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How to write a research plan: Step-by-step guide

Last updated

30 January 2024

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Today’s businesses and institutions rely on data and analytics to inform their product and service decisions. These metrics influence how organizations stay competitive and inspire innovation. However, gathering data and insights requires carefully constructed research, and every research project needs a roadmap. This is where a research plan comes into play.

Read this step-by-step guide for writing a detailed research plan that can apply to any project, whether it’s scientific, educational, or business-related.

• What is a research plan?

A research plan is a documented overview of a project in its entirety, from end to end. It details the research efforts, participants, and methods needed, along with any anticipated results. It also outlines the project’s goals and mission, creating layers of steps to achieve those goals within a specified timeline.

Without a research plan, you and your team are flying blind, potentially wasting time and resources to pursue research without structured guidance.

The principal investigator, or PI, is responsible for facilitating the research oversight. They will create the research plan and inform team members and stakeholders of every detail relating to the project. The PI will also use the research plan to inform decision-making throughout the project.

• Why do you need a research plan?

Create a research plan before starting any official research to maximize every effort in pursuing and collecting the research data. Crucially, the plan will model the activities needed at each phase of the research project .

Like any roadmap, a research plan serves as a valuable tool providing direction for those involved in the project—both internally and externally. It will keep you and your immediate team organized and task-focused while also providing necessary definitions and timelines so you can execute your project initiatives with full understanding and transparency.

External stakeholders appreciate a working research plan because it’s a great communication tool, documenting progress and changing dynamics as they arise. Any participants of your planned research sessions will be informed about the purpose of your study, while the exercises will be based on the key messaging outlined in the official plan.

Here are some of the benefits of creating a research plan document for every project:

Project organization and structure

Well-informed participants

All stakeholders and teams align in support of the project

Clearly defined project definitions and purposes

Distractions are eliminated, prioritizing task focus

Timely management of individual task schedules and roles

Costly reworks are avoided

• What should a research plan include?

The different aspects of your research plan will depend on the nature of the project. However, most official research plan documents will include the core elements below. Each aims to define the problem statement , devising an official plan for seeking a solution.

Specific project goals and individual objectives

Ideal strategies or methods for reaching those goals

Required resources

Descriptions of the target audience, sample sizes , demographics, and scopes

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

Project background

Research and testing support

Preliminary studies and progress reporting mechanisms

Cost estimates and change order processes

Depending on the research project’s size and scope, your research plan could be brief—perhaps only a few pages of documented plans. Alternatively, it could be a fully comprehensive report. Either way, it’s an essential first step in dictating your project’s facilitation in the most efficient and effective way.

• How to write a research plan for your project

When you start writing your research plan, aim to be detailed about each step, requirement, and idea. The more time you spend curating your research plan, the more precise your research execution efforts will be.

Account for every potential scenario, and be sure to address each and every aspect of the research.

Consider following this flow to develop a great research plan for your project:

Define your project’s purpose

Start by defining your project’s purpose. Identify what your project aims to accomplish and what you are researching. Remember to use clear language.

Thinking about the project’s purpose will help you set realistic goals and inform how you divide tasks and assign responsibilities. These individual tasks will be your stepping stones to reach your overarching goal.

Additionally, you’ll want to identify the specific problem, the usability metrics needed, and the intended solutions.

Know the following three things about your project’s purpose before you outline anything else:

What you’re doing

Why you’re doing it

What you expect from it

Identify individual objectives

With your overarching project objectives in place, you can identify any individual goals or steps needed to reach those objectives. Break them down into phases or steps. You can work backward from the project goal and identify every process required to facilitate it.

Be mindful to identify each unique task so that you can assign responsibilities to various team members. At this point in your research plan development, you’ll also want to assign priority to those smaller, more manageable steps and phases that require more immediate or dedicated attention.

Select research methods

Once you have outlined your goals, objectives, steps, and tasks, it’s time to drill down on selecting research methods . You’ll want to leverage specific research strategies and processes. When you know what methods will help you reach your goals, you and your teams will have direction to perform and execute your assigned tasks.

Research methods might include any of the following:

User interviews : this is a qualitative research method where researchers engage with participants in one-on-one or group conversations. The aim is to gather insights into their experiences, preferences, and opinions to uncover patterns, trends, and data.

Field studies : this approach allows for a contextual understanding of behaviors, interactions, and processes in real-world settings. It involves the researcher immersing themselves in the field, conducting observations, interviews, or experiments to gather in-depth insights.

Card sorting : participants categorize information by sorting content cards into groups based on their perceived similarities. You might use this process to gain insights into participants’ mental models and preferences when navigating or organizing information on websites, apps, or other systems.

Focus groups : use organized discussions among select groups of participants to provide relevant views and experiences about a particular topic.

Diary studies : ask participants to record their experiences, thoughts, and activities in a diary over a specified period. This method provides a deeper understanding of user experiences, uncovers patterns, and identifies areas for improvement.

Five-second testing: participants are shown a design, such as a web page or interface, for just five seconds. They then answer questions about their initial impressions and recall, allowing you to evaluate the design’s effectiveness.

Surveys : get feedback from participant groups with structured surveys. You can use online forms, telephone interviews, or paper questionnaires to reveal trends, patterns, and correlations.

Tree testing : tree testing involves researching web assets through the lens of findability and navigability. Participants are given a textual representation of the site’s hierarchy (the “tree”) and asked to locate specific information or complete tasks by selecting paths.

Usability testing : ask participants to interact with a product, website, or application to evaluate its ease of use. This method enables you to uncover areas for improvement in digital key feature functionality by observing participants using the product.

Live website testing: research and collect analytics that outlines the design, usability, and performance efficiencies of a website in real time.

There are no limits to the number of research methods you could use within your project. Just make sure your research methods help you determine the following:

What do you plan to do with the research findings?

What decisions will this research inform? How can your stakeholders leverage the research data and results?

Recruit participants and allocate tasks

Next, identify the participants needed to complete the research and the resources required to complete the tasks. Different people will be proficient at different tasks, and having a task allocation plan will allow everything to run smoothly.

Prepare a thorough project summary

Every well-designed research plan will feature a project summary. This official summary will guide your research alongside its communications or messaging. You’ll use the summary while recruiting participants and during stakeholder meetings. It can also be useful when conducting field studies.

Ensure this summary includes all the elements of your research project . Separate the steps into an easily explainable piece of text that includes the following:

An introduction: the message you’ll deliver to participants about the interview, pre-planned questioning, and testing tasks.

Interview questions: prepare questions you intend to ask participants as part of your research study, guiding the sessions from start to finish.

An exit message: draft messaging your teams will use to conclude testing or survey sessions. These should include the next steps and express gratitude for the participant’s time.

Create a realistic timeline

While your project might already have a deadline or a results timeline in place, you’ll need to consider the time needed to execute it effectively.

Realistically outline the time needed to properly execute each supporting phase of research and implementation. And, as you evaluate the necessary schedules, be sure to include additional time for achieving each milestone in case any changes or unexpected delays arise.

For this part of your research plan, you might find it helpful to create visuals to ensure your research team and stakeholders fully understand the information.

Determine how to present your results

A research plan must also describe how you intend to present your results. Depending on the nature of your project and its goals, you might dedicate one team member (the PI) or assume responsibility for communicating the findings yourself.

In this part of the research plan, you’ll articulate how you’ll share the results. Detail any materials you’ll use, such as:

Presentations and slides

A project report booklet

A project findings pamphlet

Documents with key takeaways and statistics

Graphic visuals to support your findings

• Format your research plan

As you create your research plan, you can enjoy a little creative freedom. A plan can assume many forms, so format it how you see fit. Determine the best layout based on your specific project, intended communications, and the preferences of your teams and stakeholders.

Find format inspiration among the following layouts:

Written outlines

Narrative storytelling

Visual mapping

Graphic timelines

Remember, the research plan format you choose will be subject to change and adaptation as your research and findings unfold. However, your final format should ideally outline questions, problems, opportunities, and expectations.

• Research plan example

Imagine you’ve been tasked with finding out how to get more customers to order takeout from an online food delivery platform. The goal is to improve satisfaction and retain existing customers. You set out to discover why more people aren’t ordering and what it is they do want to order or experience. 

You identify the need for a research project that helps you understand what drives customer loyalty . But before you jump in and start calling past customers, you need to develop a research plan—the roadmap that provides focus, clarity, and realistic details to the project.

Here’s an example outline of a research plan you might put together:

Project title

Project members involved in the research plan

Purpose of the project (provide a summary of the research plan’s intent)

Objective 1 (provide a short description for each objective)

Objective 2

Objective 3

Proposed timeline

Audience (detail the group you want to research, such as customers or non-customers)

Budget (how much you think it might cost to do the research)

Risk factors/contingencies (any potential risk factors that may impact the project’s success)

Remember, your research plan doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel—it just needs to fit your project’s unique needs and aims.

Customizing a research plan template

Some companies offer research plan templates to help get you started. However, it may make more sense to develop your own customized plan template. Be sure to include the core elements of a great research plan with your template layout, including the following:

Introductions to participants and stakeholders

Background problems and needs statement

Significance, ethics, and purpose

Research methods, questions, and designs

Preliminary beliefs and expectations

Implications and intended outcomes

Realistic timelines for each phase

Conclusion and presentations

How many pages should a research plan be?

Generally, a research plan can vary in length between 500 to 1,500 words. This is roughly three pages of content. More substantial projects will be 2,000 to 3,500 words, taking up four to seven pages of planning documents.

What is the difference between a research plan and a research proposal?

A research plan is a roadmap to success for research teams. A research proposal, on the other hand, is a dissertation aimed at convincing or earning the support of others. Both are relevant in creating a guide to follow to complete a project goal.

What are the seven steps to developing a research plan?

While each research project is different, it’s best to follow these seven general steps to create your research plan:

Defining the problem

Identifying goals

Choosing research methods

Recruiting participants

Preparing the brief or summary

Establishing task timelines

Defining how you will present the findings

Should you be using a customer insights hub?

Do you want to discover previous research faster?

Do you share your research findings with others?

Do you analyze research data?

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Knowledge Mobilization (KMb)

How We Can Help:

Develop your strategy for making an impact with your research..

The Knowledge to Impact (KI) team in the Research Services Office builds and maintains meaningful research partnerships between the University of Calgary and community organizations to create knowledge with impact to benefit the community.

What is Knowledge Mobilization?

Put simply, knowledge mobilization (KMb) is the process of moving evidence into action to maximize impact. It can involve building awareness, disseminating findings, and enabling use of research knowledge to create positive impacts and benefits.

Knowledge mobilization can happen at any point of the research process. Beyond academia, knowledge mobilization initiatives can inform public debate, policy and decision-making, and improve services and processes. Knowledge mobilization can also be co-created and co-facilitated by researchers and the community. Other terms for these activities include knowledge exchange, knowledge translation, and implementation.

Getting Started with KMb

A good knowledge mobilization plan considers all stages of a research project  and includes:

• understanding of who your audiences and partners are,
• how much engagement your collaborators and audiences want in the research process,
• the dissemination and engagement activities you intend to use,
• timelines, milestones and goals,
• a well-considered budget,
• and a way to evaluate your plan.

Support at Any Stage

The Knowledge Engagement team is available to consult with university researchers to help with knowledge mobilization planning and strategy at any stage of the research process. The Knowledge Engagement team is available to consult with university researchers to help with knowledge mobilization planning and strategy at any stage of the research process. Book a Consult

Knowledge Engagement can review knowledge mobilization plans required for grant applications. Please allow three business days for review, and send a summary of the project along with your knowledge mobilization plan. Send Your Plan

Additional Knowledge Mobilization Plan Supports

Find knowledge mobilization resources and templates to assist you with your planning process.   Visit: Additional Resources

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Master's Workshop: Writing a Research Plan

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This workshop will help you write a clear, well-structured research plan for your Master’s thesis. 

This is a workshop series designed to help students enrolled in international Master's programs at KI get the most out of their studies. The series addresses a variety of topics related to academic communication, from academic writing to oral presentations. You may choose to attend all sessions or just a few. The workshops are free, but you need to register in order to attend. 

​Please be aware that the library will not provide a certificate of attendance for this workshop.

Please note!

Cancel your registration if you cannot attend the session. If you miss two sessions without notifying us, you will be de-registered from any other workshops that you may have registered for.

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Application Process

Students wishing to be considered for admission into the NIH-KI Collaborative Doctoral Program in Neuroscience must submit an online application through the NIH Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP) central database. The application system opens annually in August and closes in early December. For the application, students should expect to provide information on their academic history, research interest/experiences, references (3), and a personal statement. Interested applicants will need to apply through the GPP Application Center  . Note: The NIH-KI Program uses the Institutional Partnership Long Form for prospective PhD students so it is important to make sure the correct form is completed in the GPP application portal.

Unlike most programs, the NIH-KI Collaborative Doctoral Program in Neuroscience requires applicants to specify areas of research interest and propose a KI-NIH mentor pair upfront as part of the online application. In addition to the application, interested applicants should submit a 1-2 page research proposal that outlines their prospective research project and potential mentor pairing. Competitive applicants will greatly improve their chances of being offered acceptance if they provide a well thought out research plan, identify potential mentors at NIH and KI, and communicate with these mentors ahead of time to assure their interest in supporting the applicants’ graduate research efforts should the applicant gain admission to the program.

The GPP application portal does not have an area for applicants to submit a research proposal so we ask applicants to send proposals separately via email to the Program Director, Dr. Janet Clark and Program Coordinator, Aneka Reid . Once proposals are received it will be included with the application package. Applicants should aim to send their research proposals around the time of application submission in December or by mid-January at the latest. Applicants who do not provide a research proposal and identify research mentors at KI and NIH will not be invited to interview for the program.

Within the application, please include the following:

• Additional Information section- indicate proposed NIH and KI investigators and also mention whether they have been contacted to serve as mentors for your intended thesis research.
• Personal Statement section- provide a statement that explains who you are as a person, student, and scientific researcher. Additionally, please address why this program is best suited for your graduate education and development.

Pre and Post Interview Process

Applicants are typically notified of interview selection on or around mid-January. Those selected for interview will travel in person or virtually as appropriate to the NIH in February, where they will meet with their proposed NIH mentors, Program Directors and Selection Committee members. All interviewees are responsible for scheduling meetings with their proposed NIH mentors and selection committee members. Program Director meetings are prescheduled for all interviewees and provided ahead of the program interview dates. Acceptance notifications for the program are sent out in March; after which newly admitted students will need to submit an application to KI to complete student registration and admission. New students will be instructed to work with their KI mentor and department to complete the formal KI application process. In addition to the KI application, new students will need to develop an Individual Study Plan (ISP) with their KI mentor. The ISP is a formal KI requirement for all doctoral students and is a plan that details the scientific project, training timeline, and learning objectives. The plan is not meant to be rigid and is a living document that is updated regularly over the course of the student’s progression through the program. Students should expect to begin work at their NIH laboratory in the summer of their admission year and simultaneously work to map out their graduate training and educational components.

This program prides itself on maintaining strong partnerships with mentors, students and staff on both ends. We accomplish this by prioritizing communication, fostering and nurturing relationships and connecting with our students regardless of location. In summary students have the full support of their NIH mentor, KI supervisor and Program staff to achieve their educational pursuits.

Additional Resources:

• NIH GPP Program Information 
• Neuroscience@NIH 
• Karolinska Institutet Home Page  
• Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet  

FLEET LIBRARY | Research Guides

Rhode island school of design, create a research plan: research plan.

• Research Plan
• Literature Review
• Ulrich's Global Serials Directory
• Related Guides

A research plan is a framework that shows how you intend to approach your topic. The plan can take many forms: a written outline, a narrative, a visual/concept map or timeline. It's a document that will change and develop as you conduct your research. Components of a research plan

1. Research conceptualization - introduces your research question

2. Research methodology - describes your approach to the research question

3. Literature review, critical evaluation and synthesis - systematic approach to locating,

    reviewing and evaluating the work (text, exhibitions, critiques, etc) relating to your topic

4. Communication - geared toward an intended audience, shows evidence of your inquiry

Research conceptualization refers to the ability to identify specific research questions, problems or opportunities that are worthy of inquiry. Research conceptualization also includes the skills and discipline that go beyond the initial moment of conception, and which enable the researcher to formulate and develop an idea into something researchable ( Newbury 373).

Research methodology refers to the knowledge and skills required to select and apply appropriate methods to carry through the research project ( Newbury 374) .

Method describes a single mode of proceeding; methodology describes the overall process.

Method - a way of doing anything especially according to a defined and regular plan; a mode of procedure in any activity

Methodology - the study of the direction and implications of empirical research, or the sustainability of techniques employed in it; a method or body of methods used in a particular field of study or activity *Browse a list of research methodology books  or this guide on Art & Design Research

Literature Review, critical evaluation & synthesis

A literature review is a systematic approach to locating, reviewing, and evaluating the published work and work in progress of scholars, researchers, and practitioners on a given topic.

Critical evaluation and synthesis is the ability to handle (or process) existing sources. It includes knowledge of the sources of literature and contextual research field within which the person is working ( Newbury 373).

Literature reviews are done for many reasons and situations. Here's a short list:

Sources to consult while conducting a literature review:

Online catalogs of local, regional, national, and special libraries

meta-catalogs such as worldcat , Art Discovery Group , europeana , world digital library or RIBA

subject-specific online article databases (such as the Avery Index, JSTOR, Project Muse)

digital institutional repositories such as Digital Commons @RISD ; see Registry of Open Access Repositories

Open Access Resources recommended by RISD Research LIbrarians

works cited in scholarly books and articles

print bibliographies

the internet-locate major nonprofit, research institutes, museum, university, and government websites

search google scholar to locate grey literature & referenced citations

trade and scholarly publishers

fellow scholars and peers

Communication                              

Communication refers to the ability to

• structure a coherent line of inquiry
• communicate your findings to your intended audience
• make skilled use of visual material to express ideas for presentations, writing, and the creation of exhibitions ( Newbury 374)

Research plan framework: Newbury, Darren. "Research Training in the Creative Arts and Design." The Routledge Companion to Research in the Arts . Ed. Michael Biggs and Henrik Karlsson. New York: Routledge, 2010. 368-87. Print.

About the author

Except where otherwise noted, this guide is subject to a Creative Commons Attribution license

source document

  Routledge Companion to Research in the Arts

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About doctoral education at KI

A doctoral (PhD) degree is the highest academic degree in Sweden, and it is earned after four years of doctoral education and passing a public defence.

To complete a doctoral education means to devote oneself to a research project under supervision of an experienced researcher and to follow an individual study plan. The doctoral student will also take courses and write a thesis.

Each doctoral student has their unique doctoral education, depending on the project, the supervisors and individual qualifications but striving toward the same overall learning objectives.

In order to be eligible for doctoral education you must meet both the general and specific entry requirements.

Read more about entry requirements (eligibility) for doctoral education

Outcomes for doctoral education

After completing their doctoral education at KI, students are to have developed an advanced general knowledge of medical science and scientific methodology, and cutting edge scientific skills in whatever research field they choose to explore for their final thesis.

Please see detailed outcomes for PhD and Licentiate degrees , as defined by the Higher Education Ordinance.

Study plans

The content of the doctoral studies is outlined in the individual study plan written by the doctoral student and supervisor together and approved by the departmental director of doctoral studies after the admission. The individual study plan describes how the goals of the education will be achieved and consists of a time plan, research plan, financing plan, as well as a description of how the supervision is planned and a list of courses and other activities needed for reaching the learning outcomes. The individual study plan is followed-up and revised annually.

Course requirements and requirements for other education activities are outlined in the general syllabus for medical science .

All doctoral students are taking courses; both basic general science courses and project specific courses, as outlined in the study plan.

Doctoral courses

Research schools

KI offers a number of research schools that students can apply to either before or after admission to doctoral education. In a research school the education is more scheduled than for other doctoral students that have to apply for every single course. Most research schools are aimed for doctoral student with an employment as clinicians at a Swedish hospital. To be considered for a research school you have to apply both to the school and to an individual doctoral project at one of KI’s departments.

Doctoral programmes

When admitted to doctoral education the student chooses one or several thematic programmes that are related to their research project. The purpose with the programmes is to give a comprehensive supply of courses and other learning activities within each research area. The programmes are also a possibility for the doctoral student to create networks outside the research group and department.

Doctoral programmes at KI

Study funding

All doctoral students at KI are financially supported during the studies, either through employment at KI or through employment somewhere else. External scholarships can be used as a funding source during the first year, but only in rare exceptions through-out the entire doctoral education.

Doctoral education has no tuition fee regardless of the student’s country of origin.

Read more about study funding during doctoral education at the staff portal

Karolinska Institutet issues following degrees at doctoral level:

• Licentiate degree (after two years studies at doctoral level)
• Doctoral (PhD) degree (after four years studies at doctoral level)

A doctoral degree is issued after a public defence of a doctoral thesis. A licentiate thesis is publically defended at a licentiate seminar.

After the degree

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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

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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Write Your Research Plan

In this part, we give you detailed information about writing an effective Research Plan. We start with the importance and parameters of significance and innovation.

We then discuss how to focus the Research Plan, relying on the iterative process described in the Iterative Approach to Application Planning Checklist shown at Draft Specific Aims  and give you advice for filling out the forms.

You'll also learn the importance of having a well-organized, visually appealing application that avoids common missteps and the importance of preparing your just-in-time information early.

While this document is geared toward the basic research project grant, the R01, much of it is useful for other grant types.

Table of Contents

Research plan overview and your approach, craft a title, explain your aims, research strategy instructions, advice for a successful research strategy, graphics and video, significance, innovation, and approach, tracking for your budget, preliminary studies or progress report, referencing publications, review and finalize your research plan, abstract and narrative.

Your application's Research Plan has two sections:

• Specific Aims —a one-page statement of your objectives for the project.
• Research Strategy —a description of the rationale for your research and your experiments in 12 pages for an R01.

In your Specific Aims, you note the significance and innovation of your research; then list your two to three concrete objectives, your aims.

Your Research Strategy is the nuts and bolts of your application, where you describe your research rationale and the experiments you will conduct to accomplish each aim. Though how you organize it is largely up to you, NIH expects you to follow these guidelines.

• Organize using bold headers or an outline or numbering system—or both—that you use consistently throughout.
• Start each section with the appropriate header: Significance, Innovation, or Approach.
• Organize the Approach section around your Specific Aims.

Format of Your Research Plan

To write the Research Plan, you don't need the application forms. Write the text in your word processor, turn it into a PDF file, and upload it into the application form when it's final.

Because NIH may return your application if it doesn't meet all requirements, be sure to follow the rules for font, page limits, and more. Read the instructions at NIH’s Format Attachments .

For an R01, the Research Strategy can be up to 12 pages, plus one page for Specific Aims. Don't pad other sections with information that belongs in the Research Plan. NIH is on the lookout and may return your application to you if you try to evade page limits.

Follow Examples

As you read this page, look at our Sample Applications and More  to see some of the different strategies successful PIs use to create an outstanding Research Plan.

Keeping It All In Sync

Writing in a logical sequence will save you time.

Information you put in the Research Plan affects just about every other application part. You'll need to keep everything in sync as your plans evolve during the writing phase.

It's best to consider your writing as an iterative process. As you develop and finalize your experiments, you will go back and check other parts of the application to make sure everything is in sync: the "who, what, when, where, and how (much money)" as well as look again at the scope of your plans.

In that vein, writing in a logical sequence is a good approach that will save you time. We suggest proceeding in the following order:

• Create a provisional title.
• Write a draft of your Specific Aims.
• Start with your Significance and Innovation sections.
• Then draft the Approach section considering the personnel and skills you'll need for each step.
• Evaluate your Specific Aims and methods in light of your expected budget (for a new PI, it should be modest, probably under the $250,000 for NIH's modular budget).
• As you design experiments, reevaluate your hypothesis, aims, and title to make sure they still reflect your plans.
• Prepare your Abstract (a summary of your Specific Aims).
• Complete the other forms.

Even the smaller sections of your application need to be well-organized and readable so reviewers can readily grasp the information. If writing is not your forte, get help.

To view writing strategies for successful applications, see our Sample Applications and More . There are many ways to create a great application, so explore your options.

Within the character limit, include the important information to distinguish your project within the research area, your project's goals, and the research problem.

Giving your project a title at the outset can help you stay focused and avoid a meandering Research Plan. So you may want to launch your writing by creating a well-defined title.

NIH gives you a 200 character limit, but don’t feel obliged to use all of that allotment. Instead, we advise you to keep the title as succinct as possible while including the important information to distinguish your project within the research area. Make your title reflect your project's goals, the problem your project addresses, and possibly your approach to studying it. Make your title specific: saying you are studying lymphocyte trafficking is not informative enough.

For examples of strong titles, see our Sample Applications and More .

After you write a preliminary title, check that

• My title is specific, indicating at least the research area and the goals of my project.
• It is 200 characters or less.
• I use as simple language as possible.
• I state the research problem and, possibly, my approach to studying it.
• I use a different title for each of my applications. (Note: there are exceptions, for example, for a renewal—see Apply for Renewal  for details.)
• My title has appropriate keywords.

Later you may want to change your initial title. That's fine—at this point, it's just an aid to keep your plans focused.

Since all your reviewers read your Specific Aims, you want to excite them about your project.

If testing your hypothesis is the destination for your research, your Research Plan is the map that takes you there.

You'll start by writing the smaller part, the Specific Aims. Think of the one-page Specific Aims as a capsule of your Research Plan. Since all your reviewers read your Specific Aims, you want to excite them about your project.

For more on crafting your Specific Aims, see Draft Specific Aims .

Write a Narrative

Use at least half the page to provide the rationale and significance of your planned research. A good way to start is with a sentence that states your project's goals.

For the rest of the narrative, you will describe the significance of your research, and give your rationale for choosing the project. In some cases, you may want to explain why you did not take an alternative route.

Then, briefly describe your aims, and show how they build on your preliminary studies and your previous research. State your hypothesis.

If it is likely your application will be reviewed by a study section with broad expertise, summarize the status of research in your field and explain how your project fits in.

In the narrative part of the Specific Aims of many outstanding applications, people also used their aims to

• State the technologies they plan to use.
• Note their expertise to do a specific task or that of collaborators.
• Describe past accomplishments related to the project.
• Describe preliminary studies and new and highly relevant findings in the field.
• Explain their area's biology.
• Show how the aims relate to one another.
• Describe expected outcomes for each aim.
• Explain how they plan to interpret data from the aim’s efforts.
• Describe how to address potential pitfalls with contingency plans.

Depending on your situation, decide which items are important for you. For example, a new investigator would likely want to highlight preliminary data and qualifications to do the work.

Many people use bold or italics to emphasize items they want to bring to the reviewers' attention, such as the hypothesis or rationale.

Detail Your Aims

After the narrative, enter your aims as bold bullets, or stand-alone or run-on headers.

• State your plans using strong verbs like identify, define, quantify, establish, determine.
• Describe each aim in one to three sentences.
• Consider adding bullets under each aim to refine your objectives.

How focused should your aims be? Look at the example below.

Spot the Sample

Read the Specific Aims of the Application from Drs. Li and Samulski , "Enhance AAV Liver Transduction with Capsid Immune Evasion."

• Aim 1. Study the effect of adeno-associated virus (AAV) empty particles on AAV capsid antigen cross-presentation in vivo .
• Aim 2. Investigate AAV capsid antigen presentation following administration of AAV mutants and/or proteasome inhibitors for enhanced liver transduction in vivo .
• Aim 3. Isolate AAV chimeric capsids with human hepatocyte tropism and the capacity for cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) evasion.

After finishing the draft Specific Aims, check that

• I keep to the one-page limit.
• Each of my two or three aims is a narrowly focused, concrete objective I can achieve during the grant.
• They give a clear picture of how my project can generate knowledge that may improve human health.
• They show my project's importance to science, how it addresses a critical research opportunity that can move my field forward.
• My text states how my work is innovative.
• I describe the biology to the extent needed for my reviewers.
• I give a rationale for choosing the topic and approach.
• I tie the project to my preliminary data and other new findings in the field.
• I explicitly state my hypothesis and why testing it is important.
• My aims can test my hypothesis and are logical.
• I can design and lead the execution of two or three sets of experiments that will strive to accomplish each aim.
• As much as possible, I use language that an educated person without expertise can understand.
• My text has bullets, bolding, or headers so reviewers can easily spot my aims (and other key items).

For each element listed above, analyze your text and revise it until your Specific Aims hit all the key points you'd like to make.

After the list of aims, some people add a closing paragraph, emphasizing the significance of the work, their collaborators, or whatever else they want to focus reviewers' attention on.

Your Research Strategy is the bigger part of your application's Research Plan (the other part is the Specific Aims—discussed above.)

The Research Strategy is the nuts and bolts of your application, describing the rationale for your research and the experiments you will do to accomplish each aim. It is structured as follows:

• Significance
• You can either include this information as a subsection of Approach or integrate it into any or all of the three main sections.
• If you do the latter, be sure to mark the information clearly, for example, with a bold subhead.
• Possible other sections, for example, human subjects, vertebrate animals, select agents, and others (these do not count toward the page limit).

Though how you organize your application is largely up to you, NIH does want you to follow these guidelines:

• Add bold headers or an outlining or numbering system—or both—that you use consistently throughout.
• Start each of the Research Strategy's sections with a header: Significance, Innovation, and Approach.

For an R01, the Research Strategy is limited to 12 pages for the three main sections and the preliminary studies only. Other items are not included in the page limit.

Find instructions for R01s in the SF 424 Application Guide—go to NIH's SF 424 (R&R) Application and Electronic Submission Information for the generic SF 424 Application Guide or find it in your notice of funding opportunity (NOFO).

For most applications, you need to address Rigor and Reproducibility by describing the experimental design and methods you propose and how they will achieve robust and unbiased results. The requirement applies to research grant, career development, fellowship, and training applications.

If you're responding to an institute-specific program announcement (PA) (not a parent program announcement) or a request for applications (RFA), check the NIH Guide notice, which has additional information you need. Should it differ from the NOFO, go with the NIH Guide .

Also note that your application must meet the initiative's objectives and special requirements. NIAID program staff will check your application, and if it is not responsive to the announcement, your application will be returned to you without a review.

When writing your Research Strategy, your goal is to present a well-organized, visually appealing, and readable description of your proposed project. That means your writing should be streamlined and organized so your reviewers can readily grasp the information. If writing is not your forte, get help.

There are many ways to create an outstanding Research Plan, so explore your options.

What Success Looks Like

Your application's Research Plan is the map that shows your reviewers how you plan to test your hypothesis.

It not only lays out your experiments and expected outcomes, but must also convince your reviewers of your likely success by allaying any doubts that may cross their minds that you will be able to conduct the research.

Notice in the sample applications how the writing keeps reviewers' eyes on the ball by bringing them back to the main points the PIs want to make. Write yourself an insurance policy against human fallibility: if it's a key point, repeat it, then repeat it again.

The Big Three

So as you write, put the big picture squarely in your sights. When reviewers read your application, they'll look for the answers to three basic questions:

• Can your research move your field forward?
• Is the field important—will progress make a difference to human health?
• Can you and your team carry out the work?

Add Emphasis

Savvy PIs create opportunities to drive their main points home. They don't stop at the Significance section to emphasize their project's importance, and they look beyond their biosketches to highlight their team's expertise.

Don't take a chance your reviewer will gloss over that one critical sentence buried somewhere in your Research Strategy or elsewhere. Write yourself an insurance policy against human fallibility: if it's a key point, repeat it, then repeat it again.

Add more emphasis by putting the text in bold, or bold italics (in the modern age, we skip underlining—it's for typewriters).

Here are more strategies from our successful PIs:

• While describing a method in the Approach section, they state their or collaborators' experience with it.
• They point out that they have access to a necessary piece of equipment.
• When explaining their field and the status of current research, they weave in their own work and their preliminary data.
• They delve into the biology of the area to make sure reviewers will grasp the importance of their research and understand their field and how their work fits into it.

You can see many of these principles at work in the Approach section of the Application from Dr. William Faubion , "Inflammatory cascades disrupt Treg function through epigenetic mechanisms."

• Reviewers felt that the experiments described for Aim 1 will yield clear results.
• The plans to translate those findings to gene targets of relevance are well outlined and focused.
• He ties his proposed experiments to the larger picture, including past research and strong preliminary data for the current application. 

Anticipate Reviewer Questions

Our applicants not only wrote with their reviewers in mind they seemed to anticipate their questions. You may think: how can I anticipate all the questions people may have? Of course you can't, but there are some basic items (in addition to the "big three" listed above) that will surely be on your reviewers' minds:

• Will the investigators be able to get the work done within the project period, or is the proposed work over ambitious?
• Did the PI describe potential pitfalls and possible alternatives?
• Will the experiments generate meaningful data?
• Could the resulting data prove the hypothesis?
• Are others already doing the work, or has it been already completed?

Address these questions; then spend time thinking about more potential issues specific to you and your research—and address those too.

For applications, a picture can truly be worth a thousand words. Graphics can illustrate complex information in a small space and add visual interest to your application.

Look at our sample applications to see how the investigators included schematics, tables, illustrations, graphs, and other types of graphics to enhance their applications.

Consider adding a timetable or flowchart to illustrate your experimental plan, including decision trees with alternative experimental pathways to help your reviewers understand your plans.

Plan Ahead for Video

If you plan to send one or more videos, you'll need to meet certain standards and include key information in your Research Strategy now.

To present some concepts or demonstrations, video may enhance your application beyond what graphics alone can achieve. However, you can't count on all reviewers being able to see or hear video, so you'll want to be strategic in how you incorporate it into your application.

Be reviewer-friendly. Help your cause by taking the following steps:

• Caption any narration in the video.
• Choose evocative still images from your video to accompany your summary.
• Write your summary of the video carefully so the text would make sense even without the video.

In addition to those considerations, create your videos to fit NIH’s technical requirements. Learn more in the SF 424 Form Instructions .

Next, as you write your Research Strategy, include key images from the video and a brief description.

Then, state in your cover letter that you plan to send video later. (Don't attach your files to the application.)

After you apply and get assignment information from the Commons, ask your assigned scientific review officer (SRO) how your business official should send the files. Your video files are due at least one month before the peer review meeting.

Know Your Audience's Perspective

The primary audience for your application is your peer review group. Learn how to write for the reviewers who are experts in your field and those who are experts in other fields by reading Know Your Audience .

Be Organized: A B C or 1 2 3?

In the top-notch applications we reviewed, organization ruled but followed few rules. While you want to be organized, how you go about it is up to you.

Nevertheless, here are some principles to follow:

• Start each of the Research Strategy's sections with a header: Significance, Innovation, and Approach—this you must do.

The Research Strategy's page limit—12 for R01s—is for the three main parts: Significance, Innovation, and Approach and your preliminary studies (or a progress report if you're renewing your grant). Other sections, for example, research animals or select agents, do not have a page limit.

Although you will emphasize your project's significance throughout the application, the Significance section should give the most details. Don't skimp—the farther removed your reviewers are from your field, the more information you'll need to provide on basic biology, importance of the area, research opportunities, and new findings.

When you describe your project's significance, put it in the context of 1) the state of your field, 2) your long-term research plans, and 3) your preliminary data.

In our Sample Applications , you can see that both investigators and reviewers made a case for the importance of the research to improving human health as well as to the scientific field.

Look at the Significance section of the Application from Dr. Mengxi Jiang , "Intersection of polyomavirus infection and host cellular responses," to see how these elements combine to make a strong case for significance.

• Dr. Jiang starts with a summary of the field of polyomavirus research, identifying critical knowledge gaps in the field.
• The application ties the lab's previous discoveries and new research plans to filling those gaps, establishing the significance with context.
• Note the use of formatting, whitespace, and sectioning to highlight key points and make it easier for reviewers to read the text.

After conveying the significance of the research in several parts of the application, check that

• In the Significance section, I describe the importance of my hypothesis to the field (especially if my reviewers are not in it) and human disease.
• I also point out the project's significance throughout the application.
• The application shows that I am aware of opportunities, gaps, roadblocks, and research underway in my field.
• I state how my research will advance my field, highlighting knowledge gaps and showing how my project fills one or more of them.
• Based on my scan of the review committee roster, I determine whether I cannot assume my reviewers will know my field and provide some information on basic biology, the importance of the area, knowledge gaps, and new findings.

If you are either a new PI or entering a new area: be cautious about seeming too innovative. Not only is innovation just one of five review criteria, but there might be a paradigm shift in your area of science. A reviewer may take a challenge to the status quo as a challenge to his or her world view.

When you look at our sample applications, you see that both the new and experienced investigators are not generally shifting paradigms. They are using new approaches or models, working in new areas, or testing innovative ideas.

After finishing the draft innovation section, check that

• I show how my proposed research is new and unique, e.g., explores new scientific avenues, has a novel hypothesis, will create new knowledge.
• Most likely, I explain how my project's research can refine, improve, or propose a new application of an existing concept or method.
• Make a very strong case for challenging the existing paradigm.
• Have data to support the innovative approach.
• Have strong evidence that I can do the work.

In your Approach, you spell out a few sets of experiments to address each aim. As we noted above, it's a good idea to restate the key points you've made about your project's significance, its place in your field, and your long-term goals.

You're probably wondering how much detail to include.

If you look at our sample applications as a guide, you can see very different approaches. Though people generally used less detail than you'd see in a scientific paper, they do include some experimental detail.

Expect your assigned reviewers to scrutinize your approach: they will want to know what you plan to do and how you plan to do it.

NIH data show that of the peer review criteria, approach has the highest correlation with the overall impact score.

Look at the Application from Dr. Mengxi Jiang , "Intersection of polyomavirus infection and host cellular responses," to see how a new investigator handled the Approach section.

For an example of an experienced investigator's well-received Approach section, see the Application from Dr. William Faubion , "Inflammatory cascades disrupt Treg function through epigenetic mechanisms."

Especially if you are a new investigator, you need enough detail to convince reviewers that you understand what you are undertaking and can handle the method.

• Cite a publication that shows you can handle the method where you can, but give more details if you and your team don't have a proven record using the method—and state explicitly why you think you will succeed.
• If space is short, you could also focus on experiments that highlight your expertise or are especially interesting. For experiments that are pedestrian or contracted out, just list the method.

Be sure to lay out a plan for alternative experiments and approaches in case you get negative or surprising results. Show reviewers you have a plan for spending the four or five years you will be funded no matter where the experiments lead.

See the Application from Drs. Li and Samulski , "Enhance AAV Liver Transduction with Capsid Immune Evasion," for a strong Approach section covering potential. As an example, see section C.1.3.'s alternative approaches.

Here are some pointers for organizing your Approach:

• Enter a bold header for each Specific Aim.
• Under each aim, describe the first set of experiments.
• If you get result X, you will follow pathway X; if you get result Y, you will follow pathway Y.
• Consider illustrating this with a flowchart.

Trim the fat—omit all information not needed to make your case. If you try to wow reviewers with your knowledge, they'll find flaws and penalize you heavily. Don't give them ammunition by including anything you don't need.

As you design your experiments, keep a running tab of the following essential data on a separate piece of paper:

• Who. A list of people who will help you for your Key Personnel section later.
• What. A list of equipment and supplies for the experiments you plan.
• Time. Notes on how long each step takes. Timing directly affects your budget as well as how many Specific Aims you can realistically achieve.

Jotting this information down will help you Create a Budget and complete other sections later.

After finishing a draft Approach section, check that

• I include enough background and preliminary data to give reviewers the context and significance of my plans.
• They can test the hypothesis (or hypotheses).
• I show alternative experiments and approaches in case I get negative or surprising results.
• My experiments can yield meaningful data to test my hypothesis (or hypotheses).
• As a new investigator, I include enough detail to convince reviewers I understand and can handle a method. I reviewed the sample applications to see how much detail to use.
• If I or my team has experience with a method, I cite it; otherwise I include enough details to convince reviewers we can handle it.
• I describe the results I anticipate and their implications.
• I omit all information not needed to state my case.
• I keep track of and explain who will do what, what they will do, when and where they will do it, how long it will take, and how much money it will cost.
• My timeline shows when I expect to complete my aims.

If you are applying for a new application, include preliminary studies; for a renewal or a revision (a competing supplement to an existing grant), prepare a progress report instead.

Describing Preliminary Studies

Your preliminary studies show that you can handle the methods and interpret results. Here's where you build reviewer confidence that you are headed in the right direction by pursuing research that builds on your accomplishments.

Reviewers use your preliminary studies together with the biosketches to assess the investigator review criterion, which reflects the competence of the research team.

Give alternative interpretations to your data to show reviewers you've thought through problems in-depth and are prepared to meet future challenges. If you don't do this, the reviewers will!

Though you may include other people's publications, focus on your preliminary data or unpublished data from your lab and the labs of your team members as much as you can.

As we noted above, you can put your preliminary data anywhere in the Research Strategy that you feel is appropriate, but just make sure your reviewers will be able to distinguish it. Alternatively, you can create a separate section with its own header.

Including a Progress Report

If you are applying for a renewal or a revision (a competing supplement to an existing grant), prepare a progress report instead of preliminary studies.

Create a header so your program officer can easily find it and include the following information:

• Project period beginning and end dates.
• Summary of the importance of your findings in relation to your Specific Aims.
• Account of published and unpublished results, highlighting your progress toward achieving your Specific Aims.

Note: if you submit a renewal application before the due date of your progress report, you do not need to submit a separate progress report for your grant. However, you will need to submit it, if your renewal is not funded.

After finishing the draft, check that

• I interpret my preliminary results critically.
• There is enough information to show I know what I'm talking about.
• If my project is complex, I give more preliminary studies.
• I show how my previous experience prepared me for the new project.
• It's clear which data are mine and which are not.

References show your breadth of knowledge of the field. If you leave out an important work, reviewers may assume you're not aware of it.

Throughout your application, you will reference all relevant publications for the concepts underlying your research and your methods.

Read more about your Bibliography and References Cited at Add a Bibliography and Appendix .

• Throughout my application I cite the literature thoroughly but not excessively, adding citations for all references important to my work.
• I cite all papers important to my field, including those from potential reviewers.
• I include fewer than 100 citations (if possible).
• My Bibliography and References Cited form lists all my references.
• I refer to unpublished work, including information I learned through personal contacts.
• If I do not describe a method, I add a reference to the literature.

Look over what you've written with a critical eye of a reviewer to identify potential questions or weak spots.

Enlist others to do that too—they can look at your application with a fresh eye. Include people who aren't familiar with your research to make sure you can get your point across to someone outside your field.

As you finalize the details of your Research Strategy, you will also need to return to your Specific Aims to see if you must revise. See Draft Specific Aims .

After you finish your Research Plan, you are ready to write your Abstract (called Project Summary/Abstract) and Project Narrative, which are attachments to the Other Project Information form.

These sections may be small, but they're important.

• All your peer reviewers read your Abstract and narrative.
• Staff and automated systems in NIH's Center for Scientific Review use them to decide where to assign your application, even if you requested an institute and study section.
• They show the importance and health relevance of your research to members of the public and Congress who are interested in what NIH is funding with taxpayer dollars.

Be sure to omit confidential or proprietary information in these sections! When your application is funded, NIH enters your title and Abstract in the public RePORTER database.

Think brief and simple: to the extent that you can, write these sections in lay language, and include appropriate keywords, e.g., immunotherapy, genetic risk factors.

As NIH referral officers use these parts to direct your application to an institute for possible funding, your description can influence the choice they make.

Write a succinct summary of your project that both a scientist and a lay person can understand (to the extent that you can).

• Use your Specific Aims as a template—shorten it and simplify the language.
• In the first sentence, state the significance of your research to your field and relevance to NIAID's mission: to better understand, treat, and prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.
• Next state your hypothesis and the innovative potential of your research.
• Then list and briefly describe your Specific Aims and long-term objectives.

In your Project Narrative, you have only a few sentences to drive home your project's potential to improve public health.

Check out these effective Abstracts and Narratives from our R01  Sample Applications :

• Application from Dr. Mengxi Jiang , "Intersection of polyomavirus infection and host cellular responses"
• Application from Dr. William Faubion , "Inflammatory cascades disrupt Treg function through epigenetic mechanisms"
• My Project Summary/Abstract and Project Narrative (and title) are accessible to a broad audience.
• They describe the significance of my research to my field and state my hypothesis, my aims, and the innovative potential of my research.
• My narrative describes my project's potential to improve public health.
• I do not include any confidential or proprietary information.
• I do not use graphs or images.
• My Abstract has keywords that are appropriate and distinct enough to avoid confusion with other terms.
• My title is specific and informative.

Previous Step

Have questions.

A program officer in your area of science can give you application advice, NIAID's perspective on your research, and confirmation that your proposed research fits within NIAID’s mission.

Find contacts and instructions at When to Contact an NIAID Program Officer .

• Swanson Biotechnology Center
• KI Intranet

Meet the 2024 Amon Award Winners

Anna Uzonyi (left) and Lukas Teoman Henneberg

MIT Koch Institute

September 3, 2024

The Koch Institute at MIT is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 Angelika Amon Young Scientist Award, Anna Uzonyi and Lukas Teoman Henneberg. The prize was established in 2021 to recognize graduate students in the life sciences or biomedical research from institutions outside the United States who embody Dr. Amon’s infectious enthusiasm for discovery science. Both of this year’s winners work to unravel the fundamental biology of chromatin, the densely structured complex of DNA, RNA, and proteins that makes up a cell’s genetic material. Uzonyi is pursuing her PhD at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel under the supervision of Schraga Schwartz and Yonatan Stelzer. In her thesis, Uzonyi focuses on deciphering the principles of RNA editing code via large-scale systematic probing. Henneberg is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Molecular Machines and Signaling, at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Germany, works under the supervision of Professor Brenda Schulman and Professor Matthias Mann. For his research project, he probes active ubiquitin E3 ligase networks within cells. He works on the development of probes targeting active ubiquitin E3 ligases within cells and utilizing them in mass spectrometry-based workflows to explore the response of these ligase networks to cellular signaling pathways and therapeutics. This fall, Anna Uzonyi and Lukas Teoman Henneberg, will visit the Koch Institute. The MIT community and Amon Lab alumni are invited to attend their scientific presentations on Thursday, November 14 at 2:00 p.m. in the Luria Auditorium, followed by a 3:30 p.m. reception in the KI Galleries. Uzonyi will present on "Inosine and m6A: Deciphering the deposition and function of adenosine modifications” and Henneberg will present on "Capturing active cellular destroyers: Probing dynamic ubiquitin E3 ligase networks . "  

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Data Management Plans

Quality assured and correct data management is often facilitated by a well-thought-out data management plan (DMP). Many funders in Europe and the US require that you submit a data management plan. This currently applies to the Swedish Research Council, Horizon 2020, European Research Council (ERC) and some US-funded projects.

A data management plan is a document that collects information about data management in a research project.

The plan covers all phases of the project, from planning and collection, creation, or generation of data, to analysis, publishing and archiving.

A data management plan is a "living" document that should be kept updated throughout the project.

Key components of a DMP are:

• Description of data
• Documentation and data quality
• Storage and backup
• Legal and ethical aspects
• Accessibility and long-term storage
• Responsibility and resources

KI employed and affiliated researchers can use  DMPonline  to write a data management plan (DMP).

For instructions on how to use DMPOnline see our dedicated page .

Further reading

Swedish National Data Service (SND): Checklist for a Data Management Plan . 

Data Management Expert Guide

The Swedish Research Council

As from 2019, all awarded grants from the Swedish Research Council (VR) must have a data management plan (DMP) . This requirement aims to improve data management in research in general and increase access of research data according to the FAIR Principles .

KI is responsible for making sure that data management plans for VR research projects at KI are in place.

If you have been awarded a VR grant:

• Create the data management plan for your VR project by using the custom KI VR web-based template available in DMPonline  (see the manual below for instructions).
• The template facilitates the creation of data plans and includes guidance  and text suggestions .
• When finished, select the Request feedback tab and click on the Request feedback button. A member of the Research Data Office (RDO) team will provide feedback and you will get a notification when we have looked at your plan.
• Alternatively you can export your plan as a PDF or Word and submit it to [email protected]  or email us and let us know that your plan is ready and we can collect it from DMPonline.
• RDO will go through your plan and provide feedback/help you if you have any questions.

When RDOs comments/suggestions have been addressed:

• RDO will notify your head of department that the plan is in place.
• The data management plan should be registered together with all other VR project documents under the same registration number.

The data management plan shall be followed up annually and amendments shall be communicated to [email protected] . 

Swedish Research Council DMP Documents

DMP guidance (PDF, 142.4 KB)

DMP example answers (PDF, 145.86 KB)

DMPonline manual for Writing a Data Management Plan (DMP) for Vetenskapsrådet / Swedish Research Council

The Swedish Research Council on the 2019 demand for a Data Management Plan (DMP)

Horizon 2020

From 2017 all H2020 projects are covered by the “Open Research Data Pilot” (ORD). This means that all H2020 projects granted from 2018 and onwards shall submit a Data Management Plan (DMP) 6 months after the project has started, at the latest.

A Data Management Plan for a H2020 project shall describe how you manage your research data during its whole life cycle. As a part in making your data FAIR your DMP should describe

• The handling of research data during & after the end of the project
• What data will be collected, processed and/or generated
• Which methodology & standards will be applied
• Whether data will be shared/made open access
• How data will be curated & preserved (including after the end of the project).

Sensitive data – ”Opt out”

Research projects within H2020 could withdraw from making its data openly available (Open Access). It is called “opt out” and concerns data that for various reasons are sensitive or eg. confidential.

Costs associated with open access to research data, including the creation of the data management plan, can be claimed as eligible costs of any Horizon 2020 grant.

Template Horizon 2020 data management plan (Word)

Template Horizon 2020 data management plan - annotated version (pdf)

OpenAIRE: What is the EC Open Research Data Pilot?

Guidelines on FAIR data management in Horizon 2020

European Research Council (ERC)

The participation of beneficiaries of ERC grants to the  Horizon 2020 Pilot on Open Research Data (which demands a DMP) has been voluntary until 2021.

From 2021, the option to opt out from the ORD will not be possible and all successful applicants will need to submit a DMP within six months after the start of the grant.

The DMP should address how the data generated within the project meet the FAIR principles and provide information on:

• Name and persistent identifier for the datasets
• Standards and metadata used
• Curation and preservation methodology
• Data sharing methodology
• Allocation of resources and data security

A template for an ERC DMP is available in DMPonline .

If you have been awarded an ERC grant:

• Get help and inspiration by looking at our guiding questions and example answers for the different sections of the ERC DMP template.
• Create the DMP for your ERC project by using the ERC template available in  DMPonline .
• When finished, submit the DMP to the Research Data Office (RDO) at KI:  [email protected] for feedback/help.
• If you create the DMP in DMPonline , you can also email  [email protected]  and let us know that your plan is ready in DMPonline and we can collect it from there.
• When a final version of the DMP is ready, the DMP should be submitted to ERC and also be registered at the institution together with all other ERC project documents under the same registration number.

ERC DMP documents

ERC_DMP_guiding_questions (PDF, 142.21 KB)

ERC_DMP_example_answers (PDF, 187.21 KB)

Guidelines on Implementation of Open Access to Scientific Publications and Research Data in projects supported by the European Research Council under Horizon 2020

Horizon Europe

All Horizon Europe applicants must submit at proposal stage a one-page statement on research data management under the methodology description, which is part of the Excellence criterion.

A  detailed DMP must be submitted within 6 months after the project has started

A Data Management Plan for a Horizon project shall describe how you manage your research data during its whole life cycle. As a part in making your data FAIR your DMP should describe

A template for  a Horizon Europe DMP exists in Word and also in DMPonline (select European Commission as funder to reach the template).

To get inspiration and help you can give a look to a few example answers that we have prepared.

Costs associated with open access to research data, can be claimed as eligible costs of any Horizon Europe grant.

Horizon Europe DMP documents

Horizon_Europe_DMP_template (Word, 98.9 KB)

Horizon Europe DMP example answers (PDF, 115.06 KB)

Horizon Europe programme guide

Contact Research Data Office

If you have questions regarding data management plans, please contact  [email protected]

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Decision on new resource allocation model for research grants

On 30 August, the President announced her decision to adopt a new model for the allocation of government research grants. The model, which grants a flat-rate allocation to all departments, will come into effect in 2025. All in all, the new model means that more funding will be channelled to core activities than previously, in part due to a reduction in the president’s allocation. When the model comes into effect, all departments will receive more resources than they did in 2024.

The new model aims to be simple, transparent and predictable. It will also strengthen opportunities for tying research to education and disincentivise the saving of grant money. More funding will now be channelled direct to the core activities and all departments will have more resources. The new model will also contribute to sustainable and future-proofed finances, which is one of KI’s nine focus areas intended to help KI attain the goals and vision laid out in Strategy 2030.

“Our current model has contributed to the accumulation of government-provided capital, partly due to its being considered precarious and short-term,” says KI President Annika Östman Wernerson. “With the new model more funding will be allocated to the departments. This means that spending will be prioritised to a greater extent by those with best knowledge of our core activities.”

The new model will be introduced successively over the coming years, this being the first stage of three. The next stages will involve reviewing the distribution of premises costs and the model used for the payment of performance-based research grants. These changes do not affect the education appropriation, since this grant has been reviewed relatively recently and is unencumbered by issues of capital accumulation.

“We’ll now start to take a collective look at the other parts of the resource distribution process while monitoring the outcome of this present modification in 2025,” says Professor Östman Wernerson. “The fact that we’re able to give all departments a greater share of the government allocation next year is a great benefit and we’ll have time for constructive dialogue going forward.”

Background 

In 2023, the KI university management began looking into what needed changing and developing to bring the organisation in line with the changing world, internal expectations and needs, and the visions and goals enshrined in  Strategy 2030 . Broad collaboration and constructive dialogue between managers, staff and students resulted in nine strategic focus areas, one of which was  Sustainable and Future-Proofed Finances . 

The university management found that there was a strong internal desire for a review of the resource allocation model for research grants. In addition, in October 2023, the University Board tasked the president with producing a new resource allocation model in light of KI’s increasing government-provided capital.

There are several flaws in the current model. It was felt to be unnecessarily complicated, and its various modifications over the years have exacerbated its lack of clarity and disparities.

The work to draw up a proposal for a new resource allocation model began in 2024 under the leadership of Director of Planning Gunnar Gustafsson Wiss and head of the Financial Office Eva Tegelberg. The proposal has been adjusted in dialogue with the university’s deans, heads of department, academic vice presidents, administrative managers and others.

The new model: objectives and criteria

The new resource allocation model will mean

• a flat-rate payment for all departments 
• opportunities for improved planning and predictability
• better conditions for departments engaged in education
• day-to-day grant utilisation
• reduced government-provided capital 
• an opportunity for prioritisation/redistribution at departmental group level

The process will proceed in stages to make for a smoother transition. In the first years, the basic grant will be distributed direct to the departments, after which it will be distributed via the deans. All in all, the new model means that more funding will be allocated to core activities than previously, in part due to a reduction in the president’s allocation of approximately SEK 80 million, a sum that will be distributed instead closer to the core activities.

Recovery of unutilised funding

The model includes the recovery of unutilised government funding to the faculty board, the rationale being that this will incentivise the departments to utilise the funds allocated them. Any recovered monies will be redistributed by the faculty board via the current activity-based model. The recovery model will also be introduced gradually to give the departments time to adjust so that their activities and routines utilise government-provided capital more proactively.

The effects of the new model will be carefully monitored.

“The issue of resource allocation is a tricky one and there is no model that pleases everyone,” says Professor Östman Wernerson. “However, with this new model, we’ll be taking important steps towards the increasingly transparent, sustainable distribution of our resources. The model means that grant decisions will be made closer to the core activities, which also means that a greater responsibility must be taken by more people than is currently the case. I have full confidence that the organisation will handle this well.”

A three-stage process

The departmental managements have had a thorough run-through of the new model and what each department is estimated to receive as its flat rate over the coming years. However, as usual, budget decisions will not be taken until October, when the draft budget will give us a full picture of KI’s financial situation.

To sum up, the process will proceed in three stages:

• The decision on a new resource allocation model for research grants was taken by the President on 30 August 2024. The model will be applied in 2025.
• A review of premises and rental subsidies will commence in the autumn of 2024. A decision on amendments is expected around midsummer 2025, until which time the existing subsidies will remain in effect.
• A review of the model for performance-based research grants (bibliometrics etc.) will probably commence at the end of 2024.