Writing a Research Proposal for Funding

1
Writing a Research Proposal for Funding

• An Overview

2
Overview

• Why do research, why is quality important?
• Parts of a Proposal
• What are reviewers looking for?
• Additional resources

3
Why do research?

• To obtain funding for classroom/school/board
  initiatives
• To examine problems and develop solutions
• To clearly communicate progress in schools and
  classrooms
• To facilitate professional development

4
Why is it important to write a quality research
project?

• Competition for resources
• There are bound to be more applications for money
  than money available make your project stand
  out
• To define your research
• The more work and detail that is included in your
  application, the easier it will be to get started
  once you have funding
• To obtain buy in of stakeholders
• The proposal writing process can be used to
  generate motivation and enthusiasm for the project

5
What are the different parts of the proposal?

• Remember that each Application Package will be
  different.
• Generally, there are some components included in
  most packages, for instance.

6
Instructions for Completing the Application
Process of Approval

• Pay close attention to
• Who is funding the research?
• Deadlines for submission
• Amount of funding available (or maximum that you
  can request)
• Where to send application
• Contact person, address
• Electronically or by mail
• Number of copies required
• When you will know the result
• Any interim or final reports required
• Signatures required
• Be sure to discuss with your superintendent/superv
  isor

7
Criteria

• The Application package should included criteria
  for funding, and may contain information on how
  projects will be graded
• Pay attention to
• Key purpose What are funders looking to know
  more about?
• Checklists You may be asked to list from a
  checklist what criteria your proposal addresses
• Key Phrases Often, funders will have key
  phrases related to the criteria (e.g. projects
  should be related to capacity building. Keep
  key phrases in mind and demonstrate throughout
  your proposal how your project relates to Key
  phrases

8
General Information (Narrative)

• This section will request the specifics of your
  project, and will usually include
• Title
• Name of main contact/research team
• Contact Information

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Focus of Research Question

• It is important that your research question is
  clear and addresses your main reason for doing
  your research
• Every component of your proposal should be linked
  back to your research question
• For more information on developing research
  questions, go to the Action Research Module at
• http//www.misaeast.on.ca/principals/action.php?la
  nguageenglish

10
Staff/Stakeholder Involvement

• You should be prepared to identify how staff or
  other stakeholders (students, parents, etc) will
  be involved. You may choose to involve
  stakeholders in
• Development of project
• Delivery of project
• Analysis of results
• Write up of report
• Sharing of results

11
Timeline/Project Duration

• Developing a timeline helps reviewers understand
  your research intentions, and helps to keep your
  research team on track. Consider the following
• Review the general information/timelines for
  completion
• Break your project into phases and assigning
  completion dates to each phase

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Description of your project

• You will most likely be asked to provide a full
  overview of your project.
• Consider using headings to address the following
• Introduction What is the background on this
  topic?
• Methodology What will your work look like in
  operation?
• Communication Plan How will your results be
  shared?

13
Indicators or Success

• Define how you will determine the impact of your
  research, what indicators you will use, and how
  you will collect the information
• (see Guidelines for selecting Assessments
  document)
• Types of Indicators
• Methods for collecting data related to indicators

14
Contributions

• This section should cover what contributions your
  project will make to the body of knowledge in the
  area of your research
• Make links between your project and the criteria
  set out in the application
• Make links to how your project relates to student
  achievement and/or school improvement
• What is new or novel about your study?
• What additional questions may be generated from
  your research?

15
Ethical Considerations

• Consider any ethical implications of your
  research
• Be sure to pass the project by your
  supervisor/superintendent and appropriate board
  staff
• Be sure to include any information
  letters/letters of permission that will need to
  be used for the project

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Budget

• Clearly identify what you expect your project
  will cost. Include
• Supply costs, travel costs
• Supplies, equipment, resources, computer software
• Meeting expenses
• Temporary staff, honourariums
• Be sure to include any in-kind contributions so
  that funders can see your commitment to the
  project

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Abstract

• An abstract outlines the intent of your research
  and methodology in just a couple paragraphs
• If you are asked to complete an abstract, leave
  it until the end so that it summarizes what you
  have prepared

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What are reviewers looking for?

• While each application package is different, in
  general, reviewers are looking for the following
• Complete package handed in on time
• Clear concise statements of purpose and rationale
• Enough detail to attend to the important features
  of the application
• Samples of assessments, surveys, observations or
  reporting forms that may already have been
  developed
• References or sources that you referred to in the
  package
• What makes your project unique? How is it
  original, beneficial, what benefits will be felt
  through this research?

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Additional Resources

• To find additional sources and resources on
  writing a proposal for funding, go to the link
• http//www.misaeast.on.ca/principals/glossary.php?
  languageenglish