Students should discuss with their adviser and committee members the expected scope of the proposal significantly in advance of submitting it for review.
Proposal Summary
- (1 page)
- The proposal summary contains a description of the proposed activity suitable for publication. It should NOT be an abstract of the proposal, but rather a self-contained description of the activity that would result from the research.
- The summary should be written in the third person and include a statement of objectives (specific aims and sub-aims) and methods to be employed.
- It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and insofar as possible, understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader.
History and Background
- (minimum 3 pages)
- How did this research area develop?
- What is already known?
Significance
(1 page)
- Why is this research area important?
- What important questions in this research area remain to be answered?
Research Design and Methods (minimum 5-6 pages)
- Describe how your research plan will accomplish the specific aims of the project.
- Describe and critically discuss the experimental techniques that you plan to use in your project.
- Discuss any possible difficulties that may occur and possible solutions.
- Provide a timeline for completion of each specific aim (and sub-aims).
Preliminary Results
(as appropriate)
Conclusion
- (1/2 page)
- Discuss the anticipated outcomes/results and their significance
- Discuss how the proposed project will add to the knowledge base of the discipline.
References
- References must be sequentially numbered in the text and cited according to standard ACS format with complete titles.
- The bibliography must include at least 30 citations.