Writing Your JPC
Research Proposal
Purpose of a Proposal
• Introduces your topic
• Tells anyone who
reads it why you want
to do the research Why it is important?
• Addresses the “so what” factor
• Proposes a question to study
Purpose of a Proposal
• What you are going to
do and how you are
going to go about the
work?
• How you are going to
analyze what you find?
• A good proposal presents sufficient material
to convince readers that the study is worth
doing that you know what you’re doing
Elements of a Proposal
•
•
•
•
Identify the Problem
Relevant Literature (informs the problem)
Question (how you will address the problem)
Methods (your strategy for answering the
question, includes a discussion of how you will
collect and analyze your data)
JPC proposals should also describe the
service aspect of their project
Example JPC Proposal
 Is the problem clearly stated?
 What is the research question/hypothesis?
 What methods will they use to address this hypothesis?
 What data will they collect and how will they analyze their
data?
 What are the intended outcomes of the study? Are they
clear?
 Will it benefit the community and if so how?
 Do the authors clearly describe what they are going to do?
The JPC application
• Application form
Budget
Proposal narrative
JPC team member
application
The JPC application
(continued)
• Recommendation letter from faculty advisor
• Project endorsement letter from community
partner
• Unofficial transcripts
•Preliminary work plan
Considerations
• Audience
• Requirements from application – Follow
instructions!
• Writing (style and grammar)
• Role of the community partner
“I have made this letter longer than usual, only
because I have not had time to make it shorter.”
Blaise Pascal, 17th-century French philosopher and
mathematician
Tips for a Successful Proposal
• Work in collaboration with your faculty
advisor
• Answer the “W” questions, Who, What,
When, Where
• Have someone unfamiliar with your project
read your proposal
• Be specific about outputs and outcomes
Tips for a Successful Proposal
• Community partners should be involved at the
earliest stages
• Research processes and outcomes should
benefit the community
• Productive partnerships between researchers
and community members should be
encouraged to last beyond the life of the
project
Questions
Brian Cullaty
Assistant to the Vice Provost for Academic Programs
(434) 924-3306
brc7q@virginia.edu