Thread by @Dr_Adeleke

Dear Hopefuls: How to Write a Winning Research Proposal for scholarships

A research proposal is a description of what the researcher will be investigating, why the chosen area is important & how the entire research process will be carried out.
A good research proposal

will get the attention of the scholarship selection committee

*Why is a Research Proposal Important?

-to access funding or to get a thesis or dissertation approved

-tells the reader that you know the best approach to arrive at the expected result

-Shows you have a thorough

understanding of recent advances in the topic &that the idea you are proposing has a strong academic connotation

Research Proposal are in varying formats between fields
*students & researchers are to check with the institution or funding org. for any specific format requirements

Generally, most proposals should, at least, contain the following sections:

1. A cover page:
•The researcher or student’s proposed title
•The name of the researcher
•The name of the researcher’s supervisor
•The department and institution affiliation

2. Introduction
• introduce the topic, provide background information as well as outline the statement of problem & the research questions
•Knowing the audience for which the research proposal will be made for. For example, will the proposal be read by scientists who are

interested in the topic, practitioners, policymakers etc.
•What is already known about the subject matter?
•What is the knowledge gap in the proposed topic?
•What new insights will your proposed research bring?

3. Literature Review
•A good literature review convinces the

reader or assessor that the research work has a solid foundation in existing body of knowledge

•The section should compare & contrast existing theories, methods & controversies about the topic of interest. It should show the strengths and weaknesses of other research work

4. Research design or methodology
•Shows the step by step approach that will help in achieving the aim & objectives of research

•State the methods of data generation/collection while also looking out for the best approach that will give the best result while limiting errors

5.Research Timeline or schedule
•Funding organization or academic institution require that students and researchers give a detailed timeline or schedule of their research project

•The essence is to help keep track of the progress achieved so far

6. Research Budget
•The funding body in most cases will have to assess the budgetary allocation to each item to ensure compliance

7. List of References
•A good research proposal must include proper citation for every source from which information was sourced &

full publication details provided in the reference list
•know the referencing style preferred by the funding organization/institution to ensure compliance

*Research Proposal Samples
irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/271d35b6/files…
researchgate.net/publication/22…
fass.open.ac.uk/sites/fass.ope…
google.com/url?sa=t&sourc…