research proposal for scholarship sample pdf

How to Write Research Proposal For Scholarship Applications? With Examples September 22, 2023 by Digital Vaults Editorial Team

If you’re lucky enough to have the chance to apply for a scholarship, it’s essential to consider that you will likely need to write a study proposal. While this can feel daunting, it’s not that difficult, so long as you know where to start and what you hope to achieve!

Why is a Research Proposal for a Scholarship Important?

Before we go any further, it’s worth considering why you’re putting effort into the study proposal. Indeed, knowing the value or weighting of a task often makes it much easier to stick to!

So, what’s the importance of a research proposal? A good research proposal demonstrates why your project and approach would fit the requirements well.

Invariably, an organization costs much money to provide a funded scholarship . As such, your study proposal allows you to demonstrate the value you’ll bring to the business. In other words, it’s a way of showing the scholarship provider that you are a valuable asset to their work.

As such, your study proposal drastically boosts the strength and appeal of your scholarship application. Remember: going for a scholarship is hugely competitive. As a result, making your application stand out is essential. This is where your study proposal can help.

So, don’t leave things to chance if you want to boost your study proposal.

Key Things to Include In Your Study Proposal Scholarship

By now, we’ve looked at what a study proposal is and why it is essential for your application. But what are some critical things you should include in your study proposal?

Generally, the key things you will need to include in your study proposal include the following points.

#1 Introductory Information

The most obvious thing your study proposal should include is introductory information. Indeed, introductory information (e.g., the title of your research proposal, the primary goals you’re hoping to achieve, etc.) is critical. This shows the reviewer of the study proposal how the research might relate to the company’s goals.

#2 Your Background

You need more than just the topics you intend to study for your scholarship. In your study proposal, you should also cover why you’re a good fit for the role – in other words, what is your background? What is your understanding of the topic, and how does this relate to your proposed topic? Considering this will directly influence your application, demonstrating that you are qualified and knowledgeable to approach the subject.

#3 Key Questions

As well as introducing the topic, it’s vital to ensure that your study proposal addresses any key questions relating to your topic. In other words, what problems are you addressing? How will looking at these issues help solve and improve social or economic aspects?

#4 Time Frames

As well as answering the critical questions of your study, your study proposal should indicate expected timelines and deadlines for the work. This helps ensure that the research proposal reviewer can see when you’ll aim to deliver the work and whether this comfortably meets the timeframe for the scholarship.

When planning your time frames, it’s essential to consider that a full-time study offer will usually have a four-year timeline to completion. This includes writing up your research in the third year. Meanwhile, for part-time study, you will likely have around six years to study and two more years to write up your results.

Make sure your proposed time frames fit into this comfortably. This ensures you’ve demonstrated that you will be a good candidate for the scholarship. After all, why would a business want to accept a scholarship applicant who couldn’t complete the study on time?

Steps to Write a Study Proposal Scholarship

At this point, we have outlined some of the main things you need to know about what is included in a study proposal. However, that doesn’t directly help with writing the scholarship. The following outline should help create an effective, reliable, and valuable study proposal.

Make a Summary of Key Points

Before you begin writing your scholarship study proposal, summarize the key points we mentioned before. These key points need to be included in your study proposal. Outlining them is very important to ensure a clear focus on how the study proposal should look.

Start with your Cover Page

A cover page is a surprisingly important part of your research proposal. Indeed, the cover page provides a simple introduction to the proposal, shows that you can work professionally, and shows an additional level of determination above the bare minimum. Remember: the institution will use your study proposal to assess whether you’re a responsible, hard-working fit for the scholarship.

Create an Introduction

Don’t try to jump immediately into the body of the study proposal. Take things one step at a time by starting with the introduction.

Your introduction needs to cover all of the basics of your study research. As such, it should outline the main points, such as the title of your project and the main research problem. However, it should also briefly hint at your experience and inspiration for the project. However, be brief here, as this will be addressed further in the later sections.

It’s essential to ensure the introduction also covers your main research objectives. Failing to express these could result in your application holding less merit and strength than others.

As a key tip: keep the title of your research proposal simple. Your chosen title should be simultaneously informative and straightforward to understand. This will help the reader understand quickly the exact niche you will focus on and how this could benefit the institution’s goals.

Complete a Literature Review

Once you’ve outlined the main points behind your research proposal and introduced the concept, you can begin your literature review.

A literature review offers a straightforward yet highly effective way to show the current understanding surrounding the topic. With this thought in mind, try to go relatively in-depth with your analysis here. Of course, this only requires a partial analysis of the topic. You don’t have an unlimited word count to work with (yet), and you’ll want to leave some of that for the main body of your research!

However, presenting a thorough, well-researched overview of the available literature should be enough. Try to find research from within your country and internationally to present diverse viewpoints. You don’t need to expand on these, but summarize the key findings of each of the addressed studies. You could also mention their strengths and weaknesses.

Once you have done so, completing the literature review becomes very easy! The literature review should highlight any well-established knowledge. It should also highlight where knowledge is lacking or missing and how this relates to what you will address in your research.

Present the Research Methodology

Once you have determined what you intend to research and how this relates to the literature review, you can outline your methodology. Summarizing the key things you intend to address makes this much more accessible.

While you won’t necessarily need to present every little detail, your research methodology should be thorough enough to cover all the main points. Try to dedicate half a page to a full page on this section. Make sure you also mention the strengths and weaknesses of your methodology. Be sure also to explain why you can’t address the weaknesses directly.

In the methodology section, adding a timeline can be incredibly helpful. This will demonstrate how you intend to complete the research.

It also shows when you will complete each section and so on. In addition, dividing your work into stages can make it easier to stick to the schedule if you achieve the scholarship. So, this is well worth paying attention to.

Don’t be overly ambitious; set realistic deadlines you can meet rather than speedy deadlines you’ll struggle to keep up with. Missing deadlines look terrible on your research and can be disheartening. This will make a vicious cycle where you only get more and more behind.

Outline Funding Requirements

Unfortunately, conducting thorough research isn’t free! With this thought in mind, you’ll need to outline funding requirements for the research. In other words, how much will you need for the scholarship?

Be sure to calculate this section very carefully. If you ask for less funding, the scholarship institution will likely look for someone else who can do the work more affordably. However, you may need to ask for more to make ends meet. Indeed, getting more funding can often be very hard once a price has been agreed upon for the scholarship. So, the importance of calculating this carefully is vital.

Bibliography

Throughout your research proposal, including a diverse range of references can back up your application and show how much work you’ve done towards it. However, it’s essential to remember that you’ll need to include a bibliography at the end of your research to give full credit to any authors you’ve referenced.

Be sure to check which referencing style your institution expects before getting started. If your institution expects a specific referencing style to be used, now’s the perfect time to demonstrate your skills and how you could bring value to the project.

How Long Should my Research Proposal Be?

You may now be wondering how long your research proposal should be. Well, this entirely depends on how you write, how much you must cover in the proposal, etc. However, your research proposal should be between 2500 and 3500 words.

As such, a specific aim for your research paper will be around five to seven pages. However, this final figure will depend on how you write and the font or formatting you choose.

If you still need to hit the 2500 words mark, take the opportunity to expand your proposal further. Remember, a lot is riding on this! But, you should be good if your research paper is already at 2500 words or more.

If you go over 3500 words, remember that the reader may begin to lose interest. Condensing an excessively long study proposal can make it much easier for the reader to take in.

Final Thoughts

If you have been wondering about how to write a study proposal for a scholarship , there are several vital things in this regard that you should consider. Fortunately, there are numerous ways you can boost your results by writing a study proposal for a scholarship. Today’s essential tips may have helped here.

After all, while no simple solution will immediately create the perfect study proposal for your scholarship, you can take many excellent steps. These help you find suitable options to boost your application.

Good luck – but with an excellent study proposal, you won’t need it so much anyway!

You can find full list of documents required for scholarship here.

Related Posts:

• UC Berkeley
• Letters & Science

Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

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

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

Your proposal should contain the following five sections:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bibliography (max. 4,000 characters)

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

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

Previously Successful Research Proposals

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

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

What’s Included: Research Proposal Template

Our free dissertation/thesis proposal template covers the core essential ingredients for a strong research proposal. It includes clear explanations of what you need to address in each section, as well as straightforward examples and links to further resources.

The research proposal template covers the following core elements:

• Introduction & background (including the research problem)
• Literature review
• Research design / methodology
• Project plan , resource requirements and risk management

The cleanly-formatted Google Doc can be downloaded as a fully editable MS Word Document (DOCX format), so you can use it as-is or convert it to LaTeX.

PS – if you’d like a high-level template for the entire thesis, you can we’ve got that too .

Research Proposal Template FAQS

What types of research proposals can this template be used for.

The proposal template follows the standard format for academic research projects, which means it will be suitable for the vast majority of dissertations and theses (especially those within the sciences), whether they are qualitative or quantitative in terms of design.

Keep in mind that the exact requirements for the introduction chapter/section will vary between universities and degree programs. These are typically minor, but it’s always a good idea to double-check your university’s requirements before you finalise your structure.

Is this template for an undergrad, Master or PhD-level proposal?

This template can be used for a research project at any level of study. Doctoral-level projects typically require the research proposal to be more extensive/comprehensive, but the structure will typically remain the same.

How long should my research proposal be?

The length of a research proposal varies by institution and subject, but as a ballpark, it’s usually between 1,500 and 3,000 words.

To be safe, it’s best to check with your university if they have any preferences or requirements in terms of minimum and maximum word count for the research propsal.

How detailed should the methodology of the proposal be?

You don’t need to go into the fine details of your methodology, but this section should be detailed enough to demonstrate that your research approach is feasible and will address your research questions effectively. Be sure to include your intended methods for data collection and analysis.

Can I include preliminary data or pilot study results in my proposal?

Generally, yes. This can strengthen your proposal by demonstrating the feasibility of your research. However, make sure that your pilot study is approved by your university before collecting any data.

Can I share this template with my friends/colleagues?

Yes, you’re welcome to share this template in its original format (no editing allowed). If you want to post about it on your blog or social media, we kindly request that you reference this page as your source.

What format is the template (DOC, PDF, PPT, etc.)?

The research proposal template is provided as a Google Doc. You can download it in MS Word format or make a copy to your Google Drive. You’re also welcome to convert it to whatever format works best for you, such as LaTeX or PDF.

Do you have templates for the other chapters?

Yes, we do. We are constantly developing our collection of free resources to help students complete their dissertations and theses. You can view all of our template resources here .

Can Grad Coach help me with my dissertation/thesis?

Yes, you’re welcome to get in touch with us to discuss our private coaching services .

Further Resources: Proposal Writing

The template provides step-by-step guidance for each section of your research proposal, but if you’d like to learn more about how to write up a high-quality research proposal, check out the rest of our free proposal-related resources:

• Research Proposal 101
• Examples of research proposals
• How To Find A Research Topic
• How To Find A Research Gap
• Developing Your Golden Thread
• How To Write A Research Proposal
• 8 Common Proposal Writing Mistakes

You can also visit the Grad Coach blog for more proposal-related resources.

If you’d prefer 1-on-1 support with your research proposal, have a look at our private coaching service , where we hold your hand through the research process, step by step.

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Writing the Scholarship Proposal

Graduate and senior undergraduate students typically apply for one or more of the following external scholarships, each of which entails a written proposal of research.

At the federal level, three agencies (the Tri-Council) grant funding to Canadian graduate students:

• The CIHR : The Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• The NSERC : The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
• The SSHRC : The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

At the provincial level, students can apply for the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS).

What is a Scholarship Proposal?

A scholarship proposal is a persuasive form of writing that demonstrates the writer’s knowledge, capacity, and potential as a researcher. Strong scholarship proposals convey complex information in concise terms to a multidisciplinary audience. By demonstrating both the significance of the proposed research and the credentials of the researcher, scholarship proposals make a case for the significance and implications of the research at hand, to the field and beyond.

Winning proposals are typically

• Concrete: they provide examples and substantiate claims; they draw on the research throughout to develop the topic; terms and concepts are defined.
• Detailed: every word counts; ideas are rich and developed.
• Feasible: the proposed project can be accomplished within the degree time limits of the applicant; the researcher has presented a plan for conducting and disseminating the research.
• Written in clear and concise language: even complex projects can be explained in clear terms, with minimal or selectively used jargon; successful proposals use strong verbs, the first person (“I”), and the active voice to keep the text lean.

Rhetorical Moves

Although the Tri-Council and OGS scholarship proposals differ in length, many of the same principles apply in writing each. In fact, successful scholarship proposals tend to share consistent rhetorical features: patterns of introducing, contextualizing, and demonstrating the significance of the research being proposed. Below, we’ll examine these rhetorical features through three key moves:

1. Establishing the Context

In setting the scene for your research, provide the context for the topic you’re researching. Consider, what has already been said on the topic? Is this topic particularly timely? What fundamental concepts will readers need to know to understand the topic?

Moves to Establish the Situation

Recently, there has been wide interest in . . . Knowledge of X has great importance for understanding Y. Many scholars have recently examined . . . Scholars commonly suggest that . . . Several studies have suggested that . . . Scholars in the field of X have argued that . . .

2. Identifying the Problem

A persuasive scholarship proposal identifies a gap or oversight in the knowledge – something we don’t yet know and remains to be resolved or addressed. Consider, what does the scholarship say and not say about this topic? Where are the missing pieces in the scholarship? What are the implications of these oversights?

Moves to Establish the Problem

The existing research, however, has assumed that . . . However, these studies have failed to recognize that . . . But recent work in X points to another interpretation. This view, however, is challenged by recent data showing . . . However, there has been little research that examines . . . The research has tended to focus on . . ., rather than . . . Scholars have emphasized X aspect, but remained largely silent on . . . Additional studies are needed to understand . . .

3. Locating the Solution

Once the proposal has clearly identified a gap in the knowledge, it’s time to identify how you intend to fill that gap or locate a solution to the problem you’ve presented. Consider, what is the purpose of your research? What does the proposed research argue, hypothesize, or describe? What methodology will you utilize? What is the significance of your research to the field? What theoretical contributions does your research make and/or what practical applications does it have?

Moves to Locate the Solution

The main purpose of this research is to . . . I introduce a new interpretation that . . . I will argue that . . . This research proposes that . . . My research contributes to a burgeoning field in X studies by . . . In doing so, I connect X with Y to shift perspective on . . . I will conduct the study by . . . I use X theoretical approach to understand Y . . . My research has implications for . . . In addition to its theoretical contributions, my research can be applied in/to . . .

Pulling It All Together

Winning scholarship proposal go through multiple revisions. Dedicate time to drafting and revising your proposal over several weeks, if not months. Begin drafting your ideas well in advance of the deadline. Seek feedback from a diversity of readers (e.g., supervisors, mentors, Writing Services) to ensure you are communicating to specialists and non-specialists alike.

To book a writing appointment to review your proposal, use the Student Success Portal .

Examples of the rhetorical moves are adapted from John M. Swales, Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings . Cambridge UP, 1990.

Writing Services, Wilfrid Laurier University, CC By-NC 2023

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TranSenz: MEXT Scholarship and Visa Information for Moving to Japan

Sample mext scholarship field of study and research program plan with analysis.

What does a successful Field of Study and Research Program Plan look like? Check out this example!

You can find his story below, followed by his Field of Study and Research Program Plan. I have also included my own section-by-section commentary on the FSRPP. Thank you James!

Creating the Field of Study and Research Program Plan: James’ Story

Introduction.

I am a 2021-2022 MEXT scholarship recipient from the United States currently attending Nagoya University’s Graduate School of International Development. This article includes my Field of Study and Research Program Plan (FSRPP) and my advice for future applicants.

Most of the advice below is in Travis’ books and website, which I relied on during the application process. Hopefully, my FSRPP can be a practical example of a successful application!

Choosing a Field of Study

When choosing your field of study, you must consider your experience and goals. Selected candidates are qualified to study in their field but need further education to reach their goals.

Key Point: Great example of finding a degree program when there isn’t an exact match in the field name.

To separate yourself from the competition, you should discuss more than a degree in your application. This can be an internship, work experience, a thesis, or something else. For me, it was one year as an intern at a think-tank that specialized in U.S.- Mexico relations. This experience exposed me to international relations and improved my research skills.

Key Point: You must show why you need more education in Japan in order to accomplish your goals!

At this point, my narrative connects my past, present, and future to international development and the MEXT scholarship.

Choosing a Research Topic

Choosing a research topic was the most challenging part of the application for me. My approach was to find the intersection of all the work I had already done:

• Since my goal was to work in government, my research would be on government international development projects.  
• Since I wanted to understand Japan’s approach to international development, I chose Japanese and U.S. projects.  
• Since I studied Mexico, I chose to research international development projects in Mexico.

My final proposal was to do a case study comparing USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) projects in Mexico. After research, I found projects by the United States and Japan suitable for the study.

University Placement

Remember that after passing your interview, you will have to be accepted by a Japanese university. My understanding is that applicants who pass the interview almost always find a school. But, I was rejected by one of the two schools I applied to.

Commentary: Mentioning a specific university in your application as a target is risky, since it can hurt your chances with other universities.

Additionally, I prioritized Nagoya University, even mentioning them in my application. This was a risky move I felt was worth it because Nagoya was my first choice, but I would not do it if I were to apply again.

Key Point: Your FSRPP is not final and it should change later. After all, that’s part of the point of your studies and working with your advisor!

Unless you are a PhD applicant, MEXT is looking for someone who will be a great researcher when they graduate. It is important that your FSRP shows effort and consistency. So enrolling in a Japanese class, learning basic research protocols in your field, and being able to answer questions about your background is more important than having a revolutionary topic.

Writing the FSRPP itself, I used Travis’ articles and books religiously. I would recommend following his advice once you have chosen your topic. In particular, his book, How to Write a Scholarship-Winning Field of Study and Research Program Plan , is worth buying if you are able. I followed his advice down to the details. The fact that you are reading this blog right now is a great sign for you!

James’ Field of Study and Research Program Plan

Here is James’ research proposal. After each section, I have added my comments in italics about the strong and weak points. Of course, this was a successful research proposal , so I don’t mean to be critical, but even the best research proposal has room for improvement and I know you want your proposal to be the best it can be. If James had brought this proposal to me for a review through my coaching service, these are some of the suggestions I would have made. (Although compared to most of my reviews, I had very few weak points to highlight or suggestions to make!)

1. Past and present field of study

I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University with a B.A. in Sustainability with an international development track, a minor in Spanish, and a certificate in Latin American Studies. As an undergraduate, I studied sustainable development in Latin America. My thesis, supervised by Dr. Marco Janssen, researched the impact Latin American coffee cooperatives have on community economic development through the lens of dependency theory. My research with Dr. Janssen led me to Kenichi Ohno and Izumi Ohno’s 1998 article, Japanese Views on Economic Development: Diverse Paths to the Market, which inspired me to study Japanese development theory. I am currently involved with Spanish language day to day research activities and research projects that involve Latin America and economic development through my work at the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute.

TranSenz Commentary

Strong Points:

• Every detail about his undergraduate study and current work is directly related to his research proposal.  
• He describes his thesis topic concisely while displaying knowledge/experience in the theories used in the field of study he is applying for.  
• He gives a clear example of how his previous research led to his interest in Japan.  
• He demonstrates his proficiency in conducting research in a foreign language, which also helps reviewers see that he can adapt to new cultures and work outside of his own linguistic background.

Weak Points:

• He does not describe what problem he wants to address in his future research or why it is significant. Although he covers this later in the FSRPP, I typically recommend bringing it up in the Past and Present Field of Study section so that the reviewers, particularly at the embassy level, will have a clear understanding of the potential impact from the very beginning.  
• I would have suggested mentioning a specific research project related to his proposed field in Japan in the reference to the Wilson Center, to give a little more continuity and strengthen the overall impact.

2-1. Research Theme

JICA and USAID in Mexico: The impact of development theory on the Mexican automotive industry This study investigates how ideological differences between Japanese and American approaches to international development impact United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) initiatives through the example of workforce development projects in the Mexican automotive sector by way of a document review and in‐depth surveys in order to fill the knowledge gap concerning the Japanese development theory in the United States.

• The title clearly shows the field of study and the specific focus area, which would attract the attention of reviewers.  
• The theme paragraph builds well on the title to explain his field and specific research target/sample data, as well as the methods that he will use.
• The title doesn’t quite make it clear that he will be comparing the ideologies of the two organizations and their impacts, so I would have suggested rewording it to include the word “comparison” or “comparative” in there.  
• The title could have been more specific about workforce development projects being the focus.  
• He mentions he wants to research how differences “impact. . . initiatives”, but I would have suggested being more clear about whether he is analyzing the difference in the agencies’ choices in which initiatives to pursue or the difference in the effectiveness (or both). That would help reviewers better understand how the data collection he describes could answer his research question. He actually answers this in the next section, but I would have recommended moving it forward to this part.  
• When describing the research methods (document review and surveys), I would have suggested being more specific about the target data for each. As with the comment above, he mentions this in the next section, but I think the level of detail in that section would have been more appropriate here.  
• He does not explain how he will analyze the identified data sources or how the information will answer his question. This could be addressed by briefly mentioning the analysis method or the results he expected from each source.  
• I would have suggested describing the expected outcomes and importance at the end of this section.

Most of the issues I identified as “weak points” could have been solved by essentially moving some of the details from the first paragraph of his “research goals” section to this paragraph, so it’s not really a “weakness” of the plan as a whole, just a matter of order of content.

2-2. Research Plan

Research goals.

The purpose of this study is to contribute to better understanding how ideological differences between the Japanese and American development communities impact their development agency’s projects. The main research question is as follows: Which development theories are implemented in USAID and JICA’s projects and how do theoretical differences affect the methods and outcomes for each organization? To answer this question, this study will investigate USAID and JICA projects in the el Bajio region of Mexico, where each agency is supporting the automotive industry. This study will analyze documents from USAID, JICA, and the Mexican Agency for International Cooperation for Development (ANEXCID) and conduct a survey of relevant actors using novel mobile phone research methods developed by Elisa Maffioli (2020).

The November 2020 creation of the Japan US Brazil Exchange (JUSBE) and February 2021 meeting of the “Quad” leaders, which resulted in public health cooperation, demonstrate the momentum for soft power cooperation between Japan and the United States. However, there is little academic material on the potential challenges and benefits of such cooperation, as Ohno & Ohno identified in 2014. This study will contribute to filling this research gap by comparing Japanese and American development projects in the field. Along with the academic benefit, this research will be of benefit to policy makers who wish that the growing Japan United States soft power alliance is not hindered by differences in theory and approach.

Although I have more “weak point” comments than “strong point” comments for this section, I want to be clear that I thought the first paragraph was quite good. It was significantly better than most of the research proposals I see in its specificity. Strong Points:

• He makes the importance of his research clear in the first sentence and explains it in terms of the benefits to Japan and his home country of the US.  
• He states his specific research subject and makes it clear why it is the ideal research sample for his research in a concise manner.  
• He describes his data sources for the research.  
• The final two sentences of the second paragraph clearly show the academic and practical significance of his research.
• His research question is actually two questions, so I would have rephrased it to focus on the latter part.  
• Building on my comments on the previous section that recommended moving some of the details from this paragraph to the “Research Theme”, I would have suggested more details here about his data sources, such as the types of documents he will analyze (policy white papers? specific project implementation documents?) and who he will interview (aid officials? automotive factory owners? managers? workers?) and how he will use that information to answer his research question.  
• The second paragraph could benefit from a stronger opening. The current first sentence does not seem to be connected to the subject of the previous paragraph, so a better transition is required. This could be accomplished by combining the first two sentences and rewording them so that the context (increasing soft power cooperation between the US and Japan) comes first. Irrelevant details, like the dates and the confusing reference to the “Quad” leaders, which is not explained, could be eliminated for a more streamlined and clear description.

Existing Research

It is generally accepted that the East now promotes a unique developmental philosophy, defined by active government support for long term, “real” targets, such as employment and output, while the West continues to argue for limited government intervention while watching macroeconomic targets (Ohno & Ohno, 1998). Tsuyoshi Kikuchi’s work on JICA and the European Union development projects in Tunisia concludes that the different approaches taken complemented each other and positively impacted their recipients. Kikuchi’s conclusion states that each ideology covers for the other’s weakness and that coordinated partnership between Japan and the West is the best path forward for development. To test his conclusion, further research that includes different donor countries, sectors, and recipient countries is necessary.

• He describes the state of research into his field in a concise and understandable manner, giving two relevant references that set the overall state of understanding and one specific reference that is similar to what he intends to study, but also leaves a clear need for his research. Probably one of the most common problems I see with FSRPP drafts is too much information about the research background or existing research. This is an excellent example of how to summarize that information quickly and clearly so that he can focus on the important part: his research proposal.  
• It is fine to mention a theory as being “generally accepted” in the field when something is, in fact, generally accepted and that makes it difficult to find a specific citation for it. (In this case, since he has a citation to go with it, though, it would be better to remove the “generally accepted” comment and include this sentence as a reference to Ohno and Ohno’s research).  
• The concluding sentence clearly shows the research gap he intends to fill, showing the importance of his research.
• The reference to Kikuchi should have had a citation.

Methodology

This study will approach the problem through qualitative research by analysis of primary and secondary sources and survey of relevant actors in order to best identify each agency’s motivations, methods, and outcomes. The first step will be the analysis of Spanish and English primary and secondary sources, such as USAID, JICA, and ANEXCID documents, scholarly literature, and local news reports. This information will be used to create a survey that will be disseminated to USAID, JICA, and ANEXCID officials, and workers for companies receiving the aid using phone based research methods. The goal will be to identify the international development theories being applied to each project and how the theories impact methods used. In 2020, Elisa Maffioli published research on phone based research during a pandemic which demonstrates that mobile phone surveys and interviews are cheap, timely, and reliable sources of information. This method will obtain reliable data from Japan, so that I can study Japanese development ideology, react to unpredictable health and travel conditions, and comply with MEXT regulations. The foremost limit of this method, finding a representative sample, will not be an issue for this study because it targets a specific sample of respondents. However, to obtain access to these stakeholders, it will require compliance from government agencies and businesses. Through the Wilson Center, I have developed connections with El Gran Bajio, an non government organization dedicated to promoting industry in the region. I also have a strong network of academic and political figures throughout Mexico through work.

• He has a clearly defined list of sources for his documentary research.  
• He has dropped another reference to his ability to conduct research in multiple languages relevant to his topic as well as how his existing connections give him unique access to the research target population, which strengthens his case for why he is the best candidate to conduct this research.  
• Since the phone research method he describes might not be well known and its effectiveness could be questioned by someone who was not familiar with it, explaining that it is an established method is a good idea. If you are using a method that might not be well known in your research (consider that your reviewers will include bureaucrats at the embassy level who will not have academic expertise in your area), a brief explanation like this can be useful to assuage concerns.
• He should have explained what data he intended to gather from the primary and secondary sources. It is not clear how the documentary research will allow him to create a survey.  
• He does not explain how his survey will allow him to identify international development theories. He mentions that it is intended to be a qualitative survey, so that means it would include open-ended questions, but it is not clear what kinds of questions he plans to ask. It would have been better to explain what data he would collect through the survey and how he would then analyze it to identify international development theories and methods.  
• Although he mentions that he plans to identify outcomes, there is no methodology step that collects data on them.

This struck me as one of the weakest area of his research proposal because of the lack of description of the data he would collect and how he would analyze it. But on the other hand, that is where his academic advisor in Japan could provide the most help. The important thing is that he has a clear research problem that he wants to address, a target population, and an approach.

Research Plan

I will begin as a research student, during which time, I will prepare for university examinations and familiarize myself with “the Japanese approach” to international development and the relation between international development theory and practice. In my first semester, I will write a focused literature review, including academic materials from my time as a research student, government documents from JICA, USAID, and ANEXID, and take a class on research methods in order to prepare to write and disseminate a survey. My second semester, I will create a document that identifies key conclusions and unanswered questions from the initial literature review. This document will be used to write the survey. Participants in this survey will be identified during this semester, and the survey itself will be disseminated before the start of my third semester. My third semester will be spent collecting and integrating survey responses into a completed thesis draft. My fourth semester will be spent revising and editing my thesis in order to prepare it for publication. After graduation, I will consult with my advisor to determine the appropriate journal to submit my work for publication, such as Kokusai Mondai, the Journal of International Development, or another international development journal. Before leaving for Japan, I intend to continue taking Japanese classes at the Japan America Society of Washington D.C. and volunteering with Global Launch at Arizona State University in order to increase my understanding of Japanese culture, increase my network in Japan, and improve my Japanese language abilities. Upon arriving in Japan, I plan to be deeply involved in my community through language exchange, participating in both English and Japanese speaking groups. I also hope to use my network in the United States to publish news and blog articles on Japanese international development practices. For more information, please see the attached research timeline, which gives the example of if I were to be placed at Nagoya University for the fall 2022 semester.

• He explains every step of his research in order in an easy-to-understand progression.  
• His plans to disseminate his research demonstrate an awareness of the scholarly journals in his field.  
• He mentions a specific way that he wants to get involved in the local community in Japan and also how he plans to share his experience with a wider audience.
• The opening sentence, which sets the tone for the section, contains a weak reference to becoming familiar with the Japanese approach to international development without any substantive action. It would have been better to have more concrete actions, such as starting the literature review during that time.  
• His research plan still lacks any indication of how he will analyze his data to solve his research question, which could lead a reviewer to suspect that he doesn’t know how to answer the question.  
• The description of the research steps could have been more concise. Since he already mentioned the documentary sources for his literature review earlier, there is no need to repeat it here. The following sentences could also be combined and shortened without losing any meaning, which would give him more space to describe meaningful steps in his research and analysis.  
• I would not recommend spending time/space in the FSRPP talking about language self-study and networking prior to departing for Japan unless it is specifically related to the research proposal. For example, it would be worth mentioning if he was going to visit the automotive factories described earlier, but otherwise, this space would be better spent on relevant content.  
• Mentioning one specific university in the Field of Study and Research Program Plan is very risky . Unless you already have a connection with a professor there who has essentially agreed to accept you and you do not plan to apply anywhere else, I recommend against planning for a specific university in this document. It would hurt your chances of being accepted elsewhere since other universities would see it as an indication that they are not your first choice.

Attachment: Research Timeline

James attached a one-page research timeline formatted in an easy-to-read table. This is optional and it should never present information that is essential to understanding the research proposal, since it is outside of the 2-page limit, but can serve as an easy reference for reviewers if done well. In this case, I don’t think the table is particularly necessary, given the straightforward nature of his research, which is explained sufficiently in the document itself, and the weaknesses of the table (described below) might do more harm than good.

The following timeline is formatted for a 2 year course of study, with a semester as a student at a Japanese language school and as a research student. To demonstrate the specific classes and organizations I will be involved in, Nagoya University will be used in this example, However, this timeline can be altered as the university I am placed in desires.

James’ research timeline, as shown in his FSRPP

• Mentioning that this is just an example and that he is flexible is a good start.  
• Overall, his research plan is quite straightforward and this table reinforces it. For applicants with more research steps, such as series of experiments, it would need to be more complex.  
• Mentioning his intent to volunteer as a language tutor is a good touch.  
• He only mentions classes that are specifically related to his research progression, which is good. There is no need to clutter up the timeline by mentioning every class that you want to take.  
• Including his publication goals, future career goal that relates to his studies, and to improving relations between Japan and his home country, is a strong ending.
• The table contains spelling errors and a lack of understanding of how the MEXT Scholarship works, both of which could put off a reviewer even if the rest of the document was perfect. His reference to language study in Summer 2022 was meant to refer to the semester of language study under the MEXT Scholarship, but in this example, it appears to be something he was going to do on his own. That could actually disqualify him from the scholarship if he were to come on his own, so it is important to mention that it is part of the scholarship program.  
• The table should only really contain research steps during the MEXT-sponsored studies. As mentioned above, if he planned to conduct research-related activities prior to coming to Japan, that would be worth mentioning, but otherwise, mentioning activities before the start of the scholarship could be confusing.  
• During the research student semester, it is expected that students would be attending courses (the credits would transfer later) and conducting their research, so it is important to avoid the perception that you would only be studying for the entrance exam.  
• There were some unnecessary details, such as the contents of his literature review (just stating “Complete literature review” would be sufficient), and mentioning when he would graduate.

Thank you very much to James for sharing this FSRPP! Remember, this was a successful application , so even though I have highlighted some weak points in my commentary above, the strong points certainly outweighed them. As you know by now, I offer coaching reviews of Field of Study and Research Program Plans and no matter how excellent a plan is when I first receive it, I will always look for ways to improve it! (Normally, I would go into a lot more detail about potential improvements and recommendations.)

Overall, I think the greatest strengths of this proposal were:

• He identified a research problem that had clear applicability to Japan and USA national interest and to cooperation between the two.  
• He identified a research gap and clearly and concisely explained the state of the research field and why his research was necessary.  
• He had a very specific and relevant research topic, showing his preparedness.  
• He leveraged his experience and connection to position himself as the best candidate for this research.

On the other hand, the most significant weakness was a lack of detail about his data and analysis, but there was enough in this proposal to intrigue reviewers so that he could get to the next stage, the interview, where he could explain in more detail. And, as I mentioned before, those are areas that his advisor in Japan could help most with after his selection, so the weaknesses could be overcome.

If you are interested in a review of your Field of Study and Research Program Plan, you can contact me through the link at the top of the page. If you are interested in sharing your research proposal for a similar article in the future (after your application is successful, if you prefer), particularly if your research is in another field (STEM, business, arts, etc.) there are thousands of readers who would appreciate it, so please let me know in the comments below and I will get back to you right away.

Special Thanks

Special thanks to James Chabin, who made this article possible by generously sharing his successful Field of Study and Research Program Plan. You can find out more about James on his Twitter feed.

Thanks also to my supporters on Patreon , who help keep this site running through their generous contributions, especially to my newest Samurai-level patron, Alvin S, Daimyo-level supporter Alessia M, and to everyone who has been supporting the sight for months or years. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your continued support! If this site has helped you in your application process and you want to “pay it forward” to keep the site running to help future applicants, every contribution helps!

Let me know in the comments below!

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OPD SharePoint site : A growing repository that will include sample documents such as mentoring plans, facilities, NSF broader impact statements, as well as samples of prior successful proposals and current literature on education

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Grant Proposal

Proposal maker.

To guarantee funding for a program your non-profit has made, one has to come up with writing a proposal that not only describes the program but also justifies and substantiates the existence of your non-profit. A well laid out proposal details your strategy in connection to the purpose of the proposal and the funding needed to achieve it.

Grant Proposal Template

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If you are in search of a proposal that will help you assemble the needed resources to aid the organization in fulfilling its purpose, then you are in the right place. The above proposal template is one such template that can help you take the stress off creating a proposal from scratch. You can instantly download this, edit and customize it the way you like best. Outline  your proposed project, the problems that you think should be solved, the methods of the project, the objectives, evaluations, etc.

Developing a Grant Proposal Example

Writing a grant proposal is not easy. Learn how to write a grant proposal in a professional way with the help of the above template we have, specially designed for you.  It’s essential to make your proposal shine among others to entice investors. With your incredibly busy schedule, drafting your own proposal might take longer than planned. That’s why we’re here to assist you and make your life a lot easier with our well-written template. All you have to do is download, customize and edit it to suit your needs best.

Restaurant Developing a Grant Proposal Exa.mple

If you are looking for funding for your restaurant’s business idea and are in search of the right proposal, then we got just the right thing for you. The above writing example template will be of great help to you. Download the file at any given time and place to get immediate access. Clearly show your target  market, its size, and other information you simply have to fill in. Edit the template further by removing or adding sections to custom fit to your specific purpose of the grant. Ensure acceptance of your grant proposal by using our template.

Grant Budget Proposal Template

Developing a Grant Proposal Template

Developing a grant proposal is not an easy task, especially if you need to make one from scratch. We got you here. Prepare to have your proposal accepted with the help of the above grant proposal template. Check free proposal examples for more. It can be easily edited and customized to suit your needs and requirements perfectly. Simply replace highlighted sections with your information and you’re done.

The  goals and objectives of a grant proposal  help you make the right goals and objectives that need to be made in the grant proposal. This grant budget proposal template allows an organization to study the necessary costs needed to operate. It can easily be edited and customized to suit your needs and requirements perfectly. It is not only limited to a computer, but you can download it on any electronic device easily. Check it out now!

Writing the Grant Proposal Template

The above template is a grant proposal template that can be instantly downloaded and edited to suit your company’s needs best. Easy to use, simply replace the highlighted text with the necessary detail.  Grant proposal writing can help you write the best proposals.

Grant Research Proposal

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Steps to Create a Grant Proposal:

Step 1: goals and objectives.

The first thing you need to do is to know what are your goals and objectives, so that you can easily make the right proposal, including all of them in it. This way everyone involved will know what is their main goal and how can they possibly achieve it in the best way possible.

Step 2: Requirements of the Proposal

Firstly, you should be through with the industry and market you are in. This way you can make the best use of the research in your proposal. Since clients or any potential investors will first look as to how much you know of what you are doing, it is always better to have a thorough research of the market you are in, knowing the strengths and weaknesses.

Step 3: Documentation

If there are any important documents that you need to make sure to add, then add them, This will add weight to the proposal, just in case needed.  Investment proposal examples can be seen on the page to provide added information regarding the writing of such proposals. Be sure to click on any download link to access the samples. There are key points you need to highlight to make your proposal stand out.

Step 4: Budget

Budget proposal examples can be of great help to you while creating proposals of any kind and you need help when creating budgets for your organization, no matter which industry you work in. The budget here is basically to show how much the project will possibly cost. Mention all the details in the budget, so that it is easier for the others to understand what and where the expenses and the incomes would possibly come from.

Step 5: Proofread

It is very important to proofread the proposal throughout, just so you can make sure that you did not miss any important details. Review your proposal and make any changes that need to be made. Follow up with the clients you have produced your proposal so that they will know that you are actually interested in cracking this deal with them, but do not annoy or pressurize them. Patience is the key, so be patient to get any kind of feedback from the client.

Business Grant Proposal

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What Is a Grant Proposal?

A grant proposal can be defined as a proposal for funding a project and is a request proposal for doing so. It can also be defined as a proposal that represents support for the parties involved in the proposal, mainly the funder and the nonprofit organization involved in it. It mainly represents a call to action on issues that the parties involved care more about. They are tools that advocate and invest in change.

Tips for Writing a Grant Proposal

• Identify a problem and agree on it.
• Define what needs to be done or achieved.
• Design the program tailored to meet the demands of the problem.
• Identify funding sources. It is a good idea to involve potential funder in the project.
• Professional proposal for review in accordance with requirements from the funding source and submit on or before the submission deadline.

Sample Grant

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Grant Planning Proposal

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Women Political Empowerment Grant Proposal

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Educational Grant

How to Develop a Grant Proposal?

Marketing proposal examples in the site provide further information regarding proposals and proposal writing. Be sure to check out samples by doing a search on our home page for the particular example you are looking for.

In developing a grant proposal, a standard format is usually made in the following order:

• Title page – The title of the proposal should be short and clear. It should be to the point and give a gist of what the proposal is about.
• Abstract – Should contain key elements of the project namely general purpose, specific smart goals , research design and methods, and significance.
• Introduction – An introduction basically acts as a cover statement of the problem, the main purpose of the research, the goals, etc.
• Literature discussion or review – Discusses the details of the project, procedures, and deliverables.
• Narrative of the project – Should answer all the reviewer’s questions.
• Personnel involved – A brief explanation of staffing requirements and skill sets needed or already have to fill in the need.
• Budget and justification of budget – Details of the budget and explanation in coming up with the budget.

Research proposal examples are also available on our site. Just go to our home page and do a search for the proposal you like. Feel free to download any or our samples by clicking on the download link button beneath each sample.

Text prompt

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Generate a proposal for a new school recycling program

Compose a proposal for a school field trip to a science museum.