You are asked to read the passage about proposal writing and the do the exercises given below. Writing your proposal Whether you are limited to one page (as part of a University application form or an enquiry form) or are required to produce something more substantial for an external funder, the rules about writing a good research proposal are the same. You want to stand out from the crowd and have the best chance of being selected. This guide highlights the “Golden Rules” and provides tips on how to write a good research application. Prospective research students may find it useful when asked to provide a research statement as part of their university application or an informal enquiry form. University applications Securing funding does not always guarantee an offer of a place at the university you are applying to. Whether you are applying to conduct your own research or to undertake an advertised project, you will need to apply for a place at the university of your choice before or at the same time as your application for funding. A university application for postgraduate study is most likely to include a research proposal and/or a personal statement, even if you are applying for a funded project defined by the prospective supervisor. Golden rules for postgraduate research proposals Contents: • Be clear, objective, succinct and realistic in your objectives • Ask yourself why this research should be funded and/or why you are the best person to undertake this project • Ask yourself why this research is important and/or timely • State and justify your objectives clearly (“because it is interesting” is not enough!) • Make sure you answer the questions: how will the research benefit the wider society or contribute to the research community? Style: • If space allows, provide a clear project title • Structure your text – if allowed use section headings • Present the information in short paragraphs rather than a solid block of text • Write short sentences • If allowed, provide images/charts/diagrams to help break up the text The process: • Identify prospective supervisors and discuss your idea with them • Avoid blanket general e-mails to several prospective supervisors • Allow plenty of time – a rushed proposal will show • Get feedback from your prospective supervisor and be prepared to take their comments on board • If applying to an external funding agency, remember that the reviewer may not be an expert in your field of research • Stick to the guidelines and remember the deadline What to put in your proposal? Application processes are different for each University so make sure to follow the relevant guidelines provided by the institution you are applying to. However, if you are not given any guidelines on how to format your research proposal, you could adopt the suggested structure below. This is also relevant if you are applying for external funding or asking your employer to sponsor you to undertake a research degree. Suggested structure for a research proposal: • Title and abstract • Background information/brief summary of existing literature • The hypothesis and the objectives • Methodology • How the research will be communicated to the wider community • The supervisory provision as well as specialist and transferable skills training • Ethical considerations • Summary and conclusions Writing the proposal When writing your proposal, bear in mind that individuals reviewing your application will often have to read a large number of proposals/applications. So, well-presented and clearly written proposals are more likely to stick in the reviewer’s mind. Avoid long and convoluted titles. You will get an opportunity to give more detail in your introduction. Adopted from : https://www.ed.ac.uk/files/imports/fileManager/HowToWriteProposal090415.pdf Now finish the following sentence with the information from the above passage a)Whether you are applying to conduct your own research or to undertake an advertised project, you will need to______before or at the same time as your application for funding.