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Guidelines
for a Successful Proposal
Writing a research proposal will help you clarify your project and
will give you valuable experience for any proposal writing you may
do beyond Carnegie Mellon. All proposals submitted to the Undergraduate
Research Office are read and scored by a selection committee made
up of faculty from each of the colleges on campus. Your proposal
will be read by someone in your college, but it will also be read
by faculty members who are not familiar with your discipline. For
this reason, a successful proposal will be written in such a way
that an intelligent reader who is not familiar with your field can
still understand the research question you are proposing and the
significance of this research in a larger context.
Proposal Contents
The effectiveness of your proposal will depend on your ability to
explain the nature, context and scope of the project. The selection
committee will also be looking for an indication that your project
will be more than just a learning experience—what does it
contribute to your field that we do not already know? Your proposal
should include the following information:
• Abstract: A summary of your research question
and your project design. Researchers typically write the abstract
after they have finished writing the rest of the proposal. Include
it as the first section on the first page of your proposal.
• Research Question and Significance: What
is the question that you want to explore in your research and why
is this an interesting and important question? In thinking about
the significance, try to take the position of an educated newspaper
reader. If she or he were to see an article about your research
in the paper, how would you explain the importance of your project?
• Project Design and Feasibility: How will
you go about exploring your research question? What will be your
methods and timetable? How will this research fit into your schedule?
If you are not doing this as part of a course, how will you find
the time necessary to do the research?
• Background: What courses or work experiences
have prepared you to undertake this project?
• Feedback and Evaluation: Who will provide
feedback on and evaluate your project and according to what schedule
and what criteria?
• Dissemination of Knowledge: How will you
share the results of your project? What form will your final report
take?
Budgets
Please also consider your budget carefully. Include a listing of
all the items you propose to purchase and your best estimate of
the cost of each item. All expense items should be explained either
in the body of your proposal or in a budget narrative included on
your budget page. For example, if you are asking for funds to purchase
a piece of software, is that software available in a public cluster?
Does a faculty or staff member have the software that you could
use when they aren’t there? The selection committee reserves
the right to dis-allow certain line items and frequently approves
partial budgets. If you are preparing a SURG budget, please also
consider:
• Conference fees are not allowed (apply separately to the
Presentation Award program)
• The committee rarely approves course fee requests
• Travel costs must be directly related to the proposed research
and fully justified; the committee rarely funds airline tickets
or international travel
• The committee prefers material and supply requests to stipend
or travel expenses
• Equipment purchases must be fully supported in the proposal
and equipment must remain at Carnegie Mellon; state who will be
responsible for it when you complete your project
• Book purchases are approved only if you can show it is impossible
to get what you need from a library or on loan
Proposal Format
Your proposal may be up to three pages in length; the budget may
be a fourth page. At the top of the first page put your project
title and the names of all students submitting the proposal. The
next item should be your abstract. Print single sided sheets only
(double sided copies will not duplicate and the
committee will not receive your full proposal). We recommend at
least a 12 point, serifed font (such as Times or Palatino), justified
left (right ragged). Illustrations may be used in the body of the
proposal but should duplicate well on a copier. If you are using
color graphs or illustrations, please submit four complete copies
of your proposal for the selection committee. Do not include a cover
sheet, title page, resumes, or any other attachments: they will
be discarded. Instead, include any relevant information in the body
of your proposal. Remember to spell check! You are asking for money
and your proposal should be a reflection of your commitment to the
project.
Review a Draft
You are highly encouraged to work with your faculty advisor on your
proposal and to meet with the Undergraduate Research Office Director at least once prior to submitting a SURG or Summer Research Fellowship
proposal to review a draft. To schedule an appointment, call x8-5702.
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