Components of the NSF GRFP Research Proposal to include in research proposals

1) Introduction/Background

- - 1-2 clear, concise paragraphs
  - Start wide and funnel down to the specifics (see Anatomy of a Scientific Paper & Additional Resources below)
  - Make sure you present sufficient background information to justify your questions & hypotheses
  - This may include a study system paragraph if you are focusing on a specific system.
  - Cite sources

2) Broad Research Question & Alternative Hypotheses + Predictions

- - Research questions should be clear, concise, and include the dependent & independent variables.
  - Remember that a hypothesis is a general, testable statement about an observed phenomenon. It should be written in present tense, be succinct, and include your dependent and independent variables.
    - For example: A polar bears dark skin aids in heat absorption.
    - (dependent variable = heat absorption, independent variable = polar bear skin color)
  - Predictions (explicit predictions should align with methods)

3) Proposed Research Plan/Methods - can be broad, but should have sufficient detail to understand how you will meet your research aims.

- - Research questions should be clear, concise, and include the dependent & independent variables.
  - Remember that a hypothesis is a general, testable statement about an observed phenomenon. It should be written in present tense, be succinct, and include your dependent and independent variables
  - Cite sources that use these methods

4) General Interpretations (e.g, if we find __, then it suggests....) Follow-up Questions

- - Instead of an Intellectual Merit & Broader Impacts statement, please include a section that discusses how you would further develop this project outside the scope of the proposed work.

5) LITERATURE CITED!

- - Follow the format in the examples. Include your references for all sentences in which your claim is supported.

6) OPTIONAL: Figures & Tables

Student Field Research Group Project Examples

Prairie Pals - Plant diversity near recreational trails

Early Birds - Animal use across different fire mitigated areas

Successfully Funded Official GRFP Examples

Gamboa (Island SOSP)

Additional Resources

- - For more information on how to craft a scientific paper or proposal, check out this article