how to write a budget for research proposal

The Research Whisperer

Just like the thesis whisperer – but with more money, how to make a simple research budget.

A napkin diagram of the basic concepts in a project: interviews in South East Asia and trails with a Thingatron

Every research project needs a budget*.

If you are applying for funding, you must say what you are planning to spend that funding on. More than that, you need to show how spending that money will help you to answer your research question .

So, developing the budget is the perfect time to plan your project clearly . A good budget shows the assessors that you have thought about your research in detail and, if it is done well, it can serve as a great, convincing overview of the project.

Here are five steps to create a simple budget for your research project.

1. List your activities

Make a list of everything that you plan to do in the project, and who is going to do it.

Take your methodology and turn it into a step-by-step plan. Have you said that you will interview 50 people? Write it on your list.

Are you performing statistical analysis on your sample? Write it down.

Think through the implications of what you are going to do. Do you need to use a Thingatron? Note down that you will need to buy it, install it, and commission it.

What about travel? Write down each trip separately. Be specific. You can’t just go to ‘South East Asia’ to do fieldwork. You need to go to Kuala Lumpur to interview X number of people over Y weeks, then the same again for Singapore and Jakarta.

Your budget list might look like this:

I’m going to do 10 interviews in Kuala Lumpur; 10 interviews in Singapore; 10 interviews in Jakarta by me.
I’ll need teaching release for three months for fieldwork.
I’ll need Flights to KL, Singapore, Jakarta and back to Melbourne.
I’ll need Accommodation for a month in each place, plus per diem.
The transcription service will transcribe the 30 interviews.
I’ll analysis the transcribed results. (No teaching release required – I’ll do it in my meagre research time allowance.)
I’ll need a Thingatron X32C to do the trials.
Thing Inc will need to install the Thingatron. (I wonder how long that will take.)
The research assistant will do three trials a month with the Thingatron.
I’ll need to hire a research assistant (1 day per week for a year at Level B1.)
The research assistant will do the statistical analysis of the Thingatron results.
I’ll do the writing up in my research allowance time.

By the end, you should feel like you have thought through the entire project in detail. You should be able to walk someone else through the project, so grab a critical friend and read the list to them. If they ask questions, write down the answers.

This will help you to get to the level of specificity you need for the next step.

2. Check the rules again

You’ve already read the funding rules, right? If not, go and read them now – I’ll wait right here until you get back.

Once you’ve listed everything you want to do, go back and read the specific rules for budgets again. What is and isn’t allowed? The funding scheme won’t pay for equipment – you’ll need to fund your Thingatron from somewhere else. Cross it off.

Some schemes won’t fund people. Others won’t fund travel. It is important to know what you need for your project. It is just as important to know what you can include in the application that you are writing right now.

Most funding schemes won’t fund infrastructure (like building costs) and other things that aren’t directly related to the project. Some will, though. If they do, you should include overheads (i.e. the general costs that your organisation needs to keep running). This includes the cost of basics like power and lighting; desks and chairs; and cleaners and security staff. It also includes service areas like the university library. Ask your finance officer for help with this. Often, it is a percentage of the overall cost of the project.

If you are hiring people, don’t forget to use the right salary rate and include salary on-costs. These are the extra costs that an organisation has to pay for an employee, but that doesn’t appear in their pay check. This might include things like superannuation, leave loading, insurance, and payroll tax. Once again, your finance officer can help with this.

Your budget list might now look like this:

10 interviews in Kuala Lumpur; 10 interviews in Singapore; 10 interviews in Jakarta by me.
Teaching release for three months for fieldwork.
Flights to KL, Singapore, Jakarta and back to Melbourne.
Accommodation for a month in each place, plus per diem, plus travel insurance (rule 3F).
Transcription of 30 interviews, by the transcription service.
Analysis of transcribed results, by me. No teaching release required.
Purchase and install Thingatron X32C, by Thing Inc . Not allowed by rule 3C . Organise access to Thingatron via partner organistion – this is an in-kind contribution to the project.
Three trials a month with Thingatron, by research assistant.
Statistical analysis of Thingatron results, by research assistant.
Research assistant: 1 day per week for a year at Level B1, plus 25.91% salary on-costs.
Overheads at 125% of total cash request, as per rule 3H.

3. Cost each item

For each item on your list, find a reasonable cost for it . Are you going to interview the fifty people and do the statistical analysis yourself? If so, do you need time release from teaching? How much time? What is your salary for that period of time, or how much will it cost to hire a replacement? Don’t forget any hidden costs, like salary on-costs.

If you aren’t going to do the work yourself, work out how long you need a research assistant for. Be realistic. Work out what level you want to employ them at, and find out how much that costs.

How much is your Thingatron going to cost? Sometimes, you can just look that stuff up on the web. Other times, you’ll need to ring a supplier, particularly if there are delivery and installation costs.

Jump on a travel website and find reasonable costs for travel to Kuala Lumpur and the other places. Find accommodation costs for the period that you are planning to stay, and work out living expenses. Your university, or your government, may have per diem rates for travel like this.

Make a note of where you got each of your estimates from. This will be handy later, when you write the budget justification.

10 interviews in Kuala Lumpur; 10 interviews in Singapore; 10 interviews in Jakarta by me (see below for travel costs).
Teaching release for three months for fieldwork = $25,342 – advice from finance officer.
Flights to KL ($775), Singapore ($564), Jakarta ($726), Melbourne ($535) – Blue Sky airlines, return economy.
Accommodation for a month in each place (KL: $3,500; Sing: $4,245; Jak: $2,750 – long stay, three star accommodation as per TripAdviser).
Per diem for three months (60 days x $125 per day – University travel rules).
Travel insurance (rule 3F): $145 – University travel insurance calculator .
Transcription of 30 interviews, by the transcription service: 30 interviews x 60 minutes per interview x $2.75 per minute – Quote from transcription service, accented voices rate.
Analysis of transcribed results, by me. No teaching release required. (In-kind contribution of university worth $2,112 for one week of my time – advice from finance officer ).
Purchase and install Thingatron X32C, by Thing Inc . Not allowed by rule 3C. Organise access to Thingatron via partner organistion – this is an in-kind contribution to the project. ($2,435 in-kind – quote from partner organisation, at ‘favoured client’ rate.)
Research assistant: 1 day per week for a year at Level B1, plus 25.91% salary on-costs. $12,456 – advice from finance officer.

Things are getting messy, but the next step will tidy it up.

4. Put it in a spreadsheet

Some people work naturally in spreadsheets (like Excel). Others don’t. If you don’t like Excel, tough. You are going to be doing research budgets for the rest of your research life.

When you are working with budgets, a spreadsheet is the right tool for the job, so learn to use it! Learn enough to construct a simple budget – adding things up and multiplying things together will get you through most of it. Go and do a course if you have to.

For a start, your spreadsheet will multiply things like 7 days in Kuala Lumpur at $89.52 per day, and it will also add up all of your sub-totals for you.

If your budget doesn’t add up properly (because, for example, you constructed it as a table in Word), two things will happen. First, you will look foolish. Secondly, and more importantly, people will lose confidence in all your other numbers, too. If your total is wrong, they will start to question the validity of the rest of your budget. You don’t want that.

If you are shy of maths, then Excel is your friend. It will do most of the heavy lifting for you.

For this exercise, the trick is to put each number on a new line. Here is how it might look.

5. Justify it

Accompanying every budget is a budget justification. For each item in your budget, you need to answer two questions:

Why do you need this money?
Where did you get your figures from?

The budget justification links your budget to your project plan and back again. Everything item in your budget should be listed in your budget justification, so take the list from your budget and paste it into your budget justification.

For each item, give a short paragraph that says why you need it. Refer back to the project plan and expand on what is there. For example, if you have listed a research assistant in your application, this is a perfect opportunity to say what the research assistant will be doing.

Also, for each item, show where you got your figures from. For a research assistant, this might mean talking about the level of responsibility required, so people can understand why you chose the salary level. For a flight, it might be as easy as saying: “Blue Sky airlines economy return flight.”

Here is an example for just one aspect of the budget:

Fieldwork: Kuala Lumpur

Past experience has shown that one month allows enough time to refine and localise interview questions with research partners at University of Malaya, test interview instrument, recruit participants, conduct ten x one-hour interviews with field notes. In addition, the novel methodology will be presented at CONF2015, to be held in Malaysia in February 2015.

Melbourne – Kuala Lumpur economy airfare is based on current Blue Sky Airlines rates. Note that airfares have been kept to a minimum by travelling from country to country, rather than returning to Australia.

1 month accommodation is based on three star, long stay accommodation rates provided by TripAdvisor.

30 days per diem rate is based on standard university rates for South-East Asia.

Pro tip: Use the same nomenclature everywhere. If you list a Thingatron X32C in your budget, then call it a Thingatron X32C in your budget justification and project plan. In an ideal world, someone should be able to flip from the project plan, to the budget and to the budget justification and back again and always know exactly where they are.

Project plan: “Doing fieldwork in Malaysia? Whereabouts?” Flips to budget.
Budget: “A month in Kuala Lumpur – OK. Why a month?” Flips to budget justification.
Budget justification: “Ah, the field work happens at the same time as the conference. Now I get it. So, what are they presenting at the conference?” Flips back to the project description…

So, there you have it: Make a list; check the rules; cost everything; spreadsheet it; and then justify it. Budget done. Good job, team!

This article builds on several previous articles. I have shamelessly stolen from them.

Constructing your budget – Jonathan O’Donnell.
What makes a winning budget ? – Jonathan O’Donnell.
How NOT to pad your budget – Tseen Khoo.
Conquer the budget, conquer the project – Tseen Khoo.
Research on a shoestring – Emily Kothe.
How to make a simple Gantt chart – Jonathan O’Donnell.

* Actually, there are some grant schemes that give you a fixed amount of money, which I think is a really great idea . However, you will still need to work out what you are going to spend the money on, so you will still need a budget at some stage, even if you don’t need it for the application.

Also in the ‘simple grant’ series:

How to write a simple research methods section .
How to make a simple Gantt chart .

Creating a Budget

In general, while your research proposal outlines the academic significance of your study, the budget and budget narrative show that you have an understanding of what it will cost for you to be able to perform this research. Your proposed budget should identify all the expenses that are necessary and reasonable for the success of your project—no more and no less. The Office of Undergraduate Research understands that estimates, by definition, are imprecise, yet we encourage students applying for funding to research all aspects of their budgets with honest diligence.

If your research requires you to be in the field or in another city, state, or country, travel expenses may include transportation (airline, train, taxi, etc.), passport and visa fees, as well as fees for any vaccinations you may need to travel. Be sure to include anticipated major incidental expenses, such as printing, copying, fees for accessing archives, etc.

Please note that our funding restrictions prevent us from providing support for lab materials, equipment, software, hardware, etc.

Keep in mind these tips:

Convert all foreign currency figures to U.S. dollars.

Round all figures to whole dollars.

Make sure your budget and your proposal are consistent.

Identify areas where you are making efforts to save money!

Browse through these sample budgets for a better idea of how to outline your expenses and contact us if you have questions!

Sample Budget 1

Sample Budget 2

Sample Budget 3

Sample Budget 4

Budget Justification

A well-developed budget is accompanied by a budget explanation or narrative, also known as a budget justification. A complete and realistic budget justification demonstrates that your project is well conceived. It also tends to minimize the chances that sponsors will arbitrarily reduce or eliminate budget categories. Sponsors have a good idea of what a project should cost, and generally know when you are over or under budgeting. See some examples/templates below .

The budget is reviewed by OPAS and the sponsor to verify that costs are reasonable, allowable, allocable and necessary to carry out the proposed project, and if it conforms to the sponsor's instructions. During award negotiations a budget is sometimes subjected to further analysis by the sponsor's audit staff. Thus it is important to maintain all the documentation and justification you can assemble for each cost element and category, in case the sponsor questions items and estimates.

For newcomers to the process, consult with experienced faculty or staff within your department for advice, or contact the OPAS pre-award administrator assigned by sponsor to discuss potential costing.

The budget justification is a categorical description of the proposed costs. Generally, it explains staffing and supply/service consumption patterns, the methods used to estimate/calculate (including escalation or inflation factors) and other details such as lists of items that make up the total costs for a category. The budget justification should address each of major cost categories (salaries, fringe benefits, equipment, travel, supplies, other direct costs and indirect costs), as well as any additional categories required by the sponsor.

A thoroughly written justification that explains both the necessity and the basis for the proposed costs must accompany the budget. The justification section is critical as it enables the principal investigator to emphasize the importance of essential project costs. A budget that is adequately and appropriately justified is the best way to assure a positive cost analysis by the sponsor.

Below are some helpful tips:

Organize the budget justification listing items in the same order and format as the sponsor’s budget categories.
Only include budgeted items. Some sponsors like NSF will disqualify a proposal if contributed items are listed. Do not list cost-shared items unless cost-sharing is mandated by the sponsor.
Budget narrative must match the budget in terms of dollar amounts and language – double check everything.
Explain why items are essential in relation to the aims and methodology of the project as well as meeting the goals of the project.
Explain the line items. Do not merely restate the proposed expenditure.
Provide detail sufficient to justify the rationale for acquiring the item under the proposed project.

Budget Justification Examples and Templates

NSF Budget Justification example

NIH Budget Justification example

Budget Justification For Any Sponsor

Salaries and Wages

Also see Budget Development: Personnel Costs .

List all personnel and positions to be paid with project funds and briefly describe their role in the project.
Only list paid personnel unless cost-sharing is mandated by the sponsor.
In addition to how the sponsor requires effort to be shown, also always list effort in person months for faculty and staff. For Graduate Research Assistants, list number of months and hours per week.
When listing effort, do not use approximations. Show effort out to two decimal points (e.g. 1.52 months) as applicable.
Include a COLA of 3% to 5%. Verify any sponsor-driven limitations on COLAs. Currently for example, UMass budgets only 2% with the NIH.

Consultants

Also see Budget Development: Consultants .

List consultant name and describe in detail the services to be performed.
Include number of days, rate of compensation, and total amount per year. This must be corroborated in a letter provided by the consultant.

Also see Budget Development: Equipment .

Definition of Equipment : a unit cost of $5,000 or more and a useful life of at least one year.
Get accurate price quotes
Explain why the equipment is needed in support of the project aims.
Confirm equipment is dedicated to the project. If equipment is shared with other projects, budget an amount that corresponds to expected project use and verify the rationale. Split funding of equipment should only generally occur with large equipment purchases.

Materials and Supplies

Also see Budget Development: Materials and Supplies .

Only request supplies directly relevant (allocable) to the research plan.
Explain in detail why specific supplies are needed.
Do not request general office supplies if federal (allowability).
Budgeting should be based on actual experience or quotes (reasonableness).
Use an inflation factor (COLA) for future years (verify any sponsor limits).
The breakdown should be more detailed when the total supplies cost is substantial. Where large amounts of supplies or expensive items are budgeted, specify items and justify their necessity.

Also see Budget Development: Travel .

Ask for reasonable amounts.
Indicate basis of cost (historical, quotes, etc.)
State exactly which relevant meeting/conference you plan to attend. If not known, provide examples.
Include breakdown of costs for airfare, meals, lodging, and ground transportation. Some sponsors like NSF will reject a proposal if insufficient details are provided.
Include number of people, number of days, purpose and location of travel.
Budgeting should be based on actual experience or quotes.
Use an inflation factor (COLA) for future years.
Avoid partial financing of travel requirements.

Other Direct Costs

See also Budget Development: Other Direct Costs .

Fee-for-service: Justify use; show the University approved rate, or if an external vendor, their published rate. (internal link here to “Fee-for-service)
Equipment maintenance and service contract (justify need) and verify that the covered equipment is dedicated to the project; If proportional use on the covered equipment is anticipated, provide the proportional cost/use rationale; Cost/usage should not generally fall below 50%; Note the basis of the cost (quotes, etc.)
Software should be identified by brand, type, and unit cost; verify in the justification that it is dedicated to the project; and provide a strong justification for why it is needed especially emphasizing what aspect of the project will benefit from its use; the software should not be general purpose software but rather specialized in a manner that supports the specific technical aims of the project; verify basis of cost (quotes, catalog prices, etc.) (link to software costing info above)
Human Subject Payments (breakdown # of subjects and cost to each)
Provide details for publication costs.
Give detailed breakdown of each cost.
Tuition – provide details. See the Fact Sheet for current rates and provide them to the sponsor. Use the Kuali Salary Guide (Excel) .

Subcontractors/Subrecipients

See also Budget Development: Subcontracts .

Clearly identify subcontracting organizations and their key personnel.
Briefly explain their scope of work.
Explain the need to contract with a particular organization, expertise of subcontractor PI, institutional facilities.
Keep in mind that subcontractors will provide their own detailed budgets and corresponding budget justifications. These should be separate and distinct from the UMass budget and budget justification and follow the UMass budget and budget justification.

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Budgets should provide the sponsor with an accurate assessment of all cost items and cost amounts that are deemed necessary and reasonable to carry out your project. They should be based upon your description or the statement of work. Budget justification provides more in-depth detail and reason for each cost and is often considered by reviewers as a good indicator of the feasibility of the research.

A research budget contains both direct costs and indirect costs (overhead), but the level of detail varies from sponsor to sponsor. The first step in developing a budget is to carefully read the guidelines of the funding opportunity being pursued.

There is no magic formula available for developing a budget but there are some basic steps to follow in order to develop an accurate budget:

Define project tasks, timelines and milestones and determine the actual resources and costs required to complete these. Consider whether contingencies are needed (and confirm they are eligible expenses).
Determine the eligible expense categories and maximum amount allowed by the sponsor. Adjust scope of the project to make sure proposed activities fit within the allowance.
Categorize these costs (e.g., salaries, supplies, equipment…) per year, in some cases by quarter.
Ensure that project scope and budget match. Include indirect costs of research as permitted by sponsor and the University policy.

The examples below developed by the University of British Columbia demonstrate two ways to include indirect costs in your budget.

Price model: Indirect cost is built into each budget line item.
Cost model: Indirect cost of research is presented as a separate line item.

Unless the sponsor specifies in writing that they require the indirect costs of research to be presented as a separate line item (Cost Model), the indirect cost should be built into each budget line item (Price Model). Indirect costs are normally included in the price of goods and services worldwide.

For example, you are developing a budget for a funding opportunity with an indirect cost rate of 25%. Your direct costs are $201,000 broken down by expense categories shown in the second column of the table below. The third and fourth colums present the two ways you can include the 25% overhead in your budget using the Price Model or the Cost Model, respectively:

In-kind and cash contributions, like other costs to the sponsored project, must be eligible and must be treated in a consistent and uniform manner in proposal preparation and in financial reporting.

Cash contributions

Cash contributions are actual cash transactions that can be documented in the accounting system. Examples of cash contributions include:

allocation of compensated faculty and staff time to projects, or
the purchasing of equipment by the university or other eligible sponsor for the benefit of the project.

In-kind contributions

In-kind contributions are both non-monetary or cash equivalent resources that can be given a cash value, such as goods and/or services in support of a research project or proposal. It is challenging to report on in-kind contribution, please make sure the numbers you use are well supported, consistent and easy to quantitate.

Examples of an in-kind contribution may include:

Access to unique database or information
Professional, analytical, and other donated services
Employee salaries including benefits for time allocated to the project
Study materials, technologies, or components
Patents and licenses for use
Use of facilities (e.g., lab or meeting spaces)
Partner organization time spent participating in the project
Eligible infrastructure items

Matching on sponsored projects

Some sponsored projects require the university and/or a third party to contribute a portion of the project costs–this contribution is known as matching.

Matching requirements may be in the form of an actual cash expenditure of funds or may be an “in-kind” match. For example:

A 1:1 match would require $100 of a third-party matching for every $100 received from an agency.
A 30% match would mean that of a total budget of $100, the agency would provide $70 and a third party would need to match $30.

Examples of agency programs that include some form of matching from a third party are:

NSERC Collaborative Research and Development Grants
NSERC Idea to Innovation Grants
SSHRC Partnership Grants
CIHR Industry Partnered Collaborative Research Program, and
CIHR Proof of Principle Grants

Additional resources

Current salary and benefit rates for graduate students and postdocs/research associates
SFU Business and Travel Expense Policy
Animal care services

Conduct , Grants and Funding

How to Plan and Write a Budget for Research Grant Proposal

To be a successful candidate for a research grant, you need perfect budget formulation and justification. Here, we will help you plan the research budget for your grant proposal and give you handy tips to transform it into a convincible form.

Budget as a Skeletal Support

Your budget is the skeleton of your grant proposal. It provides the estimated finance your research needs to be completed in a particular time range. It also gives the funders an exact knowledge about where their funds will be used and how will they be financed ( Asya, 2008 ). It is your responsibility to postulate clearly how you will manage the funds if granted. An excellent budget plan will compel your funders to assume that you have thought about every financial detail concerning your project.

Specific Terminologies to Know Beforehand

Certain wordings are preferred to convey your research budget information better. It is important to familiarize with them before constructing the budget section of the proposals. The lexis includes:

Direct Costs

These are the expenses that are utilized solely for executing your research. For example, expenses on your research staff members, tools, materials, and travel finance.

Facilities & Administrative Costs (Indirect Costs)

These are the overhead charges reserved for institutional facilities that you avail yourself while conducting your research. For example, institutional laboratory, electricity, and water usage costs.

Fringe Benefits

These are the additional benefits provided to the personnel, along with their basic salaries. Every institution has its own set of fringe benefits rates.

Research Consortium

It is a group of institutions that apply for a grant together as one. They have reached a grant agreement, and one of the institutions represents them all. The budget is divided between them.

Types of Budget

There are two budget designs used in the NIH grant applications. Specific points will decide the type of budget design form you have to use for your application. These are:

Modular Design Budget

Your budget design is considered modular when your research fulfills the following criteria:

Your direct costs are equal to or less than $250,000 annually
You are applying for research grants or their equivalents
Your institution is located in the United States

Detailed Design Budget

Your budget design should be in detailed form if your research project fulfills any of the below-mentioned criteria:

Your direct costs are more than $250,000 per annum
You are applying for grants other than research grant type or its equivalents
Your institution is situated outside the United States

For the modular design, you have to fill out the PHS 398 modular budget application form, and for the detailed design budget, you have to use the R & R detailed budget application form.

Planning your Budget

Your budget planning starts when you find the research question and decide on a suitable study design. You should also be able to guess the unpredictable charges that can arise while conducting your research ( Sudheesh, Devika & Nethra, 2016 ). There are five main points to keep in mind while planning your research budget:

Pin-point the Budget Essentials

Think about all the things that will affect your research budget. These are mainly the study design, testing procedures, sample collection methods, and research settings. The more complicated and unique these essentials will be, the higher will be your budget requirements. Also, observe the already present resources and will they benefit your research budget.

Follow the Instructions of the Funding Agency

The next point to consider while planning your budget is to abide by the budget rules and limitations of your particular funding agency. Read each instruction carefully and remember not to deviate from it. It is expected of you to provide the exact list of items necessary for your project.

Categorization of Each Item

Thirdly, a breakdown of each item into its related category should be made along with its cost. A breakdown of the budget item-wise and year-wise with cost calculation should be done. Point out the recurring and nonrecurring items that are directly related to your research. All this planning is done beforehand to ensure proper budget management.

Justification of Each Item

For every enlisted item, you should be able to provide a solid justification for its importance in your research. Only a well-justified budget document can win the confidence of the peer reviewers.

Review & Verification of the Budget Items

Reviewing is the most significant step for every document or proposal. You can ask your team members to review your budget document for you. Also, recalculate the cost of each item and the total items combined cost per annum. Keep in mind that too low or high budget will only raise suspicion in the mind of your reviewers. So, make sure you plan a research budget range, not more than the maximum limit set by your funding agency ( Michael et al., 2019 ).

Scripting your Budget onto the Grant Application

Projecting your finances into your application requires skills. When writing, we primarily divide our budget into two sub-sections. These include:

As mentioned before, these are the direct expenses on which your research is largely dependent. So, firstly, give the heading of direct costs and then further give the following subheadings with explanations.

Personnel Involved

If your research project involves resource team members, here is where you have to mention them. Your resource team includes the technicians, laboratory attendants, site caretakers, data entry personnel, junior researchers, and the senior researcher involved. Specify their allowances and salaries in an organized manner.

Recurring Expenditure

These expenses occur regularly and yet cannot be avoided. These include equipment usage, laboratory-conducted diagnostic tests, telecommunication charges, chemicals, and any other essential items. Fees for human subjects involved in your research are also stated here.

Non-recurring Expenditure

These are the costs of items for which you have to pay one-time charges, and then their use is free. These include buying charges for the printer, computer, or other electronic items. Once you buy them, they are charge-free. Thus, you have to specify all the non-recurring charges in your budget form.

Traveling Expenditure

In this subheading, specify the amount spent on your traveling for research purposes. Separately mention your traveling costs for attending research-related conferences, seminars, and training. Also, mention the travel expenses for the surveys and data collection. Visiting expenses to other institutions for the sake of a research study can also be mentioned here.

Indirect Costs

The second sub-section is indirect expenditure. It includes facilities that are indirectly related to your research project. These can be library facilities, electricity, and water usage for your experiments and test conduction. These are also called overhead charges that are paid specifically to the institution for providing such facilities ( Ahmed & Abdullah, 2017 ).

Budget Overview

In the final paragraph, write a short finalizing note relating your budget outlining the main point. This should be a 4 to 5-lined paragraph.

Budget Justification

Most of the funding agencies separately require justification for each item that you specified in your above-mentioned budget form. This document is also known as the budget narrative page. It reasons the importance of that item for your research conduction. Each item is mentioned in the same order as in your budget form and should be justified respectively ( Al-Jundi & Salah, 2016 ). It is best to make a three-columned table with the name of the item in the first column, the quantity and cost in the second column, and a justification statement in the third column.

Budget Summary

In the last, you have to provide a summarized form of your budget for your proposed research. It is written at the end when you have completed writing your whole application. In this, you have to specify every item with its cost per annum. The non-recurring items will only be specified under the first-year heading as they have a one-time expense. Likewise, the recurring items will be mentioned in both years, along with their costs.

Esthetical Considerations

The following points will enhance the esthetics of your budget section:

Headings & Bullet points

Writing the budget items under a categorized heading will make it easy for the reviewers to retrieve the necessary points in your budget. You can use bullet marks or checklist signs to highlight your main points. This will show the reviewers that you have the budget representation skills and that your enlisted budget finance is authentic.

Tabulations

Try to write your budget essentials in a tabulated form with three main columns. The first column represents the item name. The second column specifies the cost of that particular essential. The third column signifies the importance of your particular essential in performing your research. This will save both time and effort of reviewers who have to scrutinize many applications at a time.

Organization

The pattern you follow for each essential specification in the budget form should be followed in the same manner while writing the budget justification document. There should be a flow in your budget data and which will further enhance its esthetics.

Elementary Language

Your language should be simple enough to be understood by a common person. Complicated terms and phrases will only make it difficult for reviewers to reach your point of view.

Your budget prepares you for all the financial aids you need to conduct your research. It informs you about the expenses of each research item and method. In this way, you can choose an economical procedure for your research. The budget section is considered as the key factor of success or failure for your proposal. This section requires a skillful approach and should be handled delicately. Nowadays, research writers record their budget in the form of electronic spreadsheets. It is easy to manage the budget essentials and the expenses via these excel spreadsheets. You just need to point out and categorize the direct and indirect costs in the already drawn tabulated budget spreadsheet. Hence, you will be able to plan and compose a well-scripted budget by following the instructions given in this article.

Al-Riyami, A. (2008, April). How to Prepare a Research Proposal. Oman Medical Journal , 23 (2), 66–69. http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3282423
Duggappa, D.R., Nethra, S.S. & Sudheesh, K. (2016, September). How to Write a Research Proposal? Indian Journal of Anaesthesia , 60 (9), 631–634. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5049.190617
Burkhardt, J., Carlson, J.N., Gottlieb, M., King, A.M., Lee, S., Santen, S.A. & Wong, A.H. (2019, January). Show Me the Money: Successfully Obtaining Grant Funding in Medical Education. The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine , 20 (1), 71–77. https://doi.org/10.5811/westjem.2018.10.41269
Al-Maniri, A. & Al-Shukaili, A. (2017). Writing a Research Proposal to the Research Council of Oman. Oman Medical Journal , 32 (3), 180–188. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2017.35
Azzam, A. & Sakka, S. (2016, November). Protocol Writing in Clinical Research. Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research, 10(11), Z10–Z13. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2016/21426.8865

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Sample Budget Justifications

Sponsor requirements differ, and sample budget justifications should be seen only as a starting point. Guidelines for sponsor requirements are in the annotated budget justifications. Read the solicitation and the sponsor’s proposal preparation guidelines for each proposal's requirements.

For Research Sponsors

Sample Budget Justification for Non-Federal Research [DOCX] - April 6, 2023
Annotated Budget Justification - Non-Federal Research
Sample Budget Justification for Federal Research [DOCX] - April 6, 2023
Annotated Budget Justification - Federal Research

For Non-Research Sponsors:

Sample Budget Justification for Non-Federal Non-Research [DOCX] - July 29, 2022
Annotated Budget Justification - Non-Federal Non-Research
Sample Budget Justification for Federal Non-Research [DOCX] - July 29, 2022
Annotated Budget Justification - Federal Non-Research
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Top 7 Research Budget Templates with Samples and Examples

Tejas Prasanna

There is no magic formula for creating a research budget. Depending on the kind of research and the potential changes it can bring about, careful planning and allocation is necessary. Budgets can, thus, vary depending on the sponsors, besides other factors. However, every research budget has some essential guidelines.

Research budgets depend on the project deliverables, timelines, and milestones. The resources required also depend on the scope of the projects and sponsors.

Best Templates for Planning Your Research Budget

Designing a research budget is not easy. You will need to consider the resources required and categorize them according to guidelines to ensure funding is not a problem. The categories may include the project’s necessary supplies and equipment and the wages you must pay your assistants. Research budgets are allocated for a year, but you can also plan for a quarter, depending on the project.

At SlideTeam, we have taken care of all these pain points and designed content-ready presentation templates that address each of these points. You save the time, the resources, and the tedium in having to make these presentations from scratch.

What is even better is that each of the templates is 100% editable and customizable. The content-ready nature means you get a starting point and a structure to guide your presentation; the editability feature means you can customize the template to audience profile.

Let’s explore these templates now.

Template 1 - Impact matrix evaluation research solution budget

This PPT Template is the perfect solution for your research budgeting needs. The matrix suggests what solutions are essential with the help of relevant keys that assign priority levels. Priorities go from low to highest influence with increasing importance. They are color-coded, with white being the lowest and red being the highest influence. For instance, Maintain Awareness and Evaluation are red in many cases, as shown in the slide. So, that means that they bear a significant impact on the research budget. Similarly, Strategic and Budget Planning are color-coded white, which means they don't impact the research budget as much in some cases.

With the impact matrix and heatmap, mapping out your research budget will be a breeze.

Impact Matrix Evaluation Research Solution Budget

Get it now!

Template 2 Half-yearly research and development departmental budget

Research and Development departments can plan the budget required for projects for the two halves of the year using this PPT Template. The presentation template highlights areas for which you will need funding such as research and development, skills, innovation and patenting, and cooperation. You can also list your requirements for each area. For instance, under R&D and skills, you may need funding for medical research, chemical research, etc. Similarly, for innovation and patenting, you may need funding for product innovation and to cover patenting costs. Likewise, cooperation may involve setting up new laboratories and research centers. With this outlined, you can split the budget required for your research project for the two halves of the year.

Download now!

Template 3 - Budget Estimate for Research and Development Project

This presentation template for the budget estimate for your research and development project is apt for arriving at the calculation for the four quarters in a year. You can define and assign tasks as per the requirements of the project and allocate a set budget for each. The tasks may involve conducting market research and competitive analysis or be innovative or developmental. In either case, you can use this template to set a fixed budget for each task in the research project.

Get it today!

Template 4 Clinical Trial Phases with Communication and Budget Research Design for Clinical Trials

Clinical trials involve many phases, and you should let your research associates know about each step. For instance, you could post the information on the company website and provide relevant insights during the pre-trial phase. Similarly, you can offer the welcome letter and training materials during the trial start-up. During the trial, you can send newsletters to your associates, giving them relevant information and other valuable insights. All this requires funding, and you will need to allocate a budget. However, you don't need to worry, as this PPT Preset has you sorted, with dedicated sections for the pre-trial, trial start-up, during-trial, and trial-end phases. It also has communication, insights summary, and budget sections. You can use the budget section in the matrix to allot a budget for each trial phase and each section, including communication and insights.

Download here!

Template 5 Market research strategy with budget and area

The PPT Template has all the core elements required for your market research strategy, including the budget and area. This slide lets you list your clients, the items, and when to send them. You can also list background information related to your research, the aim and objectives of the project, the areas covered, and the budget.

The presentation template also provides a dedicated space to list your brands and products and a timeline for completing the research.

Market Research Strategy with Budget and Area

Template 6 - Determine Budget for Psychology Research Proposal One-Pager Sample Example Document

This presentation template is an easy-to-use tool for determining the budget required for psychology research. With this slide, you can allocate a budget for each area, including diagnostic assessment, training, technology and tools, supplies, travel, and workforce. It is a practical, hands-on template with information required to plan the budget for conducting psychological tests and evaluations. Please note that depending on your geography, taxes might or might not deserve a separate column.

Template 7 - Budgeting for Product Launch Market Research

Every company needs to conduct market research before launching a new product. The PowerPoint Presentation that you have here can help you plan the budget required for conducting such market research. It includes necessary information, including business and research objectives, priorities, methodologies, and forecasts. The presentation template also has the metrics required for the research, such as improving customer engagement, introducing new products, and increasing market share. For example, to improve customer engagement, you may be looking to improve marketing approaches and gather customer feedback. The methods you may use include conducting marketing mix studies and tests. Similarly, you may want to optimize your social media posts and profiles and conduct A/B tests when introducing new products. Improving your market share may involve analyzing the competition. You may even use this handy template for conducting market research, estimating, and forecasting budgets.

RESEARCH IS IMPORTANT BUSINESS

You can plan your research and the budget required using these templates. Remember that each new product launch has lots of research behind it. When going for a new launch, don’t just research the products and its uses, but also the markets – particularly, your target audience and how they will benefit from your brands. When allocating the budget for your research, don't forget to note your total resources and try to be as cost-effective as possible. You must consider the expected costs that you may incur and use these templates to work out a research budget that fits within your resources.

FAQs on Research Budget

What should be included in a research budget.

Research budgets should include all direct costs, and facilities and administrative costs (F&A). The facilities and administrative expenses are needed to achieve the primary objectives of the research. The project description should state the proposed budget and serve as a financial expression for the research. The idea is to ensure that the budget is comprehensive.

How do you create a research budget?

You can create a simple research budget by following these steps:

List activities that will help you carry out the research.
Check the rules for getting the funding required.
Check all costs involved.
Lay out the costs using a spreadsheet.
Justify your budget by asking why and for what you need the money and where you got your figures.

What is the role of budget in research?

A budget can provide a detailed and clear picture of the structure of the research project, not to mention that it also lets you know how well it can be managed. The research project budget usually lets you see whether it will go according to plan and if it is feasible. So, it must be complete and reasonable.

What is the average budget for a research project?

The budget for a research project depends on the type of research and the proposed difference it could make to a field of study. For instance, the average budget for a market research project may vary between $20,000 and $50,000. Similarly, larger scientific research projects may cost millions or even billions of dollars, as in pharmaceuticals.

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Drafting a budget

How to prepare a convincing budget

A well-constructed budget justification is an important part of a grant proposal and should be drafted with the same care and accuracy as the work programme. You should apply neither for too much nor for too little money. Instead, the funds you apply for should reflect the needs of the project. We describe the most important rules for drafting a budget and provide examples on the following pages.

"Grundausstattung" (core funding and basic infrastructure)

Many funding organisations do not cover expenses for what is considered "Grundausstattung" . This usually includes:

office and lab space
general infrastructure like furniture, telephone, tools etc.
office supplies, postage
maintenance costs, including electricity, water, repairs etc.
equipment that is considered standard for a given discipline, including computers and software.

Please contact your department early to discuss what kind of infrastructure and office space will be available to you. It might be useful to declare infrastructure that is provided by the university as a co-payment which the university contributes to the project.

If a funding body does not provide a guideline for how salaries should be calculated, we suggest that you refer to the DFG's Personnel Rates . These are updated annually and provide good orientation for calculating salaries. Doctoral students who are employed according to the "Tarifvertrag der Länder" usually receive an appointment depending on their discipline and the DFG's suggestions, which can be found (in German) on this website .

In the budget, you should describe who will be working on a given task. You should also explain what level of expertise and experience a task requires, i.e. why a specific task requires a postdoctoral researchers while another task can be worked on by a doctoral student. If you already know who you want to employ in your project, it is advisable to describe why he or she is best qualified to work on your project or a specific task.

Staff costs in proposals submitted to the federal government

Budgets for proposals to the federal government will need to include a tailor-made calculation for staff costs. The Research Support team is happy to make this calculation for you. Please contact us!

Equipment and consumables

You may usually apply for equipment and consumables that are needed for a project. Try to give examples for the requested items instead of applying for unspecified "consumables for experiments", and explain the requested funds in as much detail as possible.

Travel Costs

With effect of 1 January 2022 new legislation to calculate travel costs came into force in Baden-Württemberg. HR have summarised the most important changes for you in this document (available in German only).

To calculate travel costs, we suggest that you try to make a realistic estimation of how much a trip will cost. You may furthermore refer to the following sums:

For domestic travel : 24 Euro daily allowance + 95 Euro for accomodation per night
For travel abroad , lump sums published in the " Allgemeinen Verwaltungsvorschrift des Bundes über die Neufestsetzung der Auslandstage- und Übernachtungsgelder " ( ARVVwV , General administrative provision on the new stipulation of foreign per diem and travel allowances) apply.
Travel costs within Germany may be calculated on the basis of a 2nd class train ticket. For flights, use a travel website to estimate what a flight will cost approximately.
Include other costs , like conference fees or public transport also as part of your travel costs.

Make sure that you justify the need for your travels. Ideally, each trip is included in the work plan.

Workshops, conferences or summer schools can be part of a research project or stand on their own. It is possible to apply for funding for both cases. It is usually possible to apply for funds to cover the following:

travel costs and accomodation for participants
staff costs, usually for student assistants, to help prepare an event
consumables, such as costs for printing.

Honoraria, food and social events are often excluded from funding. You will need to find other sources to coves these costs. It is sometimes possible to find a sponsor; alternatively, asking for a small fee from the participants can help to cover costs.

The Event and Conference Management team can help you organise an event; the Research Support team can help you find funding for it.

Conducting an experiment

To conduct an experiment, you recruit 90 people and 15 people as substitutes. For 30 minutes, 5 eurosare paid; the substitutes receive a lump sum of 5 euros.

90 x 30 minutes interview

45 x 30 minutes control interview

Total: 750 euros 90 x € 5 + 45 x € 5 + 15 x € 5

Consumables

The costs for lab equipment and consumables for tasks in the work packages 2 and 3 are the following:

ca. 50 l liquid X (price per liter: 5 euros) = 250 euros

ca. 300 test glasses Y (price per item: 0.50 euros) = 150 euros

annual costs: 400 euros

Total for three years:

3 x 400 euros = 1,200 euros

Calculating depreciation costs

You need a specific kind of gadget for your research project. It costs 150,000 euros. The depreciation period is thirteen years. The project runs for five years. You may apply for the costs that occur during the project lifetime.

150,000 euros : 13 years x 5 years project duration: 57,692.31 euros

Sum that you apply for as part of your budget: 57,692 euros

Justification for travel costs

For each trip, you should provide:

- the purpose of the trip (conference, research, etc).

- destination

- number of people traveling

- duration of stay

- (estimated) costs for train or flight

- per diem rate and accomodation costs

- other costs

- total per trip and person

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Home » How To Write A Research Proposal – Step-by-Step [Template]

How To Write A Research Proposal – Step-by-Step [Template]

Table of Contents

How To Write a Research Proposal

Writing a Research proposal involves several steps to ensure a well-structured and comprehensive document. Here is an explanation of each step:

1. Title and Abstract

Choose a concise and descriptive title that reflects the essence of your research.
Write an abstract summarizing your research question, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes. It should provide a brief overview of your proposal.

2. Introduction:

Provide an introduction to your research topic, highlighting its significance and relevance.
Clearly state the research problem or question you aim to address.
Discuss the background and context of the study, including previous research in the field.

3. Research Objectives

Outline the specific objectives or aims of your research. These objectives should be clear, achievable, and aligned with the research problem.

4. Literature Review:

Conduct a comprehensive review of relevant literature and studies related to your research topic.
Summarize key findings, identify gaps, and highlight how your research will contribute to the existing knowledge.

5. Methodology:

Describe the research design and methodology you plan to employ to address your research objectives.
Explain the data collection methods, instruments, and analysis techniques you will use.
Justify why the chosen methods are appropriate and suitable for your research.

6. Timeline:

Create a timeline or schedule that outlines the major milestones and activities of your research project.
Break down the research process into smaller tasks and estimate the time required for each task.

7. Resources:

Identify the resources needed for your research, such as access to specific databases, equipment, or funding.
Explain how you will acquire or utilize these resources to carry out your research effectively.

8. Ethical Considerations:

Discuss any ethical issues that may arise during your research and explain how you plan to address them.
If your research involves human subjects, explain how you will ensure their informed consent and privacy.

9. Expected Outcomes and Significance:

Clearly state the expected outcomes or results of your research.
Highlight the potential impact and significance of your research in advancing knowledge or addressing practical issues.

10. References:

Provide a list of all the references cited in your proposal, following a consistent citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).

11. Appendices:

Include any additional supporting materials, such as survey questionnaires, interview guides, or data analysis plans.

Research Proposal Format

The format of a research proposal may vary depending on the specific requirements of the institution or funding agency. However, the following is a commonly used format for a research proposal:

1. Title Page:

Include the title of your research proposal, your name, your affiliation or institution, and the date.

2. Abstract:

Provide a brief summary of your research proposal, highlighting the research problem, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes.

3. Introduction:

Introduce the research topic and provide background information.
State the research problem or question you aim to address.
Explain the significance and relevance of the research.
Review relevant literature and studies related to your research topic.
Summarize key findings and identify gaps in the existing knowledge.
Explain how your research will contribute to filling those gaps.

5. Research Objectives:

Clearly state the specific objectives or aims of your research.
Ensure that the objectives are clear, focused, and aligned with the research problem.

6. Methodology:

Describe the research design and methodology you plan to use.
Explain the data collection methods, instruments, and analysis techniques.
Justify why the chosen methods are appropriate for your research.

7. Timeline:

8. Resources:

Explain how you will acquire or utilize these resources effectively.

9. Ethical Considerations:

If applicable, explain how you will ensure informed consent and protect the privacy of research participants.

10. Expected Outcomes and Significance:

11. References:

12. Appendices:

Research Proposal Template

Here’s a template for a research proposal:

1. Introduction:

2. Literature Review:

3. Research Objectives:

4. Methodology:

5. Timeline:

6. Resources:

7. Ethical Considerations:

8. Expected Outcomes and Significance:

9. References:

10. Appendices:

Research Proposal Sample

Title: The Impact of Online Education on Student Learning Outcomes: A Comparative Study

1. Introduction

Online education has gained significant prominence in recent years, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This research proposal aims to investigate the impact of online education on student learning outcomes by comparing them with traditional face-to-face instruction. The study will explore various aspects of online education, such as instructional methods, student engagement, and academic performance, to provide insights into the effectiveness of online learning.

2. Objectives

The main objectives of this research are as follows:

To compare student learning outcomes between online and traditional face-to-face education.
To examine the factors influencing student engagement in online learning environments.
To assess the effectiveness of different instructional methods employed in online education.
To identify challenges and opportunities associated with online education and suggest recommendations for improvement.

3. Methodology

3.1 Study Design

This research will utilize a mixed-methods approach to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The study will include the following components:

3.2 Participants

The research will involve undergraduate students from two universities, one offering online education and the other providing face-to-face instruction. A total of 500 students (250 from each university) will be selected randomly to participate in the study.

3.3 Data Collection

The research will employ the following data collection methods:

Quantitative: Pre- and post-assessments will be conducted to measure students’ learning outcomes. Data on student demographics and academic performance will also be collected from university records.
Qualitative: Focus group discussions and individual interviews will be conducted with students to gather their perceptions and experiences regarding online education.

3.4 Data Analysis

Quantitative data will be analyzed using statistical software, employing descriptive statistics, t-tests, and regression analysis. Qualitative data will be transcribed, coded, and analyzed thematically to identify recurring patterns and themes.

4. Ethical Considerations

The study will adhere to ethical guidelines, ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of participants. Informed consent will be obtained, and participants will have the right to withdraw from the study at any time.

5. Significance and Expected Outcomes

This research will contribute to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on the impact of online education on student learning outcomes. The findings will help educational institutions and policymakers make informed decisions about incorporating online learning methods and improving the quality of online education. Moreover, the study will identify potential challenges and opportunities related to online education and offer recommendations for enhancing student engagement and overall learning outcomes.

6. Timeline

The proposed research will be conducted over a period of 12 months, including data collection, analysis, and report writing.

The estimated budget for this research includes expenses related to data collection, software licenses, participant compensation, and research assistance. A detailed budget breakdown will be provided in the final research plan.

8. Conclusion

This research proposal aims to investigate the impact of online education on student learning outcomes through a comparative study with traditional face-to-face instruction. By exploring various dimensions of online education, this research will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness and challenges associated with online learning. The findings will contribute to the ongoing discourse on educational practices and help shape future strategies for maximizing student learning outcomes in online education settings.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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Compile a research budget

Get started with your grant application budget plan..

TOP TIP: Each call has different guidelines for what may or may not be included within the budget for your project. Read your call guidelines carefully.

Where to start

Research Design = List resources that you need to conduct the project. Include your time, staff and non-staff resources such as field work, travel, research assistance or software.

Decide on a start date and project duration = The project start date (if your application is awarded) will depend on when you plan to submit your application and the assessment cycle of the funding body.

Consider the time required to recruit staff = If applicable, do you need staff at the start of your awarded project?

Devise a realistic budget plan according to the funder’s requirements and LSE’s financial regulations. Your Research Development Manager will help you compile your budget.

Contact us to compile your budget

Email your Research Development Manager .

8 costs to examine when preparing your project budget:

1. staff salaries.

Staff salaries are often the largest cost of the budget.

Allocate enough money for staffing costs and think about what staff roles the project requires.

How do I determine which level is appropriate?

Consider the amount of time you wish to spend on the project as well as the amount of research assistance and expertise required.

You may need administrative support if you plan on sending out a large number of questionnaires and have a lot of data entry to do. If the study is complex, you may want a senior research fellow with previous experience. It will cost more but it will be an expense worth paying for.

View research staff role profiles

View salary scales

Extra staff costs

In addition, there will be extra costs to include, such as:

recruitment advertising
redundancy expenses
pension costs
national insurance contributions

Named staff

Follow School procedures for including named staff in proposals. If you have a specific person in mind, contact your Research Development Manager .

Check local practice with your Department/Centre Manager as additional procedures on staffing salary levels may apply.

2. Indirect costs

Indirect costs can include:

estates costs and institutional overheads
the cost of using an office
facilities such as HR, IT support and library services

Often a funding body will only pay a contribution towards these. Research and Innovation will calculate these costs based on a standard full economic costing.

To add these costs to your budget, email the Research Development Team .

3. Equipment

This could include items such as a digital recorder or a laptop for carrying out field work.

Some equipment may not be eligible depending on the funder’s regulations.

For example, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) will normally expect a computer to be provided by the host institution.

There are some exceptions - funding may be considered if a standard computer is not adequate for processing vast amounts of data.

Justify equipment explicitly in your proposal. Contact us for further advice.

4. Consumables

Examples of standard project running costs include:

printed brochures for dissemination events
tea, coffee, lunch for meetings etc.
postage and stationery
photocopying
computer supplies (toner)

5. Travel and subsistence

A project may require travel costs to allow you to:

carry out field work
attend a conference
present findings for dissemination purposes
meet co-investigators working on the project

Example travel costs

Estimate your budget with LSE's example cost guidelines .

Calculate travel rates to cover the cost of subsistence and accommodation as well as flights and train costs.

Some funding bodies have set criteria of what they are prepared to cover and may apply funding caps. For example, no business class flights; economy travel only.

Tell your Research Development Manager :

total number of trips needed
number of people who need to travel
year in which each trip will be taken

6. Justification of resources

A common component of a project is the ‘justification of costs’, sometimes referred to as ‘resource allocation’. It's essential to spend time making this section clear.

Expensive items

If an expensive item of equipment is crucial for the project, state how it will be used and why alternative options are not viable.

Staff costs

The same rule applies for the inclusion of those people who have specialised expertise – please state:

what these staff will be doing
why less costly options are not viable

Discuss your costs with the Research Development Team .

7. Research Grants Policy (formerly Research Incentives Policy)

The Research Grants Policy provides financial rewards for staff who win research funding – to enhance their salaries, to buy out their time from teaching and/or to provide unencumbered research funding – and research funding for the departments and research centres which host them.

It came into full effect from 1 August 2021 and applies partially to awards falling prior to this date but after the suspension of its predecessor, the Research Incentives Policy, in June 2020. View the Research Grants Policy

The Research Incentives Policy was suspended in June 2020 and remains active only for eligible legacy projects. It has been replaced by the Research Grants Policy. View the Research Incentives Policy

8. Ineligible costs

Each call has different guidelines for what may or may not be included within the budget for your project.

Read call guidelines. If in doubt, check details with your Research Development Manager in the Research Development Team.

Contact us Get in touch today to discuss your research idea or project

Grant proposal writing Improve your chances of winning a grant with our top tips

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Budget proposal templates: 5 steps to secure funding

A budget proposal summarizes the estimated costs for an upcoming project in order to secure funding from project stakeholders. You can also use budget proposals on the company or campaign level. Learn how to create a detailed budget proposal using our free template.

When you have an idea for a new project, you’ll need the right people on board to bring it to life. While your team members can create the deliverables, projects often can’t move forward without funding—which requires approval.

In this article, we’ll cover how to create a detailed budget proposal. A strong project budget proposal can be the deciding factor in whether your project initiative becomes a reality or needs to go back to the drawing board. Then, use our free template to get started.

What is a budget proposal?

A budget proposal summarizes the estimated costs for an upcoming project in order to secure funding from project stakeholders. Your budget proposal breaks down the cost elements associated with your project. This shows stakeholders the benefits and/or drawbacks of getting involved.

The costs you include in your budget proposal will likely fall into four categories:

Direct costs: Direct costs are expenses directly related to the project in question. These can include labor costs, team member hours, software, and the cost of specific project activities.

Indirect costs: Indirect costs don’t relate directly to the project in question. These items may help you run your project, but they may also help run the entire company. Indirect costs are typically expenses like utilities, insurance, IT services, and server fees.

Equipment and materials: The equipment and materials section is actually a sub-category of direct costs because these are physical items you’ll need specifically for the project in question. However, because these items are unique in nature, they get their own section in the budget proposal.

Travel and other expenses: A project may require travel expenses if clients or customers are involved. Other expenses may include training, taxes, and other unexpected or variable fees.

In this article, we cover how to draft a budget proposal for a project. However, you can also use budget proposals at the company or campaign level.

What are the benefits of using a budget proposal?

A budget proposal breaks down the expenses you’ll incur during project execution. A clear budget proposal can help your team and others involved in the following ways:

Creates financial transparency: A budget proposal offers transparency by making finances an open topic of conversation as soon as you develop a project idea. Project transparency increases team productivity because it shows team members how their work connects to the larger picture. In a similar fashion, seeing the project budget connects stakeholders to the internal work process.

Shows project value and impact: Budget proposals are a great way to give your stakeholders an idea of how the project will provide value for your organization and to the outside world. By showing what you’re spending money on—and why spending money on a particular project or initiative matters—you’re implicitly presenting the validity of your project ideas.

Displays cost efficiency: A budget proposal is a chance for you to do research and choose materials, vendors, or other services that may fit your product and target market. By breaking down the costs in each area, you can prove the cost efficiency of your project.

Helps forecast profits: If your project involves the creation of a product or service, a budget proposal can help you share your sales forecast . You’ll need to know what you plan to spend on a project so you can determine your net earnings.

Provides opportunity for comparison: Once the budget proposal is complete, stakeholders can compare it to current and past projects to decide whether to move forward.

[inline illustration] benefits of using budget proposals (infographic)

While the purpose of a budget proposal is to receive funding or approval, you can also use your budget proposal as a budget plan for when the project becomes reality.

How to create a budget proposal template

Your budget proposal template is informative for stakeholders who may fund the project, but it’s also helpful for your internal team. When you get to the project planning stage, you can use your budget proposal for things like team utilization rate and resource allocation .

[inline illustration] 5 steps for writing a project budget proposal (infographic)

1. Describe your project objectives

To introduce your project budget proposal, start with an overview of your project objectives . By explaining what your project is about and the goals you hope to achieve, you can provide context for your budget proposal. Without context, your potential stakeholders may have trouble understanding what—and why—you plan to spend in certain areas.

You may include a budget proposal within a larger project plan , but budget proposals can also stand alone. If a stakeholder solely has a financial stake in your project, then they may not want to read about detailed project timelines and workflows . However, they’ll need to understand the high-level purpose of the project to feel comfortable approving your project budget.

2. Summarize cost elements

After you briefly explain your project objectives, include a summary of cost elements. Your cost elements may include direct and indirect costs, equipment and materials, travel costs, and miscellaneous expenses.

This section is essentially a table of contents and lists the various types of costs you’ll break down. Every budget proposal should include a list of cost elements so stakeholders can preview the information they’re about to read.

Depending on the project type and industry you’re in, your cost elements can sway from the traditional categories. For example, SaaS companies may not need much in the way of physical equipment or materials, but they often spend money on things like online services, subscriptions, freelancers, and software. Alternatively, manufacturing companies often invest heavily in machinery and other long-term equipment. Summarize your cost elements based on your largest expense categories.

3. Break down costs

Once you’ve listed your cost elements at the category level, it’s time to break down your costs one by one. This is your chance to dig deeper into the details and give your stakeholder a clear picture of where you plan to spend it, and why these expenses are necessary.

For both direct and indirect costs, list the following details when breaking down your costs:

Cost type: List the type of cost included in each category. Cost types may include team wages, utilities, server fees, or specific project costs.

Amount: Explain what the expense costs at its most basic level. For example, you may have a team member working for $25 per hour. If you have team members with different hourly rates, put them on separate lines.

Hours: If any of your expenses occur hourly, list the number of hours associated with that cost. This may include the number of hours a team member will work on your project. This number could be anywhere from 40 hours to 1200 hours if you have multiple team members working on a project for an extended period.

Cost explanation: Provide additional detail for the cost in this section. For example, you can explain that you’ll have four team members working on the project—all paid at $25 per hour. Each team member will work 25 hours per week for 12 weeks, resulting in 1200 hours of work.

Total cost: Calculate the total cost of each expense across the entire project. For example, it will cost you $30,000 to pay all four team members for 1200 hours of work.

Equipment, travel, and miscellaneous expenses aren’t that different from your direct and indirect costs. But because these are more likely to be physical items, you can add areas for quantity and unit price versus hours. Explain each cost within your cost breakdown and provide singular and total costs for each item. This should give stakeholders a clear idea of your project budget .

4. Provide a cost summary

This section is a quick and simple look at all your expenses. Stakeholders need an itemized list of what you plan to spend money on, but they’ll also want a section of your budget proposal that clarifies total costs.

Some may also want to scan through the document and pull these numbers out quickly. This section makes your total budget clear for each cost element, as well as the total budget in its entirety.

5. Submit for approval

Once you’re confident in the budget items you’ve listed, it’s time to submit your budget proposal for approval. Add a signature area to the bottom of your document so stakeholders can sign off on the document once they’ve approved it.

Budget proposal template and example

In the budget proposal sample below, you’ll see how two team members organize expected project costs for an upcoming social media campaign.

This budget proposal lists direct and indirect costs associated with the campaign, including things like team wages and utilities.

[inline illustration] budget proposal (example)

This is only a preview of what their budget proposal may look like in its entirety. To create your own budget proposal, download a free template below.

Track and share your financial goals with Asana

A budget proposal is a great way to plan for an upcoming project. But to go further, you’ll need the right tools at your disposal. With work management software , you can create financial goals for projects and larger initiatives, and track them from initiation to completion.

As your projects expand and change, you can adjust your budget and share your data with others. Whether you’re managing expenses or running meetings, you can do it all with Asana .

Related resources

How to track utilization rate and drive team profitability

How to accomplish big things with long-term goals

Smooth product launches are simpler than you think

What is stakeholder analysis and why is it important?

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Funding Opportunities
Proposal Development

The Office of the Vice President for Research invites you to attend

Write winning nih grant proposals, virtual workshops.

January 8, 9, and 10, 2024

Presenter: John D. Robertson, Ph.D.

Grant Writers’ Seminars & Workshops, LLC*

SBU Faculty and Staff must Register before December 1, 2023

Workbooks will be purchased for Stony Brook participants by the OVPR.

The workshops will focus on two types of extramural funding pursuits:

Writing Winning NIH Proposals

Agenda and Seminar Overview

Two half-day sessions:

Monday, January 8, 2024, from 9 am to 12:30 pm
Tuesday, January 9, 2024, from 9 am to 12:30 pm

Writing NIH Renewals and Resubmissions

One half-day session:

Wednesday, January 10, 2024, from 9 am to 12:30 pm

These widely acclaimed must-attend workshops comprehensively address both practical and conceptual aspects that are important to the proposal-writing process. Emphasis is given to such things as idea development, identification of the most appropriate institute, how to write for reviewers, and tips and strategies that are of proven value in presenting an applicant's case to reviewers.

Participants are taught to write with a linear progression of logic, which leads reviewers through their applications. It is stressed that applicants are writing for two different audiences – the assigned reviewers, who have read the application in its entirety, and non-assigned reviewers, who may have read little or nothing of the proposal before the meeting of the study section. Strategies, tools, and tips designed to merit a fundable priority score are emphasized. The focus of this seminar will be on proposals for submission to all NIH institutes.

The half-day NIH Renewal and Resubmission workshop helps maximize the likelihood of success upon resubmission. Discussion will include NIH's resubmission policy and strategies related to triaged applications, common causes of resubmission success/failure, common mistakes to avoid, and how to seek and use input from the Program Officer and Scientific Review Officer in responding to the criticism received.

Please direct any questions and comments to [email protected]

* Grant Writers’ Seminars & Workshops, LLC was founded by academicians, for academicians to help researchers obtain formal training in how to support their work with grant proposal writing.

Dr. John Robertson holds a Doctorate in Pharmacology/Toxicology and has been an Associate Member at Grant Writers’ Seminars & Workshops since 2010. In 2017, he became the Managing Member. He has been the recipient of competitive extramural funding from both the NIH and non-federal sources. He has authored 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and three book chapters. In addition, he has been a member of grant review panels, a reviewer for a number of biomedical journals, and served on editorial boards. He has also been routinely recognized for excellence in teaching.

SAGE Award Budget Options: How to Create a Categorical Totals Budget

This job aid covers grouping costs by object code level in the award budget.

Anyone dealing with SAGE Budget

Last Updated

Related learning.

SAGE Budget Resources

SAGE Awards and Modifications Resources

CORE [email protected] 206.616.0804

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Writing a Research Proposal for beginners

What Are The Sections Of A Research Proposal?

L earning the structure of a research proposal can be helpful while writing one. Research proposal writing services often emphasize the importance of breaking down your proposal into clear sections to ensure clarity and coherence. Typically, a research proposal comprises several key components.

A research proposal is like a roadmap for a study, outlining its purpose, methods, and expected outcomes. Typically, it consists of several key sections. Firstly, there's the introduction, which introduces the research topic and explains its importance. Then comes the literature review, where existing research relevant to the study is discussed.

After that, the methodology section outlines how the research will be conducted, including the tools and techniques used. Next, the proposal includes a section on anticipated results and their significance. Lastly, there's often a section on the timeline and budget, detailing when and how resources will be allocated. This article will cover the sections of writing research proposal .

Main Features of a Research Proposal

To write research proposal, it's important to cover key elements. Look for the best research proposal writing services to ensure your proposal includes all vital aspects.

Introduction

Literature review, methodology.

Research Proposal title should be to the point but informative that clearly tell what the research is about. Avoid using too long titles and extra information in it. Choose the best title for your research proposal that is relevant to your project.

A good proposal title should contain the following

Eye catching words to grab the attention of the reader
Positive language toward the reader

Titles should be similar to your research questions or thesis statements.

The abstract is like a snapshot of your research proposal, or a brief summary giving a intro what your study is all about. It gives the basic fundamental about your topic so they can understand the importance of the proposal. It sums up the main points: the problem you're tackling, what you aim to achieve, how you plan to do it, and what you expect to find.

A strong abstract attracts the reader and grabs their interest in your proposal and its importance. This is the chance to make an excellent first impression and encourage readers to check out more of your research.

The introduction is the main point of the research proposal. It introduces the audience to the story by explaining the background and reasons behind your research. It highlights the main question or problem you're addressing and explains why it's important. By the end of the introduction, the reader should understand what you're studying, why it's significant, and what you hope to achieve. This section is crucial because it sets the stage for the rest of your proposal, helping the reader understand the context and purpose of your research.

The literature review acts as a map that shows the present state of information in your area of research. Here, you will be giving a summary and review of previous studies, concepts, and results related to the topic you chose. This makes it less difficult for you to see the larger context and figure out how your research fits in. In addition to underlining the importance of your work, an effective review of the literature highlights undiscovered areas and recommends places where future study may have an impact.

In the methodology section, you explain how you'll conduct your research. This includes describing the type of research you'll do, like whether it's qualitative or quantitative. You also talk about how you'll collect data, whether through surveys, interviews, or experiments.

It's important to explain your sampling strategy, which is how you'll select participants or data points. This ensures that your sample is representative of the population you're studying.

Additionally, you'll detail how you'll analyze the data once you've collected it. This could involve statistical tests, thematic analysis, or other methods depending on your research design.

Clarity and feasibility are key in this section. You want to make sure that your methods are clear and that you'll be able to actually carry them out. This helps ensure that your findings will be valid and reliable.

Your research proposal's schedule section acts as a sort of road map, detailing the actions you'll comply with to finish the project. It provides the timetable for gathering information, research, and distribution of findings. Having a clear period shows off your excellent ability to manage time but also gives people trust that your study will be finished on time. It improves the trust people have in your proposal. Having an extensive timetable helps you stay on target and complete your education in an appropriate length of time, much like when you create milestones for yourself. This part of your proposal is important because it displays that you have calculated the length of time of each study part, which will help you plan carefully and make sure you succeed in finishing your project on time.

In the budget section, you list all the money you'll need for your research. This covers things like buying equipment, getting materials, paying participants, and any staff you might need. By explaining why you need each expense, you show exactly how you plan to spend the money. This transparency helps funding agencies understand why your study is worth investing in, making it more likely they'll support your research.

You must list all of the sources that you included in your research proposal in the references section. This list follows to an APA or MLA format, which makes it easier for readers to find exactly which sources you used. To maintain the academic standard and show regard for the efforts of other researchers, it is important that you use references that are right and reliable. This section acknowledges the works of earlier researchers whose work you have found useful in your research.

A good research proposal has important sections that show why your study is important, how it can be done, and how reliable it is. Whether you need money or permission for your research, knowing these sections well is key to making a strong proposal. With help from trusted research proposal writing services in the UK , new researchers can get expert advice on writing proposals, making it easier for them to succeed.

Note: This article is for information purposes only and does not contain any recommendation.

This article may contain affiliate links that Microsoft and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links.

COMMENTS

PDF Writing a Proposal Budget
What is a Proposal Budget and why is it needed? Before we get started talking about all the pieces of a budget, let's make sure that we're on the same page about what a budget actually is. A budget is a financial proposal that reflects the work proposed. It outlines the expected project costs in detail, and should mirror the project description.
How to plan and write a budget for research grant proposal?
Breakdown of the budget into item-wise and year-wise with cost calculation should be done. It should be ensured that costs are reasonable, allowable and related to the research proposal, so that the budget appears realistic. Travel expenses should be calculated as per the rules of the funding agency.
How to make a simple research budget
A good budget shows the assessors that you have thought about your research in detail and, if it is done well, it can serve as a great, convincing overview of the project. Here are five steps to create a simple budget for your research project. 1. List your activities. Make a list of everything that you plan to do in the project, and who is ...
How to Write a Research Proposal
Research proposal examples. Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We've included a few for you below. Example research proposal #1: "A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management".
Creating a Budget
Creating a Budget. In general, while your research proposal outlines the academic significance of your study, the budget and budget narrative show that you have an understanding of what it will cost for you to be able to perform this research. Your proposed budget should identify all the expenses that are necessary and reasonable for the ...
Budget Justification
Budget Justification. A well-developed budget is accompanied by a budget explanation or narrative, also known as a budget justification. A complete and realistic budget justification demonstrates that your project is well conceived. It also tends to minimize the chances that sponsors will arbitrarily reduce or eliminate budget categories.
Develop a research budget
Basic components of a research budget. A research budget contains both direct costs and indirect costs (overhead), but the level of detail varies from sponsor to sponsor. The first step in developing a budget is to carefully read the guidelines of the funding opportunity being pursued. There is no magic formula available for developing a budget ...
How to Develop a Budget for a Research Proposal
Abstract. Novice investigators may be intimidated by the task of proposal budget preparation. Often a basic understanding of the mechanics of budgeting, paired with a good working relationship with the institution's sponsored programs office, can alleviate much of the stress investigators encounter in developing budgets.
Proposal Budgets
Proposal Budgets. The budget should list all cost details for the year or another appropriate period of time. It should include any applicable salaries & wages, fringe benefits, services, supplies, equipment, publications, travel, other direct expenses, and any facility and administrative costs. A brief outline for developing a budget is ...
Proposal Budget Development
Proposals (applications) normally include a detailed breakdown of the financial support being requested from a sponsor. A proposal budget is a best estimate of the costs requested to complete a project. Budgets should be prepared with as much detail as possible. Projects costs are usually broken down into direct and indirect cost categories.
How to Plan and Write a Budget for Research Grant Proposal
Try to write your budget essentials in a tabulated form with three main columns. The first column represents the item name. The second column specifies the cost of that particular essential. The third column signifies the importance of your particular essential in performing your research.
Sample Budget Justifications
Sample Budget Justifications. Sponsor requirements differ, and sample budget justifications should be seen only as a starting point. Guidelines for sponsor requirements are in the annotated budget justifications. Read the solicitation and the sponsor's proposal preparation guidelines for each proposal's requirements.
Top 7 Research Budget Templates with Samples and Examples
Template 6 - Determine Budget for Psychology Research Proposal One-Pager Sample Example Document. This presentation template is an easy-to-use tool for determining the budget required for psychology research. With this slide, you can allocate a budget for each area, including diagnostic assessment, training, technology and tools, supplies ...
Budget
A well-constructed budget justification is an important part of a grant proposal and should be drafted with the same care and accuracy as the work programme. You should apply neither for too much nor for too little money. Instead, the funds you apply for should reflect the needs of the project.
How To Write A Research Proposal
Here is an explanation of each step: 1. Title and Abstract. Choose a concise and descriptive title that reflects the essence of your research. Write an abstract summarizing your research question, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes. It should provide a brief overview of your proposal. 2.
How to plan and write a budget for research grant proposal?
A successful grant-winning application requires two key elements: (1) innovative research prob lem with best probable idea/plan for. tackling it and (2) appropriate planning of budget. The aim of ...
How to write a research proposal?
A proposal needs to show how your work fits into what is already known about the topic and what new paradigm will it add to the literature, while specifying the question that the research will answer, establishing its significance, and the implications of the answer. [ 2] The proposal must be capable of convincing the evaluation committee about ...
Compile a research budget
Tell your Research Development Manager: total number of trips needed. number of people who need to travel. year in which each trip will be taken. 6. Justification of resources. A common component of a project is the 'justification of costs', sometimes referred to as 'resource allocation'.
How to plan and write a budget for research grant proposal?
However, winning a research grant is a difficult task. A successful grant-winning application requires two key elements: one is an innovative research problem with best probable idea/plan for tackling it and appropriate planning of budget. The aim of the present paper is to give an insight on funding agencies providing funding for health ...
How to present a budget for a research proposal in Microsoft Word
In this video, I'll show you how to present the budget for a research proposal. You can do it in Excel, but the quickest and simplest way is to create the bu...
Budget proposal templates: 5 steps to secure funding
Your budget proposal template is informative for stakeholders who may fund the project, but it's also helpful for your internal team. When you get to the project planning stage, you can use your budget proposal for things like team utilization rate and resource allocation . 1. Describe your project objectives.
Write Winning NIH Grant Proposals
The Office of the Vice President for Research invites you to attend Write Winning NIH Grant Proposals Virtual Workshops. January 8, 9, and 10, 2024. ... workshops comprehensively address both practical and conceptual aspects that are important to the proposal-writing process. Emphasis is given to such things as idea development, identification ...
PDF Annual Plan & Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2024
investments outlined in the Professional Judgment Budget Proposal will ensure that we build on the Cancer Moonshot's successes thus far and further catalyze progress to achieve the bold goals put forth by President Biden. This Annual Plan and Budget Proposal describes the resources needed to ensure that the cancer research
SAGE Award Budget Options: How to Create a Categorical Totals Budget
Research Administration Learning SAGE Award Budget Options: How to Create a Categorical Totals Budget. This job aid covers grouping costs by object code level in the award budget. Audience. Anyone dealing with SAGE Budget. Last Updated. May 2024. Related Learning. SAGE Budget Resources. SAGE Awards and Modifications Resources
Writing a Research Proposal for beginners
The Department of Medicine Research Symposium Committee proudly presents: Writing a Research Proposal for beginners by Prof Richard van Zyl Smith ... Tertiary hospital professionals sound the public healthcare alarm after severe national budget cuts 26 Feb 2024. Contact Us Lydia Brown - HOD office Tel:+27 (0)21 406 6200. Department of Medicine
What Are The Sections Of A Research Proposal?
A research proposal is like a roadmap for a study, outlining its purpose, methods, and expected outcomes. Typically, it consists of several key sections.

The Research Whisperer

1. List your activities

2. Check the rules again

3. Cost each item

4. Put it in a spreadsheet

5. Justify it

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Creating a Budget

Budget Justification

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On this page:

Cash contributions

In-kind contributions

Matching on sponsored projects

Additional resources

How to Plan and Write a Budget for Research Grant Proposal

Budget as a Skeletal Support

Specific Terminologies to Know Beforehand

Direct Costs

Facilities & Administrative Costs (Indirect Costs)

Fringe Benefits

Research Consortium

Types of Budget

Modular Design Budget

Detailed Design Budget

Planning your Budget

Pin-point the Budget Essentials

Follow the Instructions of the Funding Agency

Categorization of Each Item

Justification of Each Item

Review & Verification of the Budget Items

Scripting your Budget onto the Grant Application

Indirect Costs

Budget Overview

Budget Justification

Budget Summary

Esthetical Considerations

Headings & Bullet points

Tabulations

Organization

Elementary Language

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Our Location

Customer service

Sample Budget Justifications

For Research Sponsors

For Non-Research Sponsors:

Top 7 Research Budget Templates with Samples and Examples

Tejas Prasanna

Best Templates for Planning Your Research Budget

Template 1 - Impact matrix evaluation research solution budget

Template 2 Half-yearly research and development departmental budget

Template 3 - Budget Estimate for Research and Development Project

Template 4 Clinical Trial Phases with Communication and Budget Research Design for Clinical Trials

Template 5 Market research strategy with budget and area

Template 6 - Determine Budget for Psychology Research Proposal One-Pager Sample Example Document

Template 7 - Budgeting for Product Launch Market Research

RESEARCH IS IMPORTANT BUSINESS

FAQs on Research Budget

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