how to write a research proposal for phd in chemistry

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35911 Overview of the Research Proposal

• Published: August 2008
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In this module, we focus on writing a research proposal, a document written to request financial support for an ongoing or newly conceived research project. Like the journal article (module 1), the proposal is one of the most important and most utilized writing genres in chemistry. Chemists employed in a wide range of disciplines including teaching (high school through university), research and technology, the health professions, and industry all face the challenge of writing proposals to support and sustain their scholarly activities. Before we begin, we remind you that there are many different ways to write a successful proposal”far too many to include in this textbook. Our goal is not to illustrate all the various approaches, but rather to focus on a few basic writing skills that are common to many successful proposals. These basics will get you started, and with practice, you can adapt them to suit your individual needs. After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following: ◾ Describe different types of funding and funding agencies ◾ Explain the purpose of a Request for Proposals (RFP) ◾ Understand the importance of addressing need, intellectual merit, and broader impacts in a research proposal ◾ Identify the major sections of a research proposal ◾ Identify the main sections of the Project Description Toward the end of the chapter, as part of the Writing on Your Own task, you will identify a topic for the research proposal that you will write as you work through this module. Consistent with the read-analyze-write approach to writing used throughout this textbook, this chapter begins with an excerpt from a research proposal for you to read and analyze. Excerpt 11A is taken from a proposal that competed successfully for a graduate fellowship offered by the Division of Analytical Chemistry of the American Chemical Society (ACS). As is true for nearly all successful proposals, the principal investigator (PI) wrote this proposal in response to a set of instructions. We have included the instructions with the excerpt so that you can see for yourself how closely she followed the proposal guidelines.

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Chemistry Research Proposal: A Way to Your Desired Academic Heights

Open the easy way to your PhD in Chemistry with the help of our experts.

Break New Ground on Your PhD Journey With Chemistry Research Proposal

The highest degree in organic chemistry opens up horizons of opportunities for those who have reached the top of a career in science. To climb to a PhD in chemistry degree is almost like the northern slopes of Everest since it requires a certain preparation and the ability to concentrate on achieving an important goal without losing sight of other aspects. However, this work is your entry fee and a decisive part of your PhD application.

Writing a research proposal in chemistry is mandatory on the way to the top of the PhD, which is of paramount importance, being an entry point. In addition, such a proposal in organic chemistry and in any other science-related field is a request document, the basis for the possibility of receiving a grant for any scientific study. This work is a grant application, funding for a project that you consider important and can change the current understanding of science.

Research Proposal in Chemistry: In-Depth Exploration Preparedness

It is essential to be aware that developing a proposal requires specific training in chemistry and to recognize that this work has its own requirements. Its purpose is to showcase your readiness and abilities to conduct profound investigation at an advanced level and your capacity to think in a structured and coherent manner. Your journey to research proposal writing services pages in search of answers on how to approach composing academic work, an essential background for your future PhD degree, is not a coincidence.

To become acquainted with how to write a chemistry research paper, use the template we provided below. However, it’s essential to understand that the goal of academic writing in chemistry isn’t to find a single correct answer, as in an equation. The pivotal aspect here is your ability to precisely define the problematic areas and your skill in identifying effective avenues to their resolution. Your proficiency in clearly and eloquently describing these paths and methods is crucial in successfully preparing a proposal for your PhD.

Structure and Key Stages of Research Proposal for PhD in Chemistry

The structure of a research proposal may differ depending on your institution and specific program requirements. However, every research proposal organic chemistry for a PhD comprises some essential sections that stay the same as they aid in organizing your paper and substantiating its significance.

• Introduction, where you need to define the research areas in chemistry you intend to work with and state a specific study issue to describe in your chemistry proposal. It also includes the main goals of your research and what you plan to achieve.
• The literature review includes a review of existing investigations and literature related to your chemistry topic to demonstrate your comprehension of the subject area and key trends, identify gaps in existing knowledge, and justify the importance of your PhD research.
• Objectives and research questions express the aims of your PhD work clearly and distinctly. Here, you must formulate and describe specific study questions you will address within the scope of the study.
• Methodology to explain the PhD chemistry project methods you plan to use to address the set investigation questions and substantiate your choice of the topic.
• Expected results and research significance is the part where you talk about the results you expect to achieve and how these results can affect organic chemistry science.
• Resources and budget with a clear indication of the necessary resources required for the successful execution of your project. It may involve laboratory equipment, materials, and other tools. Also, here, you need to give a rough estimate of the costs.
• The bibliography lists all the sources you reference in your research proposal in organic chemistry. Keep the list accurate and current.

The essence of this work is to highlight the essentials of your project and reveal its value. As you progress through the project and your questions evolve, the answers will gradually take shape. As a result of your work, you will create a research structure that revolves around the goal, confirming your ability to organize and develop this process competently. In addition, comparable methods and structures find application in biology research proposal writing since the same basic principles underlie scientific investigation covering different areas.

PhD in Organic Chemistry: a Plan, Strategy, Tactics, and Achievements

Approaching the pursuit of a PhD in organic chemistry with a well-crafted strategy and accepted proposal will lead to a clear roadmap in your scientific journey in organic chemistry. This plan will encompass the research itself and the subsequent structure of your dissertation on the given subject. The video we posted here provides practical advice on all the nuances you need to consider when preparing and conducting a scientific study. We recommend watching it.

In order to provide a robust research proposal in chemistry, you need to create it in stages, gradually climbing to each new level, adding part after part. Pay attention to issues such as the method of your future investigations. Make sure to study the existing literature and research methods already conducted on your topic.

Key Aspects of Research Proposal Chemistry Writing

It’s worth noting that any research proposal follows specific stylistic guidelines and features commonly associated with academic institutions and research centers. We can break down the main elements of the writing style within this context into the following key aspects:

• The writing style should maintain a formal and scholarly tone. Employ precise terminology and technical language aligning with the field of organic chemistry.
• State the essence clearly and clearly, avoiding unnecessary words and phrases. In the research proposal chemistry, focusing on conveying the key information is crucial.
• Refrain from utilizing first-person (I) or second-person (you) pronouns. Adopting a third-person perspective (researcher, author, etc.) fosters objectivity and professionalism in your writing. This is to underline the research’s value and avoid personal viewpoints at the same time.
• Adhere to an academic structure with well-defined sections: introduction, literature review, objectives and inquiries, methodology, expected outcomes, and bibliography.

We’re not addressing grammar here, as it should be an inherent feature. Considering the aforementioned stylistic nuances, you’ll be capable of formulating a chemistry research proposal that conforms to the requisites of the scientific community and the educational curriculum. A specified writing style will facilitate clear and precise communication of your academic assignment concepts and their significance.

Best Online PhD Chemistry Help to Keep Your Work-Life Balance

Choosing the right strategy for your PhD journey is the most important decision you can make for yourself. And turning to our online PhD chemistry assistance can be effective in keeping the right course during your study period.

PhDresearchproposal.org is not only just a writing service but a place where you can get qualified support from the best experts in their fields. Due to our advanced assignment process, you have access to top subject-matter writers with proven qualifications and years of experience in making research proposals, leading to achieving the desired results. Contact us now and get the opportunity to maintain a work-life balance, leaving yourself time for your current life and, at the same time, continue your scientific career in organic chemistry.

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How to write a research proposal

What is a research proposal.

A research proposal should present your idea or question and expected outcomes with clarity and definition – the what.

It should also make a case for why your question is significant and what value it will bring to your discipline – the why. 

What it shouldn't do is answer the question – that's what your research will do.

Why is it important?

Research proposals are significant because Another reason why it formally outlines your intended research. Which means you need to provide details on how you will go about your research, including:

• your approach and methodology
• timeline and feasibility
• all other considerations needed to progress your research, such as resources.

Think of it as a tool that will help you clarify your idea and make conducting your research easier.

How long should it be?

Usually no more than 2000 words, but check the requirements of your degree, and your supervisor or research coordinator.

Presenting your idea clearly and concisely demonstrates that you can write this way – an attribute of a potential research candidate that is valued by assessors.

What should it include?

Project title.

Your title should clearly indicate what your proposed research is about.

Research supervisor

State the name, department and faculty or school of the academic who has agreed to supervise you. Rest assured, your research supervisor will work with you to refine your research proposal ahead of submission to ensure it meets the needs of your discipline.

Proposed mode of research

Describe your proposed mode of research. Which may be closely linked to your discipline, and is where you will describe the style or format of your research, e.g. data, field research, composition, written work, social performance and mixed media etc. 

This is not required for research in the sciences, but your research supervisor will be able to guide you on discipline-specific requirements.

Aims and objectives

What are you trying to achieve with your research? What is the purpose? This section should reference why you're applying for a research degree. Are you addressing a gap in the current research? Do you want to look at a theory more closely and test it out? Is there something you're trying to prove or disprove? To help you clarify this, think about the potential outcome of your research if you were successful – that is your aim. Make sure that this is a focused statement.

Your objectives will be your aim broken down – the steps to achieving the intended outcome. They are the smaller proof points that will underpin your research's purpose. Be logical in the order of how you present these so that each succeeds the previous, i.e. if you need to achieve 'a' before 'b' before 'c', then make sure you order your objectives a, b, c.

A concise summary of what your research is about. It outlines the key aspects of what you will investigate as well as the expected outcomes. It briefly covers the what, why and how of your research. 

A good way to evaluate if you have written a strong synopsis, is to get somebody to read it without reading the rest of your research proposal. Would they know what your research is about?

Now that you have your question clarified, it is time to explain the why. Here, you need to demonstrate an understanding of the current research climate in your area of interest.

Providing context around your research topic through a literature review will show the assessor that you understand current dialogue around your research, and what is published.

Demonstrate you have a strong understanding of the key topics, significant studies and notable researchers in your area of research and how these have contributed to the current landscape.

Expected research contribution

In this section, you should consider the following:

• Why is your research question or hypothesis worth asking?
• How is the current research lacking or falling short?
• What impact will your research have on the discipline?
• Will you be extending an area of knowledge, applying it to new contexts, solving a problem, testing a theory, or challenging an existing one?
• Establish why your research is important by convincing your audience there is a gap.
• What will be the outcome of your research contribution?
• Demonstrate both your current level of knowledge and how the pursuit of your question or hypothesis will create a new understanding and generate new information.
• Show how your research is innovative and original.

Draw links between your research and the faculty or school you are applying at, and explain why you have chosen your supervisor, and what research have they or their school done to reinforce and support your own work. Cite these reasons to demonstrate how your research will benefit and contribute to the current body of knowledge.

Proposed methodology

Provide an overview of the methodology and techniques you will use to conduct your research. Cover what materials and equipment you will use, what theoretical frameworks will you draw on, and how will you collect data.

Highlight why you have chosen this particular methodology, but also why others may not have been as suitable. You need to demonstrate that you have put thought into your approach and why it's the most appropriate way to carry out your research. 

It should also highlight potential limitations you anticipate, feasibility within time and other constraints, ethical considerations and how you will address these, as well as general resources.

A work plan is a critical component of your research proposal because it indicates the feasibility of completion within the timeframe and supports you in achieving your objectives throughout your degree.

Consider the milestones you aim to achieve at each stage of your research. A PhD or master's degree by research can take two to four years of full-time study to complete. It might be helpful to offer year one in detail and the following years in broader terms. Ultimately you have to show that your research is likely to be both original and finished – and that you understand the time involved.

Provide details of the resources you will need to carry out your research project. Consider equipment, fieldwork expenses, travel and a proposed budget, to indicate how realistic your research proposal is in terms of financial requirements and whether any adjustments are needed.

Bibliography

Provide a list of references that you've made throughout your research proposal. 

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How to write a PhD thesis

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Five tips for communicating your research

Writing a thesis is an inevitable part of a chemistry PhD. Yet it can be a daunting task. While everyone’s personal circumstances vary – university rules, the chemistry discipline and supervisor relationships – the most difficult part is actually starting to write. Adam Clancy of University College London, UK; Chiara Giorio of the University of Cambridge, UK; and I (a recent PhD graduate) reflect on our experiences to offer some advice and tips.

Start writing early

Ideally, if you receive funding you want to finish before the money stops coming in. ‘It’s such an appealing thing to think one more experiment will pull everything together,’ says Clancy. ‘It’s better to just draw a line in the sand in advance.’ This was a goal I set myself, and it proved to be a catalyst to my productivity. Clancy’s experience was different: ‘I got a postdoc and then wrote in the evenings, which was a terrible, terrible idea.’ Sometimes though, a promising job offer or unforeseeable circumstances means this is your only option for completion. Whatever your circumstances, Giorio advises ‘to write as much as you can, every day,’ even if it’s just experimental procedures or summaries.

For me, getting started was the hardest part. Thinking of a thesis as a series of small, manageable chapters rather than a whole book helped me compartmentalise. Once you start writing, you build up momentum. Having something that you can look back at as a starting point is better than staring at a blank page.

Make a plan

Devise a workplan with your supervisor before you start writing. ‘It should be a discussion with them about where they think the good results are – how you can split up all your work into manageable, multiple sections,’ explains Clancy. Spend time ‘understanding what are the key messages that you want to get across,’ says Griorio. During writing, send chapters to your supervisor for revision and go over them together. ‘The first draft doesn’t need to be perfect’ – and it won’t be – but this will give you a better idea of what your supervisor expects. ‘The first time you write something, it’s very difficult,’ Griorio explains, so it’s good to solicit feedback early on. But it’s not just your supervisor you can ask – peers, friends and family can contribute ‘even if only catching typos’, she adds.

No need to work sequentially

Start with the chapter you’re most comfortable working on – you don’t need to write the thesis in order. I found switching between chapters helped. Some days I had brain fog when writing up my results so I would work on the literature review and come back to writing up the results when I had the mental capacity. The structure of the thesis also does not have to be chronological: Clancy used what he did towards the end of his PhD to form his first results chapter. ‘You’re not recounting what you did for three years,’ he explains. ‘It shouldn’t be a biography of your research.’

Figures are your friends

Images can reveal a lot about your work. ‘I’m a fan of basically never really needing words,’ reveals Clancy. ‘It’s worth taking the time to make your graphs look highly presentable and really clear.’ Graphs and images are not only useful in breaking up large bodies of text, but they also provide context and meaningful data for your discussion. ‘You can start with just putting some figures together and some bullet points,’ says Giorio, noting that graphs assist with the initial hurdle of getting something written down. Clancy suggests you ‘go to the papers you like and see how they present data and be inspired by that’. Don’t take shortcuts with figures – a lesson I learned. I had to do corrections on my graphs after my viva that could have easily been avoided if I had been more diligent when producing the figures in the first place.

Don’t worry

You are an expert in your research so be confident about your writing. ‘If you’ve got to this point, you’re probably good enough to pass a PhD,’ Clancy says. You have put in years of work and all you must do now is communicate it. But don’t let writing consume your life – take regular breaks, keep active and balance your time with hobbies and friends. By taking care of your physical and mental health, you will be in a better position to deliver your best work.

I found the writing process unexpectedly fun and therapeutic. There were days when nothing would come to me, but I would say ‘tomorrow is a new day’. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself. At the end of it, you will hopefully look at your thesis with pride and a sense of accomplishment.

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Requirements, research proposal, research proposal and preliminary oral examination.

The preparation and defense of an original research proposal serves as the second portion of the preliminary examination. For this portion, there exists a Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC) to consist of the student's entire graduate committee except for the member from outside the school. The school chair, if serving on the graduate committee as an ex-officio member, will be a non-voting member of this PEC. Initial work on the proposal should be initiated when the student begins taking cumulative examinations, as the first draft of the written proposal (see below) must be submitted to the PEC before the end of the student's fifth semester. Failure to submit the draft by the end of the fifth semester will result in discontinuation of assistantship support until the requirement is fulfilled. The student chooses the topic for an original research proposal. The topic must be approved by the Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC) at a meeting in which the student outlines the proposal idea. The topic may use the techniques of the student's research project, but must not be an extension of the project. The proposal must be original with the student. After obtaining approval of the topic, the student will prepare a written proposal in accord with the prescribed format. (See Appendix IV.) During preparation, the student may obtain advice and suggestions from any faculty member but the proposal itself must be original with the student. The student must complete preparation of the proposal and submit it to the PEC before January of his or her third calendar year. The committee is allowed one week for evaluation of the proposal. The evaluation will include at least one meeting of the PEC. The evaluation shall be by a numerical score from 1.0 (lowest) to 4.0 (highest). An average score of 3.0 shall be required to pass. The scores will be accompanied by a written review by each voting PEC member. If the score is less than 3.0, the proposal must be revised and resubmitted within 30 days. The re-evaluation will follow the same procedure as described above. Only one re-submission is allowed. A second failure will be reported in writing by the PEC to the School Chair and to the Director of Graduate Studies. The latter will request that the Graduate School terminate the student from our doctoral program. In most cases, the students will be eligible for a Master’s degree. When the score is less than 3.0, copies of the final approved proposal must be provided to all members of the student's graduate committee at least one week before the date of the preliminary oral examination. Within 30 days of receiving notification of a passing grade, the student shall schedule a preliminary oral examination (defense of the proposal). This oral defense shall consist of a formal open seminar at which the student will present the proposal for credit as Chemistry 595. After questions from the general audience, the student's graduate committee will conduct an oral examination of the student. The grade for Chemistry 595 is based on the oral presentation and is independent of the oral examination. Only one attempt is allowed to pass the preliminary oral examination (defense of the research proposal). However, if the committee cannot decide whether to pass or fail the student at the end of the scheduled examination time, they may vote to continue the examination at a later date. Only one such continuation is allowed. The decision of the committee to pass the student or to continue the examination must be made with a majority vote of the committee. The student, the School Chair, and the director of graduate studies will be notified by the Chair of the graduate committee in writing on the next working day after the examination whether the result was Pass, Fail, or Continue. If a continuation is required, it must be scheduled no earlier than 30 days and no later than 90 days after the original oral examination date. Students in the Ph. D. program must complete the proposal defense by the end of third year in residence. Failure to complete the proposal defense by the end of third year will result in discontinuation of assistantship support until the requirement is fulfilled. If the student has not completed the defense by the end of the third year, the student will have one semester in which to complete the proposal defense (without assistantship support). Failure to complete the proposal by the deadline will result in termination from the graduate program. 4/5  Effective 12/13/07

A research project is required of all graduate students. A student in the doctoral program must earn at least 32 credit hours in research and dissertation (Chemistry 598 and 600). A minimum of 24 hours must be dissertation credit (Chemistry 600). The results of the research must be presented in the form of a dissertation acceptable both to the student's committee and to the Graduate School.

Chemistry Department

Research proposal guidelines.

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Original Research Proposal – Analytical

In the spring of your 3 rd year, you will (1) prepare and original research proposal (2-3 pages) and (2) give a 30-minute literature seminar on an analytical research topic of your choice. This topic must not directly overlap with your thesis research.

How do I choose my topic?

The topic cannot overlap with your current project, a component of the research outlined in your 2 nd year oral examination, or a project of a current member of your lab. The topic could be focused on a particular instrumental technique, a novel means of sample preparation, a concept to push the limit of what is currently measurable with existing methods, or an application where better measurements will provide new scientific insights.

Your literature seminar should provide the audience with the background information necessary to understand your topic and highlight state-of-the-art examples. It can contain 1 – 2 slides that highlight your original research proposal but should focus primarily on current literature.

Your original research proposal will build upon the foundation presented in your literature seminar and:

• Apply the instrumental technique or method to a research topic of interest, where there is enough background to justify why the topic is of interest.
• Propose improvements to the instrumental technique or method, highlighting the new knowledge gained or the ease by which one obtains/interprets collected data.
• Highlight an area where the technique or data analyses are not used to their full potential. Once that potential is identified, suggest the best path forward.

What is the timeline for topic selection, original research proposal writing, and my literature presentation?

What is the format of the literature seminar?

Two students will present their literature topics in a given seminar slot. Most talks are 22 – 24 minutes in length, allowing a few minutes to answer the audience’s questions. When preparing the presentation, it is important to practice with your cohort, your research group, and anyone else that will listen.

Putting together a great talk is very difficult. It requires a lot of planning to ensure a clear and logical storyline that conveys the most important information. After preparing the slides, practice as many times as you can. Incorporate the feedback of your cohort, your research group, and anyone else who will listen.

As you begin preparing the presentation, make sure the audience knows:

• Why the topic is important to both measurement scientists and the broad scientific community. It should be clear what information the measurements are providing (and why we should care about them).
• If presenting a new technique or method, provide information on the limitations to what is currently done. Improvements could be in LOD, resolution, dynamic range, cost, time, sample prep, etc.
• If presenting on a broad topic, provide us information about the most common (or the least common) techniques used and why they are appropriate to answer a question of interest.
• Show us the most current and exciting work others are doing in this area. Highlight what makes the work exciting. Walk us through the datasets and tell us what we are looking at and why it is interesting/important.
• Give us context for why you chose the papers (note: “I chose this paper because the X group works is this area” is not a good reason).
• Show us that you have mastered the topic by presenting what the next challenges to overcome are. Really wow us by providing your own commentary and ideas.
• Conclude by telling us the most important points we should remember next week when someone asks about your talk.

What is the format of the original research proposal?

Your original research proposal should be in the form of a “white paper.” A white paper format is a research pitch that is primarily focused on what the proposed work will accomplish and its ability to either directly transform a field or provide the insight needed to enable such a transformation.

Format. The original research proposal should be no more than 3 pages single-spaced in length, including all text and figures. A Gantt chart should also be provided on a separate page detailing a timeline for the major goals and tasks to be performed. The references are not part of the page requirement. The document should have 0.5” margins and use 11 pt Arial font.

Significance . The overarching significance of the proposed research should be less than 0.5 pages in length. The background information needed to appreciate the significance of the topic is expected to be conveyed during the literature seminar, but students are encouraged to focus on the broader scientific impact of the proposal. What potential does the proposed science have to advance knowledge?

Approach . The proposed work can be a written as a narrative or divided into research aims or goals. It should be detailed enough that the reader understands how the experiments will be done, what information will be gained from the experiments, and how that data will be used. The proposal should also highlight potential pitfalls and provide alternative strategies or approaches to success.

If the proposal is focused on providing new insights into a field, then the aims should clearly convey why this information is needed to test our fundamental understanding of a topic. If the proposal is focused on instrument advancements of technique development, the aims should clearly convey the metrics of success and state how these metrics will be evaluated. If the proposal is focused on a particular application, it must be clear how the approach is both innovative and transformative when compared to others working in the same area.

Figures, schematics, and diagrams of the proposed designs or workflows are highly recommended. Important figures of merit that are needed to accomplish the proposed work are also recommended. Mention of literature precedence, as well as the appropriate citations, is needed to support the proposed research.

ANALYTICAL DIVISION RUBRIC

Each proposal is reviewed by two faculty members who are not the student’s advisor. Anonymized feedback is returned to students within 1-2 weeks after submission. Proposals are graded Pass or Fail. A failed proposal may be revised and resubmitted up to one month after student notification.

Student name:

Proposal title:

Review Criteria

Reviewers will consider each of the three review criteria below for the pass/fail assessment.

Final Ranking

______ Pass

______ Fail

Feedback (If Pass, strength of proposal. If Fail, improvements needed):

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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

• 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

• 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)

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

An Overview of the Discipline

Chemists study the composition of properties of substances and elementary forms of matter. Research conducted at Penn within the sub-disciplines of chemistry include: synthesis and characterization of compounds and materials, chemistry of life processes, nanoscale materials and molecular devices, chemistry of the environment, and energy and the hydrogen economy. Subdisciplines include theory, simulation, and modeling (organic chemistry), laser Chemistry and spectroscopy (inorganic chemistry), nanoscale science and engineering (biological chemistry), materials chemistry (chemical physics and physical chemistry), and chemical catalysis (biomolecular imaging).

Writing in the Discipline

Writing in chemistry is explanatory and aims to define problems and provide solutions. For example, problems in biological chemistry can aim to find the chemical basis for biological processes that are not well understood. Reasoning is very objective as chemists synthesize evidence to present their findings and draw conclusions. Sometimes, definite conclusions cannot be reached based on the data collected so a hypothesis may be proposed along with possible experiments that address this hypothesis.

Evidence is largely quantitative data and measurements from studies. Qualitative observations and analyses may also be used as evidence and can still be important. Examples of acceptable qualitative evidence include yes or no answers to specific questions such as, what properties does this cell have? What phenotypes are exhibited? How does protein X interact with protein Y?

Many subfields involve collection of both quantitative and qualitative data, but a given study may emphasize one type of evidence of the other to support a hypothesis. Examples of legitimate evidence include analysis and interpretation of novel structures. The relevance of evidence to the experiment's goals and hypotheses is very important because writing relies on this evidence and how it was collected in the first place to support a proposition.

As in other scientific fields, the main goal of writing in the field of Chemistry is to share results with others. Communicating ideas effectively to other scientists, and even to nonscientists, is crucial for adding value to research.

Chemistry research is collaborative within research groups but groups work individually for the most part. Writing may be co-authored or individual.

Writing Tips

Important criteria for student writing.

The four most important aspects of writing are demonstrating mastery of others' ideas, reasoning and evidence, synthesis of sources/ideas, and having original ideas. Mastery of others’ ideas provides the foundation for new experiments, which work with original ideas to lead to new results. Synthesis of sources/ideas is important for understanding how new results fit within the context of previously published work. Reasoning and evidence requires that students exhibit a breadth of knowledge in the field. Finally, citations play an important role in furthering these goals. Citations provide the basis for conducting an experiment to advance beyond previously published work and help the reader distinguish between the writer’s new work and previously published works.

Student Writing Process

The process involves the student providing an outline, and then the 1st draft. Next, researchers do the experiment. You are allowed to divert from a hypothesis after conducting the experiment (which means changing your proposition).

Students writing research proposals should define the problem, discuss why it's important that people should care about the problem, and then describe a solution to the problem, the importance of solutions, and its future implications.

Common Errors

Errors are both conceptual and cosmetic. Conceptually, Chemistry professors identified that students do not always understand where their experiments and research could go wrong and make note of this in their writing. Identifying the proper control in experiment explanation is also a common error. Cosmetically, a common student error is found in the usage of 'datum' vs. 'data'.

In general, scientific writing must be concise and clear and this is especially important in Chemistry. Specifically in writing papers, following the IMRD (Introduction, Materials/Methods, Results, Discussion) structure helps explain the process of the experiment. The structure must be such that other scientists are able to recreate the exact same experiment. When writing the introduction, consider a synthesis of previous experiments (including citations), audience, and the inverted pyramid structure (general to specific). In the discussion section, consider discussing further improvements to current experiments or suggestions for future experiments.

Student Assignments

Assignments for graduate students include research papers and problem sets. Examples of typical graduate assignments include X-ray crystallography problem sets and final paper submissions from lab work. General undergraduate assignments include lab reports and problems sets, with research papers in advanced level courses.

Professional Writing

Professional writing in Chemistry includes, but is not limited to, scholarly articles, reviews of papers, grant proposals and nominations for the Nobel Prize.

Additional Resources

The following link has a list of Penn Chemistry professors, labeled with their respective areas of focus, with selected publications and specific topics of research.

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A Practical Guide in Writing a Medicinal Chemistry Research Proposal for Students Entering Research

The aim is to give an overview summary of the research and discuss the merits and broader impacts of the research project. The quality of the research proposal depends not only on the quality of the research you proposed but also included the writing of your project. Research proposal help assist students in a different way to fulfill their academic goals. Some students that have lack of subject knowledge feel it challenging to feed the readers with sufficient information in the proposal, so there is a consultation PhD proposal writing service with the expert help supply all the central details on the project. The role of new researchers while writing a medical chemistry research proposal is to make the readers that the solution for the research question is practical and appropriate. Students find it challenging to write a quality PhD research proposal by considering the organization format. When you Order any reflective report at Tutors India, we promise you the following; Plagiarism free, Always on Time, Outstanding customer support, Written to Standard, Unlimited Revisions support, High-quality Subject Matter Experts. Contact: Website: www.tutorsindia.com Email: [email protected] United Kingdom: +44-1143520021 India: +91-4448137070 Whatsapp Number: +91-8754446690 Read more: https://bit.ly/32U6O8J

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House of Commons | Science and Technology Committee | Evidence (Ev w173-177) | Pages 173-177 | Submission to The Parliamentary Select Committee for Science and Technology on Peer Review. By: Veli Albert Kallio, FRGS’

Veli Albert Kallio

Peer reviews became commonplace in most sciences only after the Second World War. For example, Albert Einstein's revolutionary papers in 1905, Annalen der Physik, were never peer-reviewed by anyone else than the journal's editor and co-editor: "in journals in those days, the burden of proof was generally on the opponents rather than the proponents of new ideas. The peer reviews usually side with the proponents of the old ideas and it is the responsibility for the new ideas to prove themselves right. The peer review of eclectic research that newly fuses two distant research disciplines is the most demanding and contentious of all types of peer reviews: one discipline may face a strong resistance from another especially if it requires an alteration to its long-cherished paradigms, long seen as fundamental idea in the other discipline. A genuine interbreeding of work into another research discipline increases a probability that the weaknesses in the original major paradigms are identified, exposed and improved. Many Nobel prizes have come this way.

Bounthanh Lee

A book like this cannot be written in isolation. While most of the text found in this manual is original, dozens of similar books and experts were consulted, and many colleagues and friends provided information, feedback, and suggestions. My greatest thanks goes to Nancy Vyhmeister, author of the first AIIAS writing manual, for her willingness to share original content and ideas from her work. Chapter 1 is taken largely from her prior work. She was also instrumental as a consultant for the Turabian chapter and in overall editing of this book. Thanks also to Juanita Bissell, for contributing the basis for the Turabian chapter from her earlier AIIAS Turabian manual. This has been revised, updated, and shortened, but her work is still the basis for Chapter 6. Thanks to Elsie Dela Cruz, Prema Gaikwad, and Esther Papaioannou for their substantial contributions to the APA explanations in Chapter 7. Thanks also to Bonnie Proctor, the editor at Andrews University, for her willingness to share ideas, resources, and materials. By now it is difficult to tell where her ideas end and mine begin, but some of her work is included especially in the introduction, and in the chapters on academic writing conventions, mechanics, APA and Turabian. Her support has been much appreciated.

Students Internship Project as One of Learning Experiences

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How To Write Research Proposal For Phd In Chemistry

Table of Contents:

How to write a research proposal for a strong PhD application . Applying for a PhD or research master’s and not sure where to start with your research proposal? Use these guidelines to prepare a strong application.

Your objectives will be your aim broken down – the steps to achieving the intended outcome. They are the smaller proof points that will underpin your research’s purpose. Be logical in the order of how you present these so that each succeeds the previous, i.e. if you need to achieve ‘a’ before ‘b’ before ‘c’, then make sure you order your objectives a, b, c.

• Project title
• Research supervisor
• Proposed mode of research
• Aims and objectives
• Expected research contribution
• Proposed methodology
• Bibliography

Video advice: How to write a Research Proposal

Youtube Channel (Hindi) – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmIchtf7_PvcAOfT5p5f6eQ

Why is it important?

What are you trying to achieve with your research? What is the purpose? This section should reference why you’re applying for a research degree. Are you addressing a gap in the current research? Do you want to look at a theory more closely and test it out? Is there something you’re trying to prove or disprove? To help you clarify this, think about the potential outcome of your research if you were successful – that is your aim. Make sure that this is a focused statement.

PhD in Chemistry

The PhD in Chemistry is primarily a research degree. The majority of a doctoral student’s time will be devoted to original research that nurtures creativity and independent thinking. The department recognizes the importance of this aspect of a graduate student’s development, and has established requirements that provide a stimulating environment to perform first-rate chemical research.

PhD Student Timeline – The PhD in Chemistry is mainly an investigation degree. Nearly all a doctorate student’s time is going to be dedicated to original research that nurtures creativeness and independent thinking. The department recognizes the significance of this facet of a graduate student’s development, and it has established needs that offer a stimulating atmosphere to do first-rate chemical research. Faculty Research Mentor The Department of Chemistry views a sophisticated degree in chemistry or medicinal chemistry as mainly an investigation degree, so the option of research director is a vital decision for that first-year graduate student. To facilitate selecting the study mentor, the people from the faculty involved in research present an over-all summary of their research interests in a number of conferences using the new graduated pupils. This enables the scholars to fully familiarize the various research possibilities within the enter in a casual setting. Students will also be asked to speak informally with as numerous faculty people as you possibly can prior to making their decision.

DCGSAC Degree Requirement Information – Department of Chemistry Graduate Student Advisory Committee (DCGSAC)General Graduate School RequirementsGraduate College Handbook Area Specific RequirementsDepartment of Chemistry ManualRequirements and information about specific areas starts on page 37.

CHEM 512 (Advanced Inorganic Chemistry) and CHEM 516 (Physical Methods in Inorganic Chemistry) must be taken. Students should attempt to keep 4:00-5:00 p. m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays open for seminars. Students are expected to attend all inorganic seminars during their graduate studies and encouraged to attend seminars broadly outside of inorganic chemistry as well.

Original Chemistry Research Proposal by Degree-Holding Writer

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You’ll like cooperating with this competent writing masters simply because they know without a doubt how and what to create to provide you with an attention-grabbing analytical chemistry research proposal. A skilled author within the chemistry direction will outline four primary aspects relating to your research that’ll be highlighted within the proposal doc:

It’s compulsory to demonstrate personal ideas and ways to investigate, solve a specific issue, or develop strategies to expand the scope of examinations. A chemistry research proposal is an extremely important paper that promotes a student’s candidacy when applying to the advanced course. To succeed in the application process to the chemistry PhD program, a student should do their best to impress the admission committee and persuade it of their high competence level in the chemistry area.

Research Proposal Guidelines, Chemistry

Graduate science programs invariably evaluate students based upon their ability to answer questions and solve problems. Scientists are ultimately judged upon the quality of the questions they ask. A graduate program must provide the transition between these stages, and the writing of proposals is an important tool for this process. Writing scientific proposals teaches evaluation of the literature, integration of knowledge from several areas, formulation of scientific questions, design of a research project to answer those questions, scientific writing and the defense of a project proposal. Two proposals are written during the course of the program, one in the second year of the program on the proposed thesis topic (though the actual thesis scope will vary as results are gathered) and a second in the fourth year of the program on an original research topic. Second Year Proposal This proposal should be written in a style that conforms to the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) or some similar journal judged appropriate by your research advisor and will contain six major portions: 1.

Video advice: 7 PhD research proposal writing tricks

Writing your PhD research proposal is an important part of convincing a research admission panel that you know exactly what you are doing. In this video we will go over the seven tricks for PhD research proposal writing and what exactly the panel needs to know from you for a successful application.

Research Proposal

The preparation and defense of an original research proposal serves as the second portion of the preliminary examination. For this portion, there exists a Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC) to consist of the student’s entire graduate committee except for the member from outside the school. The school chair, if serving on the graduate committee as an ex-officio member, will be a non-voting member of this PEC. Initial work on the proposal should be initiated when the student begins taking cumulative examinations, as the first draft of the written proposal (see below) must be submitted to the PEC before the end of the student’s fifth semester. Failure to submit the draft by the end of the fifth semester will result in discontinuation of assistantship support until the requirement is fulfilled. The student chooses the topic for an original research proposal. The topic must be approved by the Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC) at a meeting in which the student outlines the proposal idea. The topic may use the techniques of the student’s research project, but must not be an extension of the project. The proposal must be original with the student. After obtaining approval of the topic, the student will prepare a written proposal in accord with the prescribed format. (See Appendix IV.) During preparation, the student may obtain advice and suggestions from any faculty member but the proposal itself must be original with the student. The student must complete preparation of the proposal and submit it to the PEC before January of his or her third calendar year. The committee is allowed one week for evaluation of the proposal. The evaluation will include at least one meeting of the PEC. The evaluation shall be by a numerical score from 1.0 (lowest) to 4.0 (highest). An average score of 3.0 shall be required to pass. The scores will be accompanied by a written review by each voting PEC member. If the score is less than 3.0, the proposal must be revised and resubmitted within 30 days.

An investigation project is needed of graduated pupils. Students within the doctorate program must earn a minimum of 32 credit hrs in research and dissertation (Chemistry 598 and 600). No less than 24 hrs should be dissertation credit (Chemistry 600). The outcomes from the research should be presented by means of a dissertation acceptable both towards the student’s committee and also to the Graduate School.

• Research Proposal and Preliminary Oral Examination

The preparation and defense of an original research proposal serves as the second portion of the preliminary examination. For this portion, there exists a Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC) to consist of the student’s entire graduate committee except for the member from outside the school. The school chair, if serving on the graduate committee as an ex-officio member, will be a non-voting member of this PEC. Initial work on the proposal should be initiated when the student begins taking cumulative examinations, as the first draft of the written proposal (see below) must be submitted to the PEC before the end of the student’s fifth semester. Failure to submit the draft by the end of the fifth semester will result in discontinuation of assistantship support until the requirement is fulfilled. The student chooses the topic for an original research proposal. The topic must be approved by the Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC) at a meeting in which the student outlines the proposal idea. The topic may use the techniques of the student’s research project, but must not be an extension of the project.

A practical guide in writing a medicinal chemistry research proposal for students entering research

Brief: The aim is to give an overview summary of the research and discuss the merits and broader impacts of the research project. The quality of the research proposal depends not only on the quality of the research you proposed but also included the writing of your project. Research proposal help assist students in a+ Read More.

Give a description of general research design along with the specific method to offer the purpose of the work. The methodology must contain sufficient details about the types of materials used and the reason behind selecting a specific plan to handle the study. Readers ought to know how the information was acquired since the method you select can impact the end result.

The aim is to give an overview summary of the research and discuss the merits and broader impacts of the research project. The quality of the research proposal depends not only on the quality of the research you proposed but also included the writing of your project. Research proposal help assist students in a different way to fulfil their academic goals. Some students that have lack of subject knowledge feel it challenging to feed the readers with sufficient information in the proposal, so there is a consultation PhD proposal writing service with the expert help supply all the central details on the project.

Video advice: How to write a research Proposal ?

How to write a research Proposal for phd application – This lecture explains how to write a research proposal step by step. This video guidance will teach you the components of a research proposal including the following –

How do I write a research proposal for PhD in chemistry?

Research Proposals Chemistry Texts With Correct Structure & Formatting

• Thought-out and catchy title.
• Abstract with succinct thesis.
• Research core with key ideas.
• Main issues & goals determined.
• Applied methods listed down.
• Value of research defined.
• Complete bibliography list.

How do you write a chemistry research proposal?

2:3013:19How to write a Research Proposal - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo we want a title related to that right. So. We have to convey that we are working on you knowMoreSo we want a title related to that right. So. We have to convey that we are working on you know removing the organic contaminants from the water. And using what what is the chemical.

How do I write a research proposal for a PhD?

What should it include?

• Project title. Your title should clearly indicate what your proposed research is about.
• Research supervisor. ...
• Proposed mode of research. ...
• Aims and objectives. ...
• Synopsis. ...
• Background. ...
• Expected research contribution. ...
• Proposed methodology.

How do you write a research proposal for a PhD in 500 words?

You initial research proposal should:

• Be approximately 500 words.
• Include an outline of your research interests.
• Detail your initial thoughts about a topic.
• Have references to previous work.
• Discuss the methodology and general approach you wish to take.

What is research proposal for PhD?

What is a research proposal? A research proposal is a document of around 3,000-4,000 words outlining the research you are going to undertake . The majority of universities require PhD applicants to submit a research proposal when applying for a PhD position.

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• How To Write Research Articles In Computing And Engineering Disciplines
• Do you know the best journals to write our research paper of nanotechnology?

Erwin van den Burg

Stress and anxiety researcher at CHUV2014–present Ph.D. from Radboud University NijmegenGraduated 2002 Lives in Lausanne, Switzerland2013–present

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NSF GRFP Research Proposal

Criteria for success.

• Your proposed research is eligible for the Fellowship ( e.g. you do not propose research about a particular disease or about clinical practice).
• Your research proposal convinces a panel of academics that you are qualified to receive the Fellowship, especially with respect to the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impact criteria.
• You show that the proposed research is creative, original, or transformative.
• You show that you are actually capable of performing the research.
• Your proposal meets the formatting and page limit criteria.

The sections, their sizes, and their order is just an example, not the rule.

Your research proposal (technically, the “Graduate Research Plan Statement”) is part of an application that should convince the selection panel to award you the Fellowship. The proposal is the part of the application where you get to lay out a plan for your graduate research career. The personal statement gives you space to explain the big picture of your past and future career; the research proposal is a place for nuts and bolts. It is an opportunity to convince the selection panel that you are capable of being a successful researcher: that you have the intellectual ability to propose a creative, feasible plan of research.

Note that if you win the Fellowship, no one will actually hold you to this particular research plan; this is a demonstration of critical thinking, not a commitment.

Your entire application will be “reviewed online by virtual panels of disciplinary and interdisciplinary scientists and engineers and other professional graduate education experts”. These are academics, usually from your broad area of science ( e.g. biology) but not from your specific area ( e.g. polymer biomechanics). They will judge your application using some combination of (a) the NSF’s official criteria for the Fellowship and (b) their own ideas about what constitutes good science.

The people on the committee read many, many applications. Make it easy for them to figure out that you are qualified for the award by referencing the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impact criteria that they use to judge your application. It may be wise to, for example, have sections in your proposal that are explicitly labeled “Intellectual Merit” and “Broader Impacts”. It may also be wise to have an “Abstract” or “Executive Summary” at the beginning of the proposal. Use simple language rather than field jargon.

The selection panel knows that this is a graduate student fellowship and not the sort of grant that would be awarded to a principal investigator. Real grants are big documents with heaps of citations and references. Because this application is about funding you and not a specific project, the panel is more interested in seeing what your proposal says about you rather than about your project. Spend more words showing that you are capable and creative rather than showing that you can cite many papers.

Do your homework

A mature and sophisticated proposal for research is more likely to win you the Fellowship. Before sitting down to write, do your homework. Read a lot about the field in which you’re proposing research. Make sure the thing you’re proposing to do hasn’t been done before or hasn’t been generally regarded as impossible.

Find mentors. More senior scientists like postdocs and faculty members have a lot of experience crafting research proposals, and they are similar to the kinds of people who will be on your selection panel. Get their feedback and advice. Your proposal should also excite someone who is in your exact field. If they have any reservations about whether the project is interesting, then scientists outside your field will have an even more difficult time believing that it’s research worth pursuing.

Demonstrate creativity

There’s typically a tradeoff between risk/reward and credibility. Low-risk projects, like obvious, simple extensions of your undergraduate thesis research, tend to be very credible: it’s clear that you can do them. They also tend to be low on reward. Projects that are very ambitious and have huge rewards tend to be unbelievable and impossible for a grad student. There’s a sweet spot in between: find a problem that you can probably solve and that demonstrates that you took some initiative, know your field, and have some creative thoughts.

Include Intellectual Merit and Broader Impact criteria

Read the program solicitation so you know what “Intellectual Merit” and “Broader Impacts” mean to the NSF, and show that your proposed research meets those criteria. In particular, do not just make up your own ideas about what “Broader Impacts” means. The NSF has specific lists of activities that constitute Broader Impacts. These criteria are so important that the solicitation even says that “applicants must include separate statements on Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts in their written statements [… and] should include headings for Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts in their statements.”

Write for a reader who is outside of your field and short on attention

It’s more important that all the members of your panel understand your work than that you impress the one member of the panel who happens to be in your field. When you write a paper or a grant, it will probably be minutely reviewed by people in your exact field. However, your panel for the NSF GRFP will likely not be in your field, and your application will be one of many they read. They may very well miss points in your proposal that you think are “subtle” or “implicit.” Explicitly state what you’re doing and why, and make it clear even to someone who doesn’t know your field, and who is fatigued from reading many applications.

Lay out concrete hypotheses, approaches, and outcomes

Strong research proposals say what motivates the project, how the project will get done, and what the project’s outcome will mean with respect to the motivating scientific question. In the life sciences, scientists often label their hypotheses or objectives as “specific aims”.

When discussing research approach and outcomes, make it clear that the project has a clear endpoint that is well within the timeline of a PhD. It’s great if your project leads to a lifelong line of research, but the NSF GRFP only funds graduate study. To win the Fellowship, the proposed research should be able to be completed within a few years.

As best you can, describe concrete outcomes. Will you discover a protein? Will you have designed a certain tool? Having a concrete outcome can help you show how your research will meet the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria, by saying, “Once I have thing X in hand, Y will be intellectually possible or will have Z effect on society.”

Your research proposal will be judged, in part, on the basis of whether the panel members believe you will actually be able to carry it out. It might therefore be wise to name the key resources in your target institution and program. Your success as a graduate student will depend on your advisor’s mentorship, the opportunity for collaboration with other scientists, and the resources that you will have at your target institution. Make it clear that you will have the right equipment and intellectual input that you will need to solve your problem. (Again, this is not because you’ll be expected to actually complete this research. Rather, the goal is to demonstrate your resourcefulness, and the likelihood that you’ll excel as a researcher in general.)

This content was adapted from from an article originally created by the MIT Biological Engineering Communication Lab .

Resources and Annotated Examples

Annotated example 1.

This is a research statement that was part of an MIT BE graduate student’s successful NSF GRFP application. 4 MB

Annotated Example 2

This is a research statement that was part of an MIT BE graduate student’s successful NSF GRFP application. 1 MB

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An research proposal examples on chemistry is a prosaic composition of a small volume and free composition, expressing individual impressions and thoughts on a specific occasion or issue and obviously not claiming a definitive or exhaustive interpretation of the subject.

Some signs of chemistry research proposal:

• the presence of a specific topic or question. A work devoted to the analysis of a wide range of problems in biology, by definition, cannot be performed in the genre of chemistry research proposal topic.
• The research proposal expresses individual impressions and thoughts on a specific occasion or issue, in this case, on chemistry and does not knowingly pretend to a definitive or exhaustive interpretation of the subject.
• As a rule, an essay suggests a new, subjectively colored word about something, such a work may have a philosophical, historical, biographical, journalistic, literary, critical, popular scientific or purely fiction character.
• in the content of an research proposal samples on chemistry , first of all, the author’s personality is assessed - his worldview, thoughts and feelings.

The goal of an research proposal in chemistry is to develop such skills as independent creative thinking and writing out your own thoughts.

Writing an research proposal is extremely useful, because it allows the author to learn to clearly and correctly formulate thoughts, structure information, use basic concepts, highlight causal relationships, illustrate experience with relevant examples, and substantiate his conclusions.

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Research Proposal Guidelines

To satisfy the research requirement for the distance M.S. program in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, the aspiring student must define a research project and prepare a written proposal describing the nature and goals of the project.

It is suggested that the student in conjunction with their distance research mentor collaborate in the selection of and the definition of the proposed research. The proposal should consist of the following elements:

• Overall goal or hypotheses
• Statement of significance of the research
• Research plan consisting of several specific aims.

The following description serves to define expectations regarding proposal preparation.

Project Title

An appropriate title should be created that describes the overall research topic.

Overall Goal

Write a short statement that clearly defines the scope of the project.

Background and Significance

Become familiar with a published work that is related to your chosen research area. Provide a summary of the background in a manner that demonstrates a knowledge of the area and goes on to describe the significance of the proposed research in adding to and extending existing knowledge.

Specific Aims

The overall project should be envisioned as a series of sub-goals, which as they are individually accomplished, allows results in the achievement of the overall goal.  The specific aims should include a description of the experiments to be conducted. It should be clearly stated what is to be accomplished in each specific aim and how these results relate to the achievement of the overall research goal.

Bibliography

Appropriate literature citations should be provided in each section of the proposal, as justification for the proposed research, and to clearly indicate that the student has familiarized themselves with the research topic.

The M.S. research proposal should be limited to approximately four pages, excluding the bibliographic section.

The proposal preparation will satisfy one credit hour of the research requirement.

How to structure your PhD thesis

Organising your PhD thesis in a logical order is one of the crucial stages of your writing process. Here is a list of the individual components to include

Shama Prasada Kabekkodu

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Using non verbal cues to build rapport with students, emotionally challenging research and researcher well-being, augmenting the doctoral thesis in preparation for a viva, how hard can it be testing ai detection tools.

The task of writing a PhD thesis is top of mind for many aspiring scholars. After all, completing one is no small task. And while these pieces of writing often share a standard format, this can differ slightly based on the requirements of your institution or subject. So what elements make up a PhD thesis?

A doctoral thesis usually contains:

• A title page
• Declarations from the candidate and supervisor
• A certificate from the candidate and supervisor
• A plagiarism report
• Acknowledgements 
• A table of contents
• Abbreviations 
• An abstract

Chapters typically cover:

• A general introduction 
• Literature review
• Analysis of the gap in research with aims and objectives
• Materials and methods
• Summary and conclusion
• References or bibliography. 

You should also include a list of papers you have published and any relevant achievements at the end. 

An explanation of each of the components of a PhD dissertation 

Title page: a PhD thesis starts with a title page that contains the complete title of the research work, the submitting university, names of the candidate and supervisor, affiliation and month and year of submission.

Abstract: this serves as a concise synopsis of the dissertation, covering the research context, purpose of the study or research questions, methodology, findings and conclusions. This section is usually one to two pages in length. 

Table of contents: this page lists the thesis content and respective page numbers.

General introduction and literature review: this component is usually 20 to 40 pages long. It presents the readers with the primary material and discusses relevant published data. It provides an overview of pertinent literature related to the thesis such as texts that critically assess the existing literature to identify the gap in research and explain the need behind the study. 

Aims and objectives: this section of the thesis is typically one to two pages long and describes the aims and objectives of the study. Structure them as three to four bullet points describing specific points that you will investigate. Approach this by thinking about what readers should understand by the end of the thesis. Ensure you:

• Give a clear explanation of the purpose and goals of your study 
• Outline each aim concisely
• Explain how you will measure your objectives
• Ensure there is a clear connection between each aim
• Use verbs such as investigate, evaluate, explore, analyse and demonstrate.

Materials and methods: this section briefly explains how you have conducted the study and should include all the materials you used and procedures you implemented. For example, if your research involves working with chemicals, list the chemicals and instruments used, along with their catalogue numbers and manufacturers’ names. This section should also explicitly explain the methodology you used, step-by-step. Use the past tense while writing this section and do not describe any results or findings of the study yet.

Results: this section is sometimes called the “findings report” or “the experimental findings” (referring to data collection and analysis). Write the results concisely and in the past tense. Include text, figure and table infographics created with tools such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe Illustrator and BioRender to visualise your data . 

Discussion: this is a chance to discuss the results and compare the findings of your study with the initial hypothesis and existing knowledge. Focus on discussing interpretations, implications, limitations and recommendations here.

• Resources on academic writing for higher education staff 
• Tips for writing a PhD dissertation: FAQs answered
• How to tackle the PhD dissertation

Summary and conclusion: this section should be shorter than the discussion and summarise your key findings. The summary and conclusion should be brief and engaging, allowing the reader to easily understand the major findings of the research work. Provide clear answers to the research questions, generate new knowledge and clarify the need for the study. 

Future perspective: this section of the thesis (which is often combined with a summary or conclusion) talks about the study's limitations, if any, and indicates the directions for future studies based on your findings. 

References or bibliography: the last section should include the list of articles, websites and other resources cited in the thesis.

Always remember that, depending on the department, university or field of study, you might have to follow specific guidelines on how to organise your PhD thesis. Ensure you consult your supervisor or academic department if you have any doubts.

Shama Prasada Kabekkodu is a professor and head of cell and molecular biology at Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India.

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Research Proposal

After successful completion of the departmental Preliminary Examination, all PhD and PharmD/PhD students must submit and orally defend a written Research proposal outlining their proposed dissertation research.

Students should register for PHC 511 Research Proposal in the Spring semester following completion of the Preliminary Examination. If the preliminary examination is written in January, they should use time in Spring semester following the completion of the Preliminary Examination to develop their research ideas and to write the proposal. If the preliminary examination is written in June, they should use time in the Fall semester following the completion of the Preliminary Examination to develop their research ideas and to write the proposal.

The deadline for submission of the Research Proposal  to the Dissertation Committee write-up is June/January 15. The deadline for the oral defense of the Research Proposal is August/March 1st.

Written approval from the Director of Graduate Studies is required if the dates have to be altered because of scheduling conflicts for the committee members.

Failure to meet the submission and defense deadlines will result in a grade of “F” for the proposal.

The research proposal should be written in the format of a National Institutes of Health R01 grant. The most current formatting guidelines should be used. The page limits, line spacing, font size, headings of the different sections should be similar to those currently recommended for National Institutes of Health R01 grants. The instructions and forms can be obtained from the National Institutes of Health site. At this time the link is  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html

The proposal should be submitted to the student’s PhD Dissertation Committee members along with copies of the three most pertinent articles cited in the proposal. The student will defend the proposal orally before the Dissertation Committee. Normally, the defense will consist of a 10-15 minute presentation by the student followed by questions by the Dissertation Committee members.

The advisor’s role in the preparation of the written document is limited to an examination of the Specific Aims proposed by the student. Students should not have access to any written grant proposal of the advisor relevant to the subject matter. The evaluation of the proposed Specific Aims should assess feasibility of the proposed aims, which should occur prior to the actual writing by the student. The advisor should not edit, review or make suggestions for document revision prior to document distribution to all committee members. Additionally, the advisor should give the thesis committee an indication of any other contribution the advisor has made to the thesis proposal.

The Research Proposal will be graded  by letter grade by the Dissertation Committee, based on the content and scientific merit of the written proposal and the student’s ability to orally defend any criticisms and answer the questions posed concerning the proposal and related areas. Each member of the thesis committee is encouraged to prepare a written evaluation of the student’s document and oral defense and distribute it to the student. If the committee requires certain revisions or additions, a written notice shall be transmitted by the Chair of the Dissertation Committee to the student detailing the revisions/additions and the timeframe for submission.

A letter grade will be given by the Dissertation Committee, with the passing grade set at B-, although certain revisions/additions may be required, as specified earlier.

A student who fails the proposal (i.e., with a grade of C+ or below) is required to re-submit the entire proposal within 60 days, and to schedule an oral defense within 30 days thereafter. The Director of Graduate Studies/designate, in consultation with the student, will appoint two additional Department faculty members to serve on the committee. These two additional committee members shall not participate in questioning the student in the defense, but shall participate in the grading process. The grade for this examination must be either a “Pass” or a “Fail” (i.e., no conditional passes). Failure in this second proposal defense automatically terminates the student in the PhD program, and removal of assistantship.

• What is a PhD?

Written by Mark Bennett

A PhD is a doctoral research degree and the highest level of academic qualification you can achieve. The degree normally takes between three and four years of full-time work towards a thesis offering an original contribution to your subject.

This page explains what a PhD is, what it involves and what you need to know if you’re considering applying for a PhD research project , or enrolling on a doctoral programme .

The meaning of a PhD

The PhD can take on something of a mythic status. Are they only for geniuses? Do you have to discover something incredible? Does the qualification make you an academic? And are higher research degrees just for people who want to be academics?

Even the full title, ‘Doctor of Philosophy’, has a somewhat mysterious ring to it. Do you become a doctor? Yes, but not that kind of doctor. Do you have to study Philosophy? No (not unless you want to) .

So, before going any further, let's explain what the term 'PhD' actually means and what defines a doctorate.

What does PhD stand for?

PhD stands for Doctor of Philosophy. This is one of the highest level academic degrees that can be awarded. PhD is an abbreviation of the Latin term (Ph)ilosophiae (D)octor. Traditionally the term ‘philosophy’ does not refer to the subject but its original Greek meaning which roughly translates to ‘lover of wisdom’.

What is a doctorate?

A doctorate is any qualification that awards a doctoral degree. In order to qualify for one you need to produce advanced work that makes a significant new contribution to knowledge in your field. Doing so earns you the title 'Doctor' – hence the name.

So, is a PhD different to a doctorate? No. A PhD is a type of doctorate .

The PhD is the most common type of doctorate and is awarded in almost all subjects at universities around the world. Other doctorates tend to be more specialised or for more practical and professional projects.

Essentially, all PhDs are doctorates, but not all doctorates are PhDs.

Do you need a Masters to get a PhD?

Not necessarily. It's common for students in Arts and the Humanities to complete an MA (Master of Arts) before starting a PhD in order to acquire research experience and techniques. Students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) don't always need an MS/MSc (Master of Science) to do a PhD as you'll gain training in lab techniques and other skills during your undergraduate degree.

Whether a Masters is a requirement for a PhD also varies by country. Australian PhDs may require a Masters as the equivalent of their own 'honours year' (where students work on research). US PhD programmes often include a Masters.

We have a whole guide dedicated to helping you decide whether a PhD without a Masters is the right route for you.

The origin of the PhD

Despite its name, the PhD isn't actually an Ancient Greek degree. Instead it's a much more recent development. The PhD as we know it was developed in nineteenth-century Germany, alongside the modern research university.

Higher education had traditionally focussed on mastery of an existing body of scholarship and the highest academic rank available was, appropriately enough, a Masters degree.

As the focus shifted more onto the production of new knowledge and ideas, the PhD degree was brought in to recognise those who demonstrated the necessary skills and expertise.

The PhD process – what's required to get a PhD?

The typical length of a PhD is three to four years full-time, or five to six years part-time.

Unlike most Masters courses (or all undergraduate programmes), a PhD is a pure research degree. But that doesn’t mean you’ll just spend years locked away in a library or laboratory. In fact, the modern PhD is a diverse and varied qualification with many different components.

Whereas the second or third year of a taught degree look quite a lot like the first (with more modules and coursework at a higher level) a PhD moves through a series of stages.

A typical PhD normally involves:

• Carrying out a literature review (a survey of current scholarship in your field).
• Conducting original research and collecting your results .
• Producing a thesis that presents your conclusions.
• Writing up your thesis and submitting it as a dissertation .
• Defending your thesis in an oral viva voce exam.

These stages vary a little between subjects and universities, but they tend to fall into the same sequence over the three years of a typical full-time PhD.

The first year of a PhD

The beginning of a PhD is all about finding your feet as a researcher and getting a solid grounding in the current scholarship that relates to your topic.

You’ll have initial meetings with your supervisor and discuss a plan of action based on your research proposal.

The first step in this will almost certainly be carrying out your literature review . With the guidance of your supervisor you’ll begin surveying and evaluating existing scholarship. This will help situate your research and ensure your work is original.

Your literature review will provide a logical jumping off point for the beginning of your own research and the gathering of results . This could involve designing and implementing experiments, or getting stuck into a pile of primary sources.

The year may end with an MPhil upgrade . This occurs when PhD students are initially registered for an MPhil degree and then ‘upgraded’ to PhD candidates upon making sufficient progress. You’ll submit material from your literature review, or a draft of your research findings and discuss these with members of your department in an upgrade exam . All being well, you’ll then continue with your research as a PhD student.

PhDs in other countries

The information on the page is based on the UK. Most countries follow a similar format, but there are some differences. In the USA , for example, PhD students complete reading assignments and examinations before beginning their research. You can find out more in our guides to PhD study around the world .

The second year of a PhD

Your second year will probably be when you do most of your core research. The process for this will vary depending on your field, but your main focus will be on gathering results from experiments, archival research, surveys or other means.

As your research develops, so will the thesis (or argument) you base upon it. You may even begin writing up chapters or other pieces that will eventually form part of your dissertation .

You’ll still be having regular meetings with your supervisor. They’ll check your progress, provide feedback on your ideas and probably read any drafts your produce.

The second year is also an important stage for your development as a scholar. You’ll be well versed in current research and have begun to collect some important data or develop insights of your own. But you won’t yet be faced with the demanding and time-intensive task of finalising your dissertation.

So, this part of your PhD is a perfect time to think about presenting your work at academic conferences , gaining teaching experience or perhaps even selecting some material for publication in an academic journal. You can read more about these kinds of activities below.

The third year of a PhD

The third year of a PhD is sometimes referred to as the writing up phase.

Traditionally, this is the final part of your doctorate, during which your main task will be pulling together your results and honing your thesis into a dissertation .

In reality, it’s not always as simple as that.

It’s not uncommon for final year PhD students to still be fine-tuning experiments, collecting results or chasing up a few extra sources. This is particularly likely if you spend part of your second year focussing on professional development.

In fact, some students actually take all or part of a fourth year to finalise their dissertation. Whether you are able to do this will depend on the terms of your enrolment – and perhaps your PhD funding .

Eventually though, you are going to be faced with writing up your thesis and submitting your dissertation.

Your supervisor will be very involved in this process. They’ll read through your final draft and let you know when they think your PhD is ready for submission.

All that’s left then is your final viva voce oral exam. This is a formal discussion and defence of your thesis involving at least one internal and external examiner. It’s normally the only assessment procedure for a PhD. Once you’ve passed, you’ve done it!

Looking for more information about the stages of a PhD?

How do you go about completing a literature review? What's it like to do PhD research? And what actually happens at an MPhil upgrade? You can find out more in our detailed guide to the PhD journey .

Doing a PhD – what's it actually like?

You can think of the ‘stages’ outlined above as the basic ‘roadmap’ for a PhD, but the actual ‘journey’ you’ll take as a research student involves a lot of other sights, a few optional destinations and at least one very important fellow passenger.

Carrying out research

Unsurprisingly, you’ll spend most of your time as a PhD researcher… researching your PhD. But this can involve a surprisingly wide range of activities.

The classic image of a student working away in the lab, or sitting with a pile of books in the library is true some of the time – particularly when you’re monitoring experiments or conducting your literature review.

Your PhD can take you much further afield though. You may find yourself visiting archives or facilities to examine their data or look at rare source materials. You could even have the opportunity to spend an extended period ‘in residence’ at a research centre or other institution beyond your university.

Research is also far from being a solitary activity. You’ll have regular discussions with your supervisor (see below) but you may also work with other students from time to time.

This is particularly likely if you’re part of a larger laboratory or workshop group studying the same broad area. But it’s also common to collaborate with students whose projects are more individual. You might work on shorter projects of joint interest, or be part of teams organising events and presentations.

Many universities also run regular internal presentation and discussion groups – a perfect way to get to know other PhD students in your department and offer feedback on each other’s work in progress.

Working with your supervisor

All PhD projects are completed with the guidance of at least one academic supervisor . They will be your main point of contact and support throughout the PhD.

Your supervisor will be an expert in your general area of research, but they won’t have researched on your exact topic before (if they had, your project wouldn’t be original enough for a PhD).

As such, it’s better to think of your supervisor as a mentor, rather than a teacher.

As a PhD student you’re now an independent and original scholar, pushing the boundaries of your field beyond what is currently known (and taught) about it. You’re doing all of this for the first time, of course. But your supervisor isn’t.

They’ll know what’s involved in managing an advanced research project over three years (or more). They’ll know how best to succeed, but they’ll also know what can go wrong and how to spot the warning signs before it does.

Perhaps most importantly, they’ll be someone with the time and expertise to listen to your ideas and help provide feedback and encouragement as you develop your thesis.

Exact supervision arrangements vary between universities and between projects:

• In Science and Technology projects it’s common for a supervisor to be the lead investigator on a wider research project, with responsibility for a laboratory or workshop that includes several PhD students and other researchers.
• In Arts and Humanities subjects, a supervisor’s research is more separate from their students’. They may supervise more than one PhD at a time, but each project is essentially separate.

It’s also becoming increasingly common for PhD students to have two (or more) supervisors. The first is usually responsible for guiding your academic research whilst the second is more concerned with the administration of your PhD – ensuring you complete any necessary training and stay on track with your project’s timetable.

However you’re supervised, you’ll have regular meetings to discuss work and check your progress. Your supervisor will also provide feedback on work during your PhD and will play an important role as you near completion: reading your final dissertation draft, helping you select an external examiner and (hopefully) taking you out for a celebratory drink afterwards!

Professional development, networking and communication

Traditionally, the PhD has been viewed as a training process, preparing students for careers in academic research.

As such, it often includes opportunities to pick up additional skills and experiences that are an important part of a scholarly CV. Academics don’t just do research after all. They also teach students, administrate departments – and supervise PhDs.

The modern PhD is also viewed as a more flexible qualification. Not all doctoral graduates end up working in higher education. Many follow alternative careers that are either related to their subject of specialism or draw upon the advanced research skills their PhD has developed.

PhD programmes have begun to reflect this. Many now emphasise transferrable skills or include specific training units designed to help students communicate and apply their research beyond the university.

What all of this means is that very few PhD experiences are just about researching and writing up a thesis.

The likelihood is that you’ll also do some (or all) of the following during your PhD:

The work is usually paid and is increasingly accompanied by formal training and evaluation.

Conference presentation

As a PhD student you’ll be at the cutting edge of your field, doing original research and producing new results. This means that your work will be interest to other scholars and that your results could be worth presenting at academic conferences .

Doing this is very worthwhile, whatever your career plans. You’ll develop transferrable skills in public speaking and presenting, gain feedback on your results and begin to be recognised as an expert in your area.

Conferences are also great places to network with other students and academics.

Publication

As well as presenting your research, you may also have the opportunity to publish work in academic journals, books, or other media. This can be a challenging process.

Your work will be judged according to the same high standards as any other scholar’s and will normally go through extensive peer review processes. But it’s also highly rewarding. Seeing your work ‘in print’ is an incredible validation of your PhD research and a definite boost to your academic CV.

Public engagement and communication

Academic work may be associated with the myth of the ‘ivory tower’ – an insular community of experts focussing on obscure topics of little interest outside the university. But this is far from the case. More and more emphasis is being placed on the ‘impact’ of research and its wider benefits to the public – with funding decisions being made accordingly.

Thankfully, there are plenty of opportunities to try your hand at public engagement as a PhD student. Universities are often involved in local events and initiatives to communicate the benefits of their research, ranging from workshops in local schools to public lectures and presentations.

Some PhD programmes include structured training in order to help students with activities such as the above. Your supervisor may also be able to help by identifying suitable conferences and public engagement opportunities, or by involving you in appropriate university events and public engagement initiatives.

These experiences will be an important part of your development as a researchers - and will enhance the value of your PhD regardless of your career plans.

What is a PhD for – and who should study one?

So, you know what a PhD actually is, what’s involved in completing one and what you might get up to whilst you do. That just leaves one final question: should you do a PhD?

Unfortunately, it’s not a question we can answer for you.

A PhD is difficult and uniquely challenging. It requires at least three years of hard work and dedication after you’ve already completed an undergraduate degree (and probably a Masters degree too).

You’ll need to support yourself during those years and, whilst you will be building up an impressive set of skills, you won’t be directly progressing in a career.

But a PhD is also immensely rewarding. It’s your chance to make a genuine contribution to the sum of human knowledge and produce work that other researchers can (and will) build on in future. However obscure your topic feels, there’s really no such thing as a useless PhD.

A PhD is also something to be incredibly proud of. A proportionately tiny number of people go on to do academic work at this level. Whatever you end up doing after your doctorate you’ll have an impressive qualification – and a title to match. What’s more, non-academic careers and professions are increasingly recognising the unique skills and experience a PhD brings.

Other PhDs - do degree titles matter?

The PhD is the oldest and most common form of higher research degree, but a few alternatives are available. Some, such as the DPhil are essentially identical to a PhD. Others, such as the Professional Doctorate or DBA are slightly different. You can find out more in our guide to types of PhD .

Is a PhD for me?

There’s more advice on the value of a PhD – and good reasons for studying one – elsewhere in this section. But the following are some quick tips if you’re just beginning to consider a PhD.

Speak to your lecturers / tutors

The best people to ask about PhD study are people who’ve earned one. Ask staff at your current or previous university about their experience of doctoral research – what they enjoyed, what they didn’t and what their tips might be.

If you’re considering a PhD for an academic career, ask about that too. Are job prospects good in your field? And what’s it really like to work at a university?

Speak to current PhD students

Want to know what it’s like studying a PhD right now? Or what it’s like doing research at a particular university? Ask someone who knows.

Current PhD students were just like you a year or two ago and most will be happy to answer questions.

If you can’t get in touch with any students ‘face to face’, pop over to the Postgraduate Forum – you’ll find plenty of students there who are happy to chat about postgraduate research.

Take a look at advertised projects and programmes

This may seem like a strange suggestion. After all, you’re only going to study one PhD, so what’s the point of reading about lots of others?

Well, looking at the details of different PhD projects is a great way to get a general sense of what PhD research is like. You’ll see what different PhDs tend to have in common and what kinds of unique opportunity might be available to you.

And, with thousands of PhDs in our database , you’re already in a great place to start.

Read our other advice articles

Finally, you can also check out some of the other advice on the FindAPhD website. We’ve looked at some good (and bad) reasons for studying a PhD as well as the value of a doctorate to different career paths.

More generally, you can read our in-depth look at a typical PhD journey , or find out more about specific aspects of doctoral study such as working with a supervisor or writing your dissertation .

We add new articles all the time – the best way to stay up to date is by signing up for our free PhD opportunity newsletter .

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Head on over to our PhD search listings to learn what opportunities are on offer within your discipline.

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You may also like....

What happens during a typical PhD, and when? We've summarised the main milestones of a doctoral research journey.

The PhD thesis is the most important part of a doctoral degree. This page will introduce you to what you need to know about the PhD dissertation.

This page will give you an idea of what to expect from your routine as a PhD student, explaining how your daily life will look at you progress through a doctoral degree.

Our guide tells you everything about the application process for studying a PhD in the USA.

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