Step 5

THE FOUR PILLARS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

This template provides all the parts required for a research proposal.

FOUR PILLARS YOUR ANSWERS
(RESPOND IN POINT FORM AS A TEAM)

PILLAR A — THE DISCIPLINE PITCH

Try to find convincing evidence of the valuable work your discipline is doing on this topic. Remember, you are competing against the other discipline teams for research funding. You have to “sell” your discipline’s proposal.

  1. How important do you think this topic has been in your discipline?
  2. What value do you think your discipline brings to the scientific understanding of the topic?
  3. How has your discipline contributed to enhancing people’s lives in this topic area?
 

PILLAR B — THE METHOD PLAN

Use the DECISION CIRCUIT for this. Each of the numbered items listed here corresponds to numbered items on the decision boards. Review each DC decision board with your team members and write down your selections in the adjacent column. Elaborate on your responses so that the choices clearly refer to the specifics of your plan.

Developing a worthwhile question is the key to winning the judges’ support. Take the time to really think about this. It is a good idea to borrow suggestions for worthwhile questions from existing studies and better still if you attribute the idea to the original researchers and identify the titles of the article and the publication.

 

PILLAR C — THE BUDGET AND TIMEFRAME

Seek online information for rough, estimated prices of things such as materials, travel costs and salaries.

  1. What is the estimated time to complete the entire research project?
  2. What is the estimated salary cost?
    1. What does this include?
    2. For how many employees?
    3. For how long?
    4. For what purposes?
  3. What is the estimation for software, hardware, office supplies, internet/fax, phone and the like?
  4. If you need to rent office space, how much will this cost?
  5. What, if any, travel expenses are involved?
    1. For how many?
    2. To go where?
    3. For how long?
    4. Using what mode(s) of transportation?
  6. What is the grand total estimated cost?
     

    PILLAR D — THE CLOSING PITCH

    Highlight key elements of proposal and briefly remind the judges why they should support your proposal.

    1. Why is this proposal from this particular discipline so important?
    2. What difference do you hope to make?