Core proposal structure
- Working title and problem statement
- Context and focused literature review
- Research gap or engineering need
- Aim, objectives and research questions
- Proposed methodology and system architecture
- Data, tools and evaluation measures
- Expected contribution and limitations
- Timeline, resources and references
Make objectives testable
Use objectives that describe observable work: design, implement, compare, evaluate or analyse. Avoid vague promises such as ‘improve the system’ unless you state the baseline, metric and conditions for improvement.
Connect every section
The gap should lead to the objectives; objectives should determine the methodology; and the methodology should produce evidence for the evaluation. If these links are weak, the proposal will feel like separate pieces rather than one research plan.
Check feasibility before approval
Confirm access to data, equipment, computing resources and any permissions. Include time for testing, negative results, documentation and revision. Discuss ethical, privacy and safety implications where relevant.
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