Developing IFS
Research Proposals
www.ifs.se
AuthorAID Proposal
Writing Workshop
June 2011
Read the Guidelines...
and
Get the Reader on your Side
• Proposal evaluators are, like scientists,
extremely busy people
• They are human beings
• Writing a good proposal is not just a scientific
exercise, it is a psychological exercise also.
Writing Project Proposals
Get the Reader on Your Side
Clarity of expression
Avoid abbreviations, jargon, colloquialisms
Short words are better than long ones
Avoid repetition, redundant expressions
Logical Order
Be precise......
No spelling mistakes, please!
A good proposal is always readable,
well-organized, grammatically correct,
and understandable.
Summary of Evaluation Criteria
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Applicant's training and experience
Realistic goals and time plan
Well-formulated hypothesis/research question
Up-to-date knowledge of the field
Sound experimental design/ research methods
Relevant to local and regional priorities and
needs
Likely to produce new knowledge
Available and requested resources
The IFS Research Grant
Application Form
Project Title
Title should be informative and clear.
A non-specialist scientist should
be able to understand from the title
what your research is about.
Project Title
Use a working title for later modification
Appealing to an audience that has a general (and specialised)
knowledge of the field. It encourages the reviewer to keep reading.
The Summary
• Should be short
• Normally the most important part of your proposal
• Should be the best-worded, most concise and
most appealing part of your proposal
• Is sometimes the only part of the proposal that is
carefully read by reviewers
Suitable Summary content is:
Your credibility (you and your organization’s
abilities to carry out the research) – a capability
statement
Background/problem or need you wish to address
The research objectives
The procedures and methods that will be used
Special resource needs of the project
The likely outcomes and benefits to be derived
from the research
Training and Experience
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Sections 8.1 – 8.5
8.1 Do you have a record of publications in the
proposed area of research?
8.2 Describe your results relating to your
proposed project
8.3 Do you have strong institutional support?
8.4 Are you in contact with other researchers
working on similar topics?
8.5 Have you indicated that you would like to
establish contacts with leaders in the field?
Training and Experience
8.1 Do you have a record of publications in the
proposed area of research?
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If needs be, cite reports, papers in press etc.
If needs be, cite the less relevant publications
Don’t leave this section blank.
Training and Experience
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8.2 Describe your results relating to your proposed
project
Another opportunity to demonstrate your
experience in the research topic. How does the
proposed research relate to your experience?
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If no relevant experience, where does the
topic come from?
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Try not to leave it blank!
Training and Experience
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8.3 Do you have strong institutional support?
Mention the mandate of your institute. How does the
research topic link to the mandate and work in your
department?
Say how your colleagues might help you with e.g. any
techniques with which you are not so familiar.
Do not give the impression you are working alone at
your institute. If you are, say why.
Training and Experience
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8.4 Are you in contact with other
researchers working on similar topics?
This section indicates the level of national and
international collaboration
Please include contacts’ direct E-MAIL address!
Training and Experience
8.5 Have you indicated that you would like to establish
contacts with leaders in the field?
You will find these people in publications and....
Googling helps to find these people also…
Please indicate their direct E-MAIL!
Literature Survey
Up-to-date knowledge of the field
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Sections 9.2 – 9.3
Have you convinced the reviewer that you are
familiar with the state of research in this field?
Both locally and internationally?
Your research should lead to new knowledge that
complements what has already been done
Should further elaborate why the problem is
important not just in your country but if relevant,
in other parts of the world.
Say what is known and not known
Objectives
What you want to achieve by your research/activities (normally
what specifically will be achieved if the hypothesis is shown to
be true - e. g. to provide some specific, new knowledge that
can help the farmers in your country)
Should specify the measurable outcomes of your project.
NOT the goals which are more conceptual, ultimate and
abstract (e.g. food security, poverty reduction)
Realistic objectives and time plan
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Sections 9.4, 9.6, and 9.12
Can the work be done in the time allocated?
Are the objectives of the project likely to be reached?
Many projects fail because they are overly ambitious
Project Objectives
Desired outcomes resulting directly from your research
Should address need or problem statement
Should be brief, focused, to-the-point
No more than two to five objectives
Each should flow logically to the next
No one objective should make or break the others or the overall
project
Scientific Hypothesis
What is it good for?
It is a statement of an objective in such a way that it can be
tested by experimentation
A hypothesis – prediction or explanation of the relationship
between one or more independent variables
A hypothesis translates the objective into a clear, precise
prediction of expected outcomes.
All variables relevant to the study should be identified when
formulating a hypothesis
A well-reasoned hypothesis focuses the mind on what has to
be done in order to meet the objectives of the project
Objectives/Hypothesis - example
Objective:
To increase maize yields by application of green manure
Scientific Hypothesis:
Application of green manure will increase yields of maize
Scientific Hypothesis
Better hypothesis for this objective:
• The use of green manure in maize cultivation will be
economically competitive or superior to the current fertiliser
regimes used by farmers
• The use of green manure will be environmentally sound
Methods/Experimental Plan
• Check the logic of the sequencing of activities
• Check that the activities reflect all your
objectives
• Consult a statistician – do not leave it until after
the experiment......
Budget
Reasonably accurate or notional?
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11.1 Equipment – cost and suitability
11.2 Expendable supplies
11.3 Literature – books, reasonable internet costs
11.4 Local travel (justify in 11.6). Do not include
conferences or scientific meetings
11.5 Extra manpower costs (justify in 11.6)
• Major
budget lines justified?? (see 11.6)
Some applicants simply state e.g. USD 5,000 for field
costs – no justification....
Finally, share your proposal
with your colleagues for
feedback
Preparing for the next time –
Revising your project
If not funded, don’t give up!
Ask sponsor for reviewer’s written comments, if available (IFS provides
written these).
Ask if it would be worth submitting another proposal in the future.
When revising, be responsive to reviewer comments.
Thank you!
International Foundation for Science
Karlavägen 108, 5th floor
SE-115 26 Stockholm
Sweden
web: www.ifs.se
E-mail: [email protected]
tel: +46 8 545 818 00