How to get a fully funded scholarship (Writing your research proposal) Step 3

There is an art and science to getting a fully-funded scholarship. Most of us spend time on the science of it (procedures and demands) forgetting that the art of it matters. The art of getting a fully-funded scholarship involves creativity, flexibility, and preparing ahead of time. This post is part 3 of a 5-part series in which I am going to teach you the art and science of getting a fully-funded scholarship.

Writing Your Research Proposal

In the last 'How to get a fully-funded scholarship' post, you learned how to write your personal statement or cover letter which is about your past and background. In this post, you are going to learn about the research proposal which has to do with your future: what you plan to do as you apply for a scholarship.

To get this done, you have to do background research on the topic you intend to work on and on the department, you intend to go to/the professor you intend to work with. Because I want you to be able to write the first draft of a research proposal after reading this post, I am going to give you a series of homework in each category.

Homework on the background on your topic

What is that one thing you are curious about that you will like to dig deeper and write about? (in the video below I give you tips on how to think about it)
Why does the thing you are curious about matter? Why should anyone care about it—Yes it is interesting to you but why should someone else care especially caring enough to give you the scholarship to study it. (in the video below, I give you tips on how to get this done)
What methods are you going to employ to get this research done?
What do you anticipate to be the findings of the research you intend to conduct? Of course, you can not be very certain but you need to have a good idea of where the research can lead to.
Come up with a timeline: what month do you intend to do what? Of course, things may change but a timeline is a great way to make the selection committee know that you have a good sense of what you are doing.
Come up with a budget — this is important for science students who may need specific equipment to get their research completed.

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Homework on the department/professor you intend to work with

What department do you intend to apply to?
Who are the professors in that department and who amongst them will you want to work with?
What kind of research goes on at that department and what kinds of publications have they done?
How does your research fit into what the department already does? (in the video above, I share a strategy on how you can think about this)
What does the department have that can help your research be successful?