How to Write a Research Proposal Prof. Dr. Hans-Dieter Evers University of Bonn Universiti Brunei Darussalam

Standard Research Proposal Outline 1.Topic and applicant 2.Summary of research problem 3.State of the Art - literature survey - relevant publications/experience of applicant 4.Research objectives/questions 5.Research methods 6.Expected output 7.Work / Time Schedule 8.Detailed budget

Common Mistakes In Proposal Writing o Lack of proper context to frame the research question o Failure to delimit the boundary conditions for the research o Failure to cite landmark studies (“State of the art”) and/or misrepresentation of the contributions of other researchers o Lack of focus in the research question o Irrelevant details, but not enough detail on major issues o Too much rambling without a clear sense of direction o Citation lapses and incorrect references o Too long or too short, sloppy writing o Budget not itemized

Examples of Research Proposals Science Policy for Sustainable Development (Prof. Joachim von Braun and Prof. Solvay Gerke, submitted to the Volkswagen Foundation 2011, 49pp) Strategic Group Formation and Power Relations in the Water Sector of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam (First draft of a PhD research proposal by Simon Benedikter, Supervisor Prof. Hans-Dieter Evers, 32pp) PhD Research Proposal (ZEF, summary table) Research Proposal XYZ (submitted by NN, Lecturer University XYZ, 2pp)

Science Policy for Sustainable Development a research project on national science systems in an international context III.A Problem Statement The long-term distributional effects of public science policy are particularly under-researched. III.B Research Objectives The research project focuses on the question: Which science policy enhances sustainable development and how can science investors enhance their impact?

Science Policy for Sustainable Development IIIC. Research Questions 1. What has been the role of scientific advancements for development and economic growth in (each of) the countries studied, and investments in what science domains may promise large developmental, growth and poverty reduction effects in the future? 2. What type of social and political processes have been most conducive for strengthening science policy and knowledge systems in the different country contexts and what are or have been major barriers to strengthening systems? 3. At a more generalized level: how should emerging economies at different stages of development approach science policy in terms of design of science systems landscapes, allocation of resources and related priority setting, and, 4. What roles can development cooperation, incl. by foundations and the private sector, play in terms of national science policy cooperation for development?

Science Policy for Sustainable Development IV. State of the Art: Science Policy for Development – Includes 7 pages of references cited V. Conceptual Framework

Strategic Group Formation and Power Relations in the Water Sector of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam Ph.D. Proposal, Simon Benedikter, Supervisor Prof. Hans-Dieter Evers 2. Research Objectives 3. Background of Research 3.1. The Transition from Central Planning: Social and Political Consequences of Economic Reforms in Vietnam 3.2. The Mekong Delta in Vietnam – A Water-Based Landscape in Transition 3.3. The Legal and Institutional Framework of Water Resources Management in Vietnam and the Mekong Delta 4. Theoretical and Conceptual Framework 4.1. Conceptualization of Strategic Group Formation and Interaction 4.2. Politics and Power in the Vietnamese Context 5. Problem Definition: Power Relations and Group Interaction in the Water Sector of the Mekong Delta 6. Research Questions 7. Methodology 8. Research Schedule 9. Bibliography

Research Process

Research Proposal XYZ (submitted by NN, Lecturer University XYZ, 2011, 2 pp) Objectives of the Study: – a. Objectives – b. Success Criteria Methodologies – a. Outputs – b. Indicative work plan ??

UBD Research Proposal Form 1.Problem to be addressed 2.Background, problem analysis and justification 3.Objectives and success criteria 4.Outputs and schedule of activities 5.Management and implementation arrangements 6.Proposed budget and funding arrangement 7.Important Additional Information below: …….. What is missing? What is sperfluous? Does this form meet international standards? State of the Art/Literature? Research Methods? Time? ?

Evers, H.-D. & Bauer, T. (2011): Emerging Epistemic Landscapes: Knowledge Clusters in Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta. In: Menkhoff, T., Evers, H.-D., Yue Wah Chay & Eng Fong Pang (eds.): Beyond the Knowledge Trap: Developing Asia‘s Knowledge-Based Economies. New Jersey: World Scientific, pp Evers, H.-D. & Benedikter, S. (2009): Hydraulic Bureaucracy in a Modern Hydraulic Society – Strategic Group Formation in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Water Alternatives 2, 3: Evers, H.-D., S. Gerke, and T. Menkhoff "Knowledge Clusters and Knowledge Hubs: Designing Epistemic Landscapes for Development." Journal of Knowledge Management 14(5): Gerke, S. & Ehlert, J. (2011): Local Knowledge as a Strategic Resource: Fisheries in the Seasonal Floodplains of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. In: Menkhoff, T., Evers, H.-D., Yue Wah Chay & Eng Fong Pang (eds.): pp Gerke, S., Evers, H.-D., Bui The Cuong, Bauer, T. & Ehlert, J. (forthcoming 2012): Managing Knowledge for the Development of the Mekong Delta Bui The Cuong & Gerke, S. (forthcoming 2012): Nước là Nguồn Chiến lược: Đồng Bằng Sông Cửu Long. Hanoi: Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. Research Output Selected publications only

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