[Title of your research project]

The research question that this project seeks to address is [describe your research question.  The remainder of this paragraph should explain what new knowledge will result from your work and why this knowledge is important.  The research question is the most important element of your proposal.  A strong proposal should also include a hypothesis that guides the research plan.]

This research advances knowledge in [explain the scientific impact of your project.  This is a really good place to describe how your work is aligned with one of the Fulton research themes. Don’t simply tell us what research theme it is aligned with, but rather explain how and why it is aligned with that theme.  It is better to have a strong justification for aligning with one theme than weak justifications for aligning with many.  This is also a good place to describe what has previously been done in this area and cite literature that supports your hypothesis.  Make sure to correctly cite your references!]

In order to address the research question/hypothesis described above, the following research plan is proposed. [The following elements need to be addressed for a strong proposal:  

1. Describe the design of your research plan - what general methods will you use and why? What are the specific tasks?
2. Materials - Description of materials (e.g., Software, hardware, equipment, chemicals, tests) used in your study
3. Participants (if applicable) - are any other people participating in your study, if so, explain how many and why.
4. Facilities (if applicable) - will you use any special facilities (e.g. Research Computing)
5. Procedures - Describe the steps of your proposed research from beginning to end. How are you implementing the design? How and in what order will you use the materials? This should include a high-level step-by-step process from when you start the research study.
6. Describe what the expected outcome or results from each task will be and how these will be analyzed.

Additional tips for writing a successful proposal

1. Use the full 2 pages for your research description without double line spacing.
2. A clear and relevant figure can be useful to help give the reviewer an idea of what your project will be about, but be careful not to waste space with an unnecessary figure.
3. Limit your content to things that are specifically asked for in the FURI application inss
4. Make it abundantly clear that you have addressed all rubric items; you can use bold face to draw attention to a key element, e.g.: “this research aligns with the Fulton research theme of …”
5. Conducting a literature review is not a good research task.  This is something you should do in preparing your proposal.

References (not included in two page limit)

All references cited in the proposal text should be listed here using a consistent format.  Google scholar is a good tool for preparing these.  List at least five resources you reviewed regarding your research area.

Timeline (not included in two page limit)

Create a reasonable and descriptive timeline that relates to the proposed research activities for the requested semester(s).

Personal statement

(1 page limit): write about the relationship between your personal goals and the proposed research activity.