How do you design a research proposal that meets the funder's expectations?

1 Understand the funder

Before you start writing your proposal, you need to research the funder's mission, vision, priorities, and criteria. You can find this information on their website, publications, or previous calls for proposals. You should also look at the examples of successful projects they have funded in the past, and identify what they have in common. This will help you tailor your proposal to the funder's interests and requirements, and show how your research aligns with their goals.

2 Define your research question

Your research question is the main focus of your proposal. It should be clear, specific, and relevant to your field and the funder's theme. You should also explain why your question is important, original, and feasible. To formulate your research question, you can use the PICO framework, which stands for Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome. This will help you narrow down your topic, identify your target group, define your intervention or approach, compare it with alternatives, and state your expected results.

3 Develop your objectives and outcomes

Your objectives are the steps you will take to answer your research question. They should be SMART, which means Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Your outcomes are the changes or benefits that will result from your research. They should be SMARTER, which means Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Evaluated, and Reported. You should also distinguish between your outputs, which are the tangible products of your research, such as publications, reports, or tools, and your outcomes, which are the intangible effects of your research, such as knowledge, skills, or attitudes.

4 Describe your methods and activities

Your methods and activities are the ways you will collect and analyze data, and implement your research plan. You should describe them in detail, and justify why they are appropriate and reliable for your research question and objectives. You should also explain how you will deal with any ethical, practical, or logistical challenges that may arise during your research. You can use a Gantt chart or a logic model to illustrate your methods and activities, and show how they are linked to your objectives and outcomes.

5 Demonstrate your impact and dissemination

Your impact and dissemination are the ways you will communicate and share your research findings and outcomes with different audiences, such as academics, practitioners, policy makers, or the public. You should explain how you will engage with these stakeholders throughout your research process, and how you will ensure that your research has a positive and lasting influence on them. You should also provide a budget and a timeline for your impact and dissemination activities, and indicate how you will measure and report their effectiveness.

6 Review and revise your proposal

Before you submit your proposal, you should review and revise it carefully. You should check for spelling, grammar, and formatting errors, and make sure that your proposal is clear, concise, and coherent. You should also ask for feedback from your colleagues, mentors, or experts in your field, and incorporate their suggestions and comments. You should also compare your proposal with the funder's guidelines and criteria, and make sure that you have addressed all of them. Finally, you should proofread your proposal again, and make any final adjustments or improvements.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?