Research Proposal Requirements in Chemistry & Biochemistry

Students should discuss with their adviser and committee members the expected scope of the proposal significantly in advance of submitting it for review.

Proposal Summary

• (1 page)
• The proposal summary contains a description of the proposed activity suitable for publication. It should NOT be an abstract of the proposal, but rather a self-contained description of the activity that would result from the research.
• The summary should be written in the third person and include a statement of objectives (specific aims and sub-aims) and methods to be employed.
• It should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and insofar as possible, understandable to a scientifically or technically literate lay reader.

History and Background

• (minimum 3 pages)
• How did this research area develop?
• What is already known?

Significance

(1 page)

• Why is this research area important?
• What important questions in this research area remain to be answered?

Research Design and Methods (minimum 5-6 pages)

• Describe how your research plan will accomplish the specific aims of the project.
• Describe and critically discuss the experimental techniques that you plan to use in your project.
• Discuss any possible difficulties that may occur and possible solutions.
• Provide a timeline for completion of each specific aim (and sub-aims).

Preliminary Results

(as appropriate)

Conclusion

• (1/2 page)
• Discuss the anticipated outcomes/results and their significance
• Discuss how the proposed project will add to the knowledge base of the discipline.

References

• References must be sequentially numbered in the text and cited according to standard ACS format with complete titles.
• The bibliography must include at least 30 citations.