.

Proposals for international REU projects should include a description of the foreign collaborator's role in the project; a Biographical Sketch of up to two pages (in any format) for the foreign collaborator, uploaded in the Other Supplementary Documents section of the proposal; and a letter of collaboration from the foreign institution or organization, which assures that the foreign institution or organization is committed to the collaboration and will give students appropriate access to facilities.

Investigators planning an international REU project should discuss their idea with the relevant program officer — either the REU Site contact for the relevant discipline ( https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_contacts.jsp ) in the case of an international REU Site proposal, or the cognizant program officer for the underlying award in the case of an REU Supplement request.

NSF's International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program, which is managed by NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE), also supports proposals for cohorts of U.S. students to engage in international research.

Research Experiences for Teachers

NSF encourages research experiences for K-12 teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and the coordination of these experiences with REU projects. Most directorates support Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) as a formal activity and announce their specific interests (e.g., RET Sites, RET Supplements) either in solicitations, in Dear Colleague Letters, or on directorate/division websites. Other NSF units have no formal announcement but respond to requests for RET support on a case-by-case basis or permit the inclusion of an RET component (with a distinct description and cost breakdown) as part of an REU proposal. Teachers may also be included in an international REU project. Proposers who wish to include an RET component in an REU proposal may wish to contact the appropriate REU program officer for guidance. REU Site proposals that include a significant RET component should begin the project title with the label "REU/RET Site:" to ensure appropriate tracking at NSF.

A. REU SITES

REU Sites are based on independent proposals, submitted for an annual deadline date, to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of undergraduate students in research.

REU Sites must have a well-defined common focus that enables a cohort experience for students. Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department or may offer interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme. (Although interdisciplinary or multi-department proposals must be submitted to a single NSF disciplinary unit, these proposals are often reviewed by two or more NSF units, at the discretion of the NSF program officer who manages the proposal.) A proposal should reflect the unique combination of the proposing organization's interests and capabilities and those of any partnering organizations. Cooperative arrangements among organizations and research settings may be considered so that a project can increase the quality or availability of undergraduate research experiences. To extend research opportunities to a larger number of undergraduates, proposers may incorporate approaches that make use of cyberinfrastructure or other technologies that facilitate research, learning, and collaboration over distances ("virtual projects").

REU Sites are an important means for extending high-quality research environments and mentoring to diverse groups of students. In addition to increasing the participation of students from underrepresented groups in research, the program aims to involve students who might not otherwise have research opportunities, particularly those from academic institutions where research programs in STEM are limited. Thus, a significant fraction of the student participants at an REU Site must come from outside the host institution or organization, and at least half of the student participants must be recruited from academic institutions where research opportunities in STEM are limited (including two-year colleges).

High-quality mentoring for the student participants is very important in REU Sites. Grantees must ensure that research mentors receive appropriate training or instruction, both to promote the quality and success of the students' research and to reinforce expectations for positive, professional interactions between mentors and students. REU Sites should also encourage continued interaction of mentors with students during the academic year, to the extent practicable, to help connect students' research experiences to their overall course of study and to help the students achieve success in courses of study leading to a baccalaureate degree in a STEM field.

Three years is the typical duration for REU Site awards in most NSF directorates; however, a duration of up to five years may be allowed in some cases. New REU Sites are encouraged to apply for no more than three years of funding. Proposals for renewal REU Sites are welcome, but the PI should discuss the project duration with the cognizant program officer prior to requesting support for more than three years. Investigators are reminded that renewal proposals will be reviewed through the normal merit review process and there is no guarantee that a renewal grant will be awarded.

The REU Site Contacts web page ( https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_contacts.jsp ) provides contact information for the REU program officers in each NSF disciplinary unit that manages REU Sites, and that page also lists discipline-specific REU web pages for units that have them. Prospective PIs should consult those web pages or the points of contact for more specific information about characteristics of REU Sites that vary by discipline.

Special Opportunities (Partnerships)

Some proposers for REU Sites might be interested in the following opportunities. These are optional ; proposals are not required to respond to them.

Partnership with the Department of Defense

For over two decades, NSF has engaged in a partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD) to expand undergraduate research opportunities in DoD-relevant research areas through the REU Sites program. The DoD activity is called Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences (ASSURE). Any proposal submitted to NSF for the REU Sites program that is recommended for funding through the NSF merit review process may be considered by DoD representatives for possible support through ASSURE. Proposals that are selected for the DoD funding will involve DoD-relevant research and may come from any of the NSF directorates or offices that handle REU Site proposals.

A proposer to the NSF REU Sites program does not need to take any additional steps to be considered for funding through ASSURE. Investigators who are interested in the opportunity may e-mail [email protected] with any questions.

Partnership with the Department of Energy

NSF's Engineering Directorate (ENG) engages in a partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) to expand undergraduate research opportunities in DOE mission-relevant areas through the REU Sites program. REU Site proposals that are managed by ENG will be considered for DOE funding. Such proposals will involve DOE mission-relevant topics, which include, but are not limited to, electric power sector research; clean energy technology research; and risk science, decision science, social science, and data science using power sector data sets.

Proposals that are considered for co-funding by DOE will be shared with DOE staff to assess alignment with DOE's research interests, and the unattributed reviews and panel summaries for those proposals will also be shared with DOE.

A proposer to the REU Sites program in ENG does not need to take any additional steps to be considered for co-funding through this partnership. Investigators who are interested in the opportunity may e-mail [email protected] with any questions.

Partnership with the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC)

In early 2022, the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) and NSF's REU Sites program launched a partnership to expand undergraduate research opportunities related to advancements in semiconductors. This partnership fosters the development of a diverse science and engineering workforce skilled in an area of high national priority. Proposals for REU Sites that involve research that advances semiconductors may be supported as part of this partnership and may come from NSF's Directorate for Engineering, Division of Materials Research, Division of Physics, or Division of Chemistry. Research involving the monolithic and heterogeneous integration of 3D integrated devices and circuits is of special interest. Areas of technical interest include, but are not limited to, materials, devices, circuits, wafer fabrication processes and techniques, packaging materials and processes, thermal management and modeling, and integrated photonics, design, and testing. Also relevant are the critical Systems & Technology (S&T) themes described in SRC's JUMP 2.0 research announcement and resulting JUMP 2.0 research center selections .

Proposals that are considered for co-funding by SRC will be shared with SRC staff to assess alignment with SRC's research interests, and the unattributed reviews and panel summaries for those proposals will also be shared with SRC.

A proposer to the NSF REU Sites program does not need to take any additional steps to be considered for co-funding through this partnership. Investigators who are interested in the opportunity may e-mail [email protected] with any questions.

B. REU SUPPLEMENTS

An REU Supplement typically provides support for one or two undergraduate students to participate in research as part of a new or ongoing NSF-funded research project. However, centers or large research efforts may request support for a number of students commensurate with the size and nature of the project. REU Supplements are supported by the various research programs throughout the Foundation, including programs such as Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR).

High-quality mentoring is important in REU Supplements, just as it is in REU Sites, and investigators should give serious attention not only to developing students' research skills but also to involving them in the culture of research in the discipline and connecting their research experience with their overall course of study.

Investigators are reminded that support for undergraduate students involved in carrying out research under NSF awards should be included as part of the research proposal itself instead of as a post-award supplement to the research proposal, unless such undergraduate participation was not foreseeable at the time of the original proposal.

A request for an REU Supplement may be submitted in either of two ways: (1) Proposers may include an REU Supplement activity as a component of a new (or renewal) research proposal to NSF. For guidance, contact the program officer who manages the research program to which the proposal would be submitted. (2) Investigators holding an existing NSF research award may submit a post-award request for supplemental funding. For guidance, contact the cognizant program officer for the NSF grant or cooperative agreement that would be supplemented.

For a post-award REU Supplement request, the duration may not exceed the term of the underlying research project.

III. Award Information

An REU activity may be funded as a standard or continuing grant (for REU Sites), as a supplement to an existing award, or as a component of a new or renewal grant or cooperative agreement. REU Sites and Supplements are funded by various disciplinary and education research programs throughout NSF, and the number of awards made varies across the Foundation from year to year, as does the amount of funds invested.

Three years is the typical duration for REU Site awards in most NSF units; however, a duration of up to five years may be allowed in some cases. The typical REU Site hosts 8-10 students per year. The typical funding amount is $100,000-$155,000 per year, although NSF does not dictate a firm upper (or lower) limit for the amount, which depends on the number of students hosted and the number of weeks.

The REU experience is a research training experience paid via a stipend, not employment (work) paid with a salary or wage. In this case, the student's training consists of closely mentored independent research. For administrative convenience, organizations may choose to issue payments to REU students using their normal payroll system. (This is an option, not a recommendation. The mechanism used to pay the stipend does not affect the nature of the student activity.) The funds received by students may be taxable income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and may also be subject to state or local taxes. Please consult the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for additional information. Students might find the IRS's "Tax Benefits for Education" website to be particularly helpful.

The estimated program budget, number of awards, and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.

IV. Eligibility Information

Additional Eligibility Info:

Eligible Student Participants: Undergraduate student participants supported with NSF funds in either REU Supplements or REU Sites must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or U.S. permanent residents. An undergraduate student is a student who is enrolled in a degree program (part-time or full-time) leading to a baccalaureate or associate degree. Students who are transferring from one college or university to another and are enrolled at neither institution during the intervening summer may participate. High school graduates who have been accepted at an undergraduate institution but who have not yet started their undergraduate study are also eligible to participate. Students who have received their bachelor's degrees and are no longer enrolled as undergraduates are generally not eligible to participate. Some NSF directorates/divisions encourage inclusion in the REU program of K-12 teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Please contact the appropriate disciplinary program officer for guidance. For REU Sites, a significant fraction of the student participants should come from outside the host institution or organization. Within the framework of the basic eligibility guidelines outlined above, most REU Sites and Supplements further define recruitment and selection criteria, based on the nature of the particular research and other factors. Investigators are reminded that they may not use race, ethnicity, sex, age, or disability status as an eligibility criterion. Selection of REU participants must be done in compliance with non-discrimination statutes and regulations; see PAPPG Chapter XI.A. Eligibility Restrictions Associated with the SRC-NSF Partnership: Because of the partnership between the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) and the REU Sites program, SRC and its employees and assignees are ineligible to be involved in any proposals submitted to this solicitation, including as unfunded collaborators, via letters of collaboration or support, or through other means. Employees of SRC member companies (see below) are eligible to be involved in proposals submitted to this solicitation, including as unfunded collaborators, via letters of collaboration, or through other means. REU Site proposals involving employees of SRC member companies participating in the SRC-REU partnership activity are not eligible to receive SRC co-funding but may be funded using NSF REU funds. Participating SRC member companies include Analog Devices, Arm, Boeing, EMD Electronics, GlobalFoundries, HRL Laboratories, IBM, Intel, MediaTek, Micron, Qorvo, Raytheon Technologies, Samsung, SK hynix, and TSMC.

V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions

Full Proposal Preparation Instructions : Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Research.gov or Grants.gov.

• Full Proposals submitted via Research.gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=pappg . Paper copies of the PAPPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from [email protected] . The Prepare New Proposal setup will prompt you for the program solicitation number.
• Full proposals submitted via Grants.gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation via Grants.gov should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov . The complete text of the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at: ( https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide ). To obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms Package, click on the Apply tab on the Grants.gov site, then click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Application Instructions link and enter the funding opportunity number, (the program solicitation number without the NSF prefix) and press the Download Package button. Paper copies of the Grants.gov Application Guide also may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from [email protected] .

In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following:

Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted via Research.gov. PAPPG Chapter II.E.3 provides additional information on collaborative proposals.

See PAPPG Chapter II.D.2 for guidance on the required sections of a full research proposal submitted to NSF. Please note that the proposal preparation instructions provided in this program solicitation may deviate from the PAPPG instructions.

Note that the REU Site Contacts web page ( https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_contacts.jsp ) provides contact information for the REU program officers in each NSF disciplinary unit that manages REU Sites, and that page also lists discipline-specific REU web pages for units that have them. Prospective PIs should consult those web pages or the points of contact for more specific information about characteristics of REU Sites that vary by discipline.

A. PROPOSAL FOR REU SITE

The following instructions supplement those found in the PAPPG or NSF Grants.gov Application Guide.

Proposal Setup: In Research.gov, select "Prepare New Full Proposal" or "Prepare New Renewal Proposal" (* see Note below), as appropriate. Search for and select this Funding Opportunity in Step 1 of the proposal preparation wizard. (Grants.gov users: The program solicitation will be pre-populated by Grants.gov on the NSF Grant Application Cover Page.) Select the Directorate/Office to which the proposal is directed, and if applicable, select the appropriate Division(s).

If the proposal has an interdisciplinary/cross-disciplinary research focus, choose the Directorate/Office/Division that seems most relevant (often this is the unit corresponding to the departmental affiliation of the Principal Investigator), and NSF staff will ensure that the proposal is reviewed by individuals who have expertise that is appropriate to the proposal's content. (Often such proposals are co-reviewed by two or more NSF disciplinary units.)

The REU-associated program within the Division(s) that you selected will appear automatically in the Program field in Research.gov. (Grants.gov users should refer to Section VI.1.2. of the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide for specific instructions on how to designate the NSF Unit of Consideration.)

* Note : If the proposal is requesting continued funding for a previously funded REU Site but you were not the PI or Co-PI on the previous award , Research.gov will not allow preparation of the proposal as a "Renewal Proposal"; you will need to use the "Full Proposal" option. However, the relevant "Project Element" in the Project Summary (see below) should indicate that the proposal is a "renewal," and the outcomes of the previous Site should be described in the "Results from Prior NSF Support" section of the Project Description.

Proposal Title . Begin the Proposal Title with the label "REU Site:" and carefully choose a title that will permit prospective student applicants to easily identify the focus of the site.

Personnel (Cover Sheet) . A single individual should be designated as the Principal Investigator (PI); this individual will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the award. One additional person may be designated as Co-PI if developing and operating the REU Site would involve such shared responsibility.

Project Summary (limited to one page). The "Overview" section of the Project Summary must begin with the following list of "Project Elements":

PROJECT ELEMENTS:

• New REU Site, or renewal of previously funded REU Site (provide previous NSF Award Number)? (* see Note at the end of "Proposal Setup" above)
• Project title (as shown on Cover Sheet): "REU Site: ..."
• Principal Investigator:
• Submitting organization:
• Other organizations involved in the project's operation:
• Location(s) (universities, national labs, field stations, etc.) at which the proposed undergraduate research will occur:
• Main field(s), sub-field(s), and keywords describing the research topic(s):
• No. of undergraduate participants per year:
• Summer REU Site, or academic year REU Site?:
• No. of weeks per year that the students will participate:
• Does the project include an international component or an RET component?:
• Name, phone number, and e-mail address of point of contact for student applicants:
• Web address (URL) for information about the REU Site (if known):

In the remainder of the Project Summary, briefly describe the project's objectives, activities, students to be recruited, and intended impact. Provide separate statements on the intellectual merit and broader impacts of the proposed activity, as required by the PAPPG.

Project Description . Address items "(a)" through "(g)" below. The Project Description must not exceed 15 pages and must contain a separate section labeled "Broader Impacts" within the narrative.

(a) Overview. Provide a brief description of the objectives of the proposed REU Site, targeted student participants, intellectual focus, organizational structure, timetable, and participating organizations' commitment to the REU activity.

(b) Nature of Student Activities . Proposals should address the approach to undergraduate research training being taken and should provide detailed descriptions of examples of research projects that students will pursue. So that reviewers can evaluate intellectual merit, this discussion should indicate the significance of the research area and, when appropriate, the underlying theoretical framework, hypotheses, research questions, etc. Undergraduate research experiences have their greatest impact in situations that lead the students from a relatively dependent status to as independent a status as their competence warrants. Proposals must present plans that will ensure the development of student-faculty interaction and student-student communication. Development of collegial relationships and interactions is an important part of the project.

(c) The Research Environment . This subsection should describe the history and characteristics of the host organization(s) or research setting(s) with respect to supporting undergraduate research. This subsection should also outline the expertise, experience, and history of involvement with undergraduate research of the PI and the faculty who are anticipated to serve as research mentors. The description should include information on the record of the research mentors in publishing work involving undergraduate authors and in providing professional development opportunities for student researchers. This subsection should also discuss the diversity of the mentor pool and any plans by which mentoring relationships will be sustained after students leave the REU Site.

(d) Student Recruitment and Selection . The overall quality of the student recruitment and selection processes and criteria will be an important element in the evaluation of the proposal. The recruitment plan should be described with as much specificity as possible, including the types and/or names of academic institutions where students will be recruited and the efforts that will be made to attract members of underrepresented groups (women, minorities, and persons with disabilities). Investigators are encouraged to conduct comprehensive outreach, awareness, and recruitment efforts to encourage students representing the full spectrum of diverse talent in STEM to apply for REU opportunities. In general, the goal should be to achieve a diverse pool of applicants and then to consider all eligible applicants in that diverse pool when selecting students for the opportunities.

Mention how the Site will receive applications. Be aware that NSF offers the NSF Education & Training Application (ETAP) as one approach, as described in Section VII.C. (Reporting Requirements) below. (Use of ETAP may be required by some NSF units.)

A significant fraction of the student participants at an REU Site must come from outside the host institution or organization, and at least half of the student participants must be recruited from academic institutions where research opportunities in STEM are limited (including two-year colleges). The number of students per project should be appropriate to the institutional or organizational setting and to the manner in which research is conducted in the discipline. The typical REU Site hosts eight to ten students per year. Proposals involving fewer than six students per year are discouraged.

Undergraduate student participants supported with NSF funds in either REU Sites or REU Supplements must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or U.S. permanent residents.

Investigators are reminded that they may not use race, ethnicity, sex, age, or disability status as an eligibility criterion for applicants. Selection of REU participants must be done in compliance with non-discrimination statutes and regulations; see PAPPG Chapter XI.A.

(e) Student and Mentor Professional Development and Expectations of Behavior. This subsection should describe (1) plans for student professional development, including training in the responsible and ethical conduct of research; (2) how research mentors have been or will be selected; (3) the training, mentoring, or monitoring that research mentors have received or will receive to help them mentor students effectively during the research experience; and (4) the REU Site's plans for communicating information on expectations of behavior to ensure a safe, respectful, inclusive, harassment-free environment for all participants.

NSF does not tolerate sexual harassment, or any other form of harassment, where NSF-funded activities take place. Proposers are required to have a policy or code of conduct that addresses sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, and sexual assault. Proposers must provide an orientation for all participants in the REU Site (REU students, faculty, postdocs, graduate students, other research mentors, etc.) to cover expectations of behavior to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all participants, and to review the organization's policy or code of conduct addressing sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, and sexual assault, including reporting and complaint procedures. For additional information, see the NSF policies at https://www.nsf.gov/od/oecr/harassment.jsp and the "Promising Practices" at https://www.nsf.gov/od/oecr/promising_practices/index.jsp .

For REU Sites that will involve research off-campus or off-site, proposers are reminded that when submitting the proposal, the AOR must complete a certification that the organization has a plan in place to ensure a safe and inclusive working environment for the REU project, as described in PAPPG Chapter II.E.9.

(f) Project Evaluation and Reporting . Describe the plan to measure qualitatively and quantitatively the success of the project in achieving its goals, particularly the degree to which students have learned and their perspectives on science, engineering, or education research related to these disciplines have been expanded. Evaluation may involve periodic measures throughout the project to ensure that it is progressing satisfactorily according to the project plan, and may involve pre-project and post-project measures aimed at determining the degree of student learning that has been achieved. In addition, it is highly desirable to have a structured means of tracking participating students beyond graduation, with the aim of gauging the degree to which the REU Site experience has been a lasting influence in the students' career paths. Proposers may wish to consult The 2010 User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation for guidance on the elements in a good evaluation plan. Although not required, REU Site PIs may wish to engage specialists in education research (from their organization or another one) in planning and implementing the project evaluation.

(g) Results from Prior NSF Support (if applicable) . If the PI has received NSF support within the past five years, or if the proposal is requesting renewal of an existing REU Site, or if the department or center (or similar organizational subunit) that will host the proposed Site has hosted another REU Site during the past five years, provide information about the prior support as described in PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.d.(iii).

The REU program is particularly interested in the outcomes of the related prior REU Site award (if any). Those outcomes should be described in sufficient detail to permit reviewers to reach an informed conclusion regarding the value of the results achieved. Valuable information typically includes results from the project evaluation; summary information about recruiting efforts and the number of applicants, the demographic make-up of participants and their home institutions, and career choices of participants; and a list of publications or reports (already published or to be submitted) resulting from the NSF award.

References Cited . A list of bibliographic citations relevant to the proposal must be included.

Budget and Budget Justification . The focus of REU Sites is the student experience, and the budget must reflect this principle. Project costs must be predominantly for student support , which usually includes such items as participant stipends, housing, meals, travel, and laboratory use fees. Costs in budget categories outside Participant Support must be modest and reasonable. For example, for summer REU Sites, many NSF units consider up to one month of salary for the PI, or distributed among the PI and other research mentors, to be appropriate for time spent administering and coordinating the REU Site, training mentors, and similar operational activities. Other NSF units consider slightly larger salary requests to be appropriate. (NSF expects that research mentors will be supported with appropriate salary for their research activities, though not necessarily through the REU grant.) Some budgets include costs for limited travel by project personnel and for various activities that enhance students' professional development.

An REU Site may not charge students an application fee. An REU Site may not charge students tuition, or include tuition in the proposal budget, as a requirement for participation (although it is permissible to offer students the option of earning academic credit for participation). An REU Site may not charge students for access to common campus facilities such as libraries or athletic facilities.

Student stipends for summer REU Sites are expected to be approximately $700 per student per week. Other student costs include housing, meals, travel, and laboratory use fees and usually vary depending on the location of the site. Amounts for academic-year REU Sites should be comparable on a pro rata basis. All student costs should be entered as Participant Support Costs. Indirect costs (F&A) are not allowed on Participant Support Costs.

Total project costs — including all direct costs and indirect costs — are generally expected not to exceed $1,550 per student per week. However, projects that involve exceptional circumstances, such as international activities, field work in remote locations, a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) component, etc., may exceed this limit.

The Budget Justification should explain and justify all major cost items, including any unusual costs or exceptional circumstances, and should address the cost-effectiveness of the project. As noted above, projects that involve an international component or field work in remote locations often have larger budgets than other projects. This feature is understandable, but the extra costs, with detailed breakdown, should be described in the Budget Justification.

So as not to create a financial hardship for students, REU Sites are encouraged to pay students their stipend and living expenses on a regular basis or at least on an incremental basis — not, for example, in a lump sum at the end of the summer.

Although the informal seminars, field trips, and similar gatherings through which students interact and become attuned to the culture of research and their discipline are often vital to the success of undergraduate research experiences, proposers are reminded that costs of entertainment, amusement, diversion, and social activities, and any expenses directly associated with such activities (such as meals, lodging, rentals, transportation, and gratuities), are unallowable in the proposal budget. Federal/NSF funds may not be used to support these expenses. However, costs of "working meals" at seminars and other events at which student participation is required and for which there is a formal agenda are generally allowable.

When preparing proposals, PIs are encouraged to consult the discipline-specific web pages (for units that have them) or to contact the appropriate disciplinary REU program officer (see https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_contacts.jsp ) with any questions about the budget or the appropriateness of charges in it.

Facilities, Equipment, and Other Resources . Complete this section in accordance with the instructions in the PAPPG.

Senior Personnel Documents . Provide Biographical Sketches, Current & Pending Support information, and Collaborators & Other Affiliations information for Senior Personnel.

The REU program no longer requires that non-PI faculty/professionals who are anticipated to serve as research mentors be designated as Senior Personnel. Therefore, Biographical Sketches and Current & Pending Support information for those faculty/professionals are not required. The program also no longer requires that students' names (as coauthors) be labeled with an asterisk (*) in Biographical Sketches. As indicated above, the Project Description should list the anticipated research mentors and outline their expertise, experience, and history of mentoring undergraduates in research.

However, to assist NSF in managing reviewer selection, Collaborators & Other Affiliations information is required for each anticipated non-PI research mentor. Use the COA Excel template to collect this information for each mentor, convert each .xlsx file to PDF, and upload the PDF files in the Additional Single Copy Documents section of the proposal (instead of the Senior Personnel Documents section).

Data Management Plan . Complete this section in accordance with the instructions in the PAPPG.

Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan . If applicable, complete this section in accordance with the instructions in the PAPPG.

Other Supplementary Documents. The proposal may include up to ten signed letters of collaboration documenting collaborative arrangements of significance to the proposal (see PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.i(iv)). For an international REU Site, a letter of collaboration from the foreign institution or organization should be included. The letters may be scanned and uploaded into the Other Supplementary Documents section.

For an international REU Site proposal, a Biographical Sketch of up to two pages (in any format) for the foreign collaborator should be included in the Other Supplementary Documents section.

If the project will employ an external evaluator, a Biographical Sketch of up to two pages (in any format) for that professional may be included in the Other Supplementary Documents section.

Additional Single Copy Documents. As indicated above, a Collaborators & Other Affiliations document for each anticipated non-PI research mentor must be uploaded (as a PDF file) into the Additional Single Copy Documents section.

B. REQUEST FOR REU SUPPLEMENT

Many of the research programs throughout the Foundation support REU activities that are requested either (1) as a component of a new (or renewal) research proposal or (2) as a post-award supplement to an existing grant or cooperative agreement. Specific guidance for the use of either mechanism is given in the last two paragraphs of this section (below).

Contacts: For guidance about preparing an REU Supplement request as a component of a new (or renewal) research proposal, contact the program officer who manages the relevant research program. For guidance about preparing an REU Supplement request for an existing NSF award, contact the program officer assigned to the NSF award that would be supplemented. Do not contact the list of disciplinary REU program officers at https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_contacts.jsp about REU Supplements.

Regardless of which mechanism is used to request an REU Supplement, the description of the REU activity should discuss the following: (1) the nature of each prospective student's involvement in the research project; (2) the experience of the PI (or other prospective research mentors) in involving undergraduates in research, including any previous REU Supplement support and the outcomes from that support; (3) the nature of the mentoring that the student(s) will receive; and (4) the process and criteria for selecting the student(s). If a student has been pre-selected (as might be true in the case of a supplement for an ongoing award), then the grounds for selection and a brief Biographical Sketch of the student should be included. (PIs are reminded that the student[s] must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or U.S. permanent resident.)

Normally, funds may be requested for up to two students, but exceptions will be considered for training additional qualified students who are members of underrepresented groups. Centers or large research efforts may request support for a number of students commensurate with the size and nature of the project.

Student stipends for summer projects are expected to be comparable to those of REU Site participants, approximately $700 per student per week. Other student costs include housing, meals, travel, and laboratory use fees and usually vary depending on location. Amounts for academic-year projects should be comparable on a pro rata basis.

Total costs for a summer — including all direct costs and indirect costs — are generally expected not to exceed $1,550 per student per week. However, projects that involve international activities, field work in remote locations, or other exceptional circumstances may exceed this limit.

Results from any REU Supplement activities must be included in the annual project report for the associated award. The term of an REU Supplement may not exceed that of the associated award.

A request for an REU Supplement as part of a proposal for a new or renewal grant or cooperative agreement should be embedded in the proposal as follows. Include a description of the REU activity (namely, the information described above in the fourth paragraph under the subheading "B. REQUEST FOR REU SUPPLEMENT") in the Other Supplementary Documents section. Limit this description to three pages. Include the budget for the REU activity in the yearly project budget. Enter all student costs under Participant Support Costs. (Indirect costs [F&A] are not allowed on Participant Support Costs.) As part of the Budget Justification, provide a separate explanation of the REU Supplement request, with the proposed student costs itemized and justified and a total given for the items plus associated indirect costs.

If the intent is to engage students as technicians, then an REU Supplement is not the appropriate support mechanism; instead, support should be entered on the Undergraduate Students line of the proposal budget.

A request for an REU Supplement to an existing NSF award may be submitted if the need for the undergraduate student support was not foreseen at the time of the original proposal submission. Before preparing a request for supplemental funding, the PI should discuss it with the cognizant program officer for the award unless the PI is responding to a Dear Colleague Letter or other announcement that specifically calls for REU Supplement requests. The PI should prepare the request in Research.gov in accordance with the guidelines found in the PAPPG. The following instructions supplement those found in the PAPPG. After logging into Research.gov, choose "Supplemental Funding Requests" (under "Awards & Reporting") and then "Prepare New Supplement." Next, select the award to be supplemented. In the form entitled "Summary of Proposed Work," state that this is a request for an REU Supplement. In the form entitled "Justification for Supplemental Funding," include the information described above in the fourth paragraph under the subheading "B. REQUEST FOR REU SUPPLEMENT"; limit your response to three pages. If an REU student has been pre-selected, you may upload a Biographical Sketch for the student (up to two pages, in any format) in the Other Supplementary Documents section. Prepare a budget, including a justification of the funds requested for student support and their proposed use. All student costs should be entered as Participant Support Costs (Line F) in the proposal budget. (Indirect costs [F&A] are not allowed on Participant Support Costs.)

Cost Sharing:

Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:

Recovery of indirect costs (F&A) is prohibited on Participant Support Costs in REU Site proposals and requests for REU Supplements.

Other Budgetary Limitations:

For summer REU projects, the total budget request — including all direct costs and indirect costs — is generally expected not to exceed $1,550 per student per week. (The budget request for an academic-year REU project should be comparable on a pro rata basis.) However, projects that involve exceptional circumstances, such as international activities, field work in remote locations, a Research Experience for Teachers (RET) component, etc., may exceed this limit.

D. Research.gov/Grants.gov Requirements

For Proposals Submitted Via Research.gov:

To prepare and submit a proposal via Research.gov, see detailed technical instructions available at: https://www.research.gov/research-portal/appmanager/base/desktop?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=research_node_display&_nodePath=/researchGov/Service/Desktop/ProposalPreparationandSubmission.html . For Research.gov user support, call the Research.gov Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail [email protected] . The Research.gov Help Desk answers general technical questions related to the use of the Research.gov system. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this funding opportunity.

For Proposals Submitted Via Grants.gov:

Before using Grants.gov for the first time, each organization must register to create an institutional profile. Once registered, the applicant's organization can then apply for any federal grant on the Grants.gov website. Comprehensive information about using Grants.gov is available on the Grants.gov Applicant Resources webpage: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html . In addition, the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide (see link in Section V.A) provides instructions regarding the technical preparation of proposals via Grants.gov. For Grants.gov user support, contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email: [email protected] . The Grants.gov Contact Center answers general technical questions related to the use of Grants.gov. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this solicitation. Submitting the Proposal: Once all documents have been completed, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must submit the application to Grants.gov and verify the desired funding opportunity and agency to which the application is submitted. The AOR must then sign and submit the application to Grants.gov. The completed application will be transferred to Research.gov for further processing.

Proposers that submitted via Research.gov may use Research.gov to verify the status of their submission to NSF. For proposers that submitted via Grants.gov, until an application has been received and validated by NSF, the Authorized Organizational Representative may check the status of an application on Grants.gov. After proposers have received an e-mail notification from NSF, Research.gov should be used to check the status of an application.

VI. NSF Proposal Processing And Review Procedures

Proposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program for acknowledgement and, if they meet NSF requirements, for review. All proposals are carefully reviewed by a scientist, engineer, or educator serving as an NSF Program Officer, and usually by three to ten other persons outside NSF either as ad hoc reviewers, panelists, or both, who are experts in the particular fields represented by the proposal. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with oversight of the review process. Proposers are invited to suggest names of persons they believe are especially well qualified to review the proposal and/or persons they would prefer not review the proposal. These suggestions may serve as one source in the reviewer selection process at the Program Officer's discretion. Submission of such names, however, is optional. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts of interest with the proposal. In addition, Program Officers may obtain comments from site visits before recommending final action on proposals. Senior NSF staff further review recommendations for awards. A flowchart that depicts the entire NSF proposal and award process (and associated timeline) is included in PAPPG Exhibit III-1.

A comprehensive description of the Foundation's merit review process is available on the NSF website at: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/merit_review/ .

Proposers should also be aware of core strategies that are essential to the fulfillment of NSF's mission, as articulated in Leading the World in Discovery and Innovation, STEM Talent Development and the Delivery of Benefits from Research - NSF Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2022 - 2026 . These strategies are integrated in the program planning and implementation process, of which proposal review is one part. NSF's mission is particularly well-implemented through the integration of research and education and broadening participation in NSF programs, projects, and activities.

One of the strategic objectives in support of NSF's mission is to foster integration of research and education through the programs, projects, and activities it supports at academic and research institutions. These institutions must recruit, train, and prepare a diverse STEM workforce to advance the frontiers of science and participate in the U.S. technology-based economy. NSF's contribution to the national innovation ecosystem is to provide cutting-edge research under the guidance of the Nation's most creative scientists and engineers. NSF also supports development of a strong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce by investing in building the knowledge that informs improvements in STEM teaching and learning.

NSF's mission calls for the broadening of opportunities and expanding participation of groups, institutions, and geographic regions that are underrepresented in STEM disciplines, which is essential to the health and vitality of science and engineering. NSF is committed to this principle of diversity and deems it central to the programs, projects, and activities it considers and supports.

A. Merit Review Principles and Criteria

The National Science Foundation strives to invest in a robust and diverse portfolio of projects that creates new knowledge and enables breakthroughs in understanding across all areas of science and engineering research and education. To identify which projects to support, NSF relies on a merit review process that incorporates consideration of both the technical aspects of a proposed project and its potential to contribute more broadly to advancing NSF's mission "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other purposes." NSF makes every effort to conduct a fair, competitive, transparent merit review process for the selection of projects.

1. Merit Review Principles

These principles are to be given due diligence by PIs and organizations when preparing proposals and managing projects, by reviewers when reading and evaluating proposals, and by NSF program staff when determining whether or not to recommend proposals for funding and while overseeing awards. Given that NSF is the primary federal agency charged with nurturing and supporting excellence in basic research and education, the following three principles apply:

• All NSF projects should be of the highest quality and have the potential to advance, if not transform, the frontiers of knowledge.
• NSF projects, in the aggregate, should contribute more broadly to achieving societal goals. These "Broader Impacts" may be accomplished through the research itself, through activities that are directly related to specific research projects, or through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to, the project. The project activities may be based on previously established and/or innovative methods and approaches, but in either case must be well justified.
• Meaningful assessment and evaluation of NSF funded projects should be based on appropriate metrics, keeping in mind the likely correlation between the effect of broader impacts and the resources provided to implement projects. If the size of the activity is limited, evaluation of that activity in isolation is not likely to be meaningful. Thus, assessing the effectiveness of these activities may best be done at a higher, more aggregated, level than the individual project.

With respect to the third principle, even if assessment of Broader Impacts outcomes for particular projects is done at an aggregated level, PIs are expected to be accountable for carrying out the activities described in the funded project. Thus, individual projects should include clearly stated goals, specific descriptions of the activities that the PI intends to do, and a plan in place to document the outputs of those activities.

These three merit review principles provide the basis for the merit review criteria, as well as a context within which the users of the criteria can better understand their intent.

2. Merit Review Criteria

All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board approved merit review criteria. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.

The two merit review criteria are listed below. Both criteria are to be given full consideration during the review and decision-making processes; each criterion is necessary but neither, by itself, is sufficient. Therefore, proposers must fully address both criteria. (PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.d(i). contains additional information for use by proposers in development of the Project Description section of the proposal). Reviewers are strongly encouraged to review the criteria, including PAPPG Chapter II.D.2.d(i), prior to the review of a proposal.

When evaluating NSF proposals, reviewers will be asked to consider what the proposers want to do, why they want to do it, how they plan to do it, how they will know if they succeed, and what benefits could accrue if the project is successful. These issues apply both to the technical aspects of the proposal and the way in which the project may make broader contributions. To that end, reviewers will be asked to evaluate all proposals against two criteria:

• Intellectual Merit: The Intellectual Merit criterion encompasses the potential to advance knowledge; and
• Broader Impacts: The Broader Impacts criterion encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.

The following elements should be considered in the review for both criteria:

• Advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit); and
• Benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)?
• To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts?
• Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on a sound rationale? Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success?
• How well qualified is the individual, team, or organization to conduct the proposed activities?
• Are there adequate resources available to the PI (either at the home organization or through collaborations) to carry out the proposed activities?

Broader impacts may be accomplished through the research itself, through the activities that are directly related to specific research projects, or through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to, the project. NSF values the advancement of scientific knowledge and activities that contribute to achievement of societally relevant outcomes. Such outcomes include, but are not limited to: full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); improved STEM education and educator development at any level; increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology; improved well-being of individuals in society; development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce; increased partnerships between academia, industry, and others; improved national security; increased economic competitiveness of the United States; and enhanced infrastructure for research and education.

Proposers are reminded that reviewers will also be asked to review the Data Management Plan and the Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan, as appropriate.

Additional Solicitation Specific Review Criteria

Reviewers will be asked to interpret the two basic NSF review criteria in the context of the REU program. In addition, they will be asked to place emphasis on the following considerations:

• Appropriateness and value of the research and professional development experience for the student participants, particularly the appropriateness of the research project(s) for undergraduate involvement and the nature of the students' participation in these activities.
• Quality of the research environment, including the facilities, the preparedness of the research mentor(s) to guide undergraduate research, and the professional development opportunities for the students.
• Appropriateness of the student recruitment and selection plans, including plans for conducting outreach, awareness, and recruitment of applicants from underrepresented groups, from outside the host institution, and from academic institutions with limited research opportunities in STEM.
• Quality of plans for student preparation and for follow-through designed to promote continuation of student interest and involvement in research.
• Appropriateness and cost-effectiveness of the budget, effectiveness of the plans for managing the project and evaluating the outcomes, and commitment of partners, if relevant.
• For renewals of previously funded REU Sites: effectiveness of the previous Site.

B. Review and Selection Process

Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Ad hoc Review and/or Panel Review.

Reviewers will be asked to evaluate proposals using two National Science Board approved merit review criteria and, if applicable, additional program specific criteria. A summary rating and accompanying narrative will generally be completed and submitted by each reviewer and/or panel. The Program Officer assigned to manage the proposal's review will consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate a recommendation.

After scientific, technical and programmatic review and consideration of appropriate factors, the NSF Program Officer recommends to the cognizant Division Director whether the proposal should be declined or recommended for award. NSF strives to be able to tell applicants whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months. Large or particularly complex proposals or proposals from new awardees may require additional review and processing time. The time interval begins on the deadline or target date, or receipt date, whichever is later. The interval ends when the Division Director acts upon the Program Officer's recommendation.

After programmatic approval has been obtained, the proposals recommended for funding will be forwarded to the Division of Grants and Agreements or the Division of Acquisition and Cooperative Support for review of business, financial, and policy implications. After an administrative review has occurred, Grants and Agreements Officers perform the processing and issuance of a grant or other agreement. Proposers are cautioned that only a Grants and Agreements Officer may make commitments, obligations or awards on behalf of NSF or authorize the expenditure of funds. No commitment on the part of NSF should be inferred from technical or budgetary discussions with a NSF Program Officer. A Principal Investigator or organization that makes financial or personnel commitments in the absence of a grant or cooperative agreement signed by the NSF Grants and Agreements Officer does so at their own risk.

Once an award or declination decision has been made, Principal Investigators are provided feedback about their proposals. In all cases, reviews are treated as confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers or any reviewer-identifying information, are sent to the Principal Investigator/Project Director by the Program Officer. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.

VII. Award Administration Information

A. notification of the award.

Notification of the award is made to the submitting organization by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer. Organizations whose proposals are declined will be advised as promptly as possible by the cognizant NSF Program administering the program. Verbatim copies of reviews, not including the identity of the reviewer, will be provided automatically to the Principal Investigator. (See Section VI.B. for additional information on the review process.)

B. Award Conditions

An NSF award consists of: (1) the award notice, which includes any special provisions applicable to the award and any numbered amendments thereto; (2) the budget, which indicates the amounts, by categories of expense, on which NSF has based its support (or otherwise communicates any specific approvals or disapprovals of proposed expenditures); (3) the proposal referenced in the award notice; (4) the applicable award conditions, such as Grant General Conditions (GC-1)*; or Research Terms and Conditions* and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference in the award notice. Cooperative agreements also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions (CA-FATC) and the applicable Programmatic Terms and Conditions. NSF awards are electronically signed by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer and transmitted electronically to the organization via e-mail.

*These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at https://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/award_conditions.jsp?org=NSF . Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from [email protected] .

More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions and other important information on the administration of NSF awards is contained in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) Chapter VII, available electronically on the NSF Website at https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=pappg .

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Build America, Buy America

As expressed in Executive Order 14005, Ensuring the Future is Made in All of America by All of America's Workers (86 FR 7475), it is the policy of the executive branch to use terms and conditions of Federal financial assistance awards to maximize, consistent with law, the use of goods, products, and materials produced in, and services offered in, the United States.

Consistent with the requirements of the Build America, Buy America Act (Pub. L. 117-58, Division G, Title IX, Subtitle A, November 15, 2021), no funding made available through this funding opportunity may be obligated for an award unless all iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in the project are produced in the United States. For additional information, visit NSF's Build America, Buy America webpage.

C. Reporting Requirements

For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants), the Principal Investigator must submit an annual project report to the cognizant Program Officer no later than 90 days prior to the end of the current budget period. (Some programs or awards require submission of more frequent project reports). No later than 120 days following expiration of a grant, the PI also is required to submit a final project report, and a project outcomes report for the general public.

Failure to provide the required annual or final project reports, or the project outcomes report, will delay NSF review and processing of any future funding increments as well as any pending proposals for all identified PIs and co-PIs on a given award. PIs should examine the formats of the required reports in advance to assure availability of required data.

PIs are required to use NSF's electronic project-reporting system, available through Research.gov, for preparation and submission of annual and final project reports. Such reports provide information on accomplishments, project participants (individual and organizational), publications, and other specific products and impacts of the project. Submission of the report via Research.gov constitutes certification by the PI that the contents of the report are accurate and complete. The project outcomes report also must be prepared and submitted using Research.gov. This report serves as a brief summary, prepared specifically for the public, of the nature and outcomes of the project. This report will be posted on the NSF website exactly as it is submitted by the PI.

More comprehensive information on NSF Reporting Requirements and other important information on the administration of NSF awards is contained in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) Chapter VII, available electronically on the NSF Website at https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=pappg .

The NSF Education & Training Application (ETAP) is a customizable common application system that connects individuals (such as students and teachers) with NSF-funded education and training opportunities and collects high-quality data from both applicants and participants in NSF-funded opportunities. It was initially developed to serve the REU Sites program but now serves multiple programs, and its use is growing. All investigators with REU Site awards or REU Supplement awards are welcome to use ETAP, which offers benefits to the PIs, the students, and NSF. Some NSF units require their REU Sites to use ETAP to manage student applications and collect student demographic information. When use of ETAP is required, it will be indicated in the award notice for the REU Site. Prospective PIs may find out whether specific NSF units require use of ETAP by consulting the discipline-specific REU web pages (for units that have them) or by contacting the program officers listed on the NSF REU Site Contacts web page .

PIs are required to provide the names and other basic information about REU student participants as part of annual and final project reports. In particular, in the report, each REU student who is supported with NSF REU funds must be identified as an "REU Participant," and the PI must provide the student's home institution and year of schooling completed (sophomore, junior, etc.). The REU students (like all participants listed in project reports) will receive an automated request from Research.gov to self-report their demographic information. PIs of REU Sites may also be required to provide additional information that enables NSF to track students beyond the period of their participation in the Site. For PIs who use NSF's ETAP to receive REU applications, that system collects, and provides reports on, the demographic information and other characteristics of both applicants and participants, and it will support efforts in longitudinal tracking.

REU Site awardees are expected to establish a website for the recruitment of students and dissemination of information about the REU Site and to maintain the website for the duration of the award. PIs are required to furnish the URL for the website to the cognizant NSF program officer no later than 90 days after receiving notification of the award.

VIII. Agency Contacts

Please note that the program contact information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

For questions related to the use of NSF systems contact:

• NSF Help Desk: 1-800-673-6188
• Research.gov Help Desk e-mail: [email protected]

For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:

• Grants.gov Contact Center: If the Authorized Organizational Representatives (AOR) has not received a confirmation message from Grants.gov within 48 hours of submission of application, please contact via telephone: 1-800-518-4726; e-mail: [email protected] .

IX. Other Information

The NSF website provides the most comprehensive source of information on NSF Directorates (including contact information), programs and funding opportunities. Use of this website by potential proposers is strongly encouraged. In addition, "NSF Update" is an information-delivery system designed to keep potential proposers and other interested parties apprised of new NSF funding opportunities and publications, important changes in proposal and award policies and procedures, and upcoming NSF Grants Conferences . Subscribers are informed through e-mail or the user's Web browser each time new publications are issued that match their identified interests. "NSF Update" also is available on NSF's website .

Grants.gov provides an additional electronic capability to search for Federal government-wide grant opportunities. NSF funding opportunities may be accessed via this mechanism. Further information on Grants.gov may be obtained at https://www.grants.gov .

Some NSF directorates/offices/divisions that manage REU Site proposals post discipline-specific REU web pages or fund an awardee to host a website providing information for the community of REU awardees in the discipline. These discipline-specific websites are listed, along with the NSF REU point of contact for each discipline, on the web page at https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_contacts.jsp . The following resources, which summarize research on the impact of undergraduate research experiences, could be helpful to investigators as they are designing those experiences and considering approaches to evaluating them: Brownell, Jayne E., and Lynn E. Swaner. Five High-Impact Practices: Research on Learning, Outcomes, Completion, and Quality ; Chapter 4: "Undergraduate Research." Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2010. Reviews published research on the effectiveness and outcomes of undergraduate research. Laursen, Sandra, et al. Undergraduate Research in the Sciences: Engaging Students in Real Science . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010. Examines the benefits of undergraduate research, and provides advice for designing and evaluating the experiences. Linn, Marcia C., Erin Palmer, Anne Baranger, Elizabeth Gerard, and Elisa Stone. "Undergraduate Research Experiences: Impacts and Opportunities." Science , Vol. 347, Issue 6222 (6 February 2015); DOI: 10.1126/science.1261757 . Comprehensively examines the literature on the impacts of undergraduate research experiences, and identifies the gaps in knowledge and the opportunities for more rigorous research and assessment. Lopatto, David. Science in Solution: The Impact of Undergraduate Research on Student Learning . Tucson, AZ: Research Corporation for Science Advancement, 2009. Findings from the author's pioneering surveys exploring the benefits of undergraduate research. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Undergraduate Research Experiences for STEM Students: Successes, Challenges, and Opportunities . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2017; DOI: 10.17226/24622 . NSF-commissioned study that takes stock of what is known, and not known, about undergraduate research experiences and describes practices and research that faculty can apply to improve the experiences for students. Russell, Susan H., Mary P. Hancock, and James McCullough. "Benefits of Undergraduate Research Experiences." Science , Vol. 316, Issue 5824 (27 April 2007); DOI: 10.1126/science.1140384 . Summary of a large-scale, NSF-funded evaluation of undergraduate research opportunities, conducted by SRI International between 2002 and 2006. The study included REU Sites, REU Supplements, and undergraduate research opportunities sponsored by a range of other NSF programs. Several additional resources offer practical help for designing particular components of REU projects: Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science . Information, references, and case studies for exploring ethics in engineering and science and designing training on the responsible and ethical conduct of research. Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER). Publications and online resources, including an assessment platform, focusing on effective mentoring of beginning researchers. EvaluateUR . A service (available through subscription) for evaluating independent student research. Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment (URSSA). Online survey instrument for use in evaluating student outcomes of undergraduate research experiences. (Most REU Sites in the Biological Sciences use a version of this tool. See https://bioreu.org/resources/assessment-and-evaluation/ .) Although some of the resources above were partially developed with NSF funding, the list is not meant to imply an NSF recommendation, and the list is not meant to be exhaustive. Some NSF programs that support centers and facilities encourage the inclusion of REU activities as one component of those large projects; see the individual solicitations for details. Other NSF funding opportunities, such as the following, focus on providing structured research experiences similar to those supported by the REU program: Directorate of Geosciences - Veterans Education and Training Supplement (GEO-VETS) Opportunity Geoscience Research Experiences for Post-Baccalaureate Students (GEO-REPS) Supplement Opportunity High School Student Research Assistantships (MPS-High): Funding to Broaden Participation in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) Post-Associate and Post-Baccalaureate Research Experiences for LSAMP Students (PRELS) Supplement Opportunity Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates in Biological Sciences (RaMP) Research Assistantships for High School Students (RAHSS): Funding to Broaden Participation in the Biological Sciences Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Supplement Opportunity: Directorate for Biological Sciences Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science Research Training Groups in the Mathematical Sciences (RTG) Veterans Research Supplement (VRS) Program: Directorate for Engineering As funding opportunities are added or expire, the above list will not remain current. Visit the NSF website ( https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities ) for up-to-date information.

About The National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC 1861-75). The Act states the purpose of the NSF is "to promote the progress of science; [and] to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering."

NSF funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. It does this through grants and cooperative agreements to more than 2,000 colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, businesses, informal science organizations and other research organizations throughout the US. The Foundation accounts for about one-fourth of Federal support to academic institutions for basic research.

NSF receives approximately 55,000 proposals each year for research, education and training projects, of which approximately 11,000 are funded. In addition, the Foundation receives several thousand applications for graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. The agency operates no laboratories itself but does support National Research Centers, user facilities, certain oceanographic vessels and Arctic and Antarctic research stations. The Foundation also supports cooperative research between universities and industry, US participation in international scientific and engineering efforts, and educational activities at every academic level.

Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities to work on NSF-supported projects. See the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide Chapter II.F.7 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of proposals.

The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation about NSF programs, employment or general information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 292-5090 and (800) 281-8749, FIRS at (800) 877-8339.

The National Science Foundation Information Center may be reached at (703) 292-5111.

The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and cooperative agreements for research and education in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering. To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download copies of NSF publications, and to access abstracts of awards, visit the NSF Website at 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314 (NSF Information Center) (703) 292-5111 (703) 292-5090   Send an e-mail to: or telephone: (703) 292-8134 (703) 292-5111 Privacy Act And Public Burden Statements The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in connection with the selection of qualified proposals; and project reports submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the proposal review process; to proposer institutions/grantees to provide or obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to other government agencies or other entities needing information regarding applicants or nominees as part of a joint application review process, or in order to coordinate programs or policy; and to another Federal agency, court, or party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is a party. Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer reviewers or advisory committee members. See System of Record Notices , NSF-50 , "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," and NSF-51 , "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records." Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0058. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding the burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Suzanne H. Plimpton Reports Clearance Officer Policy Office, Division of Institution and Award Support Office of Budget, Finance, and Award Management National Science Foundation Alexandria, VA 22314 160 COMMENTS Writing a Project Proposal VPUE Project Proposal Writing Guide. (link is external) : Read this document carefully and follow the guidelines based on the project you envision to pursue. In this guide, you will find: General guidelines for all grant proposals. Additional specific guidelines for Research, Arts/Design, and Senior Synthesis project proposals -- please follow ... How to Write a Research Proposal as an Undergrad For a research project based on a proposal, you need only establish if your premises/hypotheses are true or false. To do that, you need to formulate questions you can answer by collecting your own data, and this is where experiments come in. ... A research proposal at the undergraduate level is an engaging exercise on coming up with your own ... How to Write a Research Proposal Research proposal examples. Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We've included a few for you below. Example research proposal #1: "A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management". Sample Project Proposals Sample Project Proposals. Check out a few sample grant proposals below. Read ones annotated with reviewer notes (even if the topic is outside your area of interest) to learn what reviewers look for. You can also see also how resubmitted proposals respond to reviewer comments. Please note that these proposals serve as exemplars for students ... Writing Research Proposals Writing Research Proposals. The research proposal is your opportunity to show that you—and only you!—are the perfect person to take on your specific project. After reading your research proposal, readers should be confident that…. You have thoughtfully crafted and designed this project; You have the necessary background to complete this ... 10 Successful Undergraduate Research Project Examples To Inspire You 7. Infographics. Infographics are a powerful tool for undergraduate research projects, allowing you to present complex data and insights in a visually engaging and easily digestible format. By transforming your research findings into infographics, you can enhance comprehension and retention among your audience. PROPOSAL WRITING Our core proposal writing advice is connected to the Undergraduate Research Grant programs, where students apply to do independent research and/or creative projects in the summer or academic year. What follows is a brief rundown of a basic research grant proposal, and we encourage you to use our URG Proposal Writing Guide for a fuller ... How to write a research proposal The format of a research proposal varies between fields and levels of study but most proposals should contain at least these elements: introduction, literature review, research design and reference list. Generally, research proposals can range from 500-1500 words or one to a few pages long. Typically, proposals for larger projects such as a PhD ... How To Write A Research Proposal (With Examples) Make sure you can ask the critical what, who, and how questions of your research before you put pen to paper. Your research proposal should include (at least) 5 essential components: Title - provides the first taste of your research, in broad terms. Introduction - explains what you'll be researching in more detail. Writing an Effective Research Proposal For assistance from Hamel Center staff, contact us at (603) 862-4323 or stop by the Hamel Center to make an appointment. For help from the UNH Writing Center, stop by Dimond Library 329, or call (603) 862-3272. NOTE: If you visit the Writing Center, bring a copy of the Hamel Center proposal outline along with a draft of your research proposal. PDF A Sample Research Proposal with Comments er, the proposal deadline is December 1. During the proposal stage, students should discuss their research interests with CM faculty members, identify a research topic, conduct preliminary literatu. e review and develop a project proposal. The proposal should discuss problem statement, objectives, research methodology, research activities. Build your independent project Build your project. Learn about past work on your topic and build a foundation for your project. Develop a central idea. Meet with your faculty mentors to seek feedback on your ideas and guidance for next steps. (You will need to do this more than once as you develop your ideas and plan further.) Create a project plan and evaluate your ideas. ANNOTATED SAMPLE GRANT PROPOSALS The proposed project will collect data through survey (s). The proposal should clearly defined who will be asked to complete the survey, how these participants will be recruited, and/or proof of support from contacts. The proposal should include the survey (s) in an appendix. The proposal should articulate how the results from these survey (s ... Research Proposal Your research proposal describes the who, what, where, when, and why of your project. It should: discuss the wider impact of your research. Research is almost never done in a vacuum. Plan to talk with your professors and other students about your questions and plans. Leave enough time to write several drafts of the research proposal. PDF Annotated Sample Research Proposal: Process and Product Research Proposals in a Nutshell: The basic purposes of all research proposals are to convince the reader that: the research project has clear objectives; the research project is worth doing (it is significant / important in some sense and will make an original contribution to knowledge / understanding in the field) Project Proposal Requirements Be sure to describe the intellectual merit of your research. For sciences and technology (the medical sciences in particular), please make sure you have a clear hypothesis and explain the scientific merit of your proposed research. Your proposal cannot be more than 3 pages in length using double-spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman, and 1 ... Past Project Examples Sample Proposal #1 Sample Proposal #2 ... university documents, dissertations, UROP projects, student & faculty research, data sets, & more. Digital Conservancy. Footer. 511 Bruininks Hall ... The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is a unit within the Office of Undergraduate Education that connects undergraduate students with research ... Writing Project Proposals Writing Project Proposals. Some applications will ask for an essay outlining a proposed project, including details of the design and plan for carrying it out. Remember that your essay is essentially an exercise in expository writing, but with a twist—it also needs to be persuasive. As you get ready to write, think about the following questions: Proposal Format Your proposal should contain the following five sections: Research Statement (Project Summary) Background and Rationale. Research Plan (Methodologies and Timeline) Qualifications and Affiliations. Bibliography. Budget. Note: You will need to number any supplementary materials (graphics, images, charts) that you refer to in your application and ... Examples of Undergraduate Research Projects Examples of Undergraduate Research Projects Fall 2021 Projects. Student Research Proposal; Whitney Brown: Characterizing the role of FOXP3 in ccRCC: Ziche Chen: Intereations between LANA and Super-enhancers: Anna Eberwein: Synaptic Dysfunction in the Drosophila Niemann Pick Type C Disease Model: PDF Office of Undergraduate Research Standard Proposal Template and ffice of Undergraduate Research Standard Proposal Template and InstructionsThe grants awarded by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) are intended to promote research and sch. arly activities for the undergraduate students of the University of Toledo. This document provides the template and. delines - see Template. 30+ SAMPLE Undergraduate Research Proposal in PDF Step 1: Determine the Research Topic and Perform Literature Reviews. Identify the general topic of your research to investigate. The research proposal centers around the student or students' chosen research topic that the rest of the content follows. The research topics are either assigned by professors or advisers. What Makes a Successful Proposal Show how the research fits within the broader mission of the funding agency. Clear Communication and Accessibility. Write concisely and avoid jargon. Define specialized terminology if necessary. Ensure that the proposal is accessible to a diverse audience, including non-specialists who may be involved in the review process. Proposal Guidelines For questions regarding program goals, proposal content, or review criteria, please contact: Brian Thomas. Associate Dean of Undergraduate Research Opportunities. [email protected]. 650/723-0051. For questions regarding grant administration and budgets, please contact: [email protected]. 650/497-5388. CALS Undergraduate Research Grants Undergraduate students from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are invited to submit research proposals in competition for funding. Applicants may be individuals or groups; projects may involve basic or applied research. At least four proposals will be chosen for a maximum of $1,500 each. Research Proposal A research proposal is a project outline of around 3000 words that you write as part of the process of applying to study for an MPhil or PhD research degree. ... When creating a research proposal, you'll need to consider the question or issue you want to address with your project. ... Undergraduate study. Undergraduate degree courses ... NSF 23-601: Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) REU Sites are based on independent proposals, submitted for an annual deadline date, to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of undergraduate students in research. REU Sites must have a well-defined common focus that enables a cohort experience for students. assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis