Tips to Write an Awesome Research Proposal for PhD

by PhD Admissions Team of Road to Abroad

awesome research proposal

How to Write an Awesome Research Proposal: A research proposal is a concise and coherent summary of your proposed research. It sets out the central issues or questions that you intend to address. It outlines the general area of study within which your research falls, referring to the current state of knowledge and any recent debates on the topic. It also demonstrates the originality of your proposed research.

What should I begin with?

Similar to other academic genres, writing the research proposal is a process. If you are proposing a ‘recycled’ topic that builds on previous assignments already written on the same topic, you might spend some time re-reading these. However, if you are starting a ‘fresh’ project you might consider two key questions:

  1. What am I really interested in finding out about my research topic?
  2. How am I going to do this in practice? Brainstorm responses to these questions under a strict time limit – say 30 minutes.

How should I approach the literature?

Reviewing the academic literature on your topic is one of the most critical stages of your research proposal. This section goes beyond a simple summary of everything written on a subject. Instead, it is a critical synthesis of materials that illuminates selected academic literature on your topic. Your coverage of the literature should reflect the argument or perspective that you have set out in your research questions. Try the following techniques for dealing with the literature:

  • Develop a theme or series of themes from your broad reading, referencing the work of relevant authors who support your position or who provide counter-arguments against your points.
  • Limit excessive quoting. Too many direct quotations will dilute your authority over the topic.
  • Avoid beginning paragraphs with “Jones argues …”; “Smith states …” This approach risks losing a sense of your writer’s authority to the work of others. Instead, provide an overview of the paragraph in a topic sentence written in your own writer’s voice.

Tips for writing

  • Avoid language that is overly hesitant or tentative (i.e. ‘It seems that…’, ‘It is hoped that …’). Instead, use confident language when you feel able to (i.e. ‘It is clear that…’, ‘I assert that …’).
  • Break up large blocks of text into smaller sections using sub-headings and bullet-points.
  • Anticipate possible problems with, or limitations of, your research. Address these issues directly for your own benefit as well as to improve the entire proposal.
  • Make your proposal is easy for readers to skim read. Never assume your readers will read your work in a ‘logical’ order. Use sub-headings and restate key ideas to guide the reader through your writing.
  • Find copies of other Research Proposals in your field and study the way they devise titles, structure their proposal, and use discipline-specific language.

Final tips

Remember, your research proposal should demonstrate:

  • the feasibility and logical foundations of your project
  • a well-focussed research question, set of research objectives, or hypothesis
  • the width and depth of the academic literature on your topic
  • understanding of current issues or debates on your topic
  • justification of your project through the literature
  • a match between the methodology and / or methods and your research question/s
For more information regarding funding opportunities and PhD positions abroad, contact our team at Road to Abroad (+91 8383050912). For more general information about studying PhD in abroad in various countries like UK, USA, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, etc visit our PhD Consultation Page.

Congratulations to our student Anisha for receiving offer letter for fully-funded PhD position at Leuphana University, Germany.

The student is enrolled with us in our Exclusive package and we provided best possible mentorship.

To know about our PhD Consulatation services, visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in or contact 8383050912.

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Congratulations to our student Isha for receiving interview invitation for fully-funded PhD position at LSM PhD Program, LMU, Germany.

The student is enrolled with us in our Exclusive package and we provided best possible mentorship.

To know about our PhD Consulatation services, visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in or contact 8383050912.

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Congratulations to our student Vishwajeet for receiving interview invitation for fully-funded PhD position at University of Cambridge, UK.

The student is enrolled with us in our Exclusive package and we provided best possible mentorship.

To know about our PhD Consulatation services, visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in or contact 8383050912.

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Congratulations to our student Nandini Pant for receving on site interview invitation for fully-funded PhD position at Mainz, Germany.

The program will pay for the entire travel and lodging expenses incurred for the interview. Upon selection, her tuition fee will be paid by the program and she will also get a generous stipend to pay for her living expenses. The funding is guaranteed for the entire duration of the program i.e. 5 years.

The student is enrolled with us in our Exclusive package and we provided best possible mentorship.

To know about our PhD Consulatation services, visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in or contact 8383050912.

#phdabroad #fullyfundedphd #fullyfundedprogram #fullyfundedphds #phdscholarship #phdscholarships #phdscholarshipsforinternationalstudents #phdscholarshipopportunities #studyabroad #scholarships #scholarship #phdinusa #studyinusa #phdconsultation #studyinswitzer #phdinswitzerland
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Congratulations to our student for receving on site interview invitation for fully-funded PhD position in Zurich, Switzerland. Zurich Life Science Graduate Program is one of the most prestigious PhD programs in the world and in EU. It involves all the major universities of Zurich like ETH, University of Zurich, etc.

The program will pay for the entire travel and lodging expenses incurred for the interview. Upon selection, her tuition fee will be paid by the program and she will also get a generous stipend to pay for her living expenses. The funding is guaranteed for the entire duration of the program i.e. 5 years.

The student is enrolled with us in our Exclusive package and we provided best possible mentorship.

To know about our PhD Consulatation services, visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in or contact 8383050912.

#phdabroad #fullyfundedphd #fullyfundedprogram #fullyfundedphds #phdscholarship #phdscholarships #phdscholarshipsforinternationalstudents #phdscholarshipopportunities #studyabroad #scholarships #scholarship #phdinusa #studyinusa #phdconsultation #studyinswitzer #phdinswitzerland
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Congratulations to our student for receving fully-funded PhD Offer at Leuphana University in Germany for fully-funded PhD in Statistics. His tuition fee will be paid by the program and he will also get a generous stipend to pay for her living expenses. The funding is guaranteed for the entire duration of the program i.e. 4 years.

The student is enrolled with us in our Exclusive package and we provided best possible mentorship.

To know about our PhD Consulatation services, visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in or contact 8383050912.

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Congrats to our student for getting PhD offer letter from University of East London in the UK.

The student is enrolled with us in our Exclusive package and we provided best possible mentorship to him.

To know about our PhD Consulatation services, visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in or contact 8383050912.

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Congratulations to our student for receving on site interview invitation for fully-funded PhD position in Dresden, Germany. The program will pay for the entire travel and lodging expenses incurred for the interview. Upon selection, her tuition fee will be paid by the program and she will also get a generous stipend to pay for her living expenses. The funding is guaranteed for the entire duration of the program i.e. 5 years.

The student is enrolled with us in our Exclusive package and we provided best possible mentorship.

To know about our PhD Consulatation services, visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in or contact 8383050912.

#phdabroad #fullyfundedphd #fullyfundedprogram #fullyfundedphds #phdscholarship #phdscholarships #phdscholarshipsforinternationalstudents #phdscholarshipopportunities #studyabroad #scholarships #scholarship #phdinusa #studyinusa #phdconsultation #studyinswitzer #phdinswitzerland
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Testimonial of our student who got selected in fully-funded PhD in Purdue University, University of Southern California, University of British Columbia and Alberta University for PhD in Chemical Engineering.

If you want to consult us for PhD applications abroad, visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in or call 8383050912

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Testimonial of our student who got selected in fully-funded PhD at Michigan State, Purdue and Indiana University, USA for PhD in Toxicology.
If you want to consult us for PhD applications abroad visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in or call 8383050912.
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Testimonial by our PhD Consultation Student. She got fully-funded PhD at HBRS PhD Program in Molecular Medicine (Biology) in Germany.

Funding Status: Fully Funded (Full tuition fee scholarship + Generous stipend to cover living cost).

To know about our services visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in

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Testimonial of our student who got selected in fully-funded PhD at Hanover Germany - Hanover Biomedical Research program (HBRS) for PhD in Molecular Medicine.

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Testimonial of our student who got selected for fully-funded PhD at University of Bath for SAMBa PhD Program.

If you want to consult us for PhD applications abroad visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in or call 8383050912.

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Testimonial by our PhD Consultation Student Swati Gupta. She got fully-funded PhD at UMass Amherst (photo frosted on student request).

Funding Status: Fully Funded (Full tuition fee scholarship + Generous stipend to cover living cost).

To know about our services visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in

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Congratulations to our student Shruti Verma for receving fully-funded PhD Offer at University of Florida in the USA for fully-funded PhD in Chemistry. Her tuition fee will be paid by the program and she will also get a generous stipend to pay for her living expenses. The funding is guaranteed for the entire duration of the program i.e. 5 years.

The student is enrolled with us in our Exclusive package and we provided best possible mentorship.

To know about our PhD Consulatation services, visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in or contact 8383050912.

#phdabroad #fullyfundedphd #fullyfundedprogram #fullyfundedphds #phdscholarship #phdscholarships #phdscholarshipsforinternationalstudents #phdscholarshipopportunities #studyabroad #scholarships #scholarship #phdinusa #studyinusa #phdconsultation #studyinswitzer #phdinswitzerland
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Testimonial of Shefali Kulkarni who got selected for fully-funded PhD at University of Southern California.

If you want to consult us for PhD applications abroad visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in or call 8383050912.

#phdabroad #fullyfundedphd #phdscholarship #phd #phdingermany #studyingermany #mastersingermany #phdinusa
...

Testimonial by our PhD Consultation Student Shefali Kulkarni. She got fully-funded PhD position at University of Southern California in the USA.

Funding Status: Fully Funded (Full tuition fee scholarship + Generous stipend to cover living cost).

To know about our services visit www.roadtoabroad.co.in

#phdabroad #fullyfundedphd #fullyfundedprogram #fullyfundedphds #phdscholarship #phdscholarships #phdscholarshipsforinternationalstudents #phdscholarshipopportunities #studyabroad #scholarships #scholarship #phdinusa
...

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Keywords: Research proposal for PhD application, research proposal for phd sample, a sample research proposal for phd, how to prepare a research proposal for phd, tips to write best research proposal, what is a research proposal for phd, example of research proposal for phd, research proposal for phd in biotechnology, research proposal for phd in biochemistry, research proposal for phd in molecular biology, write a research proposal for phd

*Adapted from Cadman (2002) as cited in Paltridge, B. and Starfield, S. (2020). Thesis and dissertation writing in a second language: A handbook for students and their advisers. Routledge.

*Adapted from Rudestam and Newton (2015) as cited in Paltridge and Starfield (2020). Thesis and dissertation writing in a second language: A handbook for students and their advisers. Routledge.

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