research proposal sample in geography

Guidelines to Writing a Research Proposal

All Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) students must write an acceptable research proposal.

This has a clear and explicit purpose:

• it makes certain that you have a worthwhile research project - you have a good grasp of the relevant literature and the major issues, and that your methodology is sound;
• it will show that you have the competence and work-plan to complete the research;
• it includes sufficient information for us to evaluate the proposed study; and
• we can be certain we have the right staff expertise to supervise you.

All research proposals must address the question of what you plan to accomplish and why you want to and how you are going to do it.

A research proposal is usually around 2,500 words long although there is no upper or lower limit to this.

In preparing a research proposal, the first thing that you have to do is to decide what it really is that you want to know more about. The questions that you want to research have to viable as a research project and lead to the creation of new knowledge and understanding.

Your research proposal should include a section on each of the following areas:

Ethical considerations

You will need to give consideration to issues of power and confidentiality. You should read any appropriate ethical guidelines and ask yourself how/whether you project follows these. [All research students at Oxford University are required (before they commence fieldwork) to complete the Central University Research Ethics Committee (CUREC) checklist and obtain permission to undertake any fieldwork].

Time scales

It is important that you map out a reasonable schedule of your work so that you can monitor your own progress and manage your project effectively. Start with your intended finishing date and do not underestimate the amount of time that it takes to finalise your drafts into a finished product.

Dissemination

A key indicator of the work of much research is whether it is of publishable quality. You might like to give some consideration at this stage as to what sorts of things might be publishable and where you would like them to appear. This is especially important if you wish to pursue a career as an academic in a UK university.

When you have completed all of this then get other people, your peers as well as those more experienced than you, to read it and comment. This will help you to revise the proposal before you submit it. You can also make contact with departmental staff whose research interests are in a similar area to those you intend to undertake. They would be happy to give you advice and to discuss possible supervision.

GIS support to develop a research proposal

• Introduction
• Developing a proposal
• What is GIS/spatial thinking
• Instrument design

Useful links

• Spatial data collection tools

In order to be able to analyze research findings spatially or geographically, data needs to be in the correct format. It is therefore important to conceptualize at the beginning of the research, how the data will be analyzed. In recent years there has been an explosion of interest in the applications of spatial concepts and techniques in the social sciences (Voss 2007). The development has been especially intense among those researchers who are used to working with data that are aggregated for a territorial unit (a county, city, or neighbourhood). It is a natural step to take advantage of the Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies that make it relatively easy to map those data. More important, visualizing information on a map tends to bring up other questions about how to understand the patterns. At this point, GIS gives way to a myriad of tools of spatial analysis that are well established in geography and in some applied fields such as biostatistics, but that many social scientists are not yet familiar with it.

The techniques that geographers use in their work are not developed in a vacuum. They are developed to address specific problems and, thus, reflect the focus of the discipline at times. These techniques reflect the conscious decisions of geographers about the kinds of information that are important to collect; the spatial scales at which information should be collected, compiled, analysed and displayed; data sampling strategies and experimental designs; data representation; and methods for data analysis.

The Table below shows the steps in the GIS proposal development process.

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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 .

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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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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Assignments

• Annotated Bibliography
• Analyzing a Scholarly Journal Article
• Group Presentations
• Dealing with Nervousness
• Using Visual Aids
• Grading Someone Else's Paper
• Types of Structured Group Activities
• Group Project Survival Skills
• Leading a Class Discussion
• Multiple Book Review Essay
• Reviewing Collected Works
• Writing a Case Analysis Paper
• Writing a Case Study
• About Informed Consent
• Writing Field Notes
• Writing a Policy Memo
• Writing a Reflective Paper
• Writing a Research Proposal
• Generative AI and Writing
• Acknowledgments

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

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

How to Approach Writing a Research Proposal

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

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

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

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

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

Common Mistakes to Avoid

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

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

Structure and Writing Style

Beginning the Proposal Process

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

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

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

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

Most proposals should include the following sections:

I.  Introduction

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

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

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

II.  Background and Significance

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

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

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

III.  Literature Review

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

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

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

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

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

IV.  Research Design and Methods

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

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

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

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

V.  Preliminary Suppositions and Implications

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

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

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

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

VI.  Conclusion

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

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

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

VII.  Citations

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

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

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

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

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

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• School of Geography and Planning

Writing your research proposal

Find out how to write your research proposal, and what to include in it.

Do I need to write a research proposal?

All applications for PhD study places in the School of Geography and Planning must include a proposal that outlines your topic and proposed programme of research.

The only exception to this requirement is when you are applying only for an advertised project, for which the title and description of the project are already given.

Your proposal will help us to make sure that:

• the topic is viable
• the school can provide appropriate supervision and other resources
• you have thought through your interest in, and commitment to, a piece of research

We recommend identifying a potential supervisor  who can provide you with advice on your topic and proposal, before you apply.

You should begin these conversations as early as possible: while scholarship deadlines tend to be in December/January, a good proposal takes time to craft and develop.

It is in your best interest to begin developing your proposal in good time to allow for constructive feedback and revisions.

What makes a strong PhD?

A PhD is an independent piece of research and writing that makes an original contribution to existing knowledge. It is typically between 75,000 to 100,000 words long and is conducted over three to three-and-a-half years full-time (or six to seven years part-time) depending on funding. 

The defining feature of a PhD is that it is yours. The topic will usually come from you, unless you are working on a predefined project attached to funding. Even then, you will take ownership of that project and make it your own.

The PhD will likely be the most challenging type of academic work you have ever done: it should also be the most rewarding.

Think carefully about whether a PhD is for you - it is a major time commitment and you will need to be prepared to overcome challenges and difficulties along the way. 

What should my research proposal look like?

Your research proposal is the main way the school evaluates the potential quality of your proposed PhD. It should be approximately 1,500 words long, and contain the following elements:

A provisional title

This is the headline for your proposed research and so it should include any key concepts, empirical focus, or lines of inquiry that you aim to pursue.

While your title may change, it is important to devise a title that describes what you aspire to research, and demonstrate its originality and value.

For example: ‘The environmental and social impacts of mass housing in Latin American countries’, or ‘Using water efficiently: understanding the impact of expanding middle-class demand on city water systems’.

A key question, hypothesis or the broad topic for investigation

You need key questions or hypotheses to drive your research. These will need to be original, timely and of importance to the discipline.

This could involve investigating something that no-one has looked at before, or it might mean taking a fresh approach to an existing topic or issue.

An outline of the key aims of the research

What will the PhD do?

Your aims will be broader than the questions/hypotheses. They should give a prospective statement about the overall destination of the PhD and its potential impact: in other words, what is the wider value of the research, and why does it matter?

This needs to be set within a brief overview, giving enough background to your research context to demonstrate that this research aim is credible and worthwhile: you do not need to give a great deal of factual detail.

A brief outline of key literature in the area (what we already know)

Situate your topic with reference to the existing research literature.

At PhD level, a literature review is more than simply a descriptive mapping exercise, it should cite key theories or debates and suggest how your project would engage with them. 

Explain how these ideas motivate your work, and how your thesis might support, extend, or challenge existing work.

A description of the topic and an explanation of why further research in the area is important (the gap in the literature - what we need to know)

Highlight what the gap in current knowledge is and how your research will contribute original scholarship.

Will your research provide a new perspective, generate new evidence, challenge existing assumptions?

By whom might the PhD be valued: scholars looking at a particular issue, communities within specific institutions, certain groups of people?

Provide further clarity on the specific focus of your research through a short list of questions (three to six is normal) that your research will answer.

These questions must be achievable within the framework of a PhD (within the usual three-and-a-half years tuition fee-paying period - with typically a maximum of around 12 months of fieldwork/data collection time).

Details of how the research will be carried out (the tools that will enable us to fill the gap you have identified)

This includes any special facilities or resources required and any necessary skills which you either have already or would need to acquire.

A clear methodological statement shows how you will execute your research project: it is relatively easy to ask a new question; it is more challenging to set out how you might come up with a convincing answer.

Outline your approach to your research as well as the methods you will use.

Of course, the resources you will need will vary according to the nature of the research: access to a particular archive, specialist library, visits to field sites, the use of analytical software, access to databases, training, workshop attendance and so on.

It is important to list any of these resources and give a very brief account of how their role in your research.

What is important is that there are coherent links between your aims, questions and proposed methods – why is using this evidence going to provide the most robust answer to your questions?

A plan and timetable of the work you will carry out

Submission of the PhD is expected to take place by the end of the tuition fee-paying period, which for most PhD candidates will be at three and a half years from the date of commencing PhD study.

Show how you will carry out your research within that timeframe. Try to be as detailed as you can at this stage.

We welcome applications from a very broad range of methodological and philosophical backgrounds: quantitative and qualitative; text-based and mapping big data; interpretive, positivist, realist, and many more.

Don't forget

• Try to be concise. Do not write too much – be as specific as you can but not 'wordy'. It is a difficult balance to strike.
• Bear in mind that the proposal is only a starting point. If you are registered to read for a PhD, you will be able to develop the proposal with your supervisor in more detail in the early months, leading up to a more advanced research outline and presentation towards the end of your first year of study.
• Take a look at our  staff profiles  and  research areas and topics . Ensure there is a good ‘fit’ between your proposal and our research: the stronger this is, the better able we are to support your research.

Submitting your proposal

Upload your research proposal document (as a PDF or Word document) within the online application form as part of your  PhD study place application .

If you also intend to apply for a scholarship , we recommend that you consult your proposed supervisor on appropriate scholarship opportunities, and about adapting your proposal to meet the requirements of the scholarships section of the online application form.

Related information

How to apply for a PhD

Find a supervisor

Our PhD research

Study with us

Join an international community of geographers, planners, and environmental scientists to help tackle the biggest issues in our changing world.

Search for PhD opportunities at Sheffield and be part of our world-leading research.

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: Writing a Research Proposal

• Purpose of Guide
• Writing a Research Proposal
• Design Flaws to Avoid
• Independent and Dependent Variables
• Narrowing a Topic Idea
• Broadening a Topic Idea
• The Research Problem/Question
• Academic Writing Style
• Choosing a Title
• Making an Outline
• Paragraph Development
• The C.A.R.S. Model
• Background Information
• Theoretical Framework
• Citation Tracking
• Evaluating Sources
• Reading Research Effectively
• Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources
• What Is Scholarly vs. Popular?
• Is it Peer-Reviewed?
• Qualitative Methods
• Quantitative Methods
• Common Grammar Mistakes
• Writing Concisely
• Avoiding Plagiarism [linked guide]
• Annotated Bibliography
• Grading Someone Else's Paper

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

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

How to Approach Writing a Research Proposal

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

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

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

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

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

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Failure to be concise; being "all over the map" without a clear sense of purpose.
• Failure to cite landmark works in your literature review.
• Failure to delimit the contextual boundaries of your research [e.g., time, place, people, etc.].
• Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed research.
• Failure to stay focused on the research problem; going off on unrelated tangents.
• Sloppy or imprecise writing, or poor grammar.
• Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major issues.

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

Structure and Writing Style

Beginning the Proposal Process

As with writing a regular academic paper, research proposals are generally organized the same way throughout most social science disciplines. Proposals vary between ten and twenty-five pages in length. However, before you begin, read the assignment carefully and, if anything seems unclear, ask your professor whether there are any specific requirements for organizing and writing the proposal.

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

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

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

In general your proposal should include the following sections:

I.  Introduction

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

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

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

II.  Background and Significance

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

To that end, while there are no hard and fast rules, you should attempt to address some or all of the following key points:

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

III.  Literature Review

Connected to the background and significance of your study is a section of your proposal devoted to a more deliberate review and synthesis of prior studies related to the research problem under investigation . The purpose here is to place your project within the larger whole of what is currently being explored, while demonstrating to your readers that your work is original and innovative. Think about what questions other researchers have asked, what methods they have used, and what is your understanding of their findings and, where stated, their recommendations. Do not be afraid to challenge the conclusions of prior research. Assess what you believe is missing and state how previous research has failed to adequately examine the issue that your study addresses. For more information on writing literature reviews, GO HERE .

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

To help frame your proposal's literature review, here are the "five C’s" of writing a literature review:

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

IV.  Research Design and Methods

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

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

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

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

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

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• Next: Types of Research Designs >>
• Last Updated: Sep 8, 2023 12:19 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.txstate.edu/socialscienceresearch

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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 November 21, 2023.

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

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

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get 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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Proposal Tips and Examples

Nggdpp preservation projects, preserving valuable and irreplaceable geoscience collections, sample preservation and inventory.

Geologic Map Conversion to GeMS

Activities Not Funded by NGGDPP

Annually, the NGGDPP solicits proposals from state geological surveys for the preservation and rescue of geoscience materials and data. Funding opportunities may be available to U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) bureaus annually as funding allows. A review panel evaluates and ranks the proposals according to four criteria: technical merit; societal project benefits; knowledge, performance, and experience of project personnel; and reasonableness of budget for proposed project.  

Note: This section, Tips and Examples, focuses primarily on guidance for state geological surveys, but the suggestions also apply to DOI opportunities. Cost-share requirements and package submission to grants.gov do not apply to the DOI.

Proposal applicants are encouraged to consider the following guidance for drafting impactful proposals:

• Clear justification for preserving the selected data and materials should be provided, including how the results of the project meet the organization priorities and benefit stakeholders and society.
• The Program places high value on increasing access to preserved materials. Ideally, digital data should be made readily available through digital means.
• The project and workflow process should be described.
• Federal share of the cost of the proposed activities must be  no more than 50 percent of the total cost . The state portion can be larger than the federal portion; however, if the federal contribution is more than the state portion - regardless of the amount - the grant proposal shall be disqualified and will not be evaluated by the grant review panel. 
• Descriptions of project personnel and their experience and skills relevant to complete the proposed tasks must be provided.
• Equipment funding requests including scanners, computers, storage media, and relevant software licenses are acceptable as long as the equipment is necessary for the successful completion of the work funded by the NGGDPP. A full justification and a dealer or manufacturer quote are required for any proposed equipment purchase. 
• Submission of proposal package to grants.gov should be initiated well in advance of due date. 

2024 State Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity Webinar

The presentation and recording are available from the September 7, 2023 webinar on the 2024 NGGDPP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Webinar.

Presentation  ( Click here for Powerpoint slides )

Recording   September 7, 2023 ( Click here for mp4 file 497MB )

Recording September 7, 2023  ( Click here for Word Document )

Recording - October 18, 2023   ( Click here for mp4 file 449MB )

Recording  - October 18, 2023     ( Click here for Word Document )

2023 State Proposal Examples

These state geological survey proposal examples from 2023 are available for reference to support proposal writing.

Arizona Geological Survey 2023 Proposal  ( Click here for pdf file )

Michigan Geological Survey 2020 Proposal  ( Click here for pdf file )

Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey 2023 Proposal  ( Click here for pdf file )

2023 State Grant Program Announcement Webinar

The presentation is available from the July 19, 2022 and August 10, 2022 webinars on the NGGDPP Webinar on FY2023 Program Announcement.

The recording and transcript are available from the August 10, 2022 webinar.

Recording  ( Click here for mp4 file 523MB )

Recording  ( Click here for Word Document )

2022 State Grant Program Announcement Webinar and Office Hours

The presentation is available from the October 2021 webinar on the NGGDPP Webinar on FY2022 Program Announcement.

The presentation is available from the December 8th and 16th, 2021 Office Hours sessions on the modifications to the FY 2022 Program Announcement in response to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (PL 117-58).

2021 State Grant Program Announcement Webinar

The presentation and recording are available from the October 2020 webinar, NGGDPP Webinar on FY2021 Program Announcement and Proposal Writing Best Practices.

Recording  ( Click here for mp4 file 656MB )

2020 State Proposal Examples

These additional state geological survey proposal examples from 2020 are available for reference to support proposal writing.

Idaho Geological Survey 2020 Proposal ( Click here for pdf file )

Kansas Geological Survey 2020 Proposal ( Click here for pdf file )

Nebraska Conservation and Survey Division 2020 Workflow Table ( Click here for pdf file )

Utah Geological Survey 2020 Proposal ( Click here for pdf file )

Grant Templates

These NGGDPP templates are available for use by state geological surveys throughout the grant lifecycle from proposal writing, data compilation, through final submittal.

Attachment D – Mineral Deposits/Districts Templates ( Click here for zip file )

Attachment E – Borehole Template ( Click here for Excel file )

NGGDPP Data Management Plan Template ( Click here for Word document )

Final Technical Report Template ( Click here for Word document )

Abstract Template  ( Click here for Word document )

Data Management Plan Examples

These examples of data management plans (DMP) are available for reference to support proposal writing.

DMP - Core and Core Photos  ( Click here for Word document )

DMP - Geologic maps, Well logs, Geochemistry, Critical Minerals, Field Notebooks  ( Click here for Word document )

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Examples of research proposals

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

Research proposals

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

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

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

When you write your proposal you need to:

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

Subject specific guidance

• Writing a Humanities PhD Proposal (PDF, 0.1MB)
• Writing a Creative Writing PhD Proposal (PDF, 0.1MB)
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An research proposal examples on geography is a prosaic composition of a small volume and free composition, expressing individual impressions and thoughts on a specific occasion or issue and obviously not claiming a definitive or exhaustive interpretation of the subject.

Some signs of geography research proposal:

• the presence of a specific topic or question. A work devoted to the analysis of a wide range of problems in biology, by definition, cannot be performed in the genre of geography research proposal topic.
• The research proposal expresses individual impressions and thoughts on a specific occasion or issue, in this case, on geography and does not knowingly pretend to a definitive or exhaustive interpretation of the subject.
• As a rule, an essay suggests a new, subjectively colored word about something, such a work may have a philosophical, historical, biographical, journalistic, literary, critical, popular scientific or purely fiction character.
• in the content of an research proposal samples on geography , first of all, the author’s personality is assessed - his worldview, thoughts and feelings.

The goal of an research proposal in geography is to develop such skills as independent creative thinking and writing out your own thoughts.

Writing an research proposal is extremely useful, because it allows the author to learn to clearly and correctly formulate thoughts, structure information, use basic concepts, highlight causal relationships, illustrate experience with relevant examples, and substantiate his conclusions.

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146 Impressive Geography Research Topics Every Student Will Like

Are you a student seeking inspiration for your next geography research project? Look no further! In this article, we present you with a treasure trove of 146 original and top-quality geography research topics, completely free of charge. Whether you’re pursuing a degree in geography or simply passionate about exploring the world around you, these topics cover a wide range of fascinating subjects.

From human geography and cultural landscapes to physical geography and environmental sustainability, we’ve got you covered. Each topic is carefully crafted to ignite your curiosity and help you delve deeper into the field. Get ready to embark on an exciting journey of exploration and discovery as you uncover unique research ideas that will captivate both you and your readers.

Areas Of Geography

Geography is a field of study that explores the Earth’s physical features, human activities and their interactions. It examines the spatial patterns, processes, and relationships between the environment and society. Geographers investigate the Earth’s surface, analyzing its landscapes, climate, ecosystems and resources, as well as the distribution of populations, cultures, economies, and political systems. There are several types of geography, each focusing on specific aspects of the Earth’s physical and human dimensions:

Physical geography examines natural phenomena like landforms, weather and ecosystems. Human geography studies human activities, such as population distribution, urbanization and cultural landscapes. Economic geography explores the spatial patterns of economic activities, trade and resource distribution. Political geography analyzes the political systems, boundaries and geopolitical relationships between regions. Environmental geography investigates the interactions between humans and the environment, including environmental issues and sustainability. Geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing employ technology to analyze spatial data and maps.

These subfields together provide a comprehensive understanding of the Earth’s complexities and its relationship with human society.

Easy Geography Research Paper Topics

Want to write your paper in just a couple of hours? Explore a curated list of accessible and easy geography research paper topics that will make your geography research paper writing a breeze:

• The impact of climate change on coastal regions
• Exploring the relationship between geography and tourism
• Analyzing urbanization trends in developing countries
• Investigating the effects of deforestation on biodiversity
• Examining the role of geography in natural disaster management
• Studying the cultural landscape of a specific region
• Analyzing the geography of food production and distribution
• Exploring the impact of transportation on urban development
• Investigating the geography of renewable energy sources
• Analyzing the spatial patterns of population growth
• Studying the impact of globalization on local economies
• Examining the geography of water resources and management

Human Geography Research Topics

Improve your chances of getting a top grade! Delve into the complex interplay between humans and their environment with this comprehensive list of human geography research topics:

• Exploring the social implications of gentrification in urban areas
• Analyzing the influence of gender on migration patterns
• Investigating the impact of globalization on cultural identity
• Examining the geography of poverty and social inequality
• Studying the relationship between health and geographical location
• Analyzing the spatial distribution of ethnic communities in cities
• Investigating the geography of political power and governance
• Exploring the role of geography in shaping human behavior
• Analyzing the impacts of urban sprawl on communities
• Studying the geography of education access and quality
• Examining the spatial patterns of crime and its socio-economic factors
• Investigating the geography of healthcare provision and disparities

Cultural Geography Research Topics

Interested in cultural geography? Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of cultures and their geographical influences with this captivating list of cultural geography research topics:

• Analyzing the cultural landscapes of indigenous communities
• Exploring the impact of globalization on cultural diversity
• Investigating the geography of language and its preservation
• Examining the influence of religion on cultural landscapes
• Studying the role of cultural heritage in tourism development
• Analyzing the geography of cultural festivals and events
• Investigating the spatial patterns of cultural diffusion
• Exploring the impact of migration on cultural identities
• Analyzing the geography of music and its regional variations
• Investigating the role of food culture in shaping identities
• Examining the spatial distribution of cultural institutions
• Studying the geography of art and its impact on communities

Physical Geography Research Topics

Do you want to write about physical geography? Investigate the natural processes and phenomena shaping our planet through this collection of compelling physical geography research topics:

• Analyzing the processes of coastal erosion and their impacts
• Investigating the formation and characteristics of river systems
• Examining the effects of climate change on glacial landscapes
• Analyzing the spatial patterns of soil erosion and conservation
• Investigating the biogeography of specific ecosystems
• Exploring the impacts of climate on vegetation patterns
• Analyzing the geography of water resources and hydrology
• Investigating the formation and classification of landforms
• Examining the spatial distribution of biodiversity hotspots
• Studying the interactions between humans and the natural environment
• Exploring the impacts of urbanization on natural landscapes

Geography Thesis Topics

Are you busy planning your thesis? Engage in an in-depth exploration of geographic concepts and theories with this thought-provoking list of geography thesis topics:

• Investigating the geographical aspects of sustainable development
• Analyzing the impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities
• Exploring the role of geography in disaster risk reduction
• Studying the geography of migration and refugee movements
• Examining the relationship between urban planning and social equity
• Analyzing the spatial patterns of energy consumption and renewable solutions
• Exploring the geographical dimensions of political conflicts and peacebuilding
• Investigating the role of geography in land use planning and conservation
• Examining the impacts of globalization on local economies

Urban Geography Thesis Topics

Are you interested in writing about urban geography? Analyze the complexities of urban landscapes and urbanization processes with this curated selection of urban geography thesis topics:

• Analyzing the effects of gentrification on urban neighborhoods
• Investigating the role of urban design in creating sustainable cities
• Examining the spatial patterns of urban sprawl and its consequences
• Studying the geography of social segregation in urban areas
• Analyzing the impacts of transportation systems on urban mobility
• Investigating the relationship between urbanization and public health
• Exploring the geography of informal settlements and slums
• Analyzing the impacts of urban green spaces on quality of life
• Investigating the geography of urban food systems and food security
• Examining the role of technology in shaping smart cities
• Studying the spatial distribution of cultural and recreational amenities in cities

PhD Research Topics In Geography

Expand the boundaries of geographical knowledge and contribute to the field with this diverse and stimulating list of PhD research topics in geography:

• Analyzing the geography of environmental justice in urban areas
• Investigating the impacts of climate change on indigenous communities
• Examining the role of geography in disaster risk governance
• Studying the spatial patterns of land use change in rapidly urbanizing regions
• Analyzing the impacts of transportation infrastructure on accessibility and equity
• Investigating the geographical dimensions of health inequalities
• Exploring the relationship between globalization and urbanization processes
• Analyzing the geography of political conflicts and territorial disputes
• Investigating the impacts of natural resource extraction on local communities
• Studying the spatial dynamics of international migration and its consequences
• Exploring the geography of innovation and knowledge economies in cities

Captivating Research Topics In Geography

Looking for some captivating research topics in geography? Ignite curiosity and scholarly interest with this awesome collection of research topics that delve into various aspects of geography:

• Investigating the geography of mega-cities and their challenges
• Analyzing the impacts of climate change on vulnerable coastal regions
• Exploring the spatial patterns of cultural landscapes and heritage sites
• Studying the geography of borderlands and transnational interactions
• Examining the impacts of tourism on local communities and environments
• The role of geography in understanding human-environment interactions
• Analyzing the spatial distribution of environmental pollution and its impacts
• Exploring the geography of global food systems and agricultural practices
• Investigating the impacts of natural disasters on urban resilience
• Examining the role of geography in understanding urban inequalities
• Studying the geography of geopolitical conflicts and their implications
• Exploring the impacts of technological advancements on landscapes

Interesting Geography Research Topics

Discover a wide range of interesting geography research topics that will pique your professor’s curiosity and offer new insights into the world of geography:

• Analyzing the impacts of climate change on glacier retreat and water resources
• Investigating the geography of renewable energy transition and its challenges
• Examining the spatial patterns of urban heat islands and their mitigation strategies
• Studying the impacts of land use change on biodiversity conservation
• Investigating the role of geography in understanding cultural diversity
• Exploring the geography of disease outbreaks and their spatial spread
• Investigating the impacts of natural hazards on human vulnerability and resilience
• Examining the spatial distribution of ecological corridors
• Studying the geography of regional economic disparities and development strategies
• Exploring the impacts of transportation infrastructure on urban accessibility
• The role of geography in understanding weather patterns

Good Geography Research Topics For 2023

Looking for some current topics to write about? Choose from a list of good geography research topics for 2023 that showcase the relevance and significance of geography in today’s world:

• Impacts of population growth on urban infrastructure and services in geography
• Geography of water scarcity and its implications for communities
• Spatial patterns of environmental conservation and protected areas in geography
• Impacts of land degradation on agricultural productivity and food security
• Geography of natural resource management and sustainable practices
• Relationship between climate change and human migration patterns in geography
• Spatial distribution of environmental justice and marginalized communities
• Impacts of urbanization on water pollution and ecosystem degradation
• Geography of renewable energy sources and their integration into the grid
• Role of geography in understanding regional conflicts over natural resources
• Impacts of deforestation on biodiversity loss and ecosystem services

Geography Topics For Research For College

Need some great geography topics for research for college? Explore a comprehensive list of geography research topics tailored for college-level studies, offering opportunities for critical analysis and exploration:

• Impacts of transportation infrastructure on urban air quality in geography
• Geography of urban gentrification and displacement
• Spatial patterns of urban food waste and its environmental consequences
• Impacts of tourism development on fragile ecosystems in geography
• Geography of environmental migration and its social implications
• Role of geography in understanding climate adaptation strategies
• Spatial distribution of environmental inequalities and environmental racism
• Impacts of land use change on water quality in agricultural regions
• Geography of geopolitical conflicts and territorial disputes
• Impacts of industrial pollution on urban health and well-being
• Role of geography in understanding disaster preparedness

Interesting Geography Topics For High School

Get the most interesting geography topics for high school. Foster geographical curiosity and critical thinking skills with this intriguing list of essay topics designed specifically by our best dissertation service writers for high school students:

• Analyzing the impacts of climate change on the polar regions
• Investigating the geography of natural hazards
• Examining the spatial distribution of endangered species
• Studying the impacts of urbanization on wildlife habitat fragmentation
• Exploring the geography of cultural diversity and multiculturalism in cities
• Investigating the role of geography in understanding climate variability
• Analyzing the spatial patterns of population distribution and density
• Investigating the geography of international migration and refugee flows
• Examining the impacts of tourism on local communities and cultures
• Studying the geography of natural resources
• Exploring the role of geography in understanding global inequality

Engaging Geographical Research Topics

Embark on a captivating journey of geographical exploration with this diverse collection of engaging geographical research topics, connecting people, places and the environment through insightful investigations:

• Urban sprawl impacts on land use and ecosystem services in geography
• Geography of renewable energy transition and its challenges
• Spatial patterns of urban heat islands and impacts on residents
• Impacts of climate change on coastal erosion and shoreline management
• Geography of water scarcity and implications for human populations
• Role of geography in understanding geopolitical conflicts and peacebuilding
• Spatial distribution of environmental pollutants and health effects
• Impacts of globalization on local economies and cultural landscapes
• Geography of gender inequalities and spatial dimensions
• Impacts of natural disasters on vulnerable communities and recovery
• Role of geography in understanding migration dynamics and urbanization
• Geography of political borders and their social and economic implications

Affordable Thesis Help You Can Rely On

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Make sure to check our posts with other topics before you leave:

• 122 Best Ecology Topics To Sparkle Your Writing
• 195 Top Anthropology Topics For Great Thesis
• 170 Fantastic Astronomy Topics For High Scoring Tests

Why is choosing a great topic important when writing a geography essay?

Choosing a great topic ensures that your essay is engaging, relevant, and allows you to demonstrate your understanding of key geographical concepts while capturing the reader’s interest.

How can I choose a great topic for my geography essay?

To choose a great topic, consider current geographical issues, areas of personal interest and the availability of reliable sources. Additionally, ensure that the topic aligns with your essay’s objectives and requirements.

What are some strategies for narrowing down a geography essay topic?

To narrow down your topic, focus on specific geographical regions, phenomena, or concepts. Consider exploring the intersections between different aspects of geography, such as human and physical geography, to create a unique and well-rounded essay topic.

Can I get assistance in choosing a great topic for my geography essay?

Yes, you can seek guidance from your instructor, consult reputable academic resources or utilize online platforms that provide topic suggestions. Engaging in discussions with peers or experts in the field can also help generate ideas and refine your topic choice.

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Geography Research Proposals Samples For Students

10 samples of this type

While studying in college, you will inevitably have to pen a lot of Research Proposals on Geography. Lucky you if linking words together and transforming them into meaningful content comes naturally to you; if it's not the case, you can save the day by finding a previously written Geography Research Proposal example and using it as a template to follow.

This is when you will definitely find WowEssays' free samples catalog extremely helpful as it embodies numerous professionally written works on most various Geography Research Proposals topics. Ideally, you should be able to find a piece that meets your requirements and use it as a template to build your own Research Proposal. Alternatively, our qualified essay writers can deliver you a unique Geography Research Proposal model written from scratch according to your personal instructions.

Research Proposal On Weather Forecasting Process in Bangladesh

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Burglary Research Proposal Example

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Problem Statement

Shifting To Alternative Fuels In Azerbaijan-Research Proposal Research Proposals Example

Problem statement, sample research proposal on tourism system in molokai (demand and supply characteristics).

Molokai Island is the fifth largest of the Hawaiian Islands. The island was built between two distinct shield volcanoes, with one forming the larger eastern Molokai and the lesser forming the western Molokai (Bardolet and Pauline, 905). The island is located in the Maui County and through its geography and culture it is perfect for tourism. Tourism is one of the economic boosters of the Maui County, and part of the tourism revenues of Maui County is from the Island of Molokai though in a larger proportion.

Free Research Proposal About Green Sea Turtles

Free animals in zoos research proposal sample.

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Research Proposal In Geography

Physical geography is the science about the nature and the anthropogenic changes of the landscape of Earth, which is the environment for the living organisms of the planet. Physical geography is a complex discipline which studies the planet’s geography and its peculiarities: the landscape, palaeontology, the structure of soil and rocks, etc. Being a complex and varied discipline physical geography includes also the narrower disciplines which focus on the separate elements of the planet’s geography: geomorphology, climatology, hydrology, oceanography, the geography of soil, biogeography, zoogeography, etc.

Physical geography is closely connected with agriculture, because every science exists for the human convenience. With the help of the research on physical geography it is possible to improve the quality and productiveness of agriculture. Then, the science is quite useful for the development of the recreational sphere, because the experts research the peculiarities of the environment of the human health.

Essay Example on Biological Principles Of Physical Education

The issue of landscapes is observed like a single integral system and physical geography studies the landscapes from the point of view of physics and chemistry focusing on the pluses of the minerals, soil and rocks which can be used in the human activity.

Physical geography does not observe the issues of the surface of the planet or its landscape, but also pays attention to the global processes of the change of the planet’s relief, tectonic movement, etc. In addition the science pays attention to the location of various geographic objects on Earth and tries to understand the reason of this location and the interconnection between these objects.

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Finally, physical geography does not only carry out the theoretic and practical research but also works out detailed maps of the selected areas for various needs.

Physical geography is the important science which studies the inner and outer processes of Earth. The student should improve his knowledge about the aspects of physical geography if he wants to prepare a brand new research proposal on the alternative topic. One should brainstorm the points which require additional attention and plan the methodology of their research. The student is expected to demonstrate the purpose of writing and prepare an annotated bibliography section which would illustrate the quality of the sources used for the observation of physical geography.

When the student has the duty to prepare a well-formatted and interesting research proposal, he starts to panic, because every student requires professional extra piece of advice. Fortunately, one is able to look through a free example research proposal on physical geography written online and observe the structure and the format of the paper. It is a plus that one can use a free sample research proposal on physical geography and format his paper in the right way borrowing the manner of writing.

At EssayLib.com writing service you can order a custom research proposal on Physical Geography topics. Your proposal will be written from scratch. We hire top-rated PhD and Master’s writers only to provide students with professional research proposal help at affordable rates. Each customer will get a non-plagiarized paper with timely delivery. Just visit our website and fill in the order form with all proposal details:

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2024 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Request for Proposal

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Download the 2024 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Request for Proposal

WHO IS OCJS

The Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) is a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. By statute, OCJS is the lead justice planning and assistance office for the state, administering millions of dollars in state and federal criminal justice funding every year. OCJS also evaluates programs and develops technology, training, and products for criminal justice professionals and communities. OCJS has been designated by Governor Mike DeWine to administer the FY 2024 STOP Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Grant Program.    

Regional Planning Units (RPUs) provide criminal justice funding plans and technical assistance for the counties they serve. Local applicants in Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Lucas counties must apply for VAWA funding through their county RPU (refer to page 28). Applicants in all other counties, as well as projects with statewide impact, apply directly to OCJS by visiting the online grants management system .  

ELIGIBILE APPLICANTS

All VAWA applicants must have an organization, or subrecipient , that will serve as the fiduciary agent and assume overall responsibility for the grant. Eligible VAWA subrecipients include:

• A unit of local government or council of governments. A unit of local government has legislative autonomy, jurisdiction, and authority to act in certain circumstances. Units of government include a city, county, township, or village. If two or more jointly apply, they must designate one body to take the lead role and identify that agency’s fiscal officer, or
• Local and state nonprofit, non-governmental victim service programs.
• Law enforcement agencies applying under this solicitation must be in compliance with crime statistics reporting, using either the Ohio Incident-Based Reporting System (OIBRS) or the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) Collection Application (NCA), per Ohio Revised Code Section 5502.62(C)(6) .

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS 

• A letter that states the applicant has consulted with a state or local nonprofit victim service provider during the course of developing the application.
• A victim service consultation certification form signed by both the applicant and victim service provider. The Attachment A template can be accessed by clicking the link: Attachment_A_Victim_Service_Consultation.pdf (ohio.gov) . Attachment A must be uploaded with the Collaboration Board Letters as an attachment. (Collaboration Board-refer to pages 25).
• All applicants applying for projects under VAWA must have a collaboration board representing law enforcement, prosecution, victim service providers, and any other applicable agency/representative that will help to inform the project’s activities and goals. (Collaboration Board – refer to pages 25.)
• any training program conducted in satisfaction of the requirement of paragraph (1) has been or will be developed with input from and in collaboration with a tribal, state, territorial, or local domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking victim service provider or coalition, as well as appropriate tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement officials;
• any person or organization providing legal assistance with funds through this program has informed and will continue to inform state, local, or tribal domestic violence, dating violence, or sexual assault programs and coalitions, as well as appropriate state and local law enforcement officials of their work; and
• the grantee’s organizational policies do not require mediation or counseling involving offenders and victims physically together, in cases where sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or child sexual abuse is an issue.
• See the Sample Legal Assistance Certification Letter.
• Prosecutor Eligibility Certification (if applicable)- 34 U.S. Code § 10454 (Grant eligibility regarding compelling victim testimony) In order for a prosecutor’s office to be eligible to receive grant funds under this subchapter, the head of the office shall certify, to the State, Indian Tribal government, or territorial government receiving the grant funding, that the office will, during the 3-year period beginning on the date on which the grant is awarded, engage in planning, developing and implementing— (1) training developed by experts in the field regarding victim-centered approaches in domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking cases; (2) policies that support a victim-centered approach, informed by such training; and (3) a protocol outlining alternative practices and procedures for material witness petitions and bench warrants, consistent with best practices, that shall be exhausted before employing material witness petitions and bench warrants to obtain victim-witness testimony in the investigation, prosecution, and trial of a crime related to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking of the victim in order to prevent further victimization and trauma to the victim 34 U.S. Code § 10454.

BIDDERS TRAINING

A voluntary Bidders Training webinar for the 2024 STOP Violence Against Women Act and 2024 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Funding programs will take place June 26th, 2024 from 10:00AM to 11:30AM. The training will provide information helpful for both the application preparation and review process. Please register for the webinar at   https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3392930593316252507 .

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Subgrantee shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or Vietnam-era status as well as gender identity, provided the subgrantee receives Violence Against Women Act funding. The Subgrantee will ensure applicants are hired and employees are treated fairly during employment without regard to their race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or Vietnam-era status as well as gender identity, provided the subgrantee receives Violence Against Women Act funding. Such action shall include, but not be limited to, the following: employment; upgrading; demotion or transfer; recruitment or recruitment advertising; layoff or termination; rate of pay or other forms of compensation, and selection for training including apprenticeship.

The Subgrantee agrees to post in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment, notice setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause. The Subgrantee will, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the Subgrantee, State that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or Vietnam-era veteran status as well as gender identity, provided the subgrantee receives Violence Against Women Act funding. The Subgrantee shall incorporate the foregoing requirement in all its contracts for any of the work prescribed herein (other than subgrants for standard commercial supplies or raw materials) and will require all of its Subgrantees for any part of such work to incorporate such requirements in all subgrants for such work.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

For technical assistance on any part of the VAWA application, call OCJS at 614.466.7782 or 888.448.4842 and ask to speak to a Grants Coordinator . For any additional questions regarding the STOP VAWA program contact VAWA Planner Katie Fenwick at 614.644.1259 or email at [email protected] .

WHAT TO EXPECT

OCJS implements a competitive three-tiered application review process:  

• Internal compliance (financial and programmatic reporting) reviews. 
• Peer (professionals from the field) and OCJS subject matter expert reviews.
• OCJS Director Review. 

Final funding recommendations are made by the OCJS Executive Director and approved by the Department of Public Safety Director.

Award notifications and expectations: Applicants that are recommended for funding will be notified and required to complete all forms and pre-award conditions electronically through the grants management system at https://ocjsgrants.dps.ohio.gov/s/ . All awards will be for 12 months of funding, operating from January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025.

Forms and assurances included with pre-award conditions include but are not limited to:

• Equal Employment Opportunity Certification Form
• Civil Rights and EEOP Questions Part 1 Form
• Standard Assurances Form
• Special Conditions Form
• Registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov)
• https://ocjs.ohio.gov/static/STOP_VAWAstatement.doc  
• https://www.justice.gov/page/file/1019481/download
• https://www.justice.gov/ovw/page/file/1202141/download
• A description of the criteria for identifying persons that require a background check (Background checks are allowable budget costs)  
• A description of how the searches will be conducted (sex offender database, background checks) 
• A description of how background checks will be tracked
• A submission of the form used to document background checks (programmatic site visits will require submitting completed forms to OCJS for review upon request)
• The recipient and any subrecipient at any tier must have a policy, or issue one within 270 days of the award date, to address workplace-related incidents of sexual misconduct, domestic violence, and dating violence involving an employee, volunteer, consultant, or contractor.
• A policy must be available for OCJS to review upon request
• Fidelity Insurance/Surety Bond (Note: Only applicable for non-profit applicants)
• Proof of Tax-Exempt Status (Note: Only applicable for non-profit applicants)

In addition to the pre-award condition requirements and this Request for Proposal, all subrecipients are bound by the Federal Subgrant Conditions Handbook . Project directors are required to attend a mandatory online orientation. 

Please note: STOP Violence Against Women Act is a reimbursement grant. Projects will submit Quarterly Subgrant Reports through the online grants management system to request reimbursement for grant expenses. Reimbursements are contingent on meeting the requirements of the grant including, but not limited to, performance reporting requirements as described in the Pre-Award Conditions.

*Peer Grant Reviewer: OCJS encourages applicants to participate in the peer grant review process. Participating as a peer grant reviewer is an important role and provides an excellent opportunity for participants to strengthen grant writing skills, gain knowledge, and share programmatic best practices occurring throughout the field. Confirmation of reviewers will be based upon the number of applications that are received, availability, and other aspects related to coordinating review teams. If interested in participating as a peer grant reviewer contact Katie Fenwick at [email protected] .

ACTIVITIES THAT COMPROMISE VICTIM SAFETY AND RECOVERY

The following activities have been found to jeopardize victim safety, deter or prevent physical or emotional healing for victims, or allow offenders to escape responsibility for their actions and cannot be supported with STOP Violence Against Women Act Formula Grant Program funding:

• Procedures or policies that exclude victims from receiving safe shelter, advocacy services, counseling, and other assistance based on their actual or perceived age, immigration status, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental health condition, physical health condition, criminal record, work in the sex industry, or the age and/or gender of their children; 
• Procedures or policies that compromise the confidentiality of information and privacy of persons receiving OVW-funded services;
• Offering perpetrators the option of entering pre-trial diversion programs; 
• Requiring mediation or counseling for couples as a systemic response to domestic violence or sexual assault, or in situations in which child sexual abuse is alleged; 
• Requiring victims to report sexual assault, stalking, or domestic violence crimes to law enforcement or forcing victims to participate in criminal proceedings; 
• Relying on court-mandated batterer intervention programs that do not use the coercive power of the criminal justice system to hold batterers accountable for their behavior; 
• Supporting policies that deny individuals access to services based on their relationship to the perpetrator; 
• Supporting policies or engaging in practices that impose restrictive conditions to be met by the victim in order to receive services (e.g., attending counseling, seeking an order of protection); 
• Sharing confidential victim information with outside organizations and/or individuals without the documented consent of the victim; 
• Placing of batterers in anger management programs; or, 
• Procedures that would penalize or impose sanctions on victims of domestic violence or sexual assault for failure to testify against the abuser and/or the perpetrator.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY PROTECTIONS

OVW grantees [recipients] and their subgrantees [subrecipients] are prohibited from disclosing personally identifying information collected in connection with services requested, utilized, or denied through the grantee and their subgrantee’s programs, to any third party or third-party database without informed, written, reasonably time-limited consent of the person, unless compelled by statutory or court mandate. Where there is a mandate to release information, grantees and subgrantees must make reasonable attempts to provide notice to victims affected by the disclosure of information. They must also take necessary steps to protect the privacy and safety of the persons affected by the release of the information. Regarding unemancipated minors or persons with disabilities lacking capacity to consent, a parent or guardian may consent to the disclosure; however, an abuser of a minor, person with disabilities, or the minor’s other parent is prohibited from giving consent to the disclosure. If a minor or a person with a legally appointed guardian is permitted by law to receive services without the parent’s or guardian’s consent, the minor or person with a guardian may release information without additional consent. Due to a requirement in VAWA 2013, grantees and subgrantees must document their compliance with the confidentiality and privacy provisions required under this section.

Nonprofit victim service providers/agencies that receive funding under this solicitation are not required, nor should they report identifying information regarding clients served to the Homeless Management Information System. The term ‘personally identifying information’ or ‘personal information’ means individually identifying information for or about an individual including information likely to disclose the location of a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, regardless of whether the information is encoded, encrypted, hashed, or otherwise protected, including:

• (A) a first and last name
• (B) a home or other physical address
• (C) contact information (including a postal, e-mail or Internet protocol address, or telephone or facsimile number)
• (D) a social security number, driver license number, passport number, or student identification number; and any other information, including date of birth, racial or ethnic background, 1or religious affiliation, that would serve to identify any individual.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT NON-DISCRIMINATION PROVISION 

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), as amended, prohibits OVW grantees from excluding, denying benefits to, or discriminating against any person on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability in any program or activity funded in whole or in part by OVW (34 U.S.C. § 12291(b)(13)). Recipients may provide sex-segregated or sex-specific programming if doing so is necessary to the essential operation of a program, so long as the recipient provides comparable services to those who cannot be provided with the sex-segregated or sex-specific programming. Click here for more information about how DOJ interprets the non-discrimination provision in VAWA.

CONFIDENTIALITY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

Under section 40002(b)(2) of the Violence Against Women Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 13925(b)(2)), grantees and subgrantees with funding from the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) are required to meet the following terms with regard to nondisclosure of confidential or private information and to document their compliance. This includes mandated compliance on nondisclosure, release of information, information sharing, statutorily mandated reports of abuse or neglect, oversight, and confidentiality assessment and assurances. 

Refer to the Confidentiality Acknowledgement for further information on the mandated compliance requirements concerning victim confidentiality.

PROGRAM PURPOSE

STOP VAWA funding requests must meet one or more of the following applicable federal statutory purpose areas:

• Training law enforcement officers, judges, other court personnel, and prosecutors to more effectively identify and respond to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and dating violence, including the use of nonimmigrant status under subparagraphs (U) and (T) of section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a));
• Developing, training, or expanding units of law enforcement officers, judges, other court personnel, and prosecutors specifically targeting violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, and domestic violence; 
• Developing and implementing more effective police, court, and prosecution policies, protocols, orders, and services specifically devoted to preventing, identifying, and responding to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, and domestic violence, as well as the appropriate treatment of victims, including implementation of the grant conditions in section 40002(b)of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12291(b)); 
• Developing, installing, or expanding data collection and communication systems, including computerized systems, linking police, prosecutors, and courts or for the purpose of identifying, classifying, and tracking arrests, protection orders, violations of protection orders, prosecutions, and convictions for violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, dating violence, stalking and domestic violence; 
• Developing, enlarging, or strengthening victim services and legal assistance programs, including sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and dating violence programs, developing or improving delivery of victim services and legal assistance to underserved populations, providing specialized domestic violence court advocates in courts where a significant number of protection orders are granted, and increasing reporting and reducing attrition rates for cases involving violent crimes against women, including crimes of sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, and domestic violence;
• Developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing the needs and circumstances of Indian tribes in dealing with violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, and domestic violence;
• Supporting formal and informal statewide, multidisciplinary efforts, to the extent not supported by state funds, to coordinate the response of state law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, victim services agencies, and other state agencies and departments, to violent crimes against women, including the crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and dating violence;
• Training of sexual assault forensic medical personnel examiners in the collection and preservation of evidence, analysis, prevention, and providing expert testimony and treatment of trauma related to sexual assault; 
• Developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs to assist law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and others to address the needs and circumstances of individuals 50 years of age or over, individuals with disabilities, and Deaf individuals who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking or sexual assault, including recognizing, investigating, and prosecuting instances of such violence or assault and targeting outreach and support, counseling, legal assistance, and other victim services to such individuals; 
• Providing assistance to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in immigration matters; 
• Maintaining core victim services and criminal justice initiatives, while supporting complementary new initiatives and emergency services for victims and their families including rehabilitative work with offenders; 
• developing, in collaboration with prosecutors, courts, and victim service providers, standardized response policies for local law enforcement agencies, including the use of evidence-based indicators to assess the risk of domestic and dating violence homicide and prioritize dangerous or potentially lethal cases;
• notifying persons seeking enforcement of protection orders as to what responses will be provided by the relevant law enforcement agency; 
• referring persons seeking enforcement of protection orders to supplementary services (such as emergency shelter programs, hotlines, or legal assistance services); and;
• taking other appropriate action to assist or secure the safety of the person seeking enforcement of a protection order.
• the development and implementation of training for local victim domestic violence service providers, and to fund victim services personnel, to be known as “Crystal Judson Victim Advocates,” to provide supportive services and advocacy for victims of domestic violence committed by law enforcement personnel;
• the implementation of protocols within law enforcement agencies to ensure consistent and effective responses to the commission of domestic violence by personnel within such agencies such as the model policy promulgated by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (“Domestic Violence by Police Officers: A Policy of the IACP, Police Response to Violence Against Women Project” July 2003); and
• the development of such protocols in collaboration with State, Tribal, Territorial     and local victim services providers and domestic violence coalitions.
• Note: Any law enforcement, State, Tribal, Territorial, or local government agency receiving funding under the Crystal Judson Domestic Violence Protocol Program shall, on an annual basis, receive additional training on the topic of incidents of domestic violence committed by law enforcement personnel from domestic violence and sexual assault nonprofit organizations and, after a period of two years, provide a report of the adopted protocol to the Department, including a summary of progress in implementing such protocol. As such, States and Territories are responsible for ensuring that each subgrantee [subrecipient] receiving funds under this purpose area will receive the required annual training. States are also responsible for ensuring that subgrantees [subrecipients] submit their two-year report to the Department. States and Territories must notify and provide OVW with a list of subgrantee recipients awarded STOP funds under the Crystal Judson Domestic Violence Protocol Program.
• Developing and promoting State, local, or tribal legislation and policies that enhance best practices for responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 
• Developing, implementing, or enhancing Sexual Assault Response Teams, or other similar coordinated community responses to sexual assault;
• Developing and strengthening policies, protocols, best practices, and training for law enforcement agencies and prosecutors relating to the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases and the appropriate treatment of victims;
• Developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing sexual assault against men, women, and youth in correctional and detention settings;
• Identifying and conducting inventories of backlogs of sexual assault evidence collection kits and developing protocols and policies for responding to and addressing such backlogs, including protocols and policies for notifying and involving victims;
• Developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs and projects to provide services and responses targeting male and female victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, whose ability to access traditional services and responses is affected by their sexual orientation or gender identity, as defined in section 249(c) of title 18, United States Code; 
• Developing, enhancing, or strengthening prevention and educational programming to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or female genital mutilation or cutting; with not more than 5 percent of the amount allocated to a State to be used for this purpose;
• Developing, enhancing, or strengthening programs and projects to improve evidence collection methods for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including through funding for technology that better detects bruising and injuries across skin tones and related training; 
• Developing, enlarging, or strengthening culturally specific victim services programs to provide culturally specific victim services and responses to female genital mutilation or cutting;
• Providing victim advocates in State or local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, and courts and providing supportive services and advocacy to Indian victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 
• A birth certificate or passport of the individual, as required by law. 
• An identification card issued to the person by a State or Tribe, that shows that the person is a resident of the State or member of the Tribe.

2022 OHIO STOP VAWA IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 

The goal of the 2022 Implementation Plan, which is applicable to federal fiscal years 2022 through 2025, is to identify and fund programs that increase the awareness of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence, and to facilitate and enhance collaborative efforts amongst courts, law enforcement, prosecution, and victim service agencies to foster a stronger coordinated response toward the elimination of violence against women.

Applicants are required to demonstrate how the proposed project aligns with the state’s implementation plan priorities. The full plan can be accessed at STOP Implementation Plan (ohio.gov) .

Definitions for Identified Goals

OCJS has previously developed a definitions document to provide guidance, clarity and expectation on the terms expressed within the plan’s identified goals. The document can be accessed at STOP VAWA Implementation Plan– Definitions for Identified Goals or by clicking here .

NEW AND CONTINUATION PROJECTS

A new project is one that has never received VAWA funding. If an agency applies for a project substantially similar to a previously awarded project, the project proposal is considered a continuation of the earlier program. New and continuation projects compete equally for funding.

FISCAL CONSIDERATIONS

• OCJS is committed to ensuring grant payments to Subawardees in the most cost-effective and efficient manner possible. In an effort to enhance existing accounts receivable procedures, OCJS will begin requiring all Subawardees receiving State of Ohio payments via paper check, to enroll in Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) by January 1, 2024 . For organizations with multiple physical address codes, specific EFT locations (accounts) may be connected to each address code. You can access instructions here .
• The unallowable costs list can be accessed here .
• Applicants may apply for 12 months of funding, operating from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025. Applications requests must reflect realistic and allowable project costs that can be expended during the January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025 project period.
• A maximum of $60,000 may be requested. Requests that exceed this funding cap will not be reviewed or considered. The number of applications received, and the availability of funds are a few of the factors that influence the number and size of awards. The $60,000 funding cap is only relevant to the OCJS requested costs and does not include match dollars. Federal allocation requirements mandate the VAWA funding distribution within Ohio’s justice system.
• Lodging and meal per diem rates cannot exceed the rates set by the federal Government Services Administration (GSA). The rates can be found at GSA Per Diem Rates .
• Mileage rates cannot exceed the rates set by Ohio Budget Management (OBM). These rates can be found at OBM Travel Rule .
• External Audit or Financial Report – applicants are required to upload a copy of the organization’s most recent external audit or most recent financial report to the Collaboration Board Upload section of the application. This allows OCJS to ensure requirements are met for 2 C.F.R. § 200.331(f). Single Audit Act Amendment of 1996, and the OMB Circular A-133. The external audit or most recent financial report should be dated within the past 24 months.
• Refer to the OCJS Financial Budget Definition Reference Guide for additional information on budget related terms.
• A cash or in-kind match of at least 25 percent is required for most VAWA subrecipients. Nonprofit victim service providers are exempt from this requirement.
• An applicant may be deemed unqualified due to poor performance history or lack of demonstrated honesty or ethics.

Match Requirements  All VAWA awards are required to provide a cash or in-kind match of at least 25 percent of the total project cost. The match requirement is with the exception of nonprofit victim service providers. OCJS determines the allocation categories and will notify projects regarding their matching requirements.

Acceptable forms of Cash Match include:

• State or local budget items or appropriations identified as binding commitments of project match 
• Funds contributed from private sources, like corporate or private donations
• Funds from the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, 42 U.S.C. 5305, et. seq.
• Funds from the Appalachian Regional Development Act
• Project income

In-Kind Match

Acceptable forms of In-Kind Match include:

• Donations of expendable equipment, supplies, workshop, classroom materials, or workspace.
• The value placed on donated services must be consistent with the compensation rate paid for similar work in the organization or labor market. Loaned or donated equipment may not exceed its fair market value.
• Monetary value of donated time contributed by volunteers such as professional, technical, skilled, or unskilled personnel if services are an integral and necessary part of the project.
• Volunteer services must be documented and supported by the same methods used by the grant recipient for the recipient’s own employees.

Match does not need to be applied at the exact time or in proportion to the obligation of federal funds; however, it must be obligated by the end of the project period.

Federal Allocation Requirements

OCJS determines funding categories for projects based on the agency implementing the project and the services most directly supported by the project. All the allocation categories mentioned below are disbursed based on the type of organization that benefits from the VAWA program and the type of services supported by the program; however, discretionary funding may be used for any of the categories at the discretion of OCJS.

• Law Enforcement - 25%
• Prosecution - 25% 
• Victim Services - 30% (of which 10% is a culturally specific set-aside)
• Discretionary - 15%

Court Allocation Category 

Funds awarded from the court allocation are required to be awarded “to” courts rather than “for” courts.

Sexual Assault Set-aside 

Twenty percent of funds granted to the state shall be allocated for programs or projects in two or more federal allocation categories (victim services, courts, law enforcement, and prosecution) that meaningfully address sexual assault, including stranger rape, acquaintance rape, alcohol or drug-facilitated rape, and rape within the context of an intimate partner relationship.

Culturally Specific Set-aside 

Pursuant to the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (H.R. 3402), STOP funding decisions must take into consideration that 10% of the 30% that is allocated to victim services must be distributed to community-based organizations that provide culturally specific services. The term ‘culturally specific services’ means community-based services that include culturally relevant and linguistically specific services and resources to culturally specific communities. The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 defines “culturally specific” as “primarily directed toward racial and ethnic minority groups (as defined in section 1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u-6(g)).” 42 U.S.C. 13925(a)(6). Section 300u-6(g)(1) defines the term “racial and ethnic minority group” to mean “American Indians (including Alaska Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts); Asian Americans; Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders; Blacks; and Hispanics.”

Please note that a separate RFP will be released mid July 2024 tailored specifically for nonprofit agencies whose primary purpose is to provide culturally specific services for racial and ethnic communities (as defined above).

Food and Beverage/Costs for Refreshments and Meals

Generally, food and beverage costs are not allowable, and under no circumstances may OVW funding be used to supply food and/or beverages during refreshment breaks. OVW funds may be used to provide food and/or beverages for a meal at a meeting, conference, training, or other event, if one of the following applies:

• The location of the event is not in close proximity to food establishments. It should be a priority to try to secure a location near reasonably priced and accessible commercial food establishments. 
• Not serving food will significantly lengthen the day or necessitate extending the meeting to achieve meeting outcomes. 
• A special presentation at a conference requires a plenary address where there is no other time for food to be obtained. 
• Other extenuating circumstances necessitate the provision of food.

Justification for an exception listed above must be included in the budget narrative, and funds may only be used to purchase food and/or beverages for a meal at a meeting, conference, training, or other event if OVW approves the specific expenditures in advance.

Conference Planning and Expenditure Limitations

Applicants should be aware of all applicable laws, regulations, policies, and guidance (including specific cost limits, prior approval and reporting requirements, where applicable) governing the use of Federal funds for expenses related to conferences (which is defined to include meetings, retreats, seminars, symposiums, training and other similar events), including the provision of food and/or beverages at such events, and costs of attendance at such events. Information on pertinent laws, regulations, policies, and guidance is available at http://www.justice.gov/ovw/grantees .

Applicants should also be aware of the following specific restrictions on conference planning and expenditure limitations:

• Cost of Logistical Conference Planning 
• Cost of Programmatic Conference Planning 
• Conference Space and Audio-Visual Equipment and Services 
• Prohibition on Trinkets at Conferences 
• Entertainment at Conferences 
• Food and Beverages at Conferences
• Prior Approval Required Before Entering into Contracts or Expending Funds for Conferences
• Conference Reporting

Updated Department of Justice and OVW guidance on conference planning, minimization of costs, and conference cost reporting is accessible on the OVW website . Federal assistance awards are governed by the provisions of 2 CFR Part 200. Additionally, OVW awards are covered by the DOJ Financial Guide. For additional information please refer to https://www.ojp.gov/funding/financialguidedoj/overview .

PROGRAM ASSESSMENTS

Grantees under this program are prohibited from using OVW funds to conduct research. Funds may be used to assess their work for quality assurance and program improvement purposes. Which can include but is not limited to, surveying training participants about the quality of training content and delivery or convening discussion forums with key stakeholders. Applicants considering such assessments must refer to the DOJ/OJP decision tree to ensure that the activity does not qualify as human subjects research. For additional information on federal requirements related to assessments or surveys, see the Solicitation Companion Guide .

OCJS has made available a pool of academic researchers who are willing to provide technical assistance at no cost to those applicants who seek assistance in the planning, implementation, and/or evaluation of their proposed program. These researchers are part of the Ohio Consortium of Crime Science (OCCS), and their mission is to provide evidence-based solutions to the real-world problems faced by local criminal justice agencies. Please complete all components of your proposal and note in the Project Description whether you are considering requesting assistance from the OCCS, and if so, the type of assistance you would like to have. If your grant application is funded, once all pre-award conditions have been met we will direct you to complete the “Request for Assistance” form to begin the process to be paired with appropriate researchers in the field. For further information on the OCCS and the types of assistance they can offer, please go to the OCCS website .

ACCOMMODATIONS AND LANGUAGE ACCESS

Recipients of OVW funds must comply with applicable federal civil rights laws, which, among other things, prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability and national origin. This includes taking reasonable steps to ensure that persons with limited English proficiency (LEP) have meaningful access to recipients’ programs or activities. More information on these obligations is available in the OVW FY 2023 Solicitation Companion Guide and at www.lep.gov .

Applicants are encouraged to allocate grant funds to support activities that help to ensure individuals with disabilities and deaf individuals and persons with limited English proficiency have meaningful and full access to their programs. For example, grant funds can be used to support American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter services, language interpretation and translation services, or the purchase of adaptive equipment. 

Applicants proposing to use grant funds to create websites, videos and other materials must ensure that they are accessible to persons with disabilities. Grant funds must be allocated for these purposes.

POST AWARD REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

All VAWA subgrantees are required to submit an annual performance report referred to as the MUSKIE report. Subgrantees are required to report on any grant funded activity that occurred during the calendar year (January 1 – December 31) and due on January 31st.

AMERICAN’S WITH DISABILITIES

The Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) is committed to ensuring equal access to assistance programs, information, and services, regardless of disability. OCJS understands some individuals with disabilities may need an accommodation in order to have access to or participate in OCJS programs or services. OCJS understands accommodations vary depending upon the needs of the individual. Therefore, accommodation requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For more information regarding accommodations, or to request an accommodation, please contact the Department of Public Safety’s ADA Unit at [email protected]. Additional information regarding disability accommodations can also be found on the Privacy Notice and Policies page of the Department of Public Safety’s website .

STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT (VAWA) PROPOSAL NARRATIVE COMPONENTS

Program areas and requirements.

Applicants must select a relevant program area on the “Title Page” of the online application for their project as listed below. The project scope must be eligible as defined within the federal statutory purpose areas (refer to page 9) , and applicants must specify the purpose area(s) that they are proposing to address within the project description. Applicants are also expected to refer to the state’s 2022 implementation plan which defines the state’s current priorities, goals, and objectives. The applicant must also include at a minimum the following elements within the project description for the program area selected.

PROBLEM STATEMENT AND UNDERSERVED POPULATION

Applicants should define, explain or clearly describe the problem or issue to be addressed, and its impact on the community. The application should clearly describe the nature and scope of the problem, including how it aligns with the definitions of identified goals (see page 12), justifies the need for assistance, and relates the problem and the need for assistance to the scope of the Violence Against Women Act Grant Program. The development of the nature and scope of the problem should be data driven and the applicant will need to provide relevant state, and local level data/statistics as well as agency statistics to document the problem addressed.

Applications will be evaluated on how clearly the following items have been responded to within the narrative.

• Population size, location, geography
• Target population composition in terms of race, ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, and other important demographic information
• Underserved population(s) that have been identified as part of the target population to receive outreach and services (refer to the “underserved population” section below)
• Relevant crime data and other documentation to support the need for specialized services (may include but not limited to local law enforcement data, court and prosecution data, legal assistance, shelter, and supportive victim service activities, waiting lists)
• Discusses both the short and long-term consequences for the community if the problem identified is not addressed.  More specifically, the applicant should discuss what will happen to the community if the proposed project is not funded.
•  Explain why existing resources are not sufficient to address the problem. If no resources exist, the applicant should discuss the gaps in services, and
• Describe how the proposed project will help alleviate those gaps.

Underserved Population

The term ‘underserved populations’ means populations who face barriers in accessing and using victim services, and includes populations underserved because of geographic location, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, underserved racial and ethnic populations, populations underserved because of special needs (such as language barriers, disabilities, alienage status, or age), and any other population determined to be underserved by the Attorney General or by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, as appropriate. 

All projects must identify at least one underserved population. All projects must describe previous strategies related to outreach, collaboration, and partnerships. The discussion must also describe the population size and demographic characteristics for the population(s).

• Avoid identifying “all” victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking as underserved.
• What are the barriers to services for the populations?
• Are the underserved populations attempting to access services?  If not, then why not?
• What efforts will or are occurring to promote eliminating barriers to accessing services; and help increase the utilization of services for underserved populations?

Applicants MUST clearly describe whether the underserved community falls into one of the following three tier populations:

• Unserved: populations that have no services available to them.
• Underserved: populations that have minimal access and are in need of more outreach and support.  
• Inadequately served: Historically marginalized populations that may be overrepresented, but remain inadequately served with specific reference to the quality of service and a “one-size-fits-all” approach.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Applicants should describe a plan of action that the proposed project will implement in order to address the identified problem discussed in the problem statement. The applicant must also define how the project fits within the state’s 2022 implementation plan .

• Explain why the particular program model(s) or best practice was selected for implementation. 
• Provide a detailed discussion on the plan to implement the model(s) or practice that is evidence-based or grounded in best practices of the field. For more information on evidence-based practices can be found here . 
• Discuss the evidence that shows that the model or practice is effective with the target population, as well as the underserved populations described previously.
• Note: Applicants that will be implementing lethality assessments or danger assessments must upload a copy of the tool with the application. Upload the tool with the Collaboration Board Letters as an attachment (Collaboration Board-refer to page 25).
• How core services, components, and procedures are consistent with the evidence-based model or best practice utilized.
• The necessary resources that are required to implement the approach or response outlined. The resources should be reasonable given the scope and detail of the identified approach.
• Any data or information collected and reviewed to ensure that the program is being implemented consistently over time and across program participants.
• Describe how trauma informed services are provided for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking who may also be victims of human trafficking. Human trafficking is defined by the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel victims into performing labor or commercial sex acts. The vast majority of human trafficking victims also experience multiple forms of abuse, such as domestic violence, intimate partner violence, familial violence, and sexual assault. For example, victims of human trafficking may be in an intimate relationship and have children with their trafficker, who may use physical abuse as a mechanism to control and coerce the victim.

SUSTAINABILITY/ACCOMPLISHMENTS/OBSTACLES

Applicants should describe a plan of action that the proposed project will implement in order to sustain the program activities discussed in the Project Description. Applicants should also describe previous accomplishments and obstacles that have been presented when carrying out similar activities that were discussed in the Project Description.

• The applicant must demonstrate a commitment to the program by describing a plan for maintaining programmatic activities in the event that funding support from OCJS is ended.
• If the current proposal is requesting funds for a continuation of programming activities, these accomplishments should be related to programming that was completed under previous funding.
• If the current proposal is requesting funds for a continuation of programming activities, these obstacles should be related to programming that was completed under previous funding.
• Elaborate on collaboration with community resources and how various agencies and stakeholders have played a role in sustainability, accomplishments and obstacles.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

• Applicants should describe the outcomes or changes anticipated as a result of the proposed project. The achievement of the objectives should provide an outcome that reflects a measurable change for the target population due to the services offered by the program.
• Please click here on the OCJS Grants Performance Objectives and select two objectives that correspond with the application’s program area.
• Objectives should be defined to align with the state’s 2022 implementation plan priorities.
• Objectives must link to the problem statement and project description and must be consistent with the program area selected (refer to page 22) .

There are two types of objectives:

Outcome objectives describe the measured changes (impact) that will occur as a result of implementing the proposed project. 

Process (also known as “output”) objectives describe the “process” (activities/steps) that a program will implement.

Applications must provide two objectives, and at least one objective should be an outcome objective. Each objective should include performance indicators, baseline numbers and data collection methods that further the goal of the selected Program Area.

Performance Indicator:

Describe the evaluation method and performance indicator (measurement) tool that will be used to examine the change that will occur in the client base as a result of the services that the shelter/program provides.

The performance indicator should relate to each mandated objective.

Include the result of past evaluations or results of data collection efforts (this is the baseline). If no attempts to evaluate services have been made to date (then the baseline is zero) , indicate why this method of doing so proves to be the most effective.

Performance Data Collection: 

Discuss the procedures and strategies for collecting, analyzing, storing and reporting the data. This should include discussing how anonymity and confidentiality are maintained. The application will be evaluated on how effectively it:

• Clearly identifies project objectives (measure change as a result of implementing the proposed project). If the objective demonstrates a percentage of increase then indicate how the calculation is derived (i.e. 20% out of 25 individuals). Tip: Be sure that using a percentage of increase makes sense, for example, 21% of 25 individuals is 4.2 which is not a ‘whole’ person and not inclusive of the data to be demonstrated.
• Clearly identifies performance indicators (how you will measure that change, what instrument and/or tools are to be used, etc.).
• Clearly identifies any baseline data that exists from the most recent prior year of the project.

TIMELINE AND ACTIVITIES

Applicants should describe how the programmatic and grant administrative activities as well as the related outcomes and objectives will be reasonably achieved in the given project period. Applicants should present a timeline of activities that is comprehensive and well defined.

• Tasks and activities specific to the project and stated objectives.
• Tasks and activities associated with Collaboration Board meetings.
• Programmatic reports
• Fiscal reports
• Program deliverables that will be created and used throughout the project.
• The timeline of activities should be detailed, align with the project description and be clearly organized. Activities may be grouped together as daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly (divide into quarters), and annually.

ORGANIZATION, STAFF CAPACITY AND CULTURAL COMPETENCY 

Applicants should provide a comprehensive discussion of the history and accomplishments of the organization responsible for implementing the project.  Identify any key staff that will be involved in the project, including the project director and other individuals who will be responsible for administering the grant and implementing the program.

• Describe the mission of the agency that will serve as the subgrantee and/or implementing agency. 
• Applicants should identify/name the specific grant programs and funding amounts that have been administered.
• Describe adequate resources available (i.e. personnel/staff, infrastructure to support additional program, computers, software, etc.) to implement the project as proposed.
• Include a description of qualifications, experience, education and training that support the role they will hold on the proposed project. 
• Special attention should be given to those personnel who are identified in the budget.
• Pursuant to O.R.C 4757.02 : (B)(1) No person shall use the title "licensed professional clinical counselor," "licensed professional counselor," or any other title or description incorporating the word "counselor" or any initials used to identify persons acting in those capacities unless currently authorized under this chapter by licensure to act in the capacity indicated by the title or initials.
• If advocates provide specialized services (e.g., legal or medical advocacy), please provide information on specific training they will receive. For example, legal advocates need to receive training on the unauthorized practice of law, protection order processes, victims’ rights (including Marsy’s Law) and other aspects of this role. All advocates are expected to receive an introductory 40-hour training offered by a state organization (e.g., OAESV, ODVN, OAG, etc.), training on victims’ rights (including Marsy’s Law) and information on new best practices or legal changes (e.g., Strangulation statute). If an advocate is credentialed, please note if it is through OAN or NOVA.
• OCJS may request proof of licensure or proof of completed training.
• In cases where positions have not been filled, the applicant should clearly describe a reasonable approach and criteria to hire experienced and qualified staff.

Applicants should describe their organizational, staff capacity, and developmental efforts surrounding issues of cultural competency and humility. Applications will be evaluated on how clearly the following items have been responded to within the narrative.

• Describe how issues of cultural competency and humility, outreach, and services have been translated into planning for the particular project or program reflecting the racial make-up of the board, staff, volunteers, and victims served.
• Explain the staff recruitment process and describe staff retention techniques.
• Identify and describe the types of trainings that occur.
• Describe why specific trainings are selected.
• Describe who will conduct the trainings and how often they occur.

COLLABORATION BOARD

Collaboration Boards provide leadership and direction and can help applicant agencies achieve project goals and objectives through a shared community vision. Collaboration Boards can allow for the sharing of resources to maximize capacity and project impact. Community task forces, steering committees, coalitions, working groups, advisory groups are samples of the types of Collaboration Boards that may be applicable for the project.

Collaboration Boards are comprised of the applicant agency representatives as well as various stakeholders from the community and include but are not limited to: Victim advocates from domestic violence, sexual assault and other agencies, children services, community organizations, hospitals, law enforcement, the court system, prosecutors’ offices, and representatives from underserved and culturally specific community-based organizations.

Programming targeted for schools, underserved and culturally specific populations should have appropriate representation on the collaborative. 

The Collaboration Board must conduct meetings at least quarterly and keep minutes of discussion items. 

The application must include a description of the collaborative effort between the applicant and the Collaboration Board, as well as how it relates to the proposed project. Referrals and requests for services does not equate collaboration.

• Identify the organizations that will participate in the Collaboration Board that will be responsible for overseeing the project. 
• Describe their roles and demonstrate their commitment to the project. 
• The Collaboration Board is not an agency’s Board of Trustees or Advisory Board.
• Current commitment letters are required from all representatives on the Collaboration Board (letters must specify and reference the proposed FY 2024 VAWA grant program).
• Partner agencies should be clearly linked with their role and function within the collaborative group. 
• Describe how the collaborative group will provide oversight of project goals and objectives.
• Describe when quarterly meetings will be held, how members will be notified of upcoming meetings, and the process for distributing and maintaining records of minutes of meetings. 
• Each letter must be current and must specify and reference the proposed FY 2024 VAWA grant program.
• Each letter must describe the member agency’s role and commitment to the proposed project.
• Letters MUST be uploaded as an attachment within the Collaboration Board section of the online application.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Executive Summary serves as a concise and accurate description of the proposed project and should not introduce new information. The information provided should serve as a summarized version of the overall application narrative.

Purpose Statement

The purpose statement should be clear and concise. It describes what the applicant is going to do, the population that is going to be served, how the project will be accomplished and why it is important. Information provided within the purpose statement is reported to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) reporting system in response to FFATA legislation.

Problem Statement and Project Description

The applicant must provide a condensed version of the problem statement and project description and ensure activities, dates, data/statistics align with previously presented statement narratives. 

Participating Agencies/Collaboration

The applicant must provide a detailed collaboration board list.

BUDGET REQUIREMENTS

Describe any costs associated with implementing the program. Applicants should refer to the OCJS Financial Budget Definitions Guide for assistance with developing the budget and budget questions.

Applications will be evaluated on how clearly the following items have been responded to within the budget forms and narratives.

• The budget forms must include detailed budget narratives that clearly explain and justify the budget information.
• Costs must be determined reasonable in view of the types and range of activities to be conducted, the number of participants to be served, and the expected results and benefits.
• Clearly state how the match funds will be used and the source of the match funds.
• External Audit or Financial Report. Applicants are required to upload a copy of the organization’s most recent external audit or most recent financial report to the Collaboration Board Upload section of the application. This allows OCJS to ensure requirements are met for 2 C.F.R. § 200.331(f). Single Audit Act Amendment of 1996, and the OMB Circular A-133. The external audit or most recent financial report should be dated within the past 24 months.
• General Ledger. Applicants are required to confirm the ongoing active use of a general ledger defined as a complete record of all the financial transactions over the life of your organization. The general ledger holds all the information needed to prepare financial statements and includes assets, liabilities, equity (net asset), revenue and expenses.
• Unallowable cost for STOP VAWA funds includes but is not limited to: direct payments to survivors, vehicle purchases/ leases, security deposits, moving expenses, construction cost, renovation cost, billboard costs.   
• Unallowable costs for OCJS can be accessed at Unallowable Costs | Office of Criminal Justice Services (ohio.gov) .
• Lodging and meal per diem rates, which cannot exceed the rates set by the federal Government Services Administration (GSA). The rates can be found at GSA Per Diem Rates .
• Mileage rates, which cannot exceed the rates set by Ohio Budget Management (OBM). These rates can be found at OBM Travel Rule .
• Laptops, which cannot exceed $1250.
• Cell phones, which cannot exceed $600.

FORMAT AND SUBMISSION

• Applications are submitted online through the OCJS Grants Management System. Applicants must first register in the online system at https://ocjsgrants.dps.ohio.gov/s/
• Deadline for submission is by 5 p.m. EST on July 31, 2024 . It is recommended that applications are submitted early in the event technical assistance is needed. LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED OR CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING . Failure to follow the specified requirements will also result in the application not being reviewed or considered for funding. IMPORTANT: Applications must be complete and submitted through the New OCJS Grants Management System to be considered for funding. When an application is successfully submitted, the banner at the top of the screen will turn green, and you will receive a confirmation email.

For technical assistance on any part of the VAWA application, call OCJS at: 614.466.7782 or 888.448.4842 and ask to speak to your Grants Coordinator .

PROPOSAL COMPONENTS CHECKLIST

ALL components within each section of the RFP must be addressed and clearly described. Use the following as checklist to ensure all required components are addressed. Read the entire 2024 VAWA RFP before completing and submitting proposals.

• Title Page (pg. 18)    
• Problem Statement/Underserved Population (pg. 19)
• If applicable -Lethality Assessment or Danger Assessment upload
• Sustainability/Accomplishments/Obstacles (pg. 21)
• Project Objectives (pg. 22)
• Timeline/Activities (pg. 23)
• Organization, Staff Capacity and Cultural Competency (pg. 23)
• All applicants must upload FY 2024 VAWA commitment letters from each Collaboration Board member and upload to the Collaboration Board section.
• Letters must be on each Collaboration Board member agency’s letterhead.
• The letters must describe each member agency’s role and demonstrate commitment to the proposed project.    
• External Audit or Financial Report (Upload to the Collaboration Board section of the application.
• If applicable - Sample Legal Assistance Certification Letter and upload to the collaboration board section.
• If applicable - Attachment A upload and upload to the collaboration board section. 
• Executive Summary (pg. 26)
• Budget (pg. 26)

If applying for a local project in Cuyahoga, Franklin, or Lucas Counties, please contact:

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