How to put together a research proposal

You know what you want to investigate. You know how you’re going to do it. Now, all you need is the funds. That means putting together a research proposal – and that can be a daunting prospect. Creating a research proposal is a common part of any young researcher’s career, but there are very few guides on how to construct them, what to include and what to leave out.

While the exact shape of the proposal will depend on your area, at last year’s Joliot Curie Conference at the University of York, young researchers created a series of draft proposals to discuss with their peers. With their permission, three researchers allowed us to give their proposals to two experts: Paul Cullis, professor of organic and biological chemistry at the University of Leicester, UK, and Peter Knowles, professor of theoretical chemistry at the Cardiff University, UK.

After each of the three researchers received detailed and personalised feedback, we collected the judges’ comments and condensed them into five pieces of advice any prospective researcher should know before sending in that all-important proposal.