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Proposal Instructions

A Template for Scholarly Projects & OSE Funded Projects
 

This template is used for:

Note: Use different templates for creative arts and Master’s degree scholarly project proposals (template links coming soon)

Deadlines

Submit by email:

Formatting 

  • Single-spaced
  • 1-inch margins
  • Approximately 4-5 pages in length, not including references
  • Insert page numbers
  • Do not skip any sections below
  • Use track changes if you are revising or updating your proposal
  • Save file name as: lastname.proposaltitle.date

Sections
 

Introduction:

Student Name and Email:
Mentor Name and Email:
Date:
Proposal Title:
Proposal Status: New or Revised (use track changes if you are revising your proposal)
Is your IRB approval through your mentor’s institution? Yes or No. If Yes, add in the IRB approval number in section four. If No, seek advice from the Longwood Office of Regulatory Affairs and Research Compliance (ORARC).

Specific Aims: What is the question you want to answer? (½ page)

  • Brief orientation: 1 paragraph that leads to the hypothesis /question and specific aims
  • Hypothesis (if applicable)
  • Specific aims
  • Goals of project and the potential contribution to the field

Significance: Why should anyone care about this problem? (½ page)

  • Background and rationale
  • Importance of the problem

Innovation: What is novel about this project? (½ page)

  • Has this been done before?
  • How is this different from previous work?
  • How will this project contribute to and/or advance the field?

Approach: How will the aims be accomplished? (1½ pages)

  • Methods
  • Biostatistical Methods: Include a formal sample size estimate to document that the sample size you chose is sufficient to detect clinically meaningful effects with adequate power. If your sample size is fixed, a power calculation is required to document your power to detect meaningful effects. These calculations are required for all proposed studies that involve animals and humans, as they are integral to the rigor of the proposed work.
  • Data analysis, including primary and secondary outcomes or associations
  • IRB/Ethical Considerations
  • Limitations: What are the potential limitations of your approach? How will you minimize these limitations? (Note: limitations are inherent to your methods and are generally predictable.)

Student Role: What is your specific role? What are you going to do? (< ½ page)
 

Feasibility: Can the work be done as proposed? (1-2 pages)

  1. Mentor: Why is this person the right mentor for the project? What is their experience in this area?
  2. Environment: Where is the work being done? Is this project part of a larger project? Is the work being done in collaboration with someone else?
  3. Resources: Are all the resources (e.g. IT, statistician) that are needed available?
  4. Obstacles and Challenges: What do you anticipate might prevent the work from being completed as proposed? How will you deal with these obstacles and challenges? (Note: obstacles and challenges are potential operational and organizational problems.)
  5. Language requirement: Will your study be conducted in English? If not, do you speak the language in question? How will you address/overcome language barriers?
  6. Timeline: When will you work on this project full-time and part-time?

For Global Health Applications:

What is your Plan B? What will you do if you can’t carry out your proposed project as planned in-country? Please provide at least two paragraphs.

What are the political, social, cultural, language, logistical, and personal safety issues that may affect the successful implementation of your proposed project and how will you deal with them?

Elaborate on ethical issues that may arise and how you will address them.