When I started my PhD application, I eagerly filled in all relevant information based on my past education and experience. It went smoothly until I stumbled upon the part that asked me to upload my research proposal. I had no idea how to write one. I had never been taught how to write a research proposal before deciding to apply for my PhD and pursue an academic career. All I knew at that time was that it needs to present original ideas that will advance my selected field of study. Does it sound familiar?

The first thing I did was a quick Google search using the following term: “how to write a PhD proposal”. Having reviewed tens of webpages, I managed to come up with a structure for my proposal and had some idea about the key content I need to include. I’ve spent weeks reading the literature to identify exciting research questions, formulate hypotheses, design research methods, and eventually draft my research proposal. And it paid off – I got my PhD position!

My experience in developing research proposals gathered through years spent in academia has taught me one thing – the key to writing a successful research proposal is a crystal clear research idea that will advance your research field! I understand that generating ground-breaking and transformative ideas is hard and doesn’t happen overnight. However, I want to share the approach I have developed as an academic to help you develop your research proposals.

In the webinar How to write a successful research proposal, I’m going to share the tools I use on a daily basis to identify exciting research questions and formulate research ideas. I’ll also tell you how you can express your novelty in a crisp manner and how you can plan your work considering the uncertainty of research.

Let’s get started.