Proposal Guidelines*

THE PROPOSAL OVERVIEW

The proposal should present the:

(1) objectives and scientific or educational significance of the proposed work;

(2) suitability of the methods to be employed;

(3) qualifications of the investigator;

(4) effect of the activity on science, engineering and/or education; and

(5) special needs (equipment concerns, etc.).

It should present the merits of the proposed project clearly and should be prepared with the care and thoroughness of a paper submitted for publication. Sufficient information should be provided so that reviewers will be able to evaluate the proposal. We suggest making a "checklist" of items needed in order to be certain your proposal is complete.

Proposal Due Date: Final proposals are due, completed and turned-in no later than 5:00 p.m., on the date defined in the Schedule. No extensions will be granted without the written consent of your Scientific Process (SP) instructor(s). Note: First drafts of proposals are due on an earlier date.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION

It is important that all proposals conform to the instructions provided. Conformance is required and will be strictly enforced unless a deviation has been approved. Proposals that are not consistent with these instructions will be judged deficient in very basic structure and will result in rejection of the proposal and failure for the course. Particular attention is given to proposal length, content and formatting, including the page limitation of the Project Description and other proposal sections, such as the use of Appendices and required content of the Biographical Sketches.

Your SP instructor(s) must authorize any deviations from these instructions in writing in advance.

Proposals must be stapled in the upper left-hand and have 2.5-cm margins at the top, bottom and on each side. The type size must be clear and readily legible, in standard size, which is 10 to 12 points. (No smaller than 10-point font size will be accepted.) Line spacing should be double-spaced for all sections of the proposal (except the Reference Cited); established page limits must be followed (see below). You must provide two copies of your proposal to the instructor(s). Two-sided printing is requested, but not required. You are also required to include your edited first draft.

Pages submitted must be of standard size. 8½" x 11" (216 mm x 279mm) is preferred, however, metric A4 (210 mm x 297 mm) may be used.

SECTIONS OF THE PROPOSAL

The proposal must be assembled in the following sequence, with page number on the bottom center of each page. Failure to follow this format results in a rejection of the proposal:

1. Cover Sheet for Proposal (one separate page)

2. Abstract (Max 100 words - one separate page)

3. Table of Contents (one page - one separate page)

4. Project Description

5. References Cited (no limit- single spaced)

6. Curriculum Vitae

IN DEPTH INSTRUCTIONS

Cover Sheet

Complete the linked form for the cover sheet. No substitutions are acceptable. The cover sheet is available as an HTML document or an MS Word document. Type in the material and then print the page. Do not print the page and hand-write the content. Note: The title of the project should be brief, scientifically or technically literate reader and suitable for use in the public press.

HTML Cover Sheet

MS Word Cover Sheet – downloadable to disk

Abstract
The proposal must contain a summary of the proposed activity, 100 word maximum. It is an abstract of the proposal; a self-contained description of the activity that would result if the proposal were funded. The summary should include an introduction to the problem you are addressing, a statement of objectives, methods to be employed and the potential impact of the project on advancing knowledge, science and mathematics education, and/or human resource development. It should be understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader.

Table of Contents

The proposal must contain a Table of Contents with all relevant sections of the proposal noted and clearly defined with respect to location.

Project Description

The main body of the proposal should be a clear statement of the work to be undertaken and should include: objectives for the period of the proposed work, relation to the present state of knowledge in the field, and the proposed methods. The project description should outline the general plan of work, including the broad design of activities to be undertaken, an adequate description of experimental methods and procedures and, if appropriate, plans for preservation, documentation, and sharing of data, samples, physical collections and other related research products. The statement should also indicate any broader impacts of the proposed activity. Brevity will assist reviewers in dealing effectively with proposals. Pay close attention to word limits. Visual materials, including charts, graphs, maps, photographs and other pictorial presentations may be included. Conformance to the page limitation will be strictly enforced. (more detailed instructions on the Project Description).

References Cited

Reference information is required. Each reference must include the title, names of all authors in the same sequence in which they appear in the publication, book or journal, volume number, page numbers and year of publication. Specific format of listing references is at the discretion of the proposer, but should follow an excepted format (see instructions in Bibliography assignment). There is no established page limitation for this section of the proposal. However, at least 90% of your references must come from peer-reviewed sources.

Biographical Sketches (more detailed instructions)

Biographical sketches are limited to two pages. The following minimal information must be provided:

· Vitae (resume), listing professional and academic essentials and mailing address

· The names of previous institutions attended with degrees completed or in progress

· employment history if relevant to the proposal

· skills/experiences relevant to the proposal

Expected Equipment and Special Resource Needs

Provide a list of any specialty equipment or other resources you expect to need for the completion of this project with explanations of why these are needed. A table may be used to fulfill this requirement. In addition, describe any licensing, permit, or authorizations required, such as Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approval - see Office of Sponsored Research Programs - Compliance page

* Substantial potions of these guidelines have been adapted from the National Science Foundations 1998 Grant Proposal Guide\

© Meers, Savarese, Demers, Barreto, Kakareka, Volety, Everham, Cruz-Alvarez, Loh, Goebel, Fugate, Bovard, Hartley, Mujtaba, & Gunnels 2009.

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