Structuring a research proposal - glasgowlab/home GitHub Wiki

Introduction

• Sentence broadly summarizing background and significance of your system.
• More focused sentence about your specific system/biological question.
• Sentence summarizing the current knowledge in the field about your system/biological question.
• Sentence stating the major knowledge gap that you plan to address
• Hypothesis
• 1-2 sentence summary of how you intend to address/fill this knowledge gap.

Depending on the application, any of the following could be a single sentence included in the Intro, or an entire section on its own...

• Broader impact
• Significance
• Novelty

Approach

• Rationale for overall approach
• Aim 1
  • specific rationale for approach to Aim 1
  • preliminary data
  • description of approach
  • expected outcomes
  • potential pitfalls and alternative approaches (choose 1-2 each)
• Aim 2
  • specific rationale for approach to Aim 2
  • preliminary data
  • description of approach
  • expected outcomes
  • potential pitfall and alternative approach

Concluding sentence summarizing both specific and broader impact of the work, if all Aims are accomplished.