How to write a research proposal for a fellowship

I was selected as a young policy advocate in the “Economy of Tomorrow” fellowship for students and young researchers 2019–20 by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Bangladesh in partnership with the University of Dhaka. The application is open this year and few forward-thinking research topics have been selected. Here is the call for application link, if you’re interested. In this article, I tried to discuss few things from my experience which might help you to write a successful proposal this year. Best of luck and leave a comment or reach out to me at omorahmed.1207@gmail.com if you have further queries. Dankjewel!

Writing the concept note (I would rather call it a proposal here!) is the first step toward cultivating your involvement in the fellowship. Last year total of 32 concept papers were shortlisted in the first round which means that there is a considerable portion of proposals may end up in the reject pile. A review team consisting of university professors, economists, and development professionals will take the final award call. So, it is a competitive process that goes beyond just writing a typical proposal. You must establish the fact that you have a better understanding of the research topic and you are capable of doing this research. The proposals will be reviewed anonymously, hence, you have to stand out from the crowd to win the fellowship. The followings are few pointers that might help you from start to end of the proposal writing process. You may follow the steps I discussed here or you can customize according to your choice or need.

1. Read, read, and read!

Before you write a single word in your proposal, read the fellowship application and especially the ‘Theme and Research Areas of the Fellowship’ section thoroughly. Do not jump into writing on the very first day, rather grow your curiosity on the topic like you are studying the topic for the first time in your life. Your curiosity will lead you in finding some good reading materials, such as research papers, articles, videos (expert interviews or reports on youtube!). Study them and hunt some good content for your proposal. Please note here your study output will be your inspiration to connect the dots or constructing the story inside your proposal, avoid direct coping with any concept from the study material. You might feel it overwhelming at first but do not be frustrated, all the applicants are studying the topic right now, so you have an equal chance of winning. One good day of reading may boost your confidence in the topic. So, keep reading!

2. Narrate your understanding

Start with understanding the context. It is very important as it is the first section, and you have to be extra careful. Don’t rush here, you can always come back and update content but make sure your words clearly reflect your unique understanding of the whole assignment. For example, you understand the research purpose, its importance, and applicability. The terms of reference usually narrate the broad picture and use mostly buzz words/jargon. You should illustrate a clear picture with relevant examples. You can use charts or other simple illustrations to summarize your understanding of the research.

3. Choose your research questions carefully

It is very important to convince the reader that there are problems that need to be solved, and furthermore, your mission is to find tangible policy options to solve the problem. Hence, the research questions are very important but do not just write the questions in few bullets. Ideally, you should convince the reader that there might be an infinite number of hard problems but you are choosing one or a few that’s worth solving and important to be left unsolved. You can add a narrative to justify how you are coming up with the research questions. Why they are important now. Coherent research questions will keep you ahead in the competition and increase your chance of winning.

4. Go extra miles in designing your methodology

The research methodology is the section of your proposal which convince your readers how useful and efficient your research is going to be in term of theoretical aspects. Whether you will use qualitative, quantitative, or mix methods, an effective methodology should have all the steps placed in a reader-friendly manner. Provide a brief idea of how you will conduct the data collection and mention a cluster or region-wise breakdown of the sample. Mention few tentative names of the organizations/stakeholders/partner whom you will interview. Try to visualize the activities you are going to perform. Remember your attention to detail in how you are executing the research in the field will make you unique as a researcher applicant.

5. Miscellaneous but important

· Do not forget to check the proposal length and formatting requirements.

· Be open and seek collaboration with a like-minded researcher (in case you are a novice in research)

· Your proposal should have a Gantt chart or table indicating your research milestones.

· Footnote and reference are important. Use updated data and information everywhere.