Guidance on submitting a project proposal

Please include a 3-4 page document on your proposed project. Your proposal document must be formatted with normal margins and 11-font size. We will be unable to progress your application without a proposal that meets these requirements.

Your project proposal will be reviewed within IGH by two senior academics, and you will be provided with these reviews and the opportunity to respond. An offer to undertake postgraduate studies at IGH will be made based, in part, on the outcome of this review process. Reviewers will be looking for evidence that you can identify, synthesise and correctly cite relevant literature, justify the importance of the topic, write clear and answerable research questions, and that you have at least a basic understanding of research methodology.

Bear in mind that the reviewers, although senior academics at IGH, will not necessarily be experts in your specific field. The proposal should therefore, be free from unnecessary jargon and acronyms.

The proposal should include:

• A lay summary of no more than 200 words
• A statement of the research question and the objectives of the programme of research to be undertaken
• A background section demonstrating your understanding of the current state of knowledge of the field, with reference to the literature, the research gaps, the value of the research proposed in addressing these gaps, and the potential impact
• A research plan section, which may involve collection of new data, analysis of an existing dataset/datasets, or both. If it involves use of an existing dataset(s) you should indicate whether you have access to this, or how access will be secured. Note that it is not a prerequisite to already have access to a dataset but it is helpful to reviewers to understand whether this is already agreed, or if not, what needs to be done to obtain such an agreement. If your project involves recruiting participants or study subjects, you should explain from which group or population you will be recruiting, how this will be undertaken, any ethical considerations specific to this project, and how you will address them. The methodology to be used to address the project’s objectives should be clearly stated, including the components of the project, such as a systematic review, qualitative study, observational cohort etc. The methods of analysis and the principal outcome measures should be detailed.
• Funding. If any part of your proposal is contingent on securing funding, this should be explained.
• 10-20 key references from the literature