Student Recruitment & Admissions

www.ed.ac.uk/student-recruitment

Introduction
This guide intends to provide practical information for students who
have been asked to submit a research proposal as part of their
application for admission to a research degree. It is also relevant to
students who are applying to external bodies for postgraduate research
funding.

Undertaking a research degree, whether it is a Masters by Research, a

PhD, or another type of degree such as a EdD, or DMus, can be one of
the best experiences of your life. You will have the opportunity to meet
eminent researchers and become part of the research community. It
will enable you to develop research skills as well as invaluable
transferable skills which you can apply to academic life, your current
employment or a variety of professions outside of academia. What you
gain along the way will serve you for the rest of your life, if only to make
you a more confident and knowledgeable person.

Contents
3 Research funding
How to identify funding sources
Writing your proposal
University applications

4 Golden rules for postgraduate research proposals

5 Content and style of your research proposal
What to put in your proposal?
Writing the proposal
Plagiarism
Abstract

6 Introduction
Main body of text

7 Methodology About you

Dissemination
Summaries and conclusions

8 The process of applying to external funding providers

Rules, guidelines, eligibility and deadlines
Screening process
The application process
Discuss and develop your idea

9 Find a potential research studentship funder

Before you start writing
Lay summary

10 Training and supervision Dissemination

Ethical considerations

11 Other resources
Research funding the rules about writing a good research proposal are the same.
You want to stand out from the crowd and have the best
In choosing where to do your research degree, a long list of
chance of being selected. This guide highlights the “Golden
factors will come into play: the academic reputation of the
Rules” and provides tips on how to write a good research
institution, the research expertise of academic staff, location,
application. Prospective research students may find it useful
the quality of training offered and the availability of funding.
when asked to provide a research statement as part of their
There are several types of funding for postgraduate research: university application or an informal enquiry form.
your own funds; external funding bodies such as charities and
trusts; national and governmental agencies; employers and
the private sector, and internal sources such as University University applications
scholarships, funded studentships and projects advertised by
Securing funding does not always guarantee an offer of a place
supervisors. It is a competitive process and will depend on
at the university you are applying to. Whether you are
your qualifications, experience and research aspirations.
applying to conduct your own research or to undertake an
advertised project, you will need to apply for a place at the
If you already have an idea for your research project or if
university of your choice before or at the same time as your
you are interested in developing your experience in an area
application for funding. A university application for
of interest within the expertise of a prospective supervisor,
postgraduate study is most likely to include a research
you should consider contacting prospective supervisors
proposal and/or a personal statement, even if you are applying
early on to discuss the possibility of doing a research
for a funded project defined by the prospective supervisor.
project under their supervision.

How to identify funding sources

Investigating potential funding sources and preparing
postgraduate research applications is a lengthy process, so
you should allow plenty of time. It is not unreasonable to start
approximately one year before your proposed start date.

The University of Edinburgh’s Scholarships and Student

Funding Services offers a search facility for prospective and
existing students: www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/
student-funding/search-scholarships

You should check the websites of individual departments as

they may have additional funding resources and this is
where you will find details of research projects. There is also
funding available from external funding bodies, including
trusts and charities, research foundations, government
agencies, the private sector or your home government.

Search facilities include www.researchresearch.com

(available only on campus) and search engines can also be
helpful if you are looking for organisations which fund
research in your area of interest. If you are responding to an
advertisement for a defined project, it does not mean that
you should not pay attention to the first contact you make
with the principal researcher on the project. Make sure that
you highlight how the project fits with your research
aspirations and why the chosen academic unit will help you
fulfill them.
Writing your proposal
Whether you are limited to one page (as part of a University
application form or an enquiry form) or are required to
produce something more substantial for an external funder,
Golden rules for postgraduate research proposals
Contents:
• Be clear, objective, succinct and realistic in your objectives
• Ask yourself why this research should be funded and/or why you are the best person to undertake this project
• Ask yourself why this research is important and/or timely
• State and justify your objectives clearly (“because it is interesting” is not enough!)
• Make sure you answer the questions: how will the research benefit the wider society or contribute to the research community?

Style:
• If space allows, provide a clear project title
• Structure your text – if allowed use section headings

• Present the information in short paragraphs rather than a solid block of text
• Write short sentences
• If allowed, provide images/charts/diagrams to help break up the text

The process:
• Identify prospective supervisors and discuss your idea with them
• Avoid blanket general e-mails to several prospective supervisors
• Allow plenty of time – a rushed proposal will show
• Get feedback from your prospective supervisor and be prepared to take their comments on board
• If applying to an external funding agency, remember that the reviewer may not be an expert in your field of research • Stick to
the guidelines and remember the deadline
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Content and style of your research proposal

What to put in your proposal?

Application processes are different for each University so make sure to follow the relevant guidelines provided by the institution
you are applying to. However, if you are not given any guidelines on how to format your research proposal, you could adopt the
suggested structure below. This is also relevant if you are applying for external funding or asking your employer to sponsor you to
undertake a research degree.

Suggested structure for a research proposal:

• Title and abstract
• Background information/brief summary of existing literature
• The hypothesis and the objectives
• Methodology
• How the research will be communicated to the wider community
• The supervisory provision as well as specialist and transferable skills training
• Ethical considerations
• Summary and conclusions

Writing the proposal

When writing your proposal, bear in mind that individuals reviewing your application will often have to read a large number of
proposals/applications. So, well-presented and clearly written proposals are more likely to stick in the reviewer’s mind. Avoid long
and convoluted titles. You will get an opportunity to give more detail in your introduction.

Plagiarism
Make sure that you acknowledge the authors of ALL publications you use to write your proposal. Failure to do so will be considered
as plagiarism. Do not copy word for word what an author has said. You may think that the original author has presented the
information using the best possible words in the best format. However, it is best to analyse the information presented and re-write
it in your own words. If you absolutely have to quote an author ad verbatim, then make sure that you use quotation marks and
italics to indicate it.

Abstract
An abstract is a brief summary written in the same style as the rest of your application. It will provide the reader with the main
points and conclusion of your proposal.
Introduction
A well-written introduction is the most efficient way to hook your reader and set the context of your proposed research. Get your
reader’s attention early on and do not waste space with obvious and general statements. The introduction is your opportunity to
demonstrate that your research has not been done before and that the proposed project will really add something new to the
existing body of literature. Your proposal does not have to be worthy of a Nobel prize but it has to be based on sound hypotheses
and reasoning.

You should provide background information in the form of a literature review which sets the context for your research to help
the reader understand the questions and objectives. You will also be expected to show that you have a good knowledge of the
body of literature, the wider context in which your research belongs and that you have awareness of methodologies, theories
and conflicting evidence in your chosen field.
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Research proposals have a limit on words or pages so you won’t be able to analyse the whole existing body of literature. Choose key
research papers or public documents and explain clearly how your research will either fill a gap, complete or follow on from
previous research even if it is a relatively new field or if you are applying a known methodology to a different field. Journal articles,
books, PhD theses, public policies, government and learned society reports are better than non-peer-reviewed information you may
find on the internet. The University’s Library hosts online guidance on getting started with researching, managing your sources, and
practical information on finding what you need in search engines.

• http://libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk/infoskills
• www.lib.ed.ac.uk/howto/searchstrat.html

Although you will develop your ideas further in the main body of the text, your introduction may also include a short summary of
your aims and objectives, your methodology and the expected outcomes/benefits of your research as well as who it will benefit and
who will be able to use it.

Main body of text

Honesty is one of the most important aspects in proposal development so avoid making over-ambitious claims about the intended
research; what is proposed must be realistically achievable.

When drafting the proposal, it is worth asking yourself the following questions and trying to answer them in the text:

Suggested format for an introduction:

• Introduce the area of research
• Review key publications
• Identify any gap in the knowledge or questions which have to be answered
• Your hypotheses
• Your aims and objectives, including a brief description of the methodology
• How is your research beneficial and to whom

• Why should anyone spend public, charity or corporate funds on my research and my research training?
• Who is my research going to benefit (the stakeholders) or be of use to (the end users)?
• Stakeholders and end-users include, for example, the research community, a professional body or groups of researchers, a
particular group of people such as children, older people or doctors, the government, the industry, health services, social
workers…... Try to be specific: stating that your research will benefit the world is perhaps a bit too vague!
• Is there evidence, for example in the literature, that my research will fill a gap in knowledge or a market demand? How will it
build on the existing body of knowledge?
• Is my research timely, innovative and/or responding to a new trend?
• How will my research proposal address my training needs as well as, if applicable, the needs of my current employer?
You should also consider expected outputs to be achieved by the research such as a new database, fundamental knowledge of a new
or existing field, publications, attendance at conferences, contribution to a new policy, development of a new technology or
service….. It is also very useful to describe the milestones of your research projects (a time plan for every 6 months, for Year 1, 2, 3
or a Gantt chart). This will demonstrate to the reviewer or prospective supervisor that you have really thought of how you intend to
conduct your research. But be realistic!

Methodology – how will you achieve the research aims?

It is important to present the proposed research methodology (e.g. techniques, sample size, target populations, species choice,
equipment and data analysis) and explain why it is the most appropriate methodology to effectively answer the research question. If
space allows, it may be a good idea to justify the methodology by explaining what alternatives have been considered and why these
have been disregarded. You could also point out how your project fits with the research environment of your prospective institution
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and why this institution is the best place to conduct your research, in particular if this will provide you with access to unique
expertise, pieces of equipment or data.

About you
The quality of your ideas combined with your ability to carry out the project successfully within your chosen Department/
School/Institute will be a useful addition to your research proposal. You may wish to provide a small section/paragraph to present
how your research interests, previous achievements, relevant professional experience and qualifications will support the completion
of your research project. Remember to highlight any project management, data analysis and critical thinking experience you may
have gained previously. You could also highlight how a further period of research training will enhance your personal and
professional development.

Avoid overly personal or vague statements but do try to point out:

• the most important achievements of your (academic) career: degrees you have obtained, your IT skills, societies you were part
of, work experience, successful projects you have been involved in and,

Examples of dissemination activities are:

• Internal seminars
• Regular reporting to stakeholders (e.g. health service, industrial partner)
• Publications (e.g. journal articles, reviews, book chapters)
• Conference presentations
• Exhibitions
• Outreach (e.g. Research Communication in Action) and Public engagement events
(e.g. Café Scientifique, Biotechnology YES, Edinburgh Science Festival)

• your best characteristics, e.g. motivation, enthusiasm, an inquiring mind, ability to carry out analytical work, a keen approach to
research or ability to work independently.

Dissemination

If space allows, indicate how you will be communicating with colleagues and your supervisors as well as with the wider community
and, if applicable the funding body supporting your research.

Summaries and conclusions

Well-written summaries and conclusions at the end of the proposal and/or at the end of each section can help a reviewer identify
the important information. Make sure these are concise, clear and informative – some reviewers will start by reading the
conclusions. Reviewers tend to have a large number of applications to review and/or to be very busy people. As a result, each
proposal will only receive a short time. Your proposal has to stand out!
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The process of applying to external funding providers

Rules, guidelines, eligibility and deadlines

A surprisingly large percentage of proposals are rejected simply because they do not
follow the rules and guidelines specified by the funding body. Deadlines are nearly
always firm (unless called “rolling”) and it is highly unlikely that they would be changed
for anyone. Follow the rules, guidelines and eligibility criteria to the letter! The funder
has produced them for a reason and failure to follow these will almost guarantee the
rejection of your proposal.

Screening process
The most popular funding bodies will have a very strict screening process which will be
carried out before the reviewer gets to see the proposals. Any application
which does not comply with rules and regulations, including editorial ones such
as font size or number of
pages will not be accepted. The number of proposals will almost always exceed the
number of awards available so do not provide reasons for your application to be rejected
on format.

The application process

Bear in mind that some funders have closing dates early in the year so it is a good idea to
start the application as soon as possible (about a year before your proposed start date).
External funders will often ask you to have, at least, a conditional offer of admission at
the proposed university or to have an endorsement from the university you are planning
to go to. Some funding will only be tenable at the university stated in the application so
make sure you read all the guidelines.

Discuss and develop your idea

You may start the funding application process by identifying a suitable supervisor and
discussing the idea for your research project with him/her. Your prospective supervisor
will be an integral part of your application and should be able to offer further support
with your application. You can look for potential supervisors by visiting the prospective
University website, review the research expertise which fits your chosen field best and
then search for researchers who could be potential supervisors.

It is a good idea to have a good general overview of your supervisor’s research expertise
as a courtesy to them when you contact them for the first time. This will also allow you
to ensure that they are the best person to advise you on your proposal. More
information is provided in the previous section on how to write a good research
proposal/postgraduate research application.

You may wish to send an abstract of your research idea or a draft research proposal to
prospective supervisors prior to submitting your application, meeting them or talking to
them over the phone or by e-mail. Make sure your draft is of good quality and it is best
not to send the same proposal to all potential supervisors. Be prepared to listen to their
advice and to answer questions. Critical appraisal is a skill that academic staff have
developed over many years so don’t be offended if you get a lot of comments and take
advantage of the expertise and experience of your prospective supervisor. Finally and
very importantly, do not assume that your prospective supervisor will or should do all
the hard work for you. It is YOUR proposal!

Fellow students, friends and colleagues can also act as lay readers/ proofreaders and
give a different perspective on your proposal, in particular on the aims of your research.
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Find a potential research studentship funder
If you are seeking external funding for your own project, the next step is to find the most
appropriate funding body and funding stream for your particular research project. Your
prospective supervisor and previous undergraduate/Masters study advisors will be
excellent sources of knowledge in this area. Other members of staff in university’s
scholarships offices, careers services, research support offices or student recruitment and
admissions (if they have staff specialising in postgraduate studies) may be able to help you.

Before you start developing the research proposal, it is worth researching your chosen
funding body (whether it is a university or an external funding agency) and the web is a good
source of information). Once an opportunity has been identified, you should ensure that you
have checked:
• that your research idea is in a research area supported by the prospective funder;
• that you are eligible to apply (e.g. nationality, affiliation, qualifications);

• that you have allowed sufficient time for drafting the research proposal;
• that you understand fully the funder’s selection process;
• that you have allowed sufficient time to complete the proposal for the closing date and;
• how the application should be submitted to the funder. Some funders (e.g. AHRC and
ESRC) require that you register on their system and may require approval from your
prospective university.

Before you start writing

All funders (government funded research councils, universities, research charities, or private
companies) have objectives to fulfill set by the people and organisations that they answer to,
including stakeholders and financial supporters. When they invest in research, they are
looking for that investment to help them achieve those objectives. For private sector
employers, it may be to improve their business processes, increase their R&D potential or to
train employees. For research charities, it may be to find ways to help particular groups of
people such as those in unemployment or those affected by a medical condition.

All funders, universities and prospective supervisors want good applicants. However, they
will have different ways of reviewing your application and may have strict criteria against
which to assess your proposal. Try to be objective. For example, if your research proposal
involves a 10-year geological survey, it is unlikely that the funder will want to fund it as a PhD
studentship which is set to last for a defined and shorter period of time. Similarly, if your
proposal contains too few or too many research activities for the period of proposed
research training, they will be reluctant to fund it. The former will not be considered good
value for money and the latter will be perceived as having a risk of failure against the
objectives planned at the beginning of the project.

Make sure you consider how best to present the ideas/objectives of the research project and
their value clearly as there is stiff competition for postgraduate research awards. A proposal
should not just be “good enough” but one of the best.

Lay summary
In addition to an abstract and an introduction, you may be asked to produce a lay
summary, the impact of which is not to be under-estimated. While funders may use expert
panels to assess research proposals, the final decision may rest with individuals (for
example: Trustees from a charity) who will not necessarily have the expertise in your
proposed field of research. Make sure you “grab” the readers attention by presenting a
clear and succinct summary. As an indication, some Research Councils advise that the lay
summary be written in a style which should allow reasonable understanding by an
interested 14-year old.
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Training and supervision
The training and supervision of research students is an important consideration. Prospective postgraduate research students will be
expected to gain specialist and transferable skills so, if the funder requires it, indicate what provisions are in place at your proposed
university. The University of Edinburgh runs one of the best and most proactive transferable skills programmes, please visit:
www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development

Individual university websites will also provide information regarding the facilities and structure of your specialist training
e.g. skills in a particular technique, access to archives, a seminar programme (to which you may be asked to contribute), a mentoring
scheme (if in place) or access to a Graduate School.

Dissemination
Funders want the research they support to help and inspire others, therefore proposals which highlight what the expected benefits
of the research are and how the research findings will be communicated to the wider community have a greater chance of success.
Please note that some funders have strict rules about reporting but it does no harm to indicate that you will comply with that. Other
funders such the private sector may sometimes request an embargo period for your research to be published so you must check,
with your supervisor, what the terms and conditions are. Examples are provided in the

section on dissemination (see page 07)

Ethical considerations
Funding bodies have strict rules and expectations of the standards with which the research they fund should be carried out. Project
proposals must therefore include potential ethical issues raised by the conduct of the research and funders will want to see how
these will be addressed should they occur. This is particularly important if your research project is deemed “high risk” i.e. if it
involves animals, sensitive materials or vulnerable groups such as children or adults with disabilities. You may also be asked to
indicate what the ethical approval system is in your prospective School. Your prospective supervisor will be able to provide you with
this information.
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Other resources
• The Postgraduate Companion (2008). Chapters 4-7; Hall G. and Longman J.
Eds, Sage Publications London, UK.

• The PhD Application Handbook: Revised Edition (2012). Bentley PJ. Eds, Open
University Press, Maidenhead, UK.

• Vitae (formerly UKGRAD): www.vitae.ac.uk

• FindaPhD: www.findaphd.com/advice
Produced by
The Postgraduate Team,
Student Recruitment & Admissions, The
University of Edinburgh
postgraduate.enquiries@ed.ac.uk

This leaflet is available to download in PDF format on our website:

www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate

If you require this document in an alternative format, such as large print,

please contact: sra.enquiries@ed.ac.uk
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