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• How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on October 12, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on November 21, 2023.

A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research.

The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements:

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organized and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.

Table of contents

Research proposal purpose, research proposal examples, research design and methods, contribution to knowledge, research schedule, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research proposals.

Academics often have to write research proposals to get funding for their projects. As a student, you might have to write a research proposal as part of a grad school application , or prior to starting your thesis or dissertation .

In addition to helping you figure out what your research can look like, a proposal can also serve to demonstrate why your project is worth pursuing to a funder, educational institution, or supervisor.

Research proposal length

The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.

One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.

Download our research proposal template

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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”
• Example research proposal #2: “Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use”

Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:

• The proposed title of your project
• Your supervisor’s name
• Your institution and department

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.

Your introduction should:

• Introduce your topic
• Give necessary background and context
• Outline your  problem statement  and research questions

To guide your introduction , include information about:

• Who could have an interest in the topic (e.g., scientists, policymakers)
• How much is already known about the topic
• What is missing from this current knowledge
• What new insights your research will contribute
• Why you believe this research is worth doing

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Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

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As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review  shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.

In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:

• Comparing and contrasting the main theories, methods, and debates
• Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Explaining how will you build on, challenge, or synthesize prior scholarship

Following the literature review, restate your main  objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.

To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.

For example, your results might have implications for:

• Improving best practices
• Informing policymaking decisions
• Strengthening a theory or model
• Challenging popular or scientific beliefs
• Creating a basis for future research

Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .

Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.

Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.

Download our research schedule template

If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.

Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:

• Cost : exactly how much money do you need?
• Justification : why is this cost necessary to complete the research?
• Source : how did you calculate the amount?

To determine your budget, think about:

• Travel costs : do you need to go somewhere to collect your data? How will you get there, and how much time will you need? What will you do there (e.g., interviews, archival research)?
• Materials : do you need access to any tools or technologies?
• Help : do you need to hire any research assistants for the project? What will they do, and how much will you pay them?

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

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McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, November 21). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved September 2, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-proposal/

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UCL LaTeX thesis templates.

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Ucl latex thesis templates.

This is a skeletal thesis template with a class and .sty file that you can use separately if you'd prefer.

To change the thesis type from PhD to MRes or MPhil, look for the setting in Main.tex .

The class needs some updating and could use a lot of commenting, and these are being worked on, but the files are perfectly usable right now with pdfLaTeX or lualatex. The repo is tested after each push with lualatex on Travis.

If you have suggestions for improvements, please do submit an issue, drop me a line ( [email protected] ), or throw me a pull request.

This work was previously available to be distributed and/or modified under the conditions of the LaTeX Project Public License (>=1.3), however, I realised that that doesn't make a lot of sense for a template.

Therefore, all files except ucl_thesis.cls are released into the public domain under CC-0-1.0, as described in the COPYING file.

The classfile ucl_thesis.cls may be distributed and/or modified under the conditions of the LaTeX Project Public License, either version 1.3 of this license or (at your option) any later version. The latest version of this license is in http://www.latex-project.org/lppl.txt and version 1.3 or later is part of all distributions of LaTeX version 2005/12/01 or later.

This work has the LPPL maintenance status `maintained'.

The Current Maintainer of this work is I. Kirker.

This work consists of all files listed in MANIFEST.md .

Known Issues

Citation links.

If you see this error while compiling:

and then get links that don't work in the PDF, try un-commenting the line below in MainPackages.tex even if you don't use that style of citation.

What should I use for editing .tex files?

If you're already comfortable with programming on the command-line, you can use whatever plain text editor you'd like.

If you're new to LaTeX, though, or want something to help you keep your files together, you may want TeXMaker or LyX (both available for Windows, Linux, or OS X), or TeXShop (for OS X).

TeXShop and TeXMaker are both oriented around helping you write plaintext .tex files, while LyX is more aimed at presenting a structured document with some of the formatting rendered, to make it a little less abstract to work with.

If you want something quick that runs entirely through a browser, so you don't even have to set up your own LaTeX installation, UCL also has a subscription for Overleaf , a service that does that. You'll have to register using your UCL email address to use the subscription. It's also good for working with someone else on a document, with live shared editing.

What is the Makefile for?

If you're using this from the Linux command-line, the Makefile defines a few things to make it easier to build the LaTeX document. If not, you can happily ignore it.

What graphics formats are good to include with this?

PNG and JPEG images work perfectly well, as do PDF files (including vector graphics). Vector graphics in PDFs will remain as vectors. Remember to produce higher-resolution images than you'd use online -- 300 or 600 dpi are typical print qualities, rather than the 72 dpi standard for websites. If you don't have control over this setting directly from whatever you're using to produce your images, a good rule of thumb is that you should aim to generate them 3 and a bit times larger on screen than you want them to be on paper.

Can I just make it produce one section in the PDF?

In the Main.tex file there are a list of \include statements. If you add an \includeonly statement to match those with one or more of the same labels, it'll just produce the content for those sections. (Labels, references, figures, and table numbers will be consistent as if you'd generated the whole document.)

Didn't there used to be different files for PhD, MRes, and MPhil dissertations?

Yes, but they only differed by 4 characters each, so it seemed silly to maintain them each separately. Change the setting in the Main.tex file to get the one you need.

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Advanced Research Methods

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What Is a Research Proposal?

Reference books.

• Writing the Research Paper
• Presenting the Research Paper

When applying for a research grant or scholarship, or, just before you start a major research project, you may be asked to write a preliminary document that includes basic information about your future research. This is the information that is usually needed in your proposal:

• The topic and goal of the research project.
• The kind of result expected from the research.
• The theory or framework in which the research will be done and presented.
• What kind of methods will be used (statistical, empirical, etc.).
• Short reference on the preliminary scholarship and why your research project is needed; how will it continue/justify/disprove the previous scholarship.
• How much will the research project cost; how will it be budgeted (what for the money will be spent).
• Why is it you who can do this research and not somebody else.

Most agencies that offer scholarships or grants provide information about the required format of the proposal. It may include filling out templates, types of information they need, suggested/maximum length of the proposal, etc.

Research proposal formats vary depending on the size of the planned research, the number of participants, the discipline, the characteristics of the research, etc. The following outline assumes an individual researcher. This is just a SAMPLE; several other ways are equally good and can be successful. If possible, discuss your research proposal with an expert in writing, a professor, your colleague, another student who already wrote successful proposals, etc.

• Author, author's affiliation
• Explain the topic and why you chose it. If possible explain your goal/outcome of the research . How much time you need to complete the research?
• Give a brief summary of previous scholarship and explain why your topic and goals are important.
• Relate your planned research to previous scholarship. What will your research add to our knowledge of the topic.
• Break down the main topic into smaller research questions. List them one by one and explain why these questions need to be investigated. Relate them to previous scholarship.
• Include your hypothesis into the descriptions of the detailed research issues if you have one. Explain why it is important to justify your hypothesis.
• This part depends of the methods conducted in the research process. List the methods; explain how the results will be presented; how they will be assessed.
• Explain what kind of results will justify or  disprove your hypothesis. 
• Explain how much money you need.
• Explain the details of the budget (how much you want to spend for what).
• Describe why your research is important.
• List the sources you have used for writing the research proposal, including a few main citations of the preliminary scholarship.

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Research Proposal

• Transcript of records
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• A lay summary (which can be read by someone, who is not from the field) of your research proposal (up to 200 words)
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Research Proposal Example/Sample

Detailed Walkthrough + Free Proposal Template

If you’re getting started crafting your research proposal and are looking for a few examples of research proposals , you’ve come to the right place.

In this video, we walk you through two successful (approved) research proposals , one for a Master’s-level project, and one for a PhD-level dissertation. We also start off by unpacking our free research proposal template and discussing the four core sections of a research proposal, so that you have a clear understanding of the basics before diving into the actual proposals.

• Research proposal example/sample – Master’s-level (PDF/Word)
• Research proposal example/sample – PhD-level (PDF/Word)
• Proposal template (Fully editable) 

If you’re working on a research proposal for a dissertation or thesis, you may also find the following useful:

• Research Proposal Bootcamp : Learn how to write a research proposal as efficiently and effectively as possible
• 1:1 Proposal Coaching : Get hands-on help with your research proposal

PS – If you’re working on a dissertation, be sure to also check out our collection of dissertation and thesis examples here .

FAQ: Research Proposal Example

Research proposal example: frequently asked questions, are the sample proposals real.

Yes. The proposals are real and were approved by the respective universities.

Can I copy one of these proposals for my own research?

As we discuss in the video, every research proposal will be slightly different, depending on the university’s unique requirements, as well as the nature of the research itself. Therefore, you’ll need to tailor your research proposal to suit your specific context.

You can learn more about the basics of writing a research proposal here .

How do I get the research proposal template?

You can access our free proposal template here .

Is the proposal template really free?

Yes. There is no cost for the proposal template and you are free to use it as a foundation for your research proposal.

Where can I learn more about proposal writing?

For self-directed learners, our Research Proposal Bootcamp is a great starting point.

For students that want hands-on guidance, our private coaching service is recommended.

Psst… there’s more!

This post is an extract from our bestselling short course, Research Proposal Bootcamp . If you want to work smart, you don't want to miss this .

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Reach Alliance 2024 – call for proposal

This call for proposals seeks applications for funding to the next round of the Reach Alliance.

The call opens on Friday, 30th August, and will close on Friday, 4th October 2024.

Funding of up to £20k is available to support a team of 3-5 UCL students, mentored by 1 or 2 PIs, to lead an 18-month research project responding to an urgent challenge of reaching the hardest to reach. 

The Reach Alliance is a consortium of global universities - with partners in the United Kingdon, Australia, Singapore, Ghana, South Africa, Mexico, and Canada - developing the leaders we need to solve urgent local challenges of the hard to reach – those under-served for geographic, administrative, or social reasons. To date, the Reach Alliance has trained over 330 undergraduate and graduate students, engaged 52 faculty mentors across seven countries and launched over 80 case study reports covering innovative interventions in 35 countries. 

The Reach Alliance was created in 2015 by the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, in partnership with Mastercard’s Center for Inclusive Growth.   

UCL joined the Alliance in 2021 alongside the University of Oxford and Tecnológico de Monterrey, as part of its strategic partnership with the University of Toronto. The University of Melbourne, Ashesi University, Singapore Management University and University of Cape Town joined in 2022.   

Working in interdisciplinary teams of 3-5, Reach’s globally minded students use research methods to identify innovative solutions to climate, public health, and economic challenges.  The UNs’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide inspiration and a guiding framework.  Research is conducted in collaboration with local communities and with guidance from university faculty members, building capacity and skills among Reach's student researchers.  

Funding is provided by Global Engagement in UCL to support the research notably to fund field research trips where students conduct primary data collection. Teams then analyse the data to produce a 6,000-8,000 word published report called case study ( all four previous UCL Reach case studies can be found here ). Critically, funding also supports student and faculty travel to the annual Reach Research Conference ( see here for 2023 Reach Conference summary video featuring UCL Reach researchers ), as well as other knowledge translation events where students disseminate their actionable research insights.  

As the Reach Alliance’s founding institution, the University of Toronto continues to serve as home base for the network.  

Each partnering university assembles its own teams of students and faculty mentors and provides research and administrative support.  As home base, the University of Toronto plays a central role in managing and developing the Reach Alliance model and methodology and provides significant additional support (the equivalent of a further £10k for each project team) over the research period through: 

• Performance coaching 
• Communications and branding 
• Events and conferences 
• Digital platforms 
• Administrative efficiency through economies of scale 
• Quality assurance, brand and reputation enhancement and management 

Further information on the outputs and outcomes of Reach at UCL to date can be found at Annex 1 .

Funding opportunity  

This funding call seeks applications from a PI or two co-PIs (called mentors under the Reach programme), from different faculties, working on an urgent challenge of reaching the hardest to reach - those under-served for geographic, administrative, or social reasons - to lead the next Reach Alliance research team at UCL.  

UCL encourages the selection of case studies that are embedded in local communities in the UK but can be situated in the wider global context provided by the Alliance. International case studies are allowed but travel costs need to be included in the project budget and cannot replace attendance at the annual conference. The research itself can cover any challenge relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals. The following examples of previous case studies from UCL and partners of the Alliance may help to provide a sense of how this has been approached through the platform to date.   

The mentor(s) is required to provide a general abstract of the research challenge to be addressed by their students and plan to select 3-5 students to conduct the 18-month project. This research focus usually complements some of the current PI’s research. Given the relatively short timeframe, research questions that benefit from pre-approved ethics/low risk ethics are encouraged. It is also recommended that the PI benefits from an existing relationship with a partner organisation related to that research activity to facilitate contacts and fieldwork by the students.   

The selection of the students will be at the discretion of the successful PI(s) and the application will need to explain how the students would be selected the students before the end of the calendar year 2024.  

The students can be hand-picked or recruited through an application process, and GE’s recommendation is for PhD Students involvement. Undergraduate students not in their final year may also be considered where the case for their inclusion is strong, as continuous involvement across 18 months needs to be ensured. Teams may be composed of students from different levels of study.  

Though previous teams have run successfully with Master’s students, GE does not recommend the inclusion of master’s students given that the project crosses two academic years. 

4th October 2024: deadline for applications 

Mid-October: successful mentor and project selected 

October-December 2024: students’ selection 

January-March 2025: preparation work and literature review 

March-May 2025: ethics approval if needed 

May-July 2025: fieldwork and writing  

31st July 2025: deadline of spending for the first part of the funding  

August-October 2025: finalisation of the case study.  

November-December 2025: Reach Conference attendance (case study has to be published by the Reach Conference in November 2025 and representation of the team/part of the team at the conference is expected) 

January-July 2026: outreach and impact activities.  

31st July 2026: deadline of spending for the second part of the funding 

What’s offered 

GE will provide a total of £20K across two financial years, with £5K in financial year 1 to primarily cover research costs + £15K in financial year 2 to primarily cover travel costs. Please note that funding from financial year 1 cannot be rolled over into year 2 and needs to be expended within that timeline (by July 31st).  

The overall funding covers the research costs and the travel costs of the team and mentor to conferences and relevant events and field trips. Day to day management of the funding is the responsibility of the mentor and their team; students are expected to draft a budget in their first month of the project under the mentors’ guidance.   

The Reach Alliance at the University of Toronto provides a continuous series of training and leadership activities for the students, as well as opportunities to present the research findings at the annual Reach Research Conference . UCL students and faculty are also participating members of the global Reach network, including researchers from the seven other participating universities around the world. The Reach Alliance provides substantial communications and knowledge translation support, including a professional in-house research communications designer and senior content editor, contributing to many high-quality research deliverables ( Reach related research deliverables found here ).  

The UCL mentor/ lead is responsible for the selection of the students and the research question to be explored, as well as research project management with administrative support and management of the funds provided by their home department, similarly to other GE provided grants. The mentor is expected to: Provide availability for a standing meeting on a biweekly basis with students and respond to emails in a timely manner (2-3 business days).  

• Provide input and feedback on the team’s presentations. 
• Provide guidance on the research question design, fieldwork and literature review.  
• Provide support securing interviews (e.g., sending emails drafted by students and/or follow up on emails as needed) and support during interviews (e.g., review interview guides, participate in interviews as needed)  
• Provide guidance during data analysis process and give input and feedback during the deliverables writing process (NB: copy-editing and design is done by Reach editor)  
• Liaise with the team to coordinate travel logistics and lead financial expenditures and logistics during field work and other research activities. 
• Attend the annual conference with their team. 

Application and assessment

Please click on the link below to access the application form and questions.  

Applications will be assessed by the UCL GE and the Reach Team central team, with the successful applicant to be notified in mid-October. 

For any questions about the call for proposal and the Reach programme at UCL, please contact Clément Leroy, Senior Global Engagement Manager: [email protected] or directly on MS Teams.

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Funding from ucl rige.

GE's funding streams are part of UCL Research, Innovation & Global Engagement (RIGE)'s wider funding calls. Find out more about the other funding calls under UCL RIGE here .