This a general outline for a concept paper. If a funder provides a specific template or format, you should follow that. For NIH, you can you draft Aims. For NSF, you should incorporate Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts.
Introduction
- Introduce your research idea and why it is a good fit connecting your project to the sponsor’s mission and funding priorities
Purpose/Need
- Provide brief supporting evidence for the importance of addressing this problem, research question or need including statistical data and citations of others who have made contributions to this area of research
- Demonstrate how the proposed research will contribute to and advance knowledge
- Why does this research matter?
Project Description
- Concisely describe your research approach, what you plan to do and the potential benefit
- Address what is novel about your approach and illustrate why you and your team have the best solution
Goals/Objectives/Aims/Research Questions
- Outline your goals, objectives/aims or research questions
- What is you want to learn, discover or prove?
Methods/Approach
- Describe how the proposed research will be carried out connecting the methods to the goals and objectives
- Provide enough detail to help the reviewer assess feasibility and potential impact
- Why is the approach unique?
- Include a project timeline with key milestones, target dates and responsible individuals
Expected Outcomes/Benefits
- Describe the potential benefits if the research is successful
Additional Guidance:
In thinking about your research concept paper, you may want to use the Heilmer Criteria described below.
What is the Heilmeier Criteria?
George H. Heilmeier, a DARPA director in the 1970s crafted a set of questions known as the Heilmeier Catechism to help agency officials evaluate proposed research programs. Almost 50 years later, these criteria continue to be a powerful tool in crafting competitive proposals.
- What are you trying to do? Articulate your objectives using absolutely no jargon. What is the problem? Why is it hard?
- How is it done today, and what are the limits of current practice?
- What new in your approach and why do you think it will be successful?
- Who cares?
- If you are successful, what difference will it make? What impact will success have? How will it be measured?
- What are the risks and the payoffs?
- How much will it cost?
- How long will it take?
- What the midterm and final exams to check for success? How will progress be measured?
