Develop your proposal

This will provide a first impression of your proposal. Depending on the scope and requirements of the program you are applying to, your summary can include the following:

• The title of your proposal is important — make it clear and specific.

• Identify the problem or issue that your research is attempting to address and explain why it is important and relevant.

• State your objectives – short and long-term.

• Give an overview of your theory and briefly outline the methodology used.

• Identify the expected academic contribution and how it may have greater societal benefits.

Your introduction sets the general context for your proposal. Open with a brief statement of what you propose to do and why (impact/relevance). Expand on your summary.

Focus on outcomes, not activities, clearly articulating expected contributions to knowledge. Begin with a clear, brief statement followed by bullet points to organize sub-items.

This section is critical for describing what makes your approach significant and unique. You should expand on the previously stated general context of your proposal, further explaining why your objectives are important and demonstrate your knowledge of the conceptual framework, literature review and real-world need for this research.

• Provide a general overview of the field and more details about the literature directly relevant to your specific objectives. This may include your own past research in the field.

• Identify the knowledge gap that you plan to fill.

• Be sure to address any competing theories and identify why your approach is suited to your topic.

• Your bibliography should include recent/up-to-date citations, classic/most cited texts, yours as well as those of potential reviewers.

Follow the program instructions and address the following considerations:

• Why have you chosen this specific methodology? Is it rigorous?

• Is your plan feasible? Are you likely to achieve your objectives?

• Are there any specific challenges/limitations? How will you address these?

• Clearly link methodology to objectives, theory, student training and budget.

• Provide enough detail for a peer reviewer to evaluate your knowledge of your field and the suitability of your approach.

Your budget must respect agency-specific regulations for eligible and ineligible expenses and adhere to Concordia’s policies and your faculty guidelines on expenditures such as:

• hiring students
• research personnel
• equipment purchase
• travel and overhead costs/indirect costs of research

You should also identify any special support you require from the university to carry out your proposed research, such as:

• financial contributions
• matching funds
• additional space
• renovation costs
• acquisition and installation costs
• technical support
• administrative support
• course releases.

You should receive approval for these before submitting your application.

This is a critical step in the process as this will serve as a test on how a review committee might read and assess your proposal.

• Avoid cutting and pasting sections from previous applications as most reviewers will notice that the text does not have the same flow.

• Have at least two people review your draft – one expert perspective (e.g. a peer in your field or a related one) and one general perspective (e.g. your research development advisor) far enough ahead of submission deadline to allow you to incorporate feedback.

As you finalize your proposal, you should verify the following:

• Will your application be submitted in French? If so, free, in-house translation is available through Translation Services.

• Gather supporting documentation such as letters of support from the university or your faculty, co-investigators and collaborators, as well as your curriculum vitae, quotes for equipment and other necessary goods or services.

If you have any questions or issues not addressed here, please contact our Research Development Team.